MMM MMM GOOD

Long Overdue

2009-08-19T09:38:00.001-05:00

I know that a new post is way way overdue. It has been a busy summer in my household! Though it is not quite over yet I thought I should at least "throw you a crumb" and let you know I am still around. I promise to give you a more complete explanation of my absence and resume more regular posting soon!

This is one of those "Hmm?" recipes. I really was not sure that I was going to like it when I saw it but it made me curious enough to give it a try. The great thing is you can make just a little bit and try it out before committing to it. It might not suit all tastes but I would encourage you to be adventurous and give it a go! The measurements are a guideline and not really specific. I am not usually a "less it more" kind of girl but in this recipe that is the approach you should take. It's about complimenting and making the flavor POP!

This makes a beautiful salad for a starter or even a very light dessert. I just love to eat it for a snack!

Watermelon-Feta Salad

4 cups cubed watermelon

4 oz crumbled Feta cheese

2tbs Balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Olive oil

4 Tbs fresh shredded basil

Place 1 cup watermelon each, in individual serving bowls. Whisk together Balsamic vinegar and olive oil. With a teaspoon, drizzle over top of watermelon. Distribute feta evenly between bowls and top with Basil. You can also replace half (or all ) of the basil with fresh mint for an extra zing!

Worth Repeating

2009-06-04T06:57:00.008-05:00

In 8 days our house will be a wall to wall family ready to begin a 4 day celebration of the graduation of my Daughter and my Nephew. Because my Daughter attends one of the largest High Schools in Cumberland County graduating a whopping 458 seniors we get to be the last graduation of the day starting at 8PM. Considering that we are not likely to leave the Crown parking lot before 10pm that makes it a little late to do much "partying". Fri morning we are packing up the Family and heading to the beach. In a moment of craziness I decided that an open house before graduation would be a good thing to do. What the heck was I thinking???? Oh yeah, did I mention that of the 8 days between now and graduation I am working 4(12 hours each) of those days.
But done is done and now I must plan what we are serving. I am just getting started on the menu but this is the one thing I have decided to make. If you have been reading MMM MMM Good a while you may have seen this recipe before but it is always a big hit. I have made it for picnics and even a couple of weddings. One of my favorite things about it is that it makes a beautiful , impressive presentation. So here is an encore presentation of Muffaletta.

Sandwich Artistry

Muffaletta

1lb round loaf of Sourdough bread
1/3 cup of Olive tampenade
1/3cup pesto
Spinach leaves
4oz sliced swiss chese
4oz sliced provolone cheese
4oz pastrami
4oz ham
4oz turkey breast
Thinly sliced Red onions
Thinly slice roasted red peppers

Carefully cut off about 1/2 in off top of Bread. This will become the "lid." With you fingers hollow out the bread leaving about a 1/2 inch wall on bottom and sides. Mix together Tampenade and Pesto. Spread 2/3 of mixture over bottom , sides and "lid" of bread. Place a single a layer of meat, cheese, tampenade/pesto, peppers, onions and spinach. Continue to layer ingredients alternating types of cheese. Continually press down on ingredients packing them very tightly into bread. Replace Top of bread onto loaf. Wrap sandwich as tight as possible with plastic wrap (press and seal is great for this). Refrigerate sandwich for at least 8hrs. Cut sandwich into 8 wedges immediately before serving.

Note:The tighter you pack the ingredients into the bread the better this will stay together when you cut it.

2009-05-26T13:43:00.004-05:00

Today I am going to take the opportunity to answer a some of the questions that I frequently get asked as a Paramedic. I know that doesn't really seem to have anything to do with cooking but stick with me, in case you haven't noticed I can relate ANYTHING to cooking and/or food.

Do you drive the ambulance?

Yes I do. If I am riding with another Paramedic then we alternate driving and taking care of the Patient. If I am riding with a Basic or Intermediate EMT it depends on what is wrong with the Patient.

What is the difference between a Paramedic and an EMT?

Technically we are all EMT's. There are 3 levels. A basic EMT (or EMT-B) They can do CPR, breathe for you if you have stopped,stop bleeding, help you if you are choking,secure your C-spine (to prevent further injury), splint broken bones,give Oxygen, use an Automatic External Defibrillator(AED) and basically help out the Paramedic. It is often said," Paramedic save lives and Basics save Paramedics." This is often true but even more important is that those basic skills are very important, immediate life sustaining things that must be done for a Patient and without those, all other treatment by a paramedic or even a doctor is not going to be of help.

Intermediate EMT's (EMT-I) can do all of the things that a EMT-B can do and they can also start IV's, Intubate (place a tube in your airway to more effectively breathe for you) and give certain medications.

A Paramedic does all of the things a EMT-B and EMT-I can do and they can use a Manual defibrillator (and treat several different cardiac rhythms not just a cardiac arrest), Give a wide variety of medications and do a few other advanced procedures such as a tracheostomy. Though the EMT-B's and EMT-I's can do a lot of skills before a Paramedic gets there. Once we are on scene though, they can/do all the same things buy we are ultimately responsible for the care of the Patient and make the decisions.

Why does the Fire Dept come when I call for an ambulance?

There are a few reasons for this. Usually the Fire Departments can be there faster than an ambulance because the are located IN the community. There are considerably less ambulances than Fire stations. Often the nearest ambulance may be coming from the hospital or even the other side of the county. At least one if not several of the Fireman that respond to a call will be a EMT-B and like I said before can perform basic life-saving skills. They also respond to Motor vehicle crashes (MVC) in case of the need too extricate people (Jaws of life) from the vehicles if needed, control any fluids leaking, put out any potential fires and just generally make it safe for us to do our job around unstable cars and/or other dangerous things. They are also a huge help to us and often help with lifting and sometimes ride in to the hospital with us for an "extra set of hands" when a Patient is very unstable. Obviously they will be there if there is any potential for fire or hazardous chemicals or materials. As paramedic we get just basic knowledge of these things and I promise you I will NOT be running into a burning building. That's why I am a Paramedic and NOT a Fireman!

What is the worst thing you have ever seen?

The worst thing I have ever seen was a pedestrian being struck by a car. When I say I have seen it, I mean I actually saw it happen. I also saw that it was going to happen and was not able to do anything to prevent it. Though the patients injuries were serious I have seen worse. The "worst" part was the trauma of witnessing it. It definitely took me a few seconds to get my bearings and be able to think straight to do the things I needed to. Not to mention that I already had a Patient in my ambulance. Though I began treating the Patient I had to wait for another ambulance to come. That situation gave me a little perspective on how long the wait seems.

Do you use turn on the lights and sirens just to get through intersections? and I also get "I have seen them go through and intersection and then turn them off."

I promise you that if we are using lights and sirens we are going to a call or to the hospital. In fact we often don't use them going to and from a call. The dispatcher codes our calls with the information they are given by the caller and they tell us if we should be driving "emergency traffic." We have many calls that are not " immediately life-threatening" Even calls that are ,once we begin treating the patient we can sometimes relieve the life-threat and take them to the hospital at a safer speed.

Every time we turn on the lights and sirens we are putting not only the general public in danger but ourselves (and the Patient) as well. We all have families of our own and though we do this job because we love helping other people. Our #1 priority is to go home to our loved ones at then end of the day.

You may see an ambulance come screaming down the roadway and then once they pass you, turn off the lights and siren. This can happen for a wide variety of reasons. We may have been cancelled from the call. More information about the nature of the call may have been obtained (by the 911 operator or perhaps the Fire Dept that is already on scene). Sometimes the scene is not safe for us to enter and we must wait for the Police to get there first or another ambulance may have been closer to a call. We also sometimes use lights and sirens for safety as we may need to cross heavy traffic (that often is paying attention to what is going on at the scene) when we are leaving a scene or if we are going in one direction and we get a call that is in the opposite direction and we need to make a U turn or other unexpected lane change or move.

But, my all time favorite question is ... Do you get a lunch break?

NO ,WE DON'T! We grab food whenever we get a chance and often eat it going down the road. If we do make it inside a restaurant and order food we may get a call as we are taking our first bite (or even before we get it) and either we grab it and take it with us (often to be eaten cold hours later) or leave without it. Some days we are lucky and may have an extended time to sit and eat but not often. It is for this reason that you may see us shifting around impatiently while waiting in a line at Mikey D's or gobbling down our food at a pace that is sure to cause indigestion later.

It's for this reason that I usually try to pack at least part of my food or some snacks. A busy 12 hour shift is a long time to go on a quick cup of bad coffee and a package of Nabs. Not to mention a constant diet of fast food reeks havoc on the waistline. If I have a sandwich, some fruits, veggies or left overs. I can grab them (and scarf them down quickly) between calls to try to maintain some semblance of a healthy diet. Though storage and maintaining food at a safe temperature poses a challenge, especially on very hot days.

But the BEST days are when we happen to be at the Fire Department at mealtime and the firemen are kind enough to ask us to join them. Those firemen are my FAVORITE! (Yes, I am sucking up. Stupid I am not. I know some of them read this.) Cumberland county has some great cooks posing as fireman. I have shared "cooking talk" with many and I have given and received advice.

I have eaten many meals prepared by firemen. Being that we are in the South, I find that most firemen make really great traditional southern food. Stick to your ribs, comfort food. I have had fabulous chicken and pastry, meatloaf , fried chicken, chili and Lasangna just to name a few.

But station #7 is the "home" of a rather talented cook/chef. (Now guys ...don't get offended you ALL are great cooks) If you are not familiar with the North side of Fayetteville you may not even notice Fire Station #7 on Stacey Weaver. The station looks very much like many of the houses in the neighborhood. But I am sure if you live close by you have seen the doors open up and the trucks rolling out. I am also guessing once or twice you have been woken up by the sirens. If you happen to go by at dinner time and Firefighter Meece is on shift you are likely to smell something yummy coming from the kitchen.

He and I have talked food many times but a few months ago I got the pleasure of actually sampling some of his handiwork. I walked into the station as the firemen were sitting down to dinner. I was warmly greeted by all and invited to join them. "Oh man I just ate something" was my reply. But then I walked into the kitchen and spotted something that looked WAY to good to pass up. When I tasted it I was SO glad that I didn't. I left the station that day VERY full!

He called it a Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich. That is exactly what it is but I think it needs a more fitting name. Hmmmm...

I asked him for a "recipe" for this and he rattled off some ingredients and basic instructions but no real recipe. Now I know how people feel when they ask me about a dish I made. So this is my interpretation of his sandwich I think it's pretty close. The one thing that I think is a MUST for this is really good bread. He used "everything" Ciabatta bread (from Walmart) and I would really recommend that. It has garlic, poppy-seeds, sesame seeds along with some other stuff.

Lucky #7 Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich

1 loaf Crusty bread
1lb chicken breast pounded 1/4-1/2 inch
Basic Chicken Breader (I used House of Autry)
1TBS Citrus Grill seasoning
1 tsp paprika (smoked is nice)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg lightly beaten
1 Tbs milk
8 oz provolone or Swiss cheese
8 oz sliced deli ham
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1Tbs olive oil

Beat egg lightly with milk in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, combine chicken breader, citrus seasoning, salt, pepper and paprika. Dip chicken in egg mixture then dredge in breader mixture. Heat oil in large skillet. Fry chicken in oil for aprox 3 mins on each side till chicken is cooked through and it is golden brown. Drain on Paper towel. Slice bread in half. Place bread cut side up a on baking sheet. Place chicken on one half and top with ham and cheese. Lightly brush other half with olive oil. Place under broiler for aprox 2 mins until cheese is melted and bread is lightly browned. Place two halves together and serve immediately. Serves 4-6

Wait! It's Not What it Looks Like!

2009-05-07T13:44:00.002-05:00

I have mentioned before that even though I am divorced, I have a very close relationship with my in-laws. I am not going to say "Ex" in-laws because I did not divorce them.

But I did get off to a rocky start with my Mother-in-law. I am pretty sure that it was a classic case of "you are taking my baby". I am not sure when she let go of that (maybe she didn't ever but at least came to accept it) but over the years our relationship evolved. I may not share a blood bond with her, but we do through my children and I love her just as much as the rest of my family. ~~I think~~ Hopefully, the feeling is mutual.

About a year and a half ago my Son started dating a girl that I happen to like very much. Besides just being a nice person she seems to make my Son very happy! He says and does things that I would never have imagined from him. I am sure a lot of it has to do with maturity on his part but I am giving her some of the credit for some of it too. I am not pushing (I promise Ryan I am not), but if at some point they decide to get married I don't think that we will have that awkward Mother verses Daughter-in -law thing.

Cooking for people I like is definitely my favorite thing to do. That being said I am going to admit that this cake (the actual cake part) came from a mix so no recipe today. But the "sushi" was made of made of rice krispy treats, gummi bears, gumpaste,and non-pareils, I came up with the idea a few months ago when we went out for sushi and the waitress said to my Son and Laura ..."you here again?" I spent a good part of Fri and Sat night working on the "sushi" I looked at lot's of pictures online and even bought some real sushi to help me get this just right. I hope she likes it!

Happy Birthday Laura!

Geography, History and a Recipe

2009-04-05T20:14:00.014-05:00

According to Southern rules I am a Yankee in that I am from "above the Mason-Dixon line." But really I consider myself from the Midwest. You can argue this point all you want but I have done my research! The Mason-Dixon line does NOT extend west of PA. That being said, I am not sure why it is called Mid WEST because more than half of the Midwest states fall in the Eastern half of the United States. But I digress...badly!

Long before the word "slider" became so mainstream...There was White Castle. The king of all Midwest (though you can get them in NY and New Jersey along with a few NON Midwest states), late night, especially after drinking, regret it in the morning foods. When we travel "back home" to Indy that is usually one of the first places we go. Sometimes we even pick them up on the way into town. Even if we are just there for a few days we often have them several times. Let me tell you we LOVE our White Castle!

Now I know that you can buy them frozen in the grocery store and I do give in to the craving occasionally and buy them. They are not bad ... but not the same. One thing they don't have is dill pickle slices, which in my opinion is essential. My Son, however (Mr. Eats nothing Green) will argue that point.

Years ago I made a "White Castle" Sloppy Joe using Cream of Onion soup but I cannot seem to find that anymore. I did a little research and found this recipe on Recipezaar. Yes, I know this is far from Gourmet cooking but its quick, easy and actually quite tasty. Its not the real thing but it sort satisfies my craving.

"White Castle" Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbs flour
1 Package dried onion soup mix
1 cup hot water

Brown ground beef with onions. Drain fat. Stir in flour. Dissolve soup mix in hot water and add to meat. Simmer for 10 mins.

Place meat mixture on bun and top with cheese and dill pickles if desired.

A Bubbly Little Dessert

2009-04-01T07:51:00.005-05:00

Late last summer I finally broke down and bought myself an ice cream maker. I had been wanting it all summer.Every time I would see a recipe for yummy sounding ice cream I would say " I am going to buy one" So, in August I did it!
The first time I used it I quickly learned that "ready in 20 mins" is a LIE! First of all the "bowl" must be frozen. This is best done OVERNIGHT! The ingredients for the ice cream ususally have to be heated and then COOLED. This is best done.....OVERNIGHT! Now, once you add the cold ingredients to the frozen bowl. It does only take 20 mins to "make" but then you need to let the finished product "firm up" in the freezer , for about 2 hours!
How many times have I made ice cream since that first attempt. UHH, that would be a big ZERO. I thought about it many times but always at the last minute and as you can see from the above paragraph, that does not work. I finallydecided to store the bowl in the freezer so at least that part would be ready for the next time I decided thought about making ice cream. That was sometime in October I think.

Last week I invited my friend Marlana over for dinner. I decided the night before that I was going to make this Champagne Sorbet. BUT, I did not make it out to get the champagne..or the grapefruit that night. By the time I got home from church and shopping for the ingredients for dinner....it was too late, AGAIN.

But I had the ingredients and now its been almost a week with 4 grapefruits sitting in a basket on my table. Now I do like grapefruit.But ,not enough that I am going to eat all 4 before they go bad. So, today for no special occasion at all we are having Champagne Sorbet.
Despite the time involved in all the steps, it is quite easy to make. I used sparkling wine instead of champagne. The directions I got from Simply Recipes stated you could make that substitution. I think that next time though I am gonna try with the Champagne. The finished product though very good but a bit sweeter than I expected.

One thing that I was hoping for was a sort of "sparkle" but in order to get the alcohol to freeze it has to be boiled. Which not only burns off the alcohol but removes the "fizz". The recipe suggests drizzling a teaspoon of the Champagne over top of the sorbet when serving to give a little of that back. I did that and liked it very much. In fact I liked it so much that the next time I added a little lot more than a teaspoon and it was like a grown up Champagne Float ...mmmm quite tasty!

Someone also suggested placing the finished Sorbet in a bowl without a lid then placing that in a cooler with dry ice for a few hours. According them the CO2 the dry ice gives off will "infuse" the sorbet. I am definately going to try that! I will let you know how it works out.

Champagne Sorbet (from Simply Recipes)
1 1/2 cups Champagne Sorbet
1 cup Sugar
1Tbs Light Corn Syrup
1 tsp lemon and/or grapefruit zest
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice
1/4 cup fresh squeezed Lemon juice

Pour champagne, sugar, corn syrup, and zest into a saucepan. Bring to a vigorous boil so that the sugar completely dissolves, remove from heat.
Strain into a stainless steel bowl (will help cool down faster), add the grapefruit juice and lemon juice. Chill completely.
Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the ice cream maker directions. Transfer mixture to a storage container and freezer in your freezer until firm.
Makes about 1 quart.

The Most Beautiful Salad In History

2009-03-23T11:47:00.006-05:00

Ok, perhaps an overstatement. No ...second thought, it's not. At least not from my perspective. But its not just beautiful, NO SIR-ee it is delicious to boot! According to Ree from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks " (which is where I found this recipe) it is SUBLIME! Do, I agree? Would I go as far as to call it sublime? That would be a resounding HECK YEAH!
I am sure that it does not hurt that this is the first "spring is here, summer is on it's way" dish I have made this year. Chock full of beautiful produce in all the colors of the rainbow. Oh how I LOVE summer! But what makes this salad is the Dressing. The Pioneer Woman has found the perfect ..."did you hear me?" I said PERFECT balance in this recipe. You can change any of the vegetables you like in this dish but don' t DARE change the dressing. I promise you, you won't be sorry. If you have read this blog more than a few times you will know that is a pretty strong statement coming from me. I am usually all about making a recipe your own. BUT DON'T!
You can use any veggies you like in any amounts. I will tell you I used A BUNCH! I also only used a half a pound of dried linguine where the recipe called for a whole pound. Let me tell you this makes a ton! I would not have had a bowl big enough to fit a whole lb. The mixture of veggies I used incorporates all the beautiful colors of nature. If you don't like something leave it out or substitute it for something else but be mindful of the colors. Remember, you taste with your eyes first.

Asian Noodle Salad

adapted from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks"

Salad
1 bunch-Boc choy
1 small head Nappa Cabbage
1 Small head Purple cabbage
1 each-Red,yellow, orange pepper
4 Green onions
1 bag Baby spinach (washed and dried)
Small container of bean sprouts (mung beans)
1/2-1 lb linguine noodles
3/4 of a of Bunch cilantro , roughly chopped (about 1/4 will go in dressing)

Dressing
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TBS Sesame Oil
1/3 cup Soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 TBS fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 hot peppers, finely chopped (serrano or jalepeno)
Cilantro
Cashews (optional)

Cook Linguine according to package directions. Drain, rinse in cool water and drain again.
Whisk together ingredients for dressing and set aside.

Thinly slice cabbages and place in to VERY large bowl. Julienne peppers, thinly slice white and green part of scallions and add to cabbage, Add remaining salad ingredients and linguine.
Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Top with cashews if desired.

Notes: As this salad sits the veggies begin to wilt and lose a little of their wonderful crunch. It is still very good this way but not nearly as pretty. If you are making this ahead don't toss everything together until you are ready to serve. Mix together veggies and place in large ziplock bag. Mix a few tablespoons of dressing with linguine (this will keep it from sticking together) and store in another ziplock bag. Immediately before serving toss veggies, linguine and dressing together.

Poke Me With a Fork, I'm Done

2009-03-11T10:44:00.006-05:00

It’s official, I am old! My "baby" turned 18 on Sunday. I have found that my birthdays don’t make me feel this way near as much as my children’s do. Face it, we can exercise and use face creams and lie about our age as much as we like. Sometimes we can even get away with it. But we can’t stop our children from growing up.

I don’t typically lie about my age (when asked) but I do like to feel like people think I am younger than I am. But, when someone meets my children or I talk about them or show pictures and I get a "I didn’t know you had children that old." or "You don’t look old enough to have children that age." The image is shattered. The "you don’t look old enough" comment at first feels like a compliment but then there is that unspoken "WOW, you are REALLY old!"

I never thought I would be that woman who wishes she was younger. That’s easy to think when you are 18 or 20 or even 25. Not so much at 42 because 45 is just around the corner and then 50 OMG!!!!

Do I wish I were 18 again? No way! I don’t even wish I were 25. I think I would like to stay about 35. I feel like I really didn’t know "who I was" until I was about 30. Which is why I don’t think anyone should get married, get a tattoo or have a baby until they are at least 30. Did you hear that Kristen???? How about you Ryan?

So, how old am I ? "I am 35!!" what is that you say? "Yes, I did have my first baby at 14!" Dang, that does not support my argument to my children to wait until they are 30 ...does it? Sigh ..ok how about 35 with experience?

On to some food!

I spent the better part of Saturday afternoon looking for a "different" cake to make for my daughter for her birthday. I was flexible. I wanted either something REALLY pretty or something REALLY cute along with tasting good OR something really really decadent. Remember however, that I am not an accomplished baker. I would have loved to make that coconut cake I made last year but Kristen does not like coconut. I also could not make anything with pineapple because Ryan does not like that.

Due to those criteria and a quickly running out of time (for anything complicated) I resorted back to my "go to" birthday cake. I make this all of the time because it’s really easy and personally I think it looks "special". Normally I use multi-colored sprinkles to decorate this cake because it gives it a very festive "birthday" look but I still was striving for that "really pretty" thing.

Did you know that several flowers are edible? Nasturtiums are one that I know off the top of my head along with Pansies. I have long wanted to try them.( I think they would be beautiful in a salad). But, I never felt like I had the right crowd to be receptive to this. I didn’t think my children would eat them but I figured what the heck. No one actually has to eat the flowers, they can push them to the side and they will make this cake beautiful!

I found them at Harris Teeter in the herb section. They are organic and perfectly edible. I did try them and actually found them to be flavorless. This collection was all pansies. Perhaps Nasturtiums might have more flavor. I do plan on using them in a salad at my first spring/summer dinner party!

This Jell-o "Poke Cake" is wonderfully moist and not overly sweet. It’s a little tricky to make as a layer cake so if you are not going for "really"pretty feel free to make it in a 9x13 pan. It definitely falls in to the BBFYB (Big Bang For Your Buck) category!

Jell-o Poke Cake

1-3oz pkg Jell-o

1 packaged white or yellow cake mix

1 -16oz container Cool Whip(thawed)

Eggs, oil, water, butter or whatever you cake mix calls for

Decorations of your choice

Prepare cake according to package directions in 2- round layer pans. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes (after removing from pans)

Prepare jell-o according to package directions. Cool slightly but DO NOT chill.

Place one layer on cake plate (or what ever you plan to serve it on) bottom side up. Place wax paper on another plate and place other layer bottom side down on plate. Using a fork poke holes all over cake (you can’t make too many).

Pour or spoon half of jell-o slowly and carefully over one cake and half on other. Chill for 20 minutes.

"Ice first layer (the one on cake plate) make sure the top is covered but do not make it too thick or the second layer will slide around.

Carefully remove second layer from wax paper a place bottom side down onto first layer. Ice entire cake with Cool Whip being careful not to press too hard on cake or you will get cake bits in your "icing"

Once cake is well covered make peaks in your icing by gently placing knife or spatula into icing and lifting straight up. Top cake with flowers, sprinkles or other decorations of your choice. If you would like to write on cake the gel type of decorating icing (in small tube) works the best.

Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Notes: You can use whatever flavor/color jell-o you like. My favorite is strawberry-banana (and often decorate it with sliced strawberries). My favorite cake mix to use is the Duncan Hines "butter recipe" YUMMY!

New Territory

2009-02-21T16:35:00.002-05:00

My son never ceases to amaze me! A child whom I once thought might be the pickiest person on the planet has once again presented me with a challenge. For our family dinner a couple of weeks ago (I know it's been a long time since I have posted) he asked me to make Korean Food.

REALLY? Korean? You mean a cuisine that is full of VEGETABLES??Things that are green?

Honestly I have not even eaten, let alone cooked much Korean food. In fact the only thing I can think of off the top of my head is Bulgogi. So, I am being challenged to make food that I have no idea WHAT it is supposed to taste like. So I am making no claims of the authenticity or correctness of this food. I did buy most of the ingredients in an Asian market if that counts for anything. I also found Home Cooking Diary a blog written by a young Korean guy that has great (what appears to me to be) basic Korean dishes. I looked at several other sites and compared ingredients and methods and they were all pretty similar but I there was just something I liked about his. So I pulled some ingredients from other recipes I found but I really used his site as my guide. I am sad to say though it looks as though he has stopped posting (nothing new since October) but what he has gives me a good base of Korean Dishes.

Have you ever been in an Asian market? I find them a bit intimidating. Maybe it's just having no idea what the vast majority of the products are . A situation that I am not used too since I pride myself in having a pretty good base of knowledge when it comes to food and cooking.

Maybe it's the pungent smells that though I know will produce the tastiest of dishes, are a bit overwhelming all together and in such large quantities.

Then there are the employees. They scare me. They make me feel like I don't belong there. When I ask questions the barriers of language and accent make it difficult to know for sure if they understand what I am asking and more importantly do I understand what they are telling me. Before anyone gets offended or thinks I am stereo-typing let me stop and add something here. I realize that this is my own perception and insecurity. It has much to do with a lack of understanding of their culture.

I am aware of this because in high school my best friend was Chineese and Philipino. The first time I went to her home I was petrified. To me every conversation (they spoke mostly Chinese) that went on between her family members sounded like they were fighting. After a few times of visiting and me asking her if her Mom hated me or was she in trouble for something I realized that their tone was just different. Even after I understood that her family liked me and her Mom would cook things just for me because I liked them it still was hard to believe they were not mad or when they were talking.

So, anyway back to the food. I made a feast of Korean food. A weeknight family dinner turned into a impromptu dinner party when I realized I was going to have a TON of food and I asked my daughter to invite a couple of friends. Everyone liked something and somethings were not liked by all.

Probably my daughter liked the least of it because a lot was spicy. But I made some bulgogi just for her. My Son was very pleased and tried everything and even liked some things that were green. One of my daughters friends has a Korean girlfriend and gave me a thumbs up on authenticity. Maybe he was just being polite but I will take it!

The title picture today is the basic spices and condiments that seem to be essential in Korean cooking.The red pepper paste being the #1 thing that was in almost all of the dishes. This was a bit of a pricey adventure because I did not have the majority of ingredients required. But now I do and next time it will be much more affordable.

I am going to leave you with just one simple recipe today and save more for the next post (and I will try to make that VERY soon). This was the sleeper that I did not expect to be so good. This is a banchan which in Korean is a side dish. You serve it as a community bowl and each person takes some and puts it over steamed rice. Though I think its great eaten by itself and love to just snack on it.

I actually bought it premade the day before I made this dinner and it was so good that I ate most of it that night. I had planned to go back and buy more for the dinner but then I found the recipe and it was so easy that I couldn't justify not making it myself.

Spicy Dried Squid

1 1/2 Tbs Red Pepper Paste

1Tbs Corn syrup

1/2 tsp finely minced or grated garlic

1Tbs sesame oil

1 cup packed frozen dried squid (see note)

1 Tbs sesame seeds

Mix first 4 ingredients together in a small bowl set aside. Rinse and drain squid. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large frying pan. Add Squid and stir-fry for 2 mins. Mix in sauce and stir fry 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over steamed white rice.

Notes: You can also use shelf stable dried squid.

TEASER!!! Tune in next time for this

A Ray Of Sunshine On A Cloudy Trip

2009-01-30T11:12:00.005-05:00

Though I have mentioned all the BAD parts of my trip up north, I have not told you about any of the good parts. Yes, honestly there were some good parts. I got to see all of my immediate family along with some of my extended family including my cousin whom I have not seen in about 10 years! Considering I was in Indiana for less than 48 hours that is quite an accomplishment!

As I mentioned before, I went to Dayton, Ohio to see one of my best friends (who I have not seen for 2 yrs) on my way to Indy. Now I have LOTS of "best friends. " But she is one of only two, that knows ALL my secrets. Mostly because she like the other one, was my partner in crime in many of those secrets. These are the kind of friends that you will always be friends with because it's too dangerous not to be!

Besides our "wild youth" (relatively speaking) one of the things we share is that we are both Foodies. We have an unriveled love of unique flavors and textures and willingness to try just about anything.

During the 2 1/2 days I was there we did some major eating. One of the places she took me (twice actually) was a small independant resturant called "The Medowlark" She had raved about it! But when we pulled into the parking lot of a non-descript strip mall my heart sank a little. That lasted about 2 mins (the time it took us to park and walk inside) here, hidden in this strip mall was certainately a treasure!

Inside the decor was a charming beatnik,alternative, funky modern art conglomeration. Unique cloth napkins and placemats at each table.The employees matched the decor and so did the food!
The menu, is somewhat small and changes seasonally. It touts mostly salad, sanwiches and soups and read like poetry. No generic terms like mouthwatering, delicious... blah, blah, blah. It gave beautiful discriptions of the fresh,wonderful cheeses and vegetables and spices. There was no need to ask for explanation of any dish, you could imagine exactly what it would taste like just by reading ...no wait you could "almost imagine" because it tasted EVEN BETTER!

There were so many wonderful things there like a grilled portabella sandwich topped with roasted red peppers and Brie grilled to perfection on a beautiful Rye bread. Roasted tomato soup with basil. Garlic Frites with home made catsup (sure to be the topic of a future post). I could go on and on! But, since it is a 10 hour drive it would only serve to torture you. But believe me, if it were not for the cold weather and snow. I would consider moving to Dayton just to be able to eat at this resturant!

One of the dishes I had there was a beautiful beet salad with goat cheese which is half of the inspiration for todays post. The other half is a Ina Garten recipe that I found on Food Network. This sort of a fusion of both. The colors are so bold an lovely. It makes a great presentation that would be perfect for a dinner party or luncheon.

Beets tend to be a "love' em or hate' em" Food. Many people do not like the "earthy" flavor they have. But, the orange and vinegar in this recipe cuts through that and gives them a fresh, bright flavor!

I had originally planned on roasting fresh beets (which I have never done) for this; but, Ina's recipe called for canned beets. If canned beets are good enough for the Contessa, darnit they are good enough for me!

Orange Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

2-15 oz cans of sliced beets,drained
1/4 cup Raspberry Vinegar
1/4 cup Freshly squeezed Orange juice
1 Tbs Olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 large seedless orange
4 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Wisk together Vinegar, orange juice and olive oil salt and pepper. Place beets and onions in a bowl and pour mixture over top. Toss lightly, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Immediately before serving zest orange and set zest aside. Remove remainder of peel and with a sharp knife remove as much of white pith as possible. Segment oranges.

With a slotted spoon remove beets and onions from vinaigrette and arrange on individual serving plates. Drizzle a small amount of the vinaigrette over top. Divide orange segments between each plate and arrange on top of beets. Break up goat cheese into small clumps and arrange on each plate. Grind additional black pepper over entire salad. Top each with orange zest and sprinkle with walnuts.

Notes: For a more substatial dish you could also serve this on a bed of spinach or field greens adding a bit more of the vinaigrette to flavor the greens.

Don't Burst My Bubble

2009-01-20T14:24:00.004-05:00

I am sure that you expected to open up today's post and find some soup or a casserole or some other cuddle up and stay warm and cozy food. But I wanted something to make me think warm and tropical!

You see, the snow today and all of the cold weather we had last week? That is my fault. I was in Ohio and IN two weeks ago, and it followed me back. I apologize, well except to the kids who are enjoying the day off. To them I say, "Your welcome".

My trip was kind of a disaster. It started off by a miserable drive through endless rain and fog for 9 hours. 20 minutes before I reached my first destination in Dayton, I had an accident. Standing on the side of the interstate I got a chill to the bone that I could not shake for the remainder of my trip.
I won't bore you with the details. But Firetrucks, police cars, a tow truck, a trip to the Emergency room (were I was told I did indeed have a brain and it was mostly intact just a little angry from banging against my skull)insurance companies, rental car agencies,extra days in Dayton when I should have been in IN, a funeral, a whirlwind of trying to seem my entire family in less than 48 hrs,and 13 (very tense) hours of driving back to NC.

When I reached my driveway, I looked down at outdoor temperature gauge on my fancy rental car and it read 47 degrees. "I AM NEVER LEAVING NORTH CAROLINA AGAIN!" at least not in the winter.

So, you can imagine that I was not happy when a few days later, the temperatures here began dropping and definitely not excited to see snow this morning! It's a good thing that I don't have to work today because I do not plan to peak my nose outside my door.

So, though I know those of you who did not grow up with snow and all the kids are enjoying your snow day. I am going to turn up my heat and eat my tropical dish and pretend I am in the Bahamas!

I found a recipe for Ceviche on a blog called The Omnicon after seeing a picture of it on Tastespotting. Besides the beautiful picture what caught my attention was the Tequila in it. I happen to be a big Tequila fan. Sadly though, I did not have any on hand but believe me the next time I make this, I will. I was also intriqued by the sweet potato in this. I was sure (from the picture) it was going to be mango. There are endless variations of fish, fruits and veggies in creviche I am looking forward to trying many more recipes for this wonderful Latin American dish.

Important Note: I know that everyone is concerned these days about food contamination. So , I did some research about this. In this recipe (like most Ceviche recipes) the acid in the lime juice denatures the proteins in the shrimp and gives it the texture and appearance of being "cooked". It does also kill bacteria. Though it may not kill ALL of the bacteria. The FDA states that shellfish that is frozen to -31 degrees for 15 days is relatively safe for raw consumption. For this reason I would only use commercially frozen shrimp. It should also be noted that pregnant women or anyone with a compromised immune system should NOT eat raw seafood.

If you still feel uneasy about eating raw seafood you can lightly steam the shrimp then marinate it in the lime juice for about 30 minutes.

In Denial of Winter Shrimp Ceviche

1 lb thawed raw shrimp, cleaned and roughly chopped
10 oz lime juice
1 cup cubed sweet potato
1/2 cup diced red onion
2/3 c chopped cilantro

1/4 cup,diced red/yellow peppers
2 Jalepeno peppers cleaned and sliced
1 can coconut water (also called coconut juice,NOT coconut MILK)
1 shot tequila (optional)
1/4 c coconut, toasted

Place chopped shrimp in a ziplock bag and cover with lime juice. Squeeze out all the air and roll up bag so that all shrimp is completely covered in lime juice. Let sit in fridge for 3-4 hours.

Placed peeled,diced sweet potato in a pan of boiling water and cook until tender. (15-20 mins) drain and cool.

Drain shrimp, reserving 1/4 cup of lime juice. Combine with remaining ingredients (except toasted coconut). Chill for 1 hr. Place in beautiful glasses and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. This can be eaten by itself as is or enjoyed on a tortilla or crackers.

Always a Yankee

2009-01-01T20:58:00.003-05:00

I have lived in the South for most of my adult life (GA for 5 yrs and here for 13) and I have adopted many Southern customs but for New Years my Yankee roots are showing.

I know that here in the South most people eat Collard greens or Black eyed peas for luck on New Years. But in Indiana cabbage is the traditional "lucky" food for the New Year. My family usually makes a Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup to get our dose of luck. But this year I thought I would try something a little different.

I started perusing my usual recipe sites looking for a recipe containing cabbage and the very first thing I came across was Stuffed Cabbage. Mmm, simple flavors. Tomatoes, ground beef, rice and of course Cabbage. Perfect!

The most difficult part of this dish is separating the cabbage leaves. But this task is simple with just a pot of boiling water. Bring large pot of water to a boil. With a sharp knife remove the core of the cabbage leaving the rest of the cabbage intact. Once water is at a full boil drop in head of cabbage. With a pair of tongs begin carefully coaxing off leaves one a time and remove from water. At this point leaves should be just flexible enough for rolling. You do not want to actually cook the cabbage otherwise it will be be flimsy and tear when you are rolling. I promise, it sounds way more complicated than it is.

Simple Stuffed Cabbage

8 whole cabbage leaves

1lb ground beef

1cup cooked rice

1-8oz can tomato sauce

1-15oz can tomato sauce

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped green peppers

2 tsp minced garlic

2 TBS Brown sugar

1/2tsp Allspice

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet brown ground beef along with onions, peppers and garlic. Drain well. Combine ground beef and 8 oz can of tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place approx 1/2 cup of ground beef mixture into the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold 1/2 of leaf over meat and tuck in ends. Roll the rest of the way up and place each one seam side down in 8x8 baking pan. (spray pan with cooking spray first) Mix together remaining tomato sauce, brown sugar and allspice. Pour sauce over cabbage rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Place in the oven for 45-55 mins. (45mins for cabbage that is al dente longer for softer cabbage) Uncover and spoon sauce over rolls once or twice during baking.

Who Cut the Cheese

2008-12-23T18:44:00.001-05:00

I read an article in the food section of my local newspaper a month or so ago about how Cheese Ball has a bad wrap. In my family Cheese ball is a coveted snack that Mom only makes on special occasions. Christmas, New Years an occasional party throughout the year. Now granted this Cheese ball isn't the classic neon orange cheese covered in nuts. This is a recipe that was passed down to me from my Mom. I have no idea where she got it but once you make it will become your "go to" cheese ball recipe. If you take it to a party it will become what you are always requested to bring.

My Mother-in-law (I 've been divorced for 10 yrs but I always joke that I got my in-laws in the divorce) does not even form it into a ball. A couple of months ago my sister-in- law was telling me how she made " that cheese dip" and how she took it to a football party and shaped and decorated it to resemble a football and that at other parties she has shaped it to fit the theme. I was asking her about the recipe and she said "You know, the cheese dip that my mom always makes with the meat and onions and cream cheese!"

"You mean Cheese Ball? Your Mom got that from my Mom when I was dating your brother!" Then I busted out laughing. See, I don't think recipes are meant to be guarded. I think they are meant to be shared. ,I find nothing more flattering than someone making something that I have made for them that they liked. Plus, this frees me up to make something new for them!

But I digress, in my family we don't think orange cheese with nuts when someone says cheese ball. This is one of the first thing my kids ask me if I am going to make for the holidays.

It's very easy, though requires a bit of chopping. This step is faster if you have one of these food chopper thingys.

You probably could also pulse it a few times in a food processor and get a pretty good result but for years I tediously diced the meat into perfect little squares (I am over that now). Over the years I have tried different types of meats in it. All of them taste good ,but I find Pastrami to be my favorite. Sometimes they don't have that so I usee I use Corned beef as my second choice. When my Mom started making it she used 2 packets of the "Budding" beef. ( you know the inexpensive hanging envelope type packets of very thin sliced meat) but I find that one package (8oz) of the "deli selects" is the perfect. You should make this at least an hour before you serve it to give the flavors time to marry but it can be made 2 days in advance (good luck keeping everyone out of it).

Mom's Cheese Ball

8 oz thin sliced Pastrami or Corned beef

2 Pkgs cream cheese, softened

2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

2 bunches Green Onions

Finely chop onions (all of white and about bottom third of green). Place in bowl with Cheese and worcestershire. Finely chop all of meat and add 1/2 to bowl (reserving half) Mix together well and using a spatula bring mixture together to begin to form a ball (does not have to be perfect at this point) Spread remaining meat out on large cutting board. Turn cheese out onto meat and begin rolling around to cover in meat. Once most of meat is covered shape into a nice ball and place on a plate you can the use your fingers to place small bits of meat to cover gaps and make it look pretty. (Remember the bottom will not be seen). Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Serve with crackers. Wheat thins are my favorite but Club and Triscuts are very good with it also.

Magical Beans

2008-11-29T22:38:00.010-05:00

OK, I finally got off my lazy rear end and dug out my homemade lightbox. I am tired of my pictures looking ...well, tired. Plus, this project for homemade vanilla extract deserves it!

I found this a little over a month ago on Travelers Lunchbox and thought "HOW COOL IS THAT?" Who would of thought that making your own vanilla extract would be so easy.

So, I jumped on Ebay and one week and $15 bucks later I had a 1/4 pound of Tahitain Vanilla beans. I had most of a bottle of vodka left over from a party and I was in business.

I split about a half a dozen beans and plopped them into the vodka. My next step was finding some cute little bottles (which actually was the hardest part). I finally found them at Michaels. Several weeks later I have pleanty of vanilla extract for my holiday baking and hmmmm... wouldn't these make cute gifts?

The pictured bottles still need a little more time before they are quite ready to use but I was too excited to wait any longer to share this. You want the extract to be a nice rich brown color.

There is not an exact science to this. More beans = faster and richer extract. Melissa at Travelers Lunchbox also suggests jumpstarting your homemade extract with a bottle of good quality storebought extract. If you use vanilla beans on a regular basis you can use the left over beans. Again, this will result in a slower production.

Here is the coolest part of this. Once you start a bottle of vanilla extract you simply keep topping it off with additional vodka and you will have an unending bottle of vanilla! You can add additional vanilla beans as you use them. As long as a bean still has the vanilla scent it still has life. If you have used a whole bean in your recipe(such as boiling it in milk) just give it a rinse before adding to the bottle. If you don't ever used vanilla beans in cooking you can add a couple of new ones split down the middle every once in awhile.

Everlasting Vanilla Extract

1 L Vodka (any brand)
6-8 Vanilla beans

Split beans down the middle with a sharp knife. Drop Beans into Vodka. Store in a cool dark place. Once a week give bottle a bit of a shake. In 6-8 weeks you will have a rich bottle of extract.

Once extract is established pour a few ounces into a smaller bottle for every day use and top off larger bottle with additional vodka. Continue to do this as you use your vanilla.

It's a Beautiful Life

2008-11-28T14:35:00.010-05:00

One of the disadvantages to my job is 911 does not close. This means that SOMEONE has to work on the holidays. This year that someone is me (along with a few other people). Because our schedule is on a 4 week track and Thanksgiving and Christmas are exactly 4 weeks apart, my shift gets the distinction of working BOTH holidays this year. But, someone has to do it and next year it will be someone else.
Don’t feel TOO bad for me though. One thing it didn’t do was prevent me from eating! It started early in our shift when my partner and I popped into the resturant my daughter (yes, she had to work too) works at for breakfast and crossed our fingers that we would not get a call before getting our food. Not only did we manage to get our food and swallow it whole actually eat it; but, we were seated next to a very nice couple who not only didn’t complain about the loudness of our radios, but thanked us for doing our job (which is not expected but always greatly appreciated). When we went to pay our bill were told that they had already paid for it. Wow! I have to say that made our day!

But no, the eating did NOT stop there. The ER staff all brought food to share so each time we dropped off a Patient we popped into the lounge to partake in the feast that was there. Downtown at EMS base we also had a potluck dinner and between the cooperation of the citizens of Cumberland county (by not calling 911 too often), the dispatchers, the coordination of the supervisors and us covering one anothers zones, each crew managed to rotate in to grab a quick plate with all the traditional fixins. Though we had gotten our fill, we had invites from the fire stations and even a few homes where we went to pick up patients. So, trust me we were NOT going to starve!

On top of all this, I prepared this Buffalo chicken Dip that I found on the Big Red Kitchen. This is the same place I found the recipe for the Jalapeno Popper Dip. Seems like Robin Sue has a knack for great “man food” ( Though I have not heard any women complain either). I strategically placed this in the EMS room (where we go to write our reports after we drop off our patients) for the crews to snack on between calls. Like the Jalepeno dip, this is like Buffalo wings deconstructed. I LOVE IT! I swear, both of these dips taste like the real thing.

I made a few changes to this mostly because I made a much bigger quantity of it and for convience (you know me I used a pre-cooked deli chicken). I had enough for a large bowl for the ER and two smaller ones for the EMS room and our dispatchers (never hurts to try to make them happy) The one thing I did not do was heat it. I pulled out a small amount after I mixed it together and zapped it in the microwave for a few seconds and honestly I did not like it that way. But at room temperature it was awesome. I think this is just a personal preference so try it and decide for yourself.

My shift ended at 8 pm and I met up with my kids along with their respective signifigant others and a few other friends thrown in. We spent a few hours playing games and I went home and fell into bed exhausted. But before I went to sleep I thought about my blessings. My children, my family and friends and a job that I love. Though my Thanksgiving may not have been traditional (much like my entire life) that does not mean it was not happy.

I hope every one had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

3 cups cooked chicken,shredded
2- 8oz pkgs softened cream cheese
1-12oz bottle Buffalo Wing sauce (I used Franks Red Hot)
1-16oz bottle Chunky Bleu Cheese Dressing
2 cups shredded Cheese (I used 3 cheese mexican blend)

Mix all ingredients together. Serve at room temperature (or warmed if desired) with Tortilla chips and celery.

Try It, You'll Like It

2008-11-25T19:57:00.005-05:00

Let’s take a poll. Who likes cranberry sauce? Ok for all of you out there who said no or EWWW,tell me this… Have you EVER had anything but that icky jellied stuff out of a can?

Trust me that is NOT cranberry sauce. If you tried homemade cranberry sauce I would bet that at least half of you would not turn your nose up at it again. If you said you DO like cranberry sauce, you will be in heaven when you see how quick and easy it is to make. When you taste it, you will swoon!You will be perplexed as to why anyone would EVER buy that canned stuff.

If you are the person who always brings the soda or rolls to holiday dinner because your family does not trust you to cook or you want to impress your Mother-in-law, offer to bring this. You will feel smug when people start asking you for the recipe!

Kickin Cranberry Sauce

12 ounces fresh cranberries, picked over and rinsed

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Finely grated zest from 1 orange

2 tablespoons of finely chopped crystalized ginger (optional)

Combine all of the ingredients except crystalized ginger in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the berries pop open, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Skim foam off the surface with a metal spoon and discard. Cool to room temperature. Stir in crystalized ginger. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 months.

Pardon Me Waiter, There Is A Foot In My Soup

2008-11-24T08:50:00.005-05:00

After seeing this picture, I want to see a show of hands ...How many people want to come for dinner???? I know it looks gross, but believe me you do.

Actually I used these chicken feet to make chicken stock. I had read about using them last year but I never thought I would actually be able to find them. But, I went to "Compare and Save" (which is a Hispanic grocery store in the Bonnie Doone area), there they were!

I went in there to check out their produce and see if I could find anything new and interesting. There were lots of things I want to try there but once I saw the chicken feet I was distracted. I had several chicken carcasses in my freezer that I had been meaning to make into stock so this was a good reason to get on that.

Adding chicken feet to your stock makes it richer and thicker. Chicken feet contain a lot of gelitan which gives your stock a velvety mouthfeel. Similar to when you add butter to pan sauce. It's hard to explain but you definately know that it is something good.

I just boiled the chicken feet for 5 mins then cut off the claws and tips of the toes and added them to the rest of my carcasses and proceeded with my ususal method of making stock that I posted last year but according to Elise at Simply Recipes you can make it with just the feet.

It is so nice to have home made stock in my freezer. Flavorful stock is the secret to making a soup that taste like it cooked all day but can actually be thrown together in just a few minutes. I even went as far as making a couple of containers of "soup base". I froze some shredded chicken in stock so that I can pull it out and make a quick Chicken and rice or Chicken Tortilla or my favorite, Avgolemono.

Avgolemono is a Greek lemon soup. I posted my own version of this last year but it is worth repeating. Don't let not having homemade stock keep you from making this. It is still great with store bought stock. This is so good for a cold day or a great comfort food for when you are feeling under the weather.

Avgolemono

6 cups Chicken Stock
1 cup shredded Chicken(optional)
3 egg yolks
2-3 lemons
1/2 cup Orzo
1/3 cup finely diced carrots
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring Chicken stock to boil. Add in Orzo and carrots. Continue to boil 8-10 min until Orzo is Al dente.Add in Shredded chicken. Lower heat to simmer. Place the egg yolks into a small bowl. Zest 1 of the lemons into eggs then squeeze in the juice of the remaining. Beat lightly. Temper the eggs by slowly stiring in about 1/2 cup of the broth a little at a time. Slowly stir the egg/broth mixture back into the remaining broth. Simmer for 5 min. Do NOT let mixture come to a boil as it will cause the eggs to separate and though it still tastes good its not very pretty when it does this. If you have left overs (and I doubt you will) be sure to heat very slowly for the same reason.

NOTE: Orzo is a rice shaped pasta. You can replace this with rice (and I have in a pinch, but I really prefer the Orzo) but you will have to increase the cooking time to about 25 mins.

Taking It Apart and Putting It Back Together

2008-11-15T13:03:00.002-05:00

I happen to really like Jalapeño Poppers but I have an aversion to deep frying. One, because I hate the smell of grease in my house and two, because besides being a messy cook I am also a cook that burns herself a LOT. Working with large amounts of hot oil is a recipe for disaster. I do, occasionally get the frozen kind that you bake and they are pretty good, but mostly I just get them when I go out.

But when I found this recipe for Jalapeño Popper Dip on a blog called Big Red Kitchen. I knew I had to try it. It is all of the flavor of Jalapeño Poppers without the frying! Sort of Jalapeño poppers deconstructed.

I took this to my friend Evie's bachlorette party and had a good response from the girls. But when I took it to work ,the guys really scarfed it down and everyone wanted the recipe!

This is a perfect "Sunday, watching the game" dip. You can serve it with Crackers (Ritz work well),bread or the guys really dug the "scoops" variety of tortilla chips. Get it? Dug? Scoops......never mind. You can make this mild or turn up the heat as you like.

I made just a few minor changes to this recipes and I used the "Lite" versions of cream cheese and mayo. I replaced the canned jalapeños with 4 fresh but the recipe does not reflect that because honestly, I think you will get a stronger Jalapeño flavor with them. Next time I plan to add both(but I really like a kick).

Don't forget when working with fresh Jalapeños that the heat lives in the seeds and membranes of the peppers. For less heat you should remove them for more heat leave them in. (I usually leave some but not all) I also recommend wearing gloves while working with them. The oils in the peppers can be difficult to wash off and you might get a not so friendly reminder of that later in the day when you touch your eyes or nose.

Happy Snacking!

Jalapeño Popper Dip
2- 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temp
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1- 4 ounce can chopped green chilies-undrained
1- 4 ounce can sliced jalapeños-undrained

1-3 fresh jalapenos - cleaned and chopped

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 stick butter, melted

In a food processor add the first 6 ingredients and process until smooth. Spread the dip into a greased 2 quart casserole. In a bowl mix bread crumbs and the other 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Pour melted butter over top crumb mixture and mix well. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over the dip and bake in a 375° oven for about 20 minutes until the topping is lightly brown and dip is slightly bubbly. Do not overheat or the oils in the mayo and cream cheese will separate .

Notes: The panko bread crumbs can be replace with crushed saltines or crushed Ritz crackers (I would reccomend Ritz).

Baking this in a "flat" casserole dish rather than a deep one is preferred to achieve more topping to cheese ratio when eaten.

Please NO powdered parmesan cheese product...ick!

Taking On The Establishment

2008-11-07T18:54:00.000-05:00

I love coffee, I am not really a coffee-aholic but I do have to have at least one (large) cup a day and I usually have 2, occasionally 3. OK, maybe you could say I AM a bit of a coffee-aholic. But I can stop anytime I want. OK, I can't stop but I can live with just one cup a day.

I would like to say I am a coffee connoisseur. I do love good coffee and I recognize it when I have it. But, I rarely meet a cup of coffee I absolutely won't drink. I guess I would have to say I am more of a coffee slut than a connoisseur.

This comes from years of working EMS. Drinking bad hospital coffee or Convenience Store coffee to stay awake on night shift.I will go as far as reheating coffee I have made earlier in the day (sometimes even the day before). I know, it's gross but sometimes you need a cup of coffee before you are capable of MAKING coffee.

In the morning I prefer my coffee hot but at other times of the day I like it cold. This has me stopping at Starbucks and dishing out 4 bucks on a Iced Mocha WAY more often that my budget likes. But you know us addicts ...we will sell our souls for a fix.

I have tried making Iced coffee at home. You know, with that left over pot from ~~last week~~ this morning. I can't say that it was very tasty but yes I drank it anyway.

When I came across this method for cold brewing coffee I was intrigued. I did not know that was even possible. So, I decided to give it a try. I was amazed by how good it was. When you cold brew the coffee you don't extract as much of the oils and acid in the coffee which is part of what makes it bitter the longer it sits. You do however get a wonderful smooth flavor.

This is an excellent method for making iced coffee. The only downside it that you have to plan ahead. The good news is it will keep in the fridge for several days so you can keep it on hand. I also found that it makes a excellent quick cup of hot coffee when heated (Much better than the reheated stuff from yesterday). There is some debate about the caffeine content of cold brewed. When I researched it I found some sources say it is pretty much equal to hot brewed and others that say it has a bit less. I guess with the amount I drink, it would do me good to have a little less caffeine anyway.

The original directions I found for this directs that this be done in a jar or other glass container with a lid. But I found my French Press (which I think by far makes the best hot coffee) to be really convenient for this because it has a strainer built right in. If you don't have a French Press ~~you should run right out an buy one~~ you can use a jar and a fine mesh strainer or even a paper coffee filter (though this takes a little time).

The instructions advise using a nice blend of coffee coarsely ground coffee. I plan on doing that at some point but I think just your average french roast coffee bought at the grocery store results in a pretty good finished product.

Cold Brew Coffee

2/3 cup ground coffee

3 cups water

Place Coffee and water in French press or glass jar with a lid. Let stand for 12 hours. Strain twice (I found the second strain unnecessary with the french press).This "base" can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Serve over Ice

I prefer one part milk/cream to 2 parts coffee and I often add flavored creamer or sometimes a little chocolate syrup. You can also experiment with your favorite flavored syrups.

Believe it or not sometimes I do drink something beside coffee though. I made the mistake of trying The Carmel Apple Spice the other day. Mistake, because now I would like to drink it everyday! (Again we are back to my wallet protesting) It is like a spiced apple cider with carmel it is SO good!

So, last week I watched them make it and guess what? It is SO easy to make and they sell the syrup there at the store. For the cost of 2 drinks in the store you can make enough for a party and I promise you it will be a hit. My friend Savanna made it for her husbands change of command ceremony (which was outside in the morning and COLD) and put it in a crockpot to keep it warm. Every time the lid was lifted the aroma was heavenly!

Carmel Spiced Cider

6 oz Apple juice or cider

1 oz Cinamon Dulce Syrup

1 tsp Carmel Ice cream topping

Whipped cream and cinnamon for garnish

Heat juice/cider on stove in in microwave to desired temp. Add Cinamon dulce syrup and carmel topping. Stir, Top with whipped cream with a little carmel drizzled over top and sprinkled with a dash of cinamon.

So, while I am here trying to put Starbucks out of Business I will bring back a recipe that I posted last year for "Better than Starbucks, Cranberry Bliss Bars"Just a warning though, don't make them if you are not having a party or taking them somewhere. You don't want a whole pan of these in your house because they are TOTALLY addicting!

If You Can't Post Something Nice, Don't Post Anything at All

2008-10-22T07:30:00.002-05:00

Like I said last week;I have been struggling the photography of my dishes lately. I blame this mostly on the dishes themselves. They just don't lend themselves to being aesthetically pleasing which has nothing to do with the taste of them. But when I made "Rack of Lamb" (for the first time) last week and my pictures came out at best "boring and lacking interest" I had to admit that I have gotten ~~lazy~~ complacent about photographing my food.

In my defense, the food I blog about is the actual meals I am cooking for my family. It's hard enough to find the time to get a meal on the table, let alone set up a photography studio everytime I cook. I know it will shock you but, dinner at our house does not always mean a nicely set table. Not to mention good lighting.

I also do not own (much to my dismay) a fancy camera. I use a point and shoot type which is great for natural light but pictures that require flash have harsh lighting and a yellowish cast. If you look closely at my pictures (the good ones) you will often notice my backyard and/or deck in them.

It's getting to be the time of year when natural light at dinner time would mean eating at 4pm. Last year I constructed a "light box" and bought a mini tripod to try to combat this and they work pretty well. But, this means dragging it out everytime (again, that time thing) and often results cold food by the time I am done. Not to mention the rolling eyes of my family while they sit at the table waiting for me to finish.

I know, "Excuses, Excuses!" So I was determined today to post something with a nice picture. I have a bunch of good recipes I want you to try but this one is the only one for awhile that I have decent shots of .

This is a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup. I saw a recipe for it on Mygourmetconnection.com that had lime ....mmm, lime! I made a couple of changes to it and came up with a killer soup that my co-workers gobbled up last week. I love the zing that the lime adds to this and my replacement of the jalapenos with Chipolte Peppers in Adobo gave it just the right amount of heat. I hope you enjoy this as much as my co-workers did!

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Lime

1 1/2 cups diced onion
2 Tbs minced garlic
2-4 chipolte peppers in Adobo sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup crushed Tortilla chips
1 quart chicken broth
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1 14 oz can "fire roasted" tomatoes
1-14oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans

4Tbs lime juice

zest of one lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat olive oil in a heavy stock pot or dutch oven (I love my cast iron) over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until softened. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Add the crushed tortilla chips, toss and toast lightly. Chop up Chipoltes(they will be very soft and sort of like mush)and add, along with a couple TBS of the sauce

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, spices,corn,beans(with juices)and shredded chicken and simmer for about 5 minutes. .

Reduce the heat and stir in the shredded cheese and Half and Half. Add lime juice, lime zest and cilantro. Stir gently until cheese is melted and well distributed.

Ladle soup into serving bowls add a couple of crushed tortilla chips sprinkle with with additional cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Notes: Tortilla chips with "a hint of lime" go great with this. Chipolte peppers in Adobo can be found canned in the hispanic foods isle.

Finding Time for Family

2008-10-10T08:23:00.000-05:00

Over the past several years family dinners have been harder and harder to come by. Trying to find a time when no one is working,going to school, playing sports or any other of the many activities one or more of us participate is darn near impossible. This became even harder as of August when my oldest moved out and also started attending college (whohoo).

I attempt to have at least one dinner a week with everyone but often we fall short and sometimes its 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. I usually manage to have dinner with my daughter a couple of times a week though that does not mean I actually cook both of those dinners. There are other times when I do cook but we don't get to eat together. I feel a lot of pressure right now to spend more time together knowing that next year she will be off at college and I will be limited to a few times a month (hopefully that often).

The pressure does not end at finding the time to have dinner but also includes finding something that EVERYONE likes.( I still am not convinced my children were not switched at birth! What? You say they look JUST like me?) For Ryan, nothing "green" this includes herbs and spices in any identifiable amount along with vegetables. Kristen, well she is not as picky as Ryan but nothing the least bit spicy (and her definition of spicy is MUCH less spicy than mine). I am not sure about Laura (Ryan's girlfriend) yet. So far she has been too polite to tell me she does not like something. Her answer when I ask her what she likes is always, "Potatoes are always good!"

Ryan is usually pretty good with any meat. Kristen (along with Laura) loves mashed potatoes. Of course I like most anything and some tomatoey gravy over potatoes is sounding really yummy. I think some good ole Swiss steak is in order.

I have been in the "comfort food" mode which for the most part is pretty safe in the "Will they eat it?" category. The only thing is ...most of it does not photograph well. It's not meant to look pretty it is meant to be satisfying, tasty meal. I have several recipes that I have made lately that I have been dragging my feet about posting for that reason. This recipe is one of them. It may not be pretty but your stomach is not going to care!

I found this recipe on Recipezaar. I made some minor modifications to it to include using cube steak. You can use round steak and pound it out if you like. This can be made either on the stove, in the oven or in the crockpot. I went with the crockpot method.

Swiss Steak

SERVES 6

1 1/2 lbs cube steak

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 teaspoons garlic powder

1tablespoon vegetable oil

1 28oz crushed tomatoes

1 small onion thinly sliced

1/2 cup diced celery

2 cups baby carrots

2 Tablespoons worchestshire sauce

1/2 cup red wind

1/4 cup water

Combine flour, salt, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder. Dredge meat in flour mixture

Heat oil in large skillet and brown meat on both sides.Remove meat from skillet and place in crockpot. Whisk remaining flour into pan drippings.Stir in remaining ingredients and cook on med heat until it begins to thicken. Pour over meat in crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Serve over mashed potatoes (rice or noodles if you prefer).

See, I told you it wasn't pretty.

Equal Opportunity Cooking

2008-09-28T05:17:00.003-05:00

I am not going to pretend to know much about the Jewish religion. I have a very superficial knowledge of Jewish holidays and customs. I have had one Jewish friend in my life and few Jewish aqaintances. There is no specific reason why I just have not encountered many Jewish people. According to Sperlings Best The Jewish population of Fayetteville makes up just 0.10% of the total population. I have lived here for about 14 yrs so that might have a little something to do with it.

Honey Cake is a Traditional Rosh Hoshana/Jewish New Year dessert. I saw this Honey Cake on Smitten Kitchen and it looked so moist and was such a beautiful dark brown that I knew I had to make it.

I am ~~pretty~~ sure you don't have to be Jewish to eat or enjoy Honey Cake but I thought it might be nice to understand a little bit about it.

Rosh Hoshana (Jewish New Year) begins at sundown Sept 29th (this year).

Like Southerns eat black eyed peas for good luck on New Years (according to the traditional calendar) and Northerners eat cabbage;Jewish people eat Honey. Honey is supposed to encourage a "sweet" new year. Apples are also supposed to be good luck as they represent the "sweetness of life." Apparently the two combined are especially good luck.

The apple thing ...well I read that AFTER I had my heart set on adding pears to this. I mean honey and pears? Tell me that does not sound good! I am sure apples would also be a great addition. Heck, Go CRAZY, add BOTH! I also did not add the almonds to this but the recipe calls for them sprinkled over the top.

The only other change I made to this was the original recipe called for whiskey I did not have any whiskey so I substituted spiced Rum. I thought the spicy flavor would compliment it nicely.

Was I right? Well let me tell you I can't find anything wrong with it! I was very diligent in measuring ingredients and my "non-baking self" is pretty proud of this. I was not disappointed in how moist it is and it is equally dark and beautiful just like the pictures I saw on Smitten Kitchen

Pear and Honey Cake

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup room temperature coffee
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup-spiced Rum
2 pears peeled and diced
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)

Fits in three loaf pans, two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10 inch tube or bundt cake pan, or one 9 by 13 inch sheet cake.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously grease pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee , orange juice and rum . (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.)

Using a sturdy wire whisk mix until dry ingredients are well incorporated. Fold in diced Pears.

Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle top of cake(s) evenly with almonds, if using. Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top).* This part is Smitten Kitchens specific instructions I am not sure why but since she is a master baker and I am not, I listened.

A Hunger For Reading

2008-09-17T07:38:00.003-05:00

Though cooking is my number one passion, reading comes a very close second. Of course, the two are often combined. Because of this I have learned that though I love bookstores they are quite a dangerous place for me to visit. Dangerous to my wallet that is! Between my love of reading (anything and everything) and cookbooks I could spend a small fortune in a very short period of time.

I am always reading a book (often 2). I keep one under my pillow to read myself to sleep (occasionally that bites me in the butt when I get to the climax of a book and can't put it down) and one in my bag at work for rare moments when we get some down time. I sometimes keep magazines, especially cooking magazines (or gossip rags...shhh don't tell anyone) in the car for times when I have appointments or have to wait for anything (I am very impatient and if I have something to read I don't get as irritated).

I have come to the conclusion that spending $8-20 (often more for cookbooks) on a book that I often finish in a week (or less) when I can get used books for a fraction at Edward McKays is kind of extravagant. I am just as happy reading a book someone else has read as I am reading a brand new one.

As far as cookbooks are concerned, unless I find one that is just chock full of recipes that I like or has a theme that I use a lot ( My Perfect Party Cook Book is my bible) buying new ones is not very frugal. I can find a recipe for most anything somewhere on the Internet.

Magazines? Well I have a friend who subscribes to Food and Wine and she passes them on to me when she is finished and the bookstore does not seem to mind me paging through theirs while I enjoy a cup of coffee. I just have to leave my credit card at home.

There is one other alternative. The Library. The only problem I have with that is ummmm... Returning the books. I recently went to the library after a long hiatus. Why would a person who loves reading so much shun the library? Perhaps it was the $30 of overdue fines I had.(blushing) BUT, I am happy to report that I have cleared that all up and I am once again welcome at the library.

What does any of this have to do with cooking? Well, a few weeks ago when we had a rare slow day in EMS we decided to make the library our base station (it is right behind the Fire Dept). I was flipping through a copy of Cooking Light and came across an interesting recipe for Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp. But as fate would have it we got a call and I had to hurry out to "save a life".

As often happens, we never got another break that day So I never made it back to the library to copy the recipe When I got home I looked up the website and was very pleased to find the recipe with no problem. I was even more pleased when I tried it. It was really quick and really good.

I have made it twice now and I am adding it to my regular repertoire. The first time I made it ~~exactly~~ more or less just as it was written. The second time I was serving the shrimp over pasta and wanted a bit more "sauce" so I doubled everything (and used a lot more curry) except the oil and shrimp and onions. it was not quite as "light" but it was delish seved over a bed of angel hair pasta. This is the recipe as originally printed in Cooking Light.

Thia Coconut Curry Shrimp

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon red curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen)

1 teaspoon sugar

12 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/3 cup light coconut milk

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and curry paste to pan, and sauté 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar; sauté 15 seconds. Add shrimp; sauté 3 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Stir in coconut milk and fish sauce; cook 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and basil.

Makes 2 servings, 1 cup each.

Nutritional Information as provided by Cooking Light

Calories: 255 (26% from fat)
Fat:7.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.8g,poly 1.9g)
Protein:36.1g
Carbohydrate:10.2g
Fiber:1.1g
Cholesterol:259mg
Iron: 6mg
Sodium:740mg
Calcium:111mg

Fear of Phyllo

2008-09-12T04:25:00.003-05:00

I vowed years ago, after a completely botched attempt that I would never EVER again try to cook with phyllo dough. When I say botched .....I mean botched! I can't remember what I was trying to make but I do remember that after much frustration and colorful expletives, the whole lot ended up in the trash can. But, never say never!

My friend Savanna (and my personal resource for Greek food) has assured me over and over that it's not that hard and she will show me how to handle it. But there never seems to be enough hours in the day. Her advice? Butter, lots and lots and LOTS of butter and keep the phyllo moist by placing a damp towel over it. Sounds messy and like a lot of work.

My friend Sandy finally convinced me to give it a try for her when I visited this summer. Actually, she sort of tricked me. She began telling me about this "spinach pie" her Hungarian neighbor made and that I should try it. So we went to her to get the recipe and that is when I realized it was Spanakopita...you know ...stuff made with PHYLLO! She assured me that "its not hard at all" I skeptically looked over the recipe. The first thing I noticed is that instead of using butter, she used butter flavored pan spray. The second was that this was made as a casserole which means no cutting or folding of the phyllo (traditionally Spanakopita is made into individual triangles). Hmmm... OK, I will take the challenge!

So, I have made this twice now. The first time I followed her recipe exactly and had a nice finished dish; though, a little bland for my taste. In her defense. English is not her first language and she never uses a "recipe" so it is quite possible that though she painstakingly wrote out a recipe for me, that something was missed or lost in the translation. She also talked a lot about finding "good feta"and I used the brand I found in the grocery store which may be a lot less flavorful than what she uses.

My second attempt I was more confident and I researched some different recipes and of course added my own twist to it. So, I don't claim that this is authentic Greek or Hungarian. But it is pretty tasty. I do think at some point I will try it with the butter thing because when I asked my friend Savanna what she thought about it and if it tasted like it should. She said her only advice would be to "use more butter".

The things you want to remember before starting this recipe is to keep the phyllo moist. Though it seems painfully tedious you must keep it covered with a damp towel. I recommend taking what you will use for each layer out from under the towel at a time (about 6 sheets). The other is plan to use nearly a whole can of butter spray for this dish. The alternative is using melted butter (not sure how much but I am guessing at least a whole stick possibly more) and brushing it on the layers with a pastry brush. .

Spanakopita
2-10 oz Pkgs Frozen chopped spinach
1 pkg phyllo dough(comes 2 pkgs to a box)
1 TBS Olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic,minced
1 lb crumbled feta cheese
1/2 Parmesan cheese (no powdered stuff)
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is best)
4 eggs,beaten

1 can butter flavored pan spray

Thaw phyllo (in sealed pkg) for about 30 min. on counter. Thaw spinach (or defrost in microwave). Squeeze spinach dry as possible in a clean kitchen towel.

In a large skillet heat oil. Add onions and saute for 1 minute. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Turn off heat. Stir in spinach, feta, parmesan and sundried tomatoes. Add beaten eggs, lemon, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix well.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 glass casserole dish with pan spray.

Open phyllo dough and unfold onto counter. Cover with damp kitchen towel. Remove 6 sheets of phyllo and place on top of towel.

Place 1 layer of phyllo dough in dish. Spray phyllo evenly and completely with pan spray(don't forget edges). Repeat with 5 remaining sheets. Spread half of spinach mixture on top of phyllo.

Repeat 6 sheet phyllo layer, repeat spinach layer and finish with additional 6 sheet phyllo layer.

Bake for 40-45 min until top is golden brown. Let cool for about 15 min before cutting into squares. May be served slightly warm or at room temperature. This is best served immediately for a nice crispy texture. It may be refrigerated and reheated in microwave for a few seconds. It will still be tasty but will lose the crunch.

Well, Butter My Ears!

2008-09-02T21:17:00.003-05:00

As I am sure you guessed, I did not reveal the full menu of my BBQ to you on the last post. Thought I would stretch it out a little. I didn't want overwhelm you with too much goodness in one post. OK, yeah I was being lazy! Busted!

Have you tried grilling corn on the cob? If you haven't you DEFINATELY should! Grilling really brings out the sweetness in the corn and a little char on it? ...yum! If you already grill your corn hold on. I have a recipe (if you use the term really loosely) for you that will Knock your socks off! Chilli Lime Butter! It takes about 30 seconds to make and takes corn on the cob to a new level. Of course you can put it on corn that you cook by any method but really, try grilling it.

I have seen this several times in different places. I always thought it sounded good but had just not got around to making. I didn't think my daughter would like it but her reaction was something like this "mmph butter ..mmmphf Good Mmph! Translation:Oh man! That butter is really good Mom! (said with her mouth full of corn)

Grilled Corn with Chilli Lime Butter

Corn still in husks ( 1 , no better make 2 for each person)
1/2 stick Butter room temperature (Enough for 8-10 pieces of corn)
Tsp Chilli powder
1 lime
1 tsp lime zest

Soak corn in water for 30 mins.

In a small bowl mix chilli powder with butter. Zest lime with fine grater (microplane works best) Cut lime in half and squeeze juice of one half of lime into butter. Mix well. Set aside. (can be made ahead and refrigerated but bring to room temperature before serving)

Place corn on hot grill for 15-20 mins turning 3-4 times. Husks will be blackened but corn (at most) will only have spots of browning and THAT is a VERY good thing!

Remove Corn from Grill and allow to cool for about 5 mins. Shuck corn and brush with butter. Serve immediately.

It's Lurking Everywhere

2008-08-26T20:21:00.002-05:00

I have come across a new cooking challenge. My friend Evie, has recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease. For those of you not familar, people with Celiac cannot eat gluten. Gluten is found in... OHH, just about EVERYTHING! I am exaggerating of course but when you add on allergies to Eggs, Dairy and Soy to that (which many of those to include my friend, with Celiac are also allergic to) it really becomes quite exasperating.

I found this diagnosis appalling. I considered how devastated I would be if I received such a diagnosis. What it would mean to me, as a person whose very being revolves around food and cooking. Though this reaction definitely conveyed my deep felt empathy to my friend it was not one that was constructive or supportive and I was ashamed of myself. So, I set out to educate myself and to learn to feed my friend.

The information that I have taken in over the past couple of weeks has been immense and overwhelming. I have many times gotten excited about a recipe only to be shot down by a realization that a single over looked ingredient had an offending agent in it. Oh and don't forget "cross contamination"

This weekend we were celebrating her "White Coat" Ceremony from PA school. This is the point of PA school where you have finished the class room education, begin your real world education and actually begin treating Patients (under supervision). A pretty big deal and I was EXTREMELY happy for her. Of course celebration to me ... means food!

I spent the week planning a menu that was about 90% gluten, egg, soy, dairy free. I wish I could say it ALL was a great success.

The good news, People with Celiac can eat all Meat, fruit. veggies and rice. So that was not a problem.
I marinated both Chicken breasts and Skirt steak (separately of course) in a marinade that I have posted here in the past. It's a tasty marinade and though I didn't manage to get a picture of it. I will post the recipe for you again.

Margarita Chicken Marinade
("Perfect Party Food" cookbook)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup OJ
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup gold tequila
1/2tsp ground cumin
1canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Place chicken and marinade in ziplock bag and let marinate in Fridge for at least 4 hr. or overnight. Makes enough marinade for about 12 chicken breasts. Broil or grill chicken until juices run clear Garnish with fresh cilantro and slices of lemon, lime and orange.

My peach-mango Hemp milk "Ice cream" on the other hand ...ummm NOT such a success. It would not get thick even after spending a couple hours in the freezer. At best, it was sort of Peach smothie. Today when I took it out of the freezer it had finally froze ... SOLID! LIKE A BRICK! The flavor on the other hand wasn't all bad. My friend said it tasted sort of like peach cobbler. This one is going to take a little more experimentation.

As far as the remaining 10 percent of the menu ... well that went a little better. I have decided that pretty much ANYTHING wrapped in bacon will be loved. Honestly, I think that I could wrap cardboard in bacon and everyone (especially men) would gobble it down and beg me for the recipe. Evie's fiance John and my friend Ross were terribly disappointed when I told them we would NOT be having Sweet Chili Chicken Bites. but that disappointment was short lived when I served This....

I saw a version of this originally on Food Network. I think Bobby Flay did it but I could not find that recipe so I searched Recipezarr and found this one. I made some very minor adjustments in the preparation but not the ingredients. Prepping the peppers (try saying that 5 times fast) is a little tricky and time consuming but TOTALLY worth it. I would advise using gloves and for heavens sake DON'T touch your eyes or nose while prepping them.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos
16 ounces cream cheese, room temp.
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomato
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt (to taste)
1 LB bacon
20 large jalapeno peppers (as large as possible)
About 40 toothpicks, soaked for about 15 minutes in water

Mix cream cheese, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro and salt together and place in a large ziplock bag with one corner snipped off (or in a pastry bag).
Make a T shaped incision in pepper severing the core at the top but not cutting off the stem. DO NOT cut pepper all the way through. With a small sharp knife (I actually used a grapefruit spoon which worked pretty well) scrape out seeds and membranes. The cleaner you make the inside of the peppers the more mild it will be. If you like a little heat then leave a bit of the membrane and seeds. If you like them FIREY the you could just loosen the membrane to allow room for the. filling (Removing/leaving some of the membranes and seeds gave them a nice little kick).

Pipe cream cheese mixture into each pepper. As tempting as it is DO NOT over fill You want the pepper to close up nicely without the cheese oozing out.

Starting at the top of the pepper wrap the bacon around it securing with a couple of tooth picks. Cover as much of the pepper as possible and sort of stretch the bacon to make it snug (room temperature bacon is easier to work with).

Place peppers on a hot grill for 10-15 min turning frequently until bacon begins to crisp and pepper is a bit charred.

Remove from grill and let cool for 5-10 min. These can also be served room temperature and the original recipe says they are good cold (no way that they would last that long with my friends)

Note: less expensive bacon works better than premium or center cut. Think thin and pliable.
These also could be placed in the oven at 450 degrees for about 10 min but I think the smokiness of the grill definitely adds to the flavor.

Sand or Sugar, Do I Have to Pick?

2008-08-12T14:53:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness where has the summer gone? Less than 2 weeks before school starts(the unofficial end of summer) again. I have to admit, I have not been cooking much this summer (at least not much "new" stuff) I have on the other hand I have taken some time for myself and made several trips to the beach, hung out with friends,spent some time with my daughter, just generally relaxed and enjoyed the summer.

I hope that you have also been enjoying the summer and have not noticed my lack of posting too much.But in case you are missing me here is a recipe for a wonderfully light and airy dessert that is great finish for a nice summer dinner. Just a little sweet, just a litte tart and not too heavy. The only downside is it requires the use of your oven. But one look at the pillowy soft "cake layer" over the custard layer and I dare you to say it is not worth it. I found this recipe on a blog called Patent and the Pantry

Now for anyone who is not familar cooking in a "water bath" let me give you a little instruction so that you can avoid the pitfall( that I had the first time I tried it) of sloshing water into your dish.
Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of the baking dish, place ramikins on towel, place entire dish IN the oven and THEN carefully pour boiling water into the baking pan. When the Cakes are done. Carefully pull out racks a few inches and remove Ramikins from baking dish before removing dish from the oven.
Lemon Custard Cakes

Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for custard cups
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 TBS. all-purpose flour
2 to 3 TBS. grated lemon zest (from one lemon)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
Powdered Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350. Bring water to a boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups, and place them in a roasting pan or baking dish lined with a kitchen towel.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until the mixture is light; whisk in the flour. Gradually whisk in the lemon zest and juice, then whisk in the milk.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to the lemon mixture; gently fold in with a whisk (the batter will be thin).

Divide the batter among the prepared cups. Place the pan in the oven, and fill baking dish with water to reach halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the puddings are puffed and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusting with powdered sugar.

Notes:
I am definitely contemplating trying Lime next time and I think orange might also be tasty variation.

Play Time Over

2008-07-31T15:42:00.001-05:00

So I am back from Vacation. I had a great visit with my friend in Virginia but was ready to come home. I am sure that it did not have ANYTHING to do with the fact that she has 4 children between the ages of 1 and 8. Not that I don't adore them, but at one point I looked at her smiled and said. "You know, this time next year I will be sending my youngest off to college." I can't repeat her reply here, but use your imagination. I am sure you will be close.

My computer, after spending a week in the hospital with a bill to reflect that (I know Franco, you can build me a new one) is finally up and running again. Sigh of relief. Though I have a love/hate relationship with it...I missed my "stuff" I not only was not able to get to my files and pictures to properly write this blog. I found that I am very dependent on the computer in my day to day cooking. I swear, I cooked before I had one but for the life of me I cannot figure out how. Cookbooks you say? How Archaic!

But I promised you something tasty when the world was right again. (OK, well perhaps just back to my twisted norm) and I am here to deliver.

This is a take on a Rachel Ray recipe that I have made several times. You may have noticed pictures of it on the edges of other dishes I have made for you but I have never actually posted this particular recipe and I am not sure why because it is really VERY good and pretty healthy as long as you use the cheese judiciously. Her original recipe was a meatless dish. I have done that as a side dish and it was very good: but, for a main dish, I like to add cooked shredded chicken.

Don't be afraid of the Pablano Peppers once the seeds are removed they are not hot at all. If you are still timid you could just as easily use Bell Peppers instead. Feel free to spice this up with more (or less if you like) Jalapeno.

Charred Chili Relleno
4 large poblano peppers
3 cups frozen corn kernels
2tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained well
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano,
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lime zested and juiced
1 cup shredded Cheese (I used a cheddar-jack blend)
1 cup cooked shredded chicken (optional)
Place poblanos under broiler or on hot grill and char (turning over half way through) about 15 minutes.

Defrost frozen corn and dry by spreading out on clean kitchen towel. Heat 2 tablespoons light oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil smokes or ripples add corn, onion, jalapenos and toss until the vegetables char at edges and onions are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and add in garlic, fire roasted tomatoes and season with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Add shredded chicken (if using) Cook another minute or 2 then turn pan off.

Sprinkle the lime juice and zest over the corn mixture.

Split the charred peppers open but not in half with small sharp knife then scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and stuff each split pepper until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Trifles and Tribulations

2008-07-14T13:02:00.003-05:00

About a year ago I made a lovely Trifle to take to a dinner party. Unfortunately, there was a horrible food tragedy enroute to the party and the Trifle ended up on the floor board of my car. I decided then and there that I would never again make a Trifle unless I would be serving it at the same location that it was made.
Just a few facts about Trifles- They are Top heavy. They are Bulky and I don't know anyone who has space for them in their refrigerator. The make a HUGE mess when spilled in your car!

However, a few months ago I got a package from my Mother that changed my life forever! Ok, maybe I am exageratting just a little but I was VERY excited when I found inside the most AWSOME Trifle bowl ever! The pedestal and bowl actually separate and if that isn't enough to make me jump up and down and clap it has lid too! I know, I know, I get WAY too excited about this kind of stuff but let me tell you when you put the time (and money) into making a beautiful dish and instead of getting to present your lovely concoction to the hostess and bask in the praise of OHH's and AHH's and MMM's you have to show up to a dinner party empty handed and spend the next week cleaning custard and whipped cream out of your car (and on every hot day for the rest of the summer you realize you can"t REALLY get whipped cream and custard of carpet), well ....

Now let me start by saying that no one needs a recipe for a trifle. You have cake layers custard or pudding layers whipped cream layers and you can have fruit and/or jelly layers. You can moisten/flavor your cake layers with juice or liquers if you please. So, go crazy, use your imagination! It will be yummy and beautiful!

I have made two trifles in the last couple of weeks. The first was a Peach Melba trifle (similar to the one that haunted me every hot day until I traded my car in last week) and a Blueberry Delight Trifle which only became a trifle when I put it in a trifle bowl. I usually make this in two layers in a 9x13 pan. So if you don't have a trifle bowl you can make it like that and trust me it will tastes EXACTLY the same!

Peach Melba Trifle

4 peaches peeled and cut into slices
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1 pint of fresh raspberries
4TBS Water
1 1/2 cups seedless raspberry jam
1-16oz pound cake cut into 1/2 in slices
1 large pkg instant french vanilla pudding prepared as directed except replace 1/4 cup of milk with 1/4 cup of Grand Marnier .
1-16 oz container of whipped topping (thawed)

Place layer of pound cake in bottom of trifle bowl. Mix 2 tbs water with Grand Marnier and brush onto pound cake with pastry brush.
Spread 1/2 of jam mixture onto cake, Spoon 1/2 of pudding mixture on top and a layer of peaches and raspberries Repeatlayers arranging fruit in a pretty pattern (I tossed in a few blueberries) Chill for 1 hour
NOTES: You can replace the Grand Marnier with apple juice or orange juice to moisten the cake and make the pudding as directed on package.

Blueberry Delight

1 pkg Cream Cheese,room temp
16oz container whipped topping thawed
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (Bar type) Angelfood Cakes
2 10z can Blueberry Pie filling

For ease of cutting place the angel food cake in the freezer for a couple of hours (not required but you will thank me). With electric mixer mix Cream Cheese and powdered Sugar. Fold in Whipped topping and mix just until incorporated (don't over beat). Slice cake into 1inch slices and place 1/3 into trifle bowl. Spread 1/3 of the mixture over cake, Spread 1/3 pie filling on top Repeat for 3 layers. Chill for 1 hour.

Thai Thai Again

2008-07-02T10:02:00.003-05:00

Today's post was inspired by my abundance of Basil which is definitely a good thing because I LOVE basil!

I was looking for a recipe that called for a healthy amount of basil because the more you harvest your basil the better it grows and in case you didn't catch it before, I LOVE basil! Like I mentioned in a previous post, if you don't regularly snip it off it will begin to flower and then will go to seed and it's down hill from there. It will also get tall and lanky which you don't want either.

I found this recipe on Recipezaar and it is SUPER simple and very very tasty. I am excited to share this recipe with you because with the exception of just a few basic ingredients you can change just about anything in this recipe to suit your taste or ingredients you have on hand and honestly I don't think you could make it taste anything but wonderful. This goes together in minutes and I am not exaggerating one bit. It has taken me this long to post this for you because I made it 4 times before I managed to get pictures of it (which by the way do not even begin to do the flavor justice). It gets gobbled up THAT fast!

I am going to Post the recipe for you as it was written and then I will tell you all of the variations that you can make though I strongly encourage you try anything that sounds good to you.

Thai Chicken Fried Rice with Basil - Kao Pad Krapao

SERVES 2 -3

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Thai red chili peppers
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces*
2 cups cold cooked rice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/3 cup Thai holy basil (regular basil ok)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

In a wok or large skillet, stir-fry garlic in oil until golden; then add chilies and chicken and stir-fry until chicken is cooked.
Add rice, sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce, and stir-fry, mixing gently.
When well mixed, add shallots, basil leaves and cilantro; cook another minute or so, and serve.
If you desire, serve with lime wedges, chile sauce, fish sauce, or soy sauce at the table.

The variations are nearly endless. First of all, I used quite a bit more basil than this recipe called for probably more like 1 cup. I also cut my chicken into a very small dice (1/4 inch). If you do this when the chicken breasts are still partially frozen it is quick and easy. I prefer Tamari (over regular soy sauce)which is a strong dark soy sauce, but becareful because it has a bit more of a salty flavor you may want to adjust the amout.

I have replaced the chicken with ground beef. I have replaced the thai chilli peppers with 1 TBS of red chilli flakes. I have made it without any peppers at all (for my wimpy daughter) and I have made it without the cilantro (it was fine but I would recomend using it because it adds another layer of flavor). Using ground chicken or ground turkey would make this dish come together even faster.

For the pictures I put it into Endive leaves and that makes for a nice presentation and would make a great Hors d'oeuvre. My friend Savanna suggested using it in a lettuce wrap either with or without the rice (which I am going to try soon). I think it would also be great in a fresh spring roll (maybe even bulked up with a bit of shredded nappa cabbage).

My point is, make this however you like.Just make it. I promise, you won't be sorry!

I WANT To Be a Rebel

2008-06-25T14:01:00.002-05:00

I know that a lot of people don't care for Rachel Ray and personally I could live without quite SO MUCH of her around. I have to admit though, she was the one who really turned me on to The Food Network. This was before cooking and celebrity chefs and what not became so trendy. I don't consider myself a nonconformist but I hate to feel like I am following the masses. I want to believe that I am doing (or can do) something that not EVERYONE else is doing. So I find it frustrating when I find something I like or I am good at and then suddenly everyone else is doing it too. I want to feel special ...sigh!

ANYWAY! Once again I have gotten off track. Regardless if Rachel Ray is annoying or over exposed I have really learned tons of things from her. If you ever watch her she often reminds you that lots of what she does is just a basic method for making something and it is easy to make it your own. Hopefully without being quite so annoying, my cooking style is pretty similar to hers. No measuring, little baking, a few convenience foods mixed in with really fresh stuff where it counts and though I think her stuff takes a bit more than 30 minutes for the average cook, I prefer meals that do not take an extraordinary amount of time to make.

This dish is the first thing from Rachel Ray that I ever made. I follow her original recipe pretty closely because really it is super easy. The only substitution that I make is sometimes I replace the Pancetta with bacon. It is a dish that easily can be made in 30 min and it's really filling and quite tasty! I was surprised at the texture of the escarole after cooking it keeps just enough crunch to give it a great texture!

The only part I find difficult is the garlic chips which are extremely easy to overcook and then become bitter. But I would definitely NOT leave them out they give this dish that little extra something that makes it special. Just cook them on very low heat, watch them VERY closely and remove as SOON as they get a hint of color.

Spaghetti with Pancetta, Escarole and Garlic Chips Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

1/2 pound dried spaghetti
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound thickly sliced pancetta, chopped
6 to 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 large heads escarole, washed and drained, roughly chopped
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth, eyeball it
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at table

Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil and salt the water. Add the pasta and cook to al dente, with a bite to it.
While the pasta is working, heat a large skillet over medium heat with the extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the skillet with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Ser aside. Turn the heat on the pan back to low then add the sliced garlic and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the garlic chips from the pan to drain alongside the crispy pancetta, reserve. Turn the heat up to medium again, add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the roughly chopped escarole, tossing to wilt it in the flavored oil and wilting it into the pan in stages. Once all the escarole has fit into the pan, add the chicken stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain the hot pasta well and add it to the escarole pan. Add lemon zest and toss to distribute. Turn the heat off and add the butter and cheese, toss to melt. Toss in the crispy pancetta and garlic chips. Serve the spaghetti with more cheese to pass at the table.

Notes: I also skipped the butter (though inadvertently) I can see where it would add great flavor but I did not really miss it.

Want S'more Pie?

2008-06-20T17:46:00.001-05:00

No, this is not a blog about redneck translations I promise! It is also not for the faint of heart or...sweet tooth. This recipe is RICH and VERY sweet! Diabetics, consider yourself warned!

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen. Her recipes are always amazing and her pictures are Beautiful! She is also a "real" baker, unlike me. She made every part of this pie from scratch from the actual graham crackers for the crust to the marshmallow topping. Now I have made home made marshmallows before but I draw the line at graham crackers. But for this I decided that the store bought versions would still produce a yummy finish although I am certain that Deb's version is far superior. Forgive me Deb but the filling is the only part I actually made from scratch and it is so ridiculously simple I could hardly believe it. If you are feeling especially creative and want to try your hand at the Real deal S'Mores Pie check out Smitten Kitchen. But if you are lazy like me this is pretty tasty too!

I opted to make single serving pies hoping it would help me to moderate my portion control a little bit. I also opted to use half and half instead of heavy cream which made me a little nervous thinking it might not set up right but it worked fine.
This is pretty simple. I did decided to pipe on the Marshmallow cream in order to give it some texture when the marshmallow was toasted. This was incredibly messy but I am pleased with the results. Spreading the marshmallow cream on evenly would also work just fine (and likely you could use quite a bit less cutting down a bit on the incredible sweetness). If you don't have a creme brulee' torch you could place them under the broiler for a few minutes but keep a VERY close eye on them.

S'mores Pie

12 mini Graham Cracker Pie crusts
16 oz Marshmallow Creme
7 oz of Bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli 60% Cacao chips)
1 cup Half and Half
1 egg at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.

Place mini pie crusts on a cookie sheet. Place chocolate into a bowl. Slightly beat egg in a separate small bowl. In a heavy sauce pan bring Half and half just to a boil. Pour over Chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk together chocolate and Half and Half then whisk in egg.
Ladle chocolate evenly into pie crusts. Bake for 15 min. Let cool for at least 30 min. Top with marshmallow cream. Brown topping to desired color with Butane torch or under broiler.

Notes: One deep dish Graham cracker crust could be substituted for mini crusts. Increase baking time to 20-25 min. (It will be still a little jiggly in the center but will firm up as it cools)
Spraying inside of piping bag and tip with cooking spray will make handling marshmallow cream easier to handle.

Christmas in June

2008-06-17T16:03:00.001-05:00

Do you like Melon? Specifically, do you like Cantaloupe? Well, if you do, Get thee immediately, if not sooner to Harris Teeter and pick up a Santa Claus melon! WAIT! Make that 2 or 3 (I will explain that later).

GO! NOW! I will wait for you ...............................................tick tock,tick tock........ Lalala la, la la la, Lalalala LA LA LA . That was the Jeopardy theme in case you didn't recognize it. Wait, you are not here anyway.

Are you back? Did you get your melon? If you didn't, I am telling you, you are missing out!

The other day I went into Harris Teeter and was checking out the "exotic fruits" section. They have a pretty good one and I love to try new stuff. When I noticed the produce clerk putting out some unusual looking melons. One looked sort of like a watermelon but was much smaller and sort of egg shaped. I asked her about it and she told me it was a Santa Claus melon. I asked her what it tasted like and she was unable to give me a description (obviously she is not a Foodie). She did say that they only get them once a year and that they were going on sale the next day. (Now I bet you are sorry you didn't go get one.)

So the next day I came back and bought a Santa Claus melon. I decided that I would do a taste test on few things and post them here for you because I am just that kind of girl (flashing a cheesy grin). I picked out a Casaba Melon which is yellow and shaped sort of like an acorn. A Pepino Melon (one of the exotic fruits) which is light beige in color with thin brown stripes and is very small (palm size). I also decided to try a Feijoa which is not a melon but a type of Guava, also in the exotic fruits section.

I will start with the ones I didn't care so much for. I was unimpressed with the Pepino melon it had a very mild almost watery flavor it likely won't be something I buy again.

The Casaba melon had a stronger flavor but to me had a very "green taste" sort of grassy. I definitely won't try that one again.

On the other hand I loved the Feijoa again this one is not a melon but just sounded good to me. This is a small egg shaped fruit that is green in color. The flesh is very sweet and is a combination of a pineapple, strawberry and of course guava flavor. This one was a hit! This is eaten by cutting in half and scooping out the flesh. When I was doing research for this also read that the skin can be eaten and is slightly bitter complimenting the sweet fruit. I might try that next time. The Feijoa when ripe gives slightly when you press on it similar to a ripe avocado.

Last but not least was the Santa Claus melon. The inside flesh is light green and resembles a honey dew. The flavor is sweet and has the essence of cantaloupe mixed with watermelon. But WAY better than either by itself. This is by far my favorite melon. I am very sad to find out they are only sold once a year! BUT, here is a cool thing I found when doing some research. They can be stored uncut for several MONTHS! That's right I said months. Now excuse me I need to run out and buy a couple more before they are gone!

Herb- A-Licious

2008-06-09T11:44:00.002-05:00

I have a warning for you! I am going to tell you right now that I planted an herb garden a few weeks ago and it is doing FABULOUS! Do you know what this means? It means that you are going to be inundated with recipes that feature fresh herbs!

Now I love plants but I do not have a particularly "green thumb." I have absolutely NO houseplants because I kill them. Even my "lucky bamboo" died which is supposed to be one of the easiest plants to keep. But I do much better with plants outdoors. The problem is that I HATE(!!!) to weed and occasionally I forget to water. The first issue is solved by planting a "potted" garden. Which is what I have done on my back deck. The second...well we will just keep our fingers crossed. The fact is that I use some kind of herb (when I have them readily available) nearly everyday. So, if I use them I generally check to see if they need water at the same time.

I highly recommend planting your own. I get bedding plants from one of the local nurseries and I have not had any issues with any of them. Even Walmart sells them though the ones that I have gotten there do not seem quite as hearty. Think about the herbs you love most and plant one or two. For the price you pay for 1 package of grocery store herbs you will always have the freshest on hand and you will likely (much like me) begin putting them in EVERYTHING you cook. It is SO cool to go out your back door and cut the fresh herbs you need for a meal!

These are the herbs that I currently have growing and all are hearty and easy to grow.
Basil (my most favorite), Chives, Rosemary, Thyme, and Oregano. I still would like to get some Parsley (which I have never tried to grow before) and Sage.

The only thing that I have not had luck with was Cilantro. That makes me sad because I use a lot of cilantro and would love to be able to snip it whenever I need it. It does fine for a while but as soon as it gets really hot it goes straight to seed and then dries up and dies. I am thinking about maybe trying it on my front porch this year where it does not get so much direct sunlight. My friend Karen, who grows a good sized organic Vegetable garden in her backyard, says that she has also had problems with Cilantro and she has found that fall is a better time to grow it.

The key things to growing potted herbs:

Plenty of water: Sometimes in the summer when it is very hot and dry they need to be watered twice a day.

Pinch back plants regularly to encourage full bushy growth instead of tall and lanky. Basil in particular will quickly flower and then go to seed and then the plant will not produce many leaves. For this reason along with the fact that I plant a lot of basil you will probably get your fill of basil recipes this summer (I already have 2 ready to go).

If you feed your plants (which I do about once a week) be sure that you are using a fertilizer that is intended for fruits and veggies. I have had great luck with Miracle Grow. Remember to mix it at a strength for houseplants if you are feeding potted herbs as not to burn the roots.

So here is the first dish I have for you that features ingredients from my herb garden. I have made this 3 times now and though it is very tasty I have not yet gotten the timing down for how long to cook it. I found this recipe on a Blog called Columbus Foodie I made a few minor changes to it because I did not want to eat 3 eggs and I did not have any parsley so I substituted Chives. Other than that I am still working on the Broiling time. The recipe says 6 min under the broiler but this produces a very hard cooked egg and I like mine over medium. I tried 4 mins and this was still too long. Today I tried 3 mins and the yolks were the way I like them but the whites were not quite done enough. I definately think 3 1/2 mins should do the the trick. Enjoy this decadent but really simple breakfast!

Herbed-Baked Eggs
recipe adapted from Ina Garten

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced Chives

1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
4 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, chives, and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 2 eggs into each of 2 small bowls (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 3-4 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.

Notes It is important to have all of your ingredients ready before you start cooking and to keep a close watch on them under the broiler.The butter can go from brown to burned in seconds. This seems like it would be a big pain but its only 5 mins (tops) and it's well worth it!

How To Be The Perfect Houseguest

2008-06-04T21:18:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was jam-packed and playing catch-up this week has been the reason I have yet to write about it. I woke up Fri afternoon after just a few hours of sleep (been on night shift) and never stopped till Sunday evening when I fell into bed thoroughly exhausted. I am pleased to say that all of the craziness was purely fun! The highlight of the weekend was an overnight trip to Raleigh which included shopping, cooking for my friends and a night at a "real" night club for nonstop dancing! (Fayetteville is trying, but we still don't have comparable nightlife here)

Just like a posh hotel, only better

My friend Josh was an AWESOME host and it was my pleasure to cook dinner for him and my other friends (new and old) in appreciation for that. Nothing is better than enjoying a meal with friends and at someone's home is way more relaxing and intimate than a restaurant. I hate that I did not think to take some pictures of us eating but here we are dancing the night away.

The dish I decided to make is not very fancy but it has an unusual "can't quite figure it out" flavor that is much different from my usual (Mediterranean inspired) style. Though it does not photograph all that pretty, I assure you the flavor makes up for it. I served it with a plain brown rice and Balsamic roasted green beans. It was a hit and the perfect beginning to our evening on the town. I stuck pretty close to the recipe ( I will have to admit I don't remember from where originally got it) The few minor changes I made were just due to things I had on hand so I am going to post the recipe just as it was written.
Don't be scared of the jalapeno with the seeds removed it does not make this dish spicy at all. It just adds another layer of flavor to the dish. Of course if you like spicy then feel free to up the jalapeno.

African Chicken in Peanut Sauce
Adapted from "The Oprah Magazine Cookbook"
Serves 6
Spice Rub:
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Chicken:
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Peanut Sauce:
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 medium carrot finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon finely diced and seeded jalapeno chili
4 cups (32 ounces) chicken broth
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 tomato, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup well-mixed coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Stir together the spice rub ingredients and rub onto chicken pieces.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add half the chicken and brown on all sides, taking care not to burn the spices. Transfer browned pieces to a platter and set aside. Brown remaining chicken and transfer to platter.

3. With a paper towel, wipe skillet dry; then add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, red and green bell peppers, carrot, garlic, and jalapeno chili. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in remaining sauce ingredients, and simmer 2 minutes. Return browned chicken to skillet. Cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through, stirring frequently to prevent sauce from sticking. Turn chicken pieces over midway through cooking time. Garnish with parsley.

Flavor of the Week

2008-05-29T14:55:00.005-05:00

I have a new favorite food! Next week I will probably have another new "favorite food" and likely another one soon after that. I just love to try new stuff! When I try something I like there is probably a pretty good chance I will eat it again very soon and I wouldn't be surprised if few days later (sometimes even the next day) I eat it a third time.

Some of the reasons that this is my new favorite food are:
1. It is healthy and pretty low in calories which means I can eat a LOT of it. (this always makes me happy).
2. It has bold spicy flavors.
3. It is really yummy! (the most important thing)

So this new obsession started about a week ago when I went to my favorite Thai Restaurant and ordered the Thai Beef Salad. One bite and I was in LOVE! (perhaps it was only lust, but regardless...) I asked the owner what was in the dressing and more importantly did it have much oil? She told me it had NO oil! OK, that just made it 10 times better!

Two days later I was craving Thai Beef salad again. I arranged my entire afternoon around picking up one on my way to work that night. But when I called the restaurant to place the order (perfectly timed to swing by on my way to work) they told me that there was an hour and 30 min wait for orders! WHAAAAT? You are kidding me? On a Thursday night? This did not make me happy! I tried again Fri night and was told that it would be 45 min. Still not fitting into my schedule.

It seems my favorite Thai Restaurant is suddenly lots of peoples favorite Thai restaurant. They have always been busy but never THIS busy! So, out of necessity and my cravings, I began a search for a recipe.

So the main elements of all the recipes was Lime juice, and spice. What I liked about this particular recipe was that you actually marinated the meat in some of the dressing. Many of the recipes didn't marinate the beef at all or had a different marinade for the beef. Does it taste like the restaurant? Well, not exactly and I am not quite sure what is different (I will have to eat it there again to figure it out) but it is still really good. One thing I do like better about making it at home is that (at the restaurant) it is made with just iceberg lettuce which is NOT my choice of lettuce. So making it at home give you the opportunity to use more flavorful (and more nutritious) greens.
If you have never had Thai food be warned, it is H-O-T! I used 2TBS of Sriracha (hot chili sauce) I have changed that in the recipe to 1TBS because my mouth and Lips were ON FIRE! Now, I am not a wimp when it comes to spicy stuff. I like things hotter than the average person so I would recommend judicious use of the Sriracha if you are not big on spice. (but you need some spice otherwise it will not be the same dish) You could also substitute chili paste or red pepper flakes if you can't locate Sriracha. This is great served with white rice (preferably the sticky kind like you get at Asian restaurants). The rice is also good for cooling down your mouth down!

Thai Beef Salad
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup choppedfresh cilantro
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili paste
2 garlic cloves, minced

16 oz flank steak, trimmed

1 1/2 cups sliced red onions
4 plum tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
6 cups lettuce/greens
1 large cucumber peeled and cut into large chunks

Wisk together first 7 ingredients together to make dressing. Place steaks and 1/4 of dressing in a zipper type bag and let stand for 1 hr. Broil or grill steaks until med-rare. Let steaks rest for 5 mins and slice as thinly as possible. Arrange Greens, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes then top with beef slices. Pour remaining dressing over top. Toss before serving.

Serves 2 (with some left over steak unless you really pile it on)

The Sandwich without a Soul

2008-05-27T18:44:00.007-05:00

I could TOTALLY be a Vegetarian! If only it wasn't for that "you can't eat meat" rule. I could be a part time vegetarian. Say 5 out of 7days, maybe 4 out of 7 if you count fish/seafood as meat although I was told fish don't count because they don't have souls (really? Fish don't have souls? Hmmm). Someone else says you can't eat anything with eyeballs...some seafood does not have eyeballs. What do eyeballs have to do with it anyway? UNLESS they are referring to "the eyes are the window to the soul." Does this mean if you don't have eyes you don't have a soul?

OK, OK, I don't want to get in to a theological discussion here. All in jest, I promise! I get Vegetarianism. I respect those who are Vegetarians. I just choose not to practice it (at least not full time) even though I do have a smidgen of guilt about the treatment of animals. I LOVE ,LOVE, LOVE, Veggies but I can't give up a nice juicy steak once in a while and chicken is a staple in my diet. The other thing about a vegetarian diet is though I love vegetable dishes. You have to work a lot harder to make them satisfying as a main dish without even talking about trying to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet. Not an impossible task but it takes time and I don't always have that extra time.

But I digress! This time of year I begin getting excited by the increase of lovely (and hopefully more economical) produce that just gets better and better as we move towards summer. I was beside myself today when I went into the store and saw that wonderful tender young asparagus. I have SO been waiting for that! But, what I went there for was Portebello Mushrooms to make Portebello burgers. Now, I am no way trying to substitute this for a thick juicy (preferably a little rare though I know that is supposed to be a no-no) hamburger. I just REALLY like grilled Veggies!

This is very simple and you can pick and choose what ever veggies you like. This was lunch today for myself and my friend Savanna who could be my twin when it comes to food preferences (aside from her bacon aversion and allergy to nuts).We enjoyed this and I hope you will also!

Souless, Eyeball free Grilled Sandwiches

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
3 TBS minced Fresh Rosemary
3 TBS minced Fresh Thyme
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground Pepper to taste

4 large Portebello mushrooms (bun size)
1 small eggplant
1/2 each red,yellow, green peppers
1 medium red onion
4 toasted Onion buns
4 slices Provolone cheese

Optional ( Do not grill)
Chopped sundried tomatoes
Chopped Artichoke hearts

Wisk together first 7 ingredients to make dressing/marinade and set aside. Remove stems from mushrooms and clean with a damp cloth. Place Mushrooms gill side up on a platter and spoon marinade (aprox 1 1/2 TBS each) over top allowing it to seep down into gills.(let marinade soak in while preparing remaining veggies). Peel eggplant and cut into about 1/2 inch slices. Cut top and bottom off of peppers, remove seeds and ribs then cut them lengthwise in quarters to make large flat chunks (so they won't fall through grates). Cut Onion into 1/2 inch (thinner will fall apart on grill) slices. Brush veggies with marniade. Brush inside of buns with marinade and set aside.

Place Mushrooms on med-hot grill, gill side up. Continue placing remaining veggies on grill (skin side down for peppers) Grill for 4-6 minutes until veggies begin to char. Turn Veggies over and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. You want Veggies to maintain some of their crispness and not become too mushy.

Turn mushrooms gill side up and place a slice of provolone cheese on each. Place buns cut side down on grill.Begin removing remaining veggies to a platter. By the time you finish removing remaining vegetables the cheese should be slightly melted and buns nicely toasted. Slice peppers into thin strips and separate onion rings. Serve Veggies on a platter and allow each person to layer bun with veggies of their choice.

Notes: Place eggplant on the grill last and remove it first as it will cook the fastest. Pass extra balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper for those who like extra seasoning.

Retro-Style Chicken Casserole

2008-05-23T14:09:00.005-05:00

Before you look at this recipe I want to assure you that I have not been brainwashed by Sandra Lee (Queen of short-cut cooking and being irritating). No, this recipe I got from Sandra Sue...AKA my Mother. This is a quintessential 1970s working mother's recipe. It's quick, easy, filling and tasty.

As a "foodie" I should be quite ashamed at posting this recipe I mean really, cream of mushroom soup? Processed CHEESE PRODUCT? Do you really consider this cooking? Well, depending on your definition maybe, maybe not but it was dinner on our table that I enjoyed eating so really, who cares? I also happen to harbor a deep affection for Velveta which makes the BEST grilled cheese sandwiches which I fondly refer to as Molten Lava Grilled cheese. Foodie snobs be damned, THIS is Yummy!

Molten Lava Chicken Casserole
(4-6 servings)

8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup frozen baby peas
1 cup cooked chicken cubed or shredded
6 oz Velveta cheese cubed.
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth

Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain, mix with remaining ingredients. Place in a medium sized (8x8ish) casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Microwave on high until cheese is melted through out (5-10 minutes) stirring once or twice during cooking.

Notes: I used lowfat cheese and fat free mushroom soup with great results. (Every little bit helps)
My mom (and actually I have been known to also) often used a can of chicken drained (similar to tuna which could also be substitued
You could bake this for about 15-20 mins in a 350 degree oven. In which case you could also top with some crushed cornflakes, breadcrumbs or if you REALLY wanted to go Retro crushed potato chips

Does This Qualify as Making Bread?

2008-05-16T10:18:00.003-05:00

Despite my lack of baking skills I have tried several times to make bread. As you know I have yet to be successful at this. Frankly it is REALLY ticking me off!!! I am like a rebellious teenager (and believe you me I have experience with that) who is told she can't do something. I am determined that I am going to find a way to do it. That has been a life long struggle for me. The best way to get me to do something has always been to tell me I am not capable of it. But bread, it has been the one thing that consistently can KICK MY BUTT!

So, I cheated! Seriously you can't really call this "making" bread. But I put dough in my oven and it came out looking like a loaf of bread so we are going to call this making bread. Maybe it will silence my obsession ... at least for a little while.

This recipe is supposed to be "light" you would never believe that I saw it on an episode of Paula's Home Cooking. Really, Paula Deen made something low-fat!!! I am sure this would work just as well with full fat ingredients so feel free to substitute. This is simple, cheesy and good!

Poppy Seed Pinwheel Bread

1 (8-ounce) package light or fat-free cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried chives

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

Cooking spray

1 egg, slightly beaten (or egg substitute equivalent)

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, parsley, chives, and garlic powder. Set aside. On a floured surface, unroll the crescent rolls into rectangles and combine to make 1 long rectangle. Spread cream cheese mixture on and roll up like a pinwheel, starting at the long side. Seal edges. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place roll on the cookie sheet, brush with egg, and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Score at 1/2-inch intervals along the roll (not all the way through). Pull apart slightly so that your scoring will not completely seal back up during baking. Bake until golden brown.

If Only It Could Mow The Lawn

2008-05-08T15:20:00.007-05:00

Have I ever mentioned my that my life revolves around food? Seriously, a huge percentage of my free time is spent either looking at food in the form of blogs,TV show, cookbooks, or magazines. Preparing Food for my family, friends and sometimes events like weddings or parties. Eating food (no description needed). Then of course there is the going to the gym which is not directly dealing with food but is a necessary evil as a result of the previous. Oh wait, I do often watch the Food Network WHILE I am at the gym running on the treadmill! It is no wonder that I am single, who has time? Not to mention it would take a pretty amazing man to rival my passion!

My cooking occupies me, challenges me, gives me a feeling of satisfaction, earns me praises and comforts me. But it can also frustrate me and disappoint me. (See the similarities?)Frustrating me is what the recipe for today did.

It seemed simple enough, Pecan Encrusted Chicken Salad. The recipe I tried originally had an AWESOME flavor but as soon as you tried to cut the chicken all of the "crust" fell right off. So, it tasted good but did not look so pretty. I am firm believer that you eat with your eyes first so this would not "do." So I had to make it again the next day.

I felt what was missing from the recipe was "glue" to hold the crust to the chicken. While I was at it I wanted to tweak the recipe to make it a little more waistline friendly(Maybe if I can cut down some gym time I might have some time for dating) and a little less expensive (can you believe I paid 8 dollars for a bag of Pecans?). My result looked prettier but not quite as tasty as the original. So if fiddled with it a little more and I think I have found the middle ground between tasting good and looking good. What I love about this recipe is the surprising taste of cinnamon in the salad. You know me, I love that "Hmmm" factor!I did not however change a thing about the Caramel Vinaigrette that was with the recipe that I originally found on Vicarious Foodie (http://vicariousfoodie.blogspot.com/2008/04/pecan-crusted-chicken-salad.html). I think it compliments this salad nicely but if you are not up for making your own Vinaigrette then a nice bottled Balsamic or Raspberry Vinaigrette would pair nicely with it also.

Pecan Encrusted Chicken Salad

serves 4

Caramel Vinaigrette

1/3 cup caramel sauce (ice cream topping)

2 teaspoons water

1/4 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lime, zested

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Microwave Carmel sauce about 10 seconds ot loosen it up. Combine the caramel sauce with water and citrus juices and whisk. While whisking, drizzle in olive oil, lime zest, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Chicken

2 large Chicken breasts (aprox 8oz)

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup pecans

1 cup flour divided

2 tsp cinamon

1 egg

1tsp water

2 Tbs vegetable oil

Field Greens or other lettuce mixture

1cup dried cranberries

whole pecans for garnish.

Split chicken breast in half then cut into aprox 1 inch strips (fingers). Place chicken and buttermilk in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

Place Pecans in food processor and grind to a fine consistency. Combine 1/3 cup flour, ground pecans and cinnamon.

Cover Baking sheet in Foil. Add Oil to pan and spread evenly.

Remove Chicken from buttermilk and let drain well then pat dry Salt and Pepper to taste.

Lightly beat egg and water together. Dredge chicken in remaining flour, then egg, then pecan mixture. Place chicken on Pan and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool slightly( if desired cut into bite sized pieces) and arrange over greens. Drizzle Vinegrette over top. Garnish with Cranberries and Pecans.

New Home

2007-08-20T09:35:00.000-05:00

MMM MMM good has a new home. I am currently writing a blog for the Fayetteville Observer. I am not sure if I am going to continue to post my blogs here also or not, but please visit me there http://www.fayobserver.com/blog?id=87

Fire and Ice

2007-07-29T14:52:00.000-05:00

Picky eaters drive me crazy (ie:my son)! I don't even mind so much if someone does not like something if they will just try it and then make that decision. I like to cook with what some people (not me) might consider somewhat unusual ingredients. This usually means some spices that they are not familiar with or combinations of foods that your basic Southern/Americana cook would not typically use. Because of this, when I make a new dish I am often faced with the dilemma..."do I tell them what is in it?" With my children the answer is usually a no. My policy is make them taste first and then disclose. Friends and acquaintances on the other hand are a little trickier.
I will have to say that most of my friends have a pretty open mind about trying new things and now after a few times of trying my new creations they have come to know that for the most part my cooking ROCKS (hey when you got it Flaunt it)! It also does not hurt that I have a disproportionately large number of male friends most of whom are Firefighters that subscribe to the ... If it does not eat me first philosophy. I also think it helps that due to the military, a lot of them are not Southern born and raised.

Now, no offense to my friends (or anyone else) who are not Damn Yankees (like myself). I am not knocking Southern cooking. Lord knows that I love to eat it. But I am not that great at cooking it. ( I can't make good fried chicken to save my life). What I am getting at is there is a simplicity to the ingredients of Southern Cooking and some people who have eaten it all their lives are resistant to try things they are not familiar with.

On of my favorite things is to mix sweet and savory. Even I had trouble with that concept at first but once I tried it I was hooked. Now I look twice at those recipes with combinations that even I have some doubt about. I try to think about the ingredients separately and then use some blind faith.

Today's recipe was one that gave me pause. I love salsa! I have seen recipes for Watermelon salsa several times over the past few weeks. Now I make a fruit salsa all the time but it is definitely a sweet salsa and I make cinnamon tortilla chips with it. But this is a Savory Salsa with garlic and jalapenos. At first I was like, ehhhhh that really does not sound too good. But then after seeing it a couple of more times I was intrigued. I found several recipes on Recipezaar along with several other sites that I googled. There are many variations and I took what I liked best from them to come up with this one. I kept the name from the one I followed most closely because I thought it described it perfectly "FIRE AND ICE SALSA" The cool watermelon with the hot jalapenos is a surprising combination. I debated telling my friends what it was before they tasted it because quite honestly when you look at it you can't tell it is not tomatoes. But in the end I did and they tried it anyway. As is typical with something unusual, it got a slow start with people tentative about it but by the end of the evening the huge bowl was nearly gone. How could they have doubted me?

Fire and Ice Salsa

3 cups diced watermelon
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1-2 jalapeno peppers finely diced (adjust to taste)
1-2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 TBS Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely minced cilantro
2Tbs finely chopped mint leaves

Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover refrigerate for at least 1 HR. Serve with tortilla chips. Also would be great over broiled fish. 24-48 hr. is about the extent of it's shelf life in the fridge but so far mine has not lasted that long anyway.

Note: Be careful with the jalapeno. The contrast of it with the watermelon makes it seem hotter. Error on the side of not enough to start with then you can add more according to your taste.

Sandwich Artistry

2007-07-23T20:48:00.000-05:00

I saw this on an episode of Everyday Italian months ago and thought it looked amazing! I had been looking for an opportunity ever since to make it. I finally did on the 4th of July. It was a HUGE hit and I have made it twice since then. One time was for friends who came over to discuss a menu for their Wedding reception. (Yes, I will be make that for their wedding). I also made it last week and took it along to Fayetteville after 5 for my friends and I to munch on while listening to the beach music. Again it was a hit. You can absolutely use whatever cold cuts and cheeses in it you desire. I used spinach in it because I thought it would hold up better than other lettuces. You could also try arugala if you don't like spinach but I just didn't mention it to anyone (my kids) who does not like spinach and they did not even notice.Though I am not crazy about olives the flavor of them in this is irreplaceable. My personal twist on this was the pesto which I think adds a great flavor to it. I think next time I might even layer some basil in with the spinach ...mmmmmm basil! The bread is also something that can be whatever you like. Round and crusty are pretty much the requirements for that. The secret to this recipe is that it MUST be made 8-24 hrs ahead, wrapped tightly and refrigerated. This lets all those yummy flavors soak into the bread.

Muffaletta

1lb round loaf of Sourdough bread
1/4 cup of Olive tampenade
1/4 cup pesto
Spinach leaves
4oz sliced swiss chese
4oz sliced provolone cheese
4oz pastrami
4oz ham
4oz tukey breast
Thinly sliced Red onions
Thinly slice roasted red peppers

Carefully cut off about 1/2 in off top of Bread. This will become the "lid". With you fingers hollow out the bread leaving about a 1/4 inch wall on bottom and sides. Mix together Tampenade and Pesto. Spread 3/4 of mixture over bottom , sides and "lid" of bread. Place a single layer meat, cheese, tampenade/pesto, peppers, onions and spinach. Continue to layer ingredients alternating types of cheese. Continuely press down on ingredients packing them very tightly into bread. Replace Top of bread onto loaf. Wrap sandwhich as tight as possible with plastic wrap (press and seal is great for this). Refigerate sandwhich for at least 8hrs. Cut sandwhich into 8 wedges immediately before serving.

In Spite of my Mother...

2007-07-05T16:36:00.000-05:00

I have come to the conclusion that I LIKE tomatoes. Now this might not seem like any great epiphany to you but my MOTHER would certainly be shocked to read this. My WHOLE life I have said I hate tomatoes. When I was growing up mother (who would sprinkle salt on a whole tomato and eat it like an apple) always put tomatoes in our dinner salad and MADE me eat them. So, I would pick out the tomatoes and choke them down by themselves. Don't tell my Mom but, I actually would swallow them whole which I also did with peas (which by the way I love now) and lima beans. This would INFURIATE her. "If you hate them so much why would you eat them by themselves???" my reply, "I love salad. "
My answer was simple and I think, quite insightful for a small child. I wanted to enjoy my salad. Savor my salad. If I ate the salad with the tomatoes it would have ruined it. It is also further proof that I was a foodie even back then. I can also vividly remember the sausage pizza we had every Fri night (and cold pizza left overs for breakfast Saturday morning) from Jacks Pizza. It was just recently that I realized that the reason that I loved that pizza so much is that the sausage was perfectly spiced with loads of fennel seeds. SEE ... what 5 yr. old has such a distinguished palette?
I also have vivid memories of going to my Grandparents and my Grandpa giving me a glass of Buttermilk. Sprinkled with a dash of salt and pepper. I loved tang of the buttermilk and the feel of it coating my mouth. I would drink it like a wine connoisseur ... rolling it around my mouth and over my tongue before swallowing it. OK, maybe I was a strange child ..but then again, look at me now. Are you REALLY surprised?
Once again, I have gotten off topic (but it was a nice stroll down memory lane) back to tomatoes. So though I hated tomatoes I loved catsup and tomato soup (with grilled cheese of course) and of course spaghetti. But as I have gotten older I have continued to add more and more tomatoes to my diet. But I have always been resistant to any raw tomato. Several years ago I decided that a small amount of tomato on Mexican food was really good. I love salsa but I stuck to the more thinner kind with less chunks in it. Then I tried Sams club "Fresh Salsa" sold in the refrigerator section and I was like ..HEY that's pretty good stuff. Then I decided to try to make my own Pico de Gallo. That was it, I was hooked!!! I was beginning to realize that I could no longer claim to hate tomatoes when I started eating the Pico De Gallo by its self. With a spoon! But, when I was cutting up tomatoes for it the other day and the juice ran down my wrist and I licked it a thought MMMM...I knew I was busted! Now you will still not catch me putting a slice of tomato on a burger and you will NEVER catch me putting them in my salad (thanks to MOM for traumatizing me ...lol). I love tomatoes in lots of other things!

I am sure you are saying ..."geeze is she EVER going to get to the point? ...you know ... like an actual recipe?????" Hey it's my blog! You're not the boss of me! Anyway, I made some Pico the other day and I was planning on adding shrimp and taking it to work for lunch. But through the course of the day I would walk by the fridge and take a spoonful (or 4) of it. By the time I got ready to pack my lunch for the next day. There was a pitiful amount of Pico left. Even with a lot of shrimp it was not going to make a very substantial lunch. So I came up with this tasty (and WAY simple) little dish and was very satisfied with my lunch. I have reworked it to make more than a single serving here. You can use a store bought Pico de gallo but really, its quite simple to make and SO worth it. It also allows you to make it as hot or as mild as you like. I would recommend making the Pico a few hours before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients to let the flavors develop and for it to get "juicy." It's fresh and light and very summery!

Pico De Shrimp and Pasta Salad

3 cups fresh Pico De Gallo (click on link for recipe)
8 oz steamed Shrimp cooled
4 oz of Orzo cooked according to Pkg. and cooled
Salt to taste

Fold together first 3 ingredients. Salt to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 min.

Approximately 4 servings for a main dish (light lunch) or 6-8 as a side dish.

* I used the frozen precooked shrimp thawed and drained before adding to Pico.

The Roof The Roof is On FIRE!

2007-07-01T21:30:00.000-05:00

So I really had hoped to have a beautiful loaf of bread to Post here today. What was I thinking have I not said OVER AND OVER that I am not a baker????? Well I inherited a bread machine from my friend Robin who is moving UP IN THE WORLD therefore downsizing. I thought ...great this is easy ..dump in ingredients, hit start button and about 4 hrs later BREAD! This is surely NOT considered baking. I CAN do this! Well............... NOT SO MUCH!

2 hrs into this smoke was BILLOWING out of the vents of the Machine!!! Apparently the bread rose TOO much and spilled over the sides of the container dripping down onto the heating element causing a LOVELY stench and like I said before COPIOUS amounts of smoke!!! I SWEAR I MEASURED EVERYTHING!!!!!!

In my defense, One of the recipe reviews I read actually said that this rose too much ..it did NOT however say it would likely catch on FIRE!! No, mine did not catch on fire because I unplugged the machine. Let's just say this was QUITE a mess to clean up! There were parts of the big GLOB that were cooked and I did taste it and it was quite good. But there was just no way to salvage it.

I would like to try this again ...perhaps I will try to halve the recipe??? Or perhaps try a different one. But I am a little gunshy. I DO know that I will NOT put the bread in and leave the house. Which is what I had hoped to do ...you know go to work in the morning and come home to freshly baked bread? Perhaps that would NOT be a good idea. ALTHOUGH....you know I do have insurance ...It would be nice to have ALL NEW Stuff!!! Ok, Maybe not.

Good Friends and FOOD

2007-06-02T23:36:00.000-05:00

I had been thinking about throwing a dinner party for a few days. My friend Larry being the catalyst for that (when are you going to cook again) So faced with a day of no real plans I decided that I was just going to be spontaneous and do it. I rang up my friend Evie and asked her what her and John were up to. They had already talked about going downtown to the Blues and Brews Festival by the River. We decided we would do an early dinner and head down there after that. Unfortunately Larry could not make it(I promise to bring you some left overs) and Marlana was out of town. So it was Evie, John , Me and Tanya.

Considering it was already after 12 when we came up with this brilliant plan I was suddenly in a time crunch.

Menu:

Margaritaville Chicken Fajitas

Shrimp and Orzo Salad

Roasted Green beans

Pavlova

Have I ever told you I HATE Wally World?? Well on a Sat at 1230pm in Hope Mills not only do I HATE it but I LOATHE it. I would have much rather just gone to Harris Teeter where I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, to shop. Where every thing is clean and neat and beautiful. Unfortunately the prices there are not always so beautiful (although for produce it is totally worth it).

By the time I got home it was nearly 230 and I still had to make the marinade for the chicken. YIKES ! I got that going right away and popped the chicken breasts in so they could do their thing. I also did a separate bag of the veggies with a little marinade also.

Next on the agenda was the Shrimp and Orzo Salad. I had seen this recipe on Barefoot Contessa yesterday and could not wait to try it! That was painless but geeze look at the time it is almost 4 and I still have cleaning to do and oh Gee I forgot the Whipped topping ...and to put out the eggs to come to room temp and ....oh man NO WAY am I going to get everything done

REVISED Menu

Margaritaville Chicken Fajitias

Shrimp and Orzo Salad

Roasted Green Beans

Grilled Pineapple and Berries

over

Strawberry and Mango Sorbet

I have really been wanting to dazzle my friends with the Pavlova but there was just not enough time....sigh!

So at this point it is beginning to drizzle and I am not really thinking I want to wrestle with the veggies on the grill anyway. SO I get this BRILLIANT idea to use my cast iron griddle on the cook top. I do the pineapple first which goes realatively well. Then I move on to the peppers and onions for the Fajitas. About 5 mins into this the smoke detector goes off...not a big deal and CERTAINATELY not unusual. Someone thought it was a good idea to put a smoke detector in my Kitchen. Just using the broiler sets the damn thing off EVERY time. I was not any where near being done with the veggies though and fanning with a towel and turning on the ceiling fan and opening the door was not working. But OMG >>> LOOK at the time. I can't stop. I call my Son in and scream over the piercing beeps ...TAKE OUT THE BATTERIES!!!!! Well, we never did figure out how to even get it open. By the time I was finished cooking the veggies the smoke detectors in the BEDROOMS were going off. Ummm maybe next time I will do those veggies on the Grill after all and the chicken? Oh yeah, I stood in the rain and grilled them.

I can always count on my friends to be late which is good ..because dinner was NOT ready at the scheduled 5:30. But by 6 Evie and John came rolling in (Tanya was on time so I sent her back out to get ice ) and dinner was just about ready to be put on the table!

Everything was yummy and I was especially happy with the Shrimp and Orzo Salad Although I just realized I forgot the parsley. I am Definately making that again. Next time I plan on adding Sundried tomaotes and maybe some red and green peppers just to give it a little more crunch and some color. The only deviations I made from the orginal recipe is I used the Sun-dried and Tomato and basil feta(would you expect anything different from me?) and dried dill ( about 2TBS) because I did not have fresh.

Shrimp and Orzo Salad

Kosher salt

Good olive oil

3/4 pound orzo pasta

1/2 cup lemon juice (3 lemons)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts

1 cup chopped fresh dill

1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, diced

1/2 cup small-diced red onion

3/4 pound good feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!
Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Margarita Chicken Marinade

("Perfect Party Food" cookbook)

1/4cup olive oil

1/2 cup OJ

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup gold tequila

1/2tsp ground cumin

1canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Place chicken and marinade in ziplock bag and let marinate in Fridge for at least 4 hrs or overnight. Makes enough marinade for about 12 chicken breasts. Broil or grill chicken until juices run clear Garnish with fresh cilantro and slices of lemon, lime and orange.

A Caterer is Born

2007-05-29T12:20:00.000-05:00

After almost a year of anticpation I finally had my first real Catering Gig! I have been working with "the Chef" for a few months but this is my first big event on my own.(100-125 guests) I have done smaller stuff like my daughters party and I helped with a Church members reception last year but this was all me start to finish. I was not really sure if I could pull it off but I DID!!!
About 40 hours of work, 4 burns ,1 cut and only a couple of serious moments of panic went into the day.I had been doing it in my head and on paper for about the past month.

Menu-
Sweet chili chicken bites
Moo Shu Pork cups
Stuffed Mushrooms
Cheese ball /crackers
Stuffed Cucumbers
Veggie Tray
Fruit topiary and Tray
Cheese tray
Meatballs (provided by Kristie)
Chicken Salad/ Crossiants
On Wed morning when I got off work I did my first shopping trip at Sam's Club for the major part of the food. I purchased the meat and most of the Veggies leaving the fruits for the day before the wedding so that they would look their best.

Wed. evening I went to Walmart to pick up the things they did not have at Sam's. All in all I made 5 trips to grocery stores. A couple more than I had wanted to but it could have been worse.

Thu was roasting and pulling the chicken for Chicken Salad, cutting and wrapping chicken in bacon for the Sweet Chilli Chicken bites and cutting the pork for the Moo Shu Pork. I also made the dip and cheese balls.

Fri was the big cooking day! I premade all of the dishes so that on Sat it was just assembly and final cooking/heating. I also made the final shopping trip(s) for the fruit and other last minute items. Fri night I went to the Venue and sat up and decorated the buffet table. Fri was a VERY long day!!! This was good because I was so exhausted that I actually slept pretty good Fri night which I had worried that I would not be able to.

Sat morning I loaded everything up and got to the Venue around 830am. My friend Robin AKA Did you wash your hands came around 915 to help me with final prep and serving. When she showed up I was in kind of an overwhelmed don't know where to start state. But she jumped right in and before I knew it we had a rhythm going and were knocking it all out. There was a brief moment of panic around 12 when I did not think that we would get it all done but we kicked it into high gear and had everything on the buffet by 1:00. It turned out that the guests did not even start coming until almost 2 so we were on easy street!
Robin working her Magic!
We did a lot of hustling during the reception. I don't have all of the equipment (like replacement pans for chafing dishes ... not to mention the chafing dishes were borrowed too) so restock had to be done on the buffet line. I had placed the 4 chafing dishes on the ends of the table which was a good move (though not intentional) so we were able to get to them without too much trouble.

Problems we had were surprisingly few. We did run out of Mushrooms and chicken salad but there was plenty of other food to make up for that. The bride did provide meatballs which is probably a good thing. I think we might have run out of more things had she not. All of those things were lessons learned that I will take to my next event and none were even close to being catastrophic.

There are several people I need to thank for helping to contribute to the success of this event. First Robert and Kristie for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to do it. To Cheryl, Lisa and Keith for loaning me equipment that I could not have afforded to buy (and kept me from having to rent it) I also want to thank Keith for allowing me to work with him and teaching me so much. Without my time with him this would not have been anything close to what it was. (Sorry, Yes I did steal your Moo shu idea ..but not your recipe) To all my friends and family who had to listen to my constant obsession about it. Most of all I want to thank Robin. Her help and skills and talent were priceless to the final product!

Something Different

2007-05-18T14:04:00.000-05:00

Today's post has nothing GREEN ...oh wait there is a little Parsley in it. I found this Recipe back in December and have been looking for Ajvar( pronounced eye-var) since then and finally found it at the Mediterranean Mart on Cliffdale Rd (for those of you in Fayetteville). By the way the owners of that store are VERY nice and they will search for and order hard to find items like this for you. They happened to have this product because someone else came in looking for it and they did that for them.

I now know Ajvar is a Bulgarian sort of relish made with eggplant and red pepper. It's a little spicy, comes in mild and hot versions. I was only able to find the Hot but I don't find it too terribly hot(though I like spicy things) Mixed with a couple of TBS of sour cream it is tasty on raw veggies, pretzels, chips, crackers or Pita bread. It has only 15 calories per Tbs (minus the sour cream ...darn it) and no fat.

I found this recipe at Food and Wine.com( http://foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-cauliflower-with-ajvar-dressing) I did not really mess with it much (for a change) I did use anchovy paste rather than real anchovies. Don't be scared off by the Anchovy, you (or anyone else) will never know it's in there but it give it a wonderful salty flavor, not at all fishy. Have you ever had Ceasar salad at a REALLY nice resturant? If you have, it most likely had anchovy. Trust me ...it's good. I cut up my califlower in pretty small chunks and I think that was a mistake. Leaving them in bigger chunks would make a much prettier presentation and I noticed that some of the very small pieces were over cooked (almost burnt) The large pieces were soft and nutty....very yummy!

This is a unique and very tasty way to cook califlower. I am always looking for new ways to present Veggies and I think this recipe Fills the Bill very nicely!

Cauliflower with Ajvar Dressing
1 head of cauliflower (2 3/4 pounds), core trimmed, head quartered and sliced lengthwise 1/3 inch thick
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 anchovy fillet, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons mild or hot ajvar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Preheat the oven to 425°. Heat a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven. In a bowl, toss the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the cauliflower on the hot baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender and browned.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, add the anchovy; cook over moderate heat until it begins to dissolve. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat; let the oil cool for 5 minutes.
In a mini food processor, blend the oil with the ajvar, lemon juice and vinegar. Add the parsley and pulse to combine. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
Transfer the cauliflower to a platter. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts. Serve warm.

Counting my Blessings

2007-05-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

Though I had to work on Mother's Day it turned out to be one of the best that I can remember. Both of my children put some real thought into the day and that was what made it so great.
My son gave me some hazelnut oil and a carmel-truffle chocolate bar. What made this special to me was that he never asked me what I wanted and took the time and effort to find something unique. What made it even better was when he told me that he had purchased it some time ago and had a hard time not giving it to me early. Did you catch that? He did not wait till the DAY of or even the day before to think about my Mother's Day gift. HOLY COW! Maybe I HAVE done something right raising him.
My daughter cleaned the house and COOKED!!!! I sometimes wonder if she was switched at birth because she has practically NO interest in cooking. I have tried to draw her in with little success. We had a pleasant time cooking together for Thanksgiving and I thought maybe that would spark her to want to do more but it seemed like it was going to be a one time thing. But yesterday I came home from work to a sparkly clean house with all the candles burning. The table was set (properly) with candles and flowers and Dinner was on the table. We had Chicken fettuccine Alfredo, corn, bread and for Dessert she baked (and decorated) a cake. Sure, she got some help from Betty Crocker but that did not make it any less special to me. Especially when she mentioned that she WALKED to the store to get the stuff ...twice because she forgot the rolls the first time. Do I have some great kids or WHAT?

The best part of all was that we all 3 sat down together and had dinner. That doesn't happen all that often these days. It was pleasant with fun banter and no fighting! I sat there happy as a clam enjoying my family and counting my blessings.

Dare to Drool!

2007-04-20T18:09:00.000-05:00

When I cook I am always about " a big bang for your buck!" If I put a lot of time and effort into a dish it has to be not just "good" , but AMAZING! If something is fairly easy but looks and or tastes like it was really hard all the better! This dessert definately falls into the "BIG BANG FOR YOUR BUCK" category!
Now I would not call it "easy" in fact this is the second time I made it and though it was much better this time than it was last time, I still have some tweaking to do. But it's not exactly hard either. The thing about it is, even in it's less than perfect state...its still pretty amazing! I am making this my official "go to" dessert for times when I am cooking to impress.

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen which referenced another version on Simply Recipes and of course I did a little more research other places before I made it. One look at the beautiful picture on Smitten Kitchen's blog and I KNEW I had to make it.I mean what is not to like? They look just like clouds ...gotta be like Heaven! It is called Pavlova however I call it Pavlov ...you know as in Pavlov's dog? I mean tell me you can look at this without your mouth watering!

Both times I have made it I have followed pretty closely Smitten Kitchen's recipe but they turned out VERY differently both times. I am not exactly sure why. The last time the Meringues got too much color , they were very chewy and never really got crunchy on the outside even after cooking them much longer than the recipe called for. This time the color turned out perfect,the inside was still soft but the outside was a little too crunchy and they tended to shatter when you tried to assemble them.I even baked them a little less time than the recipe called for. As I understand it they should be crunchy on the outside (but not shatter) and marshmellowy on the inside. I have a feeling that humidity plays a big part in these. I think I also am going to try just a tad lower temperature the next time (which will likely be soon).

So there are 3 layers to Pavlova.

Layer 1 the Meringue. I will let you look at the recipe here since it does officially belong to her. Besides she has a great blog and you should check it out anyway. She does WAY more baking than I do. I wish I dared to try her breads they look amazing

Layer 2 whipped cream. I am gonna be honest the first time I just used cool whip and it tasted just fine. The second time I actually made real whipped cream (1 cup cold heavy cream, 3 TBS sugar and 1 tsp. Vanilla extract) except I replaced the Vanilla extract with Grand Marnier and it was quite tasty. It's up to you if you want to beat the cream. You won't lose anything by taking a short cut here.

Layer 3 sauce I made a Tripple berry Sauce

Tripple Berry sauce

1 bag frozen raspberries

1/3 cup sugar
1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1 pint fresh strawberries sliced

Thaw raspberries then puree in Food processor. Add 1/3 cup sugar. Bring raspberries and sugar to a boil simmer for about 2 minutes. Strain raspberries puree through a fine sieve. Mix in blueberries and strawberries. Chill until ready to serve.

The idividual componets can be made ahead of time but the Pavlova should be assembled immediately before serving. Place Meringue on plate. Place about a 1/3 cup whipped cream on top of Meringue and spoon berry sauce over top.

You can top this with anything you like. My son does not eat berries so I drizzled chocolate syrup over the top. Next time I make it I think I am going for a peach melba type flavor....mmmm doesn't that sound yummy! The best thing about this dessert is it very light and refreshing. Definitely good after a meal when you don't want a heavy dessert!

Note: Several recipes I read suggested Piping the Meringue from a pastry bag. I did this the first time (maybe that was the difference) and found it to be an incredible Pain and Mess! I was much more pleased with the more free form "clouds" I got from just spooning them on to the parchment paper.

Green is my Favorite color

2007-04-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

I thought my basil obsession from last year had passed. Little did I know that planting 3 little plants could spark it again and low and behold all I can think about is BASIL. Unfortunately I am probably at least a month away from harvesting any. Let alone enough to make pesto, which is what I am craving. I have a little jar of store bought in my fridge but I wanted some pasta with pesto. But to buy enough basil to make pesto would cost a small fortune.
So, I decided to make spinach/basil pesto instead. Frozen spinach is much more economical especially since I wanted to make a big batch. Of course I researched the internet for traditional pesto and spinach pesto recipes. The ingredients for pesto are pretty standard so I decided to kind of wing it and here is what I came up with.

Creamy Spinach/Basil Pesto

16 oz package of Frozen spinach defrosted and sqeezed dry
1/4 cup losely packed fresh Basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 TBS pine nuts
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 lemons (juice and zest)
4 cloves of garlic
2TBS olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock

Place basil in food processor and process till finely chopped. Add pine nuts and garlic and continue processing and add spinach , pepper, salt, lemon, juice and zest one at a time Stream in olive oil cream and chicken stock.

I continued to thin down the pesto with milk until I got it to a little creamier consistancy. Placed about a quarter cup over a bed of fetticuinni and toped with some left over chicken breast that cubed.
The garlic was quite strong so if you are not into strong garlic flavor or have a hot date you may want to cut back a bit on the garlic.

Are you greedy?

2007-03-31T15:47:00.000-05:00

Ok, I have not posted in a while though I have a post and recipe all ready (check back tomorrow) I don't have the time to put the finishing touches on it. So in Leiu of that, Someone sent me this. It's one of those things you are supposed to "REPOST if you love Jesus" things. I do love Jesus but those things bug me. I make it a point NOT to repost or foward them. I am not afraid to share my faith but I don't like to feel "bullied" into it. I did think the message in this was particularly poignant and it is one I have not seen before. I have writtenin the past about the feeling I get from "feeding" people. This reaffirms my feelings.
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said,"Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table.In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell." They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand."It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but ONE SKILL. You see,THEY HAVE LEARNED TO FEED EACH OTHER, WHILE THE GREEDY THINK ONLY OF THEMSELVES.

Super Sweet 16!

2007-03-06T01:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, I finally have something I am really proud of to post again! Fri night was my daughter's Sweet 16 party! It was a grand affair that came off without a hitch! It was definately all I had hoped it to be and I am PRETTY sure that it was everything SHE hoped it to be too. Yes, I was living a little vicariously through her but there is no harm in a little of that once in awhile. She is a great kid who deserved this and I loved doing it for her! To read more about her party check out my myspace blog here. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=58552903
Of course much of my fun in throwing the party was that I "catered " all the food.
I have worked just one time so far with "The Chef" but I learned a great deal about presenting the food and I put it ALL into action for this event.Besides just wanting to make this a special day for my daughter, I am doing the food for a friends wedding in May so this was a great opportunity to give some things a dry run.
I look back at the pictures of the wedding reception that I helped with last year and I see how plain and uninteresting that it all looked in fact I even feel a little embarassed by them. BUT NO MORE!

I helped organize the food for a Valentines dance at church last month and it was a huge improvement from the wedding but unfortunately I was horribly sick with the flu that day and fell short of the vision that I had for that event.

At this party however, I was estatic with the way the table turned out! Not that there is not room for improvement, but now I know what I need/ want to make it even more beautiful for my friends wedding. So here are my pictures. I did not make any new dishes for this event so no recipes but concentrating on the presentation REALLY paid off. Comments and suggestions will be very much appreciated!

Hanging my head, AGAIN!

2007-02-20T12:57:00.000-05:00

I have often said that my son is the bane of my culinary existence. He has issues with textures, most vegetables, pepper and most herbs (anything green). Although, lately he has been surprisingly adventurous in trying some new things. I even see him being a teensy bit interested in cooking some simple things. Mind you, they are some unusual things (a hamburger topped with an egg?) but at least he is trying to expand his diet of Mcdonalds, Ramen and chicken patties.
Believe it or not though, one of the things we do share is a love for Sushi (Sushi? The kid who will not eat ANYTHING eats Sushi????). That is my "go to" thing to suggest when I want to spend some quality time with him. It almost always guarantees a yes and his sister gladly bows out of the invitations (not a sushi fan). We do have some different tastes in Sushi though. I go for the simple raw fish and rice type sushi or Unagi and he prefers the rolls that often are fried and spicy. He will eat a few of the things I like and the rolls that he has gotten me to try have been tasty. I just wouldn't have ordered them without him there because I feel like Sushi is one thing I can indulge in, that I really love and is also good for me, if I get the fried stuff
that is kind blowing that.
He challenged me a few weeks ago to try to make a Lithuanian dish called Cepelinai. Where he found this I have no idea. I scoured the Internet looking for recipes for this and believe it or not I could only find 2(?!?) and they were woefully vague. From what I gathered, this is basically a meatball encased in a potato dough that is then boiled. Hmm OK, I am not going to refuse him when he wants to try something new so I decided to give it a try.
I would LOVE to be able to post some pictures of the lovely Cepelinai resting in a bowl. However what I ended up with was potato sludge in the bottom of a pot with boiled meatballs floating on top. The meat was edible however a little bland. A host of problems came up while making these not the least of which was that I was trying to make them before I went to work that night. I think that another problem was something to do with potato starch. So, I was definitely taken down a notch (or 5 ) in the vanity of my cooking ability. HMMMM Maybe that was what he had in mind all along?!?!?!?

A Foodie's shame

2007-01-29T13:27:00.000-05:00

You really can't classify my post today as "cooking." I was stressed for a super fast and easy dessert to make to take to a church function. I have a well know reputation for my cooking at my church so I had to tread very carefully with this one. Besides being fast my other requirement was that it had to be something that already had all of the ingredients for. What I came up with was something that the kids loved and was not meant to rival the lovely cakes and pies that some of my usual competition brought. My only defense is that at least it was not store bought.
This is a twist on Rice Crispy Treats. Every time I make Rice Crispy treats I think of the commercial they had for them several years ago. The mom is in the Kitchen behind closed doors and the family is on the other side imploring "Are they done yet?" Cut back to mom who is reading a Romance Novel,"NOT YET! These things take time!" Eventually Mom picks up the plate of rice crispy treats, toussles her hair and flicks some flour on her face. Sighs, puts on a fatigued expression and delivers them to the cheers and accolades of her loving family. I LOVE that commercial!

This is where I reveal on of my guilty pleasures. I LOVE FRUITY PEBBLES! Growing up we did not keep sugared ceareals in our house, it was Cherrios (only the plain kind back then) or Rasin bran.When I got married (at not yet 18) I ALWAYS bought "the good stuff" ! Yes ,I know I talk about eggs bendedict and Feta cheese omlettes. I spend hours pouring over cookbooks and websites and debate the virtures of fresh herbs over dried. I have matured now. ....I don't eat sugared cereal for breakfast, now it is a late night snack!!!!!

ANYWAY, I have prattled on for long enough. I hope that no one finds this recipe TOO hard!

Fruity Pebbles Treats

3Tbs Butter
5 cups Fruit Flavored Rice cereal
1- 7oz jar Marshmellow cream

In a large bowl melt butter add Marshmellow cream and microwave just long enough to make stirring easy. Add Cereal and mix well making sure all cereal is well coated. Place in 9x13 pan press down very firmly with rubber spatula. Cool for 10-15 mins till bars are firm. Cut into squares. Enjoy your kids praises!!

Note: Coco Crispys are also pretty yummy!

New Toys

2007-01-14T20:45:00.000-05:00

They say that the only difference in Men and boys is the price and size of their toys. I am not a man but I like toys too! OK, get your mind out of the gutter I am not talking about that kind of toys! Mine don't generally come with wheels, but there are some on my wish list that are pretty pricey. Like a new kitchen, island stove with grill top and convection oven. One of those hidden refrigerators that have different "zones" Granite counters and lots of other things I see on "Kitchen Trends" and " I Want that" Unfortunately unless I hit the lottery those are pretty much just pipe dreams.
But I did get some new toys for Christmas. One was a food processor and another was a Creme brulee set with a torch. I decided to play with my new toys today and used them to make dinner.

Menu:
Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Plum sauce
Garlic-Truffle Smashed Potatoes
Steamed Veggies
Orange-Ginger Creme Brulee

Would you like to join me for Dinner?

Roasted Pork with Bourbon Plum Sauce

15 dried plums
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 pork tenderloin roast
1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
2/3 cup brown sugar
1TBS brown sugar
1/3 cup bourbon
1 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small saucepan bring broth to a simmer and drop in plums let stand for aprox 30 mins. Trim roast if necessary, Rinse and Pat dry. Spread mustard all over roast then roll in brown sugar till well coated. Heat Oil in Dutch Oven. Brown Pork on all sides over medium heat. Strain off 1/2 cup of liquid from prunes and add to pan. Bring to a boil. Cover pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins.
Remove from Oven and turn Roast over. Sprinkle sage and thyme over roast, Salt and Pepper to taste. Place Plums around roast. Return to oven and bake uncovered aprox 20 mins or until meat thermometer reaches 155 degrees.
Remove from oven. Place roast on platter and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 15-20 mins. Place prunes and liquid in food processor and Puree. Slice Roast on diagonal and spoon puree over top of roast.

I found a recipe for Low fat Creme brulee and tweaked the flavors to give it a little added interest. Let me tell you the aroma of the ginger, orange and vanilla bean heating in the milk makes you want to stop and drink it right there!

Low- Fat Orange-Ginger Creme Brulee

1/2 cup skim milk
1 Tbs cornstarch
12 oz can fat free evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup fat free half and half
4 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean

Zest of one orange
1tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp Grand Manier (or other orange liqueur)
3 Tbs sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place six 1 cup ramekins or custard cups in a large pan (I used my the bottom of my broiler pan).

In a medium heavy saucepan, combine fat-free milk and cornstarch. Mix until smooth. Add sugar and evaporated fat-free milk and stir until combined. Add grated ginger. Split vanilla bean down middle and add to mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.Take out vanilla bean

In a small bowl, combine fat-free half & half with the egg yolks. Beat lightly. Add a small amount of the hot milk into the egg mixture while stirring. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan. Add Grand Manier. Stir to mix.

Divide mixture into the 6 ramekins. Place pan with ramekins on shelf in oven. Pour hot water into the large pan to make a water bath for the custard. Filling until water is approx 1/2 way up ramekin. . Bake for 30 minutes or until custard is set. Remove ramekins from water bath. Refrigerate several hours or until completely cold.

When ready to serve, sprinkle 1 - 2 teaspoons of sugar on top of each ramekin. Using a small butane-fuel torch, heat sugar until it caramelizes and turns light brown. If you do not have torch place ramekins under broiler for a few mins watching carefully that sugar does not burn

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

2007-01-09T21:42:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make. I don't make my own spaghetti sauce. That's right, I buy Jar sauce (Prego is my favorite) and then I add onions and peppers and spices to Doctor it up. Personally I think it is pretty good. My kids never complain in fact my son would just as soon I did not add the onions and peppers to it.
I have TRIED to make it several times before and the results were certainly acceptable. But the truth is, I just did not feel it was SO much better than the Jar sauce to make it worth my time.

So today while I was making my usual rounds on the food blogs I keep up with, One site had spaghetti sauce. It gave the recipe and a link to another blog site with a Sauce recipe. Certain things about each of them sounded yummy. I started thinking. "HMMM, maybe I should give it one more try.
NO, each time I start out with high expectations and am always disappointed!"
But I kept looking at more recipes and persuaded myself to take the leap of faith one more time.
Now most sauces have the same basic ingredients but everyone seems to have there own little twist. I probably looked at about a half dozen recipes and took the things from each that I thought sounded good. From my research it seems that one thing that I have not done in the past is cook it long enough. I am very impatient! Today however I am going to try my best!

1 1/2 hrs into sauce making. NOW I remember another reason that I don't make my own sauce. Have I mentioned that I am a messy cook????? What is it about tomato sauce that makes it cover the WHOLE stove top and half the kitchen? But the sauce looks good. It's thick and has lots of texture however. I burned my tongue when I tried to take a taste of it so honestly ...I can't say how good it is at this point.

2 hrs into sauce making. Ok ..hmmm it should cook at least one more hour ...but I COULD cook up a little spaghetti and "test" it while it continues to cook! Yea...cause then I can see if it needs more spices and salt ...YEA ... I NEED to ...no I HAVE to test it!!!

2 1/4 hrs into sauce making. So far so good! I usually don't like my spaghetti sauce without meat but this has enough texture to be good without it. I do know however that in the end I will probably puree it because my son has a thing about textures and ummm VEGETABLES. I think it needs a bit more garlic and Italian seasonings. Perhaps a TOUCH more wine too. I am glad I tested it. By the way, the wine is excellent!

3 hrs Sauce is DONE. Now for the verdict. The sauce is Great! I am really proud of it. It is the best sauce I have ever made! It is sweet and thick and hearty!Has none of the thin flavor of my past attempts.
I am going to be honest though, it's likely that I am going to still use Jar sauce most of the time. Though this IS better. I would say that it is not 3 1/2 hours better than Jar sauce. I WILL make it again though, probably for special occasions. I think that sauce is best made in big batches that you can or freeze. Likely this is only enough sauce for maybe 2 meals in my house. Perhaps THAT is the secret I missed!

Sindy's Special Sauce
2TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup finely chopped Carrots
1 small to med, sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 rib diced celery(with leaves)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped shitake mushrooms (more to taste ..again, picky son)
1/2 cup Red wine (I used a shriaz/merlot blend)
2 Bay leaves

1Tbs dried oregano
28 oz can Diced tomatoes (with juice)
28 oz can pureed Tomatoes
2 Tbs Tomato paste
1TBS Truffle oil (optional)

Heat oil in large heavy skillet. Add carrots, onions and celery. Cook med/high for about 10 mins until tender and beginning to brown. Add garlic and green pepper. Remove and place in large heavy bottomed pot.(a dutch oven works well) Add a little more olive oil to skillet if dry and sautee mushrooms until they give off their water and begin to brown. Add wine to skillet and scrape bottom of pan. Add wine and mushrooms to vegetables. Add remaining ingredients except truffle oil. Bring up to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 3 hours stirring every 10-15 mins. If sauce becomes too thick( starts sounding and looking like a volcano instead of smaller bubbling) add a small amount of water (up to 1/4 cup). When the sauce is done it will be a deeper brownish red. At the end of cooking stir in Truffle oil. This gives the sauce and great earthy flavor !

NOTE:Tune in later for the disaster that follows!!!!!

I CAN bake!

2006-12-20T14:37:00.000-05:00

Over and over I have stated that I am not a baker. Cookies though are not too hard to do. When I was a kid I used to make Snickerdoodles a lot because they were yummy and the ingredients were so basic that we always had everything you need to make them on hand. I have not made them in YEARS though. I found this recipe on Slashfood It sounded interesting so I thought I would give it a try. I will have to say though that unlike regular snickerdoodles, you might have to stock up on spices to have the things you need on hand. I for one had to purchase Cardamon which is NOT cheap. I will be looking for some more recipes that call for that so that I can get my moneys worth before it gets too old sitting in my pantry. These cookies are sort of spicy and have a unique unexpected flavor. I was not sure I liked them at first but they really grew on me. I will say though that they were the absolutely best texture of cookie that I have ever baked!!!! They were very crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside. They kept a nice texture stored for about a week. Though they definitely were still good almost 2 weeks after baking. I did not get pictures of the cookies but I do have pictures of a nifty gift Idea for them. I placed the dry ingredients in 3 ziplock bags and put them into a Chinese take out Gift box. (You can purchase these at the craft stores)It is a tight fit but it can be done. I will be adding instructions and giving these as gifts to my friends. Kind of a variation on the Cookies in a Jar gift. I would definitely recommend giving these a try!

Chocolate Chai Snickerdoodles
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 ts vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder

Preheat over to 350F. In large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and spices; set 1/2 cup of the mixture aside. Add butter to mixing bowl and cream with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in cocoa powder, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder by hand or at low speed. Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll in reserved sugar mixture. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on wire rack and store in an airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Cocktail Time!!

2006-12-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

Friday night was my almost annual Christmas Cocktail party. I had a fabulous turn out of about 30 people coming and going. I had a brief moment of panic right before the party, thinking that I did not have enough food. I came up with a couple of back up plans that I could whip up really fast if it looked like the food was getting low but convinced myself that I always end up with WAY more food than I need.

I went for elegant this year. I sat up an official Bar AKA my desk and Made Roasted Pear and Cranberry Bellinis for the guests as they came in and there was lots of wine and liquor also.

I kept all of my serving dishes crystal (ok, mostly glass) or silver. I opted to use clear plastic plates but real glassware. It all turned out beautifully but man was that alot of dishes to do and my dishwasher, AKA my daughter, managed to skate out before clean up time came.

I came up with a fun idea that I am going to make a tradition. I put a guest book in the bathroom with a note encouraging people to leave me a message but never said a word about it. It made it a novelty rather than a boring task. I got some great, funny comments which is what I was going for. I hope that next time more people will find it and leave me their thoughts.

Only two minor mishaps #1 setting off the smoke detector when I tried to reheat the chicken on the same broiler pan that it was cooked on and #2 my Beautiful Ice bowl melted all over the table (what was I thinking?) But neither one put a damper on the party!

One of the most popular Hors d'Oeuvres was one of the easiest. I saw the recipe on Paula Dean. I don't make a lot of her dishes because they are a little too southern for my taste and usually contain alot of butter ..lol. But this one caught my attention right away and I am very glad I made it. It is a little time consuming but very easy. I think it will be one of my staple party foods from now on. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe so here it is.

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)

1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons chili powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Note: after 35 mins the bacon was still not crisp enough for my taste so I stuck them under the broiler for a few minutes. You know I had to change SOMETHING!

Food for thought

2006-12-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

No fancy pictures today. If you happen to also read my Myspace blog then you can skip this one because its a repeat from there. After I read this post I realised that it belongs on here because after all...it's about food. Two of my loves in life are cooking and writing which is why I have 2 blogs. I think I am much better at cooking than writing. I look at it as Cooking as something I do for other people to enjoy and writing for myself to enjoy. For the most part just venting of my feelings is what I am after but I love it when I feel like something I have written really captures what I am feeling.

My First Chakra
While delivering tins of goodies to the ER, my partner (for the day) asked "Why do you do this?" He went on to say I need to "stop being so nice." It was a compliment. This person knows that my ultimate goal is to start a catering business, to actually get paid to do what I love which is cook. It just so happens that a few other times he was my partner I was working on projects ..catering a wedding for a friend, making appetizers for friends events. He got the opportunity to taste test for me and keeps encouraging me to take steps to start the business.
But all that aside, it got me thinking about why DO I cook and give it away to others (a lot) ? I have come up with several reasons.
1. I just love to cook and it gives me opportunities to try out new recipes.
2. If I keep all of the stuff I cook in my house, I will be as BIG AS A HOUSE!
3. I enjoy getting compliments on my cooking.
4. Hopefully people tasting my food and knowing I am interested in cooking as a business will eventually lead to people hiring me to do it.

All of those things are true but there is something else too. A while back I read a really interesting book (hold on long title coming) " Invisble Acts of Power , Personal Choices that Create Miracles" buy Caroline Myss. It was a very spiritual and uplifting book that encompasses many religions and beliefs. It draws from and quotes Christianity, Judism ,Buddism as well as other religions.It talks about Karma and Chakra's I don't know if I really subscribe to all of that but I felt like it took the best from all beliefs and it was a book that really made me think more about things I do and what effect they have on other people. But I digress
One of the chapters in the book is titled Gifts of the Earth. Of course Food being a Gift of the Earth. I feel like 2 quotes from that chapter really hit the nail on the head when it comes to me ..and cooking and giving food. So, Bill here are my reasons.

" We can reach out to people through food because food is one gift of the heart that so easily can embrace the intention of the heart."

"A man once asked the prophet what was the best thing in Islam and the latter replied, It is to feed the hungry and to give the greeting of peace to those one knows and to those one does not know." - Hadith of Bukhari

Food for thought (Pun intended)- Hunger is not always a physical thing and the food is not always the actual gift.

Chocolate Porn

2006-11-17T17:26:00.000-05:00

Ok, again its been a long time since I have posted. I actually have been doing a ton of cooking just not had time to post. I am beginning my yearly holiday sweets overload. Even though I maintain I am not a baker I do make several kinds of cookies. My concentration though tends to be on candies. I make many many pounds of fudge! In fact I get requests for it all year but I only make it between Nov and Dec...That's what makes it special! I traditionally make some for the emergency department and each person on my shift as well as a general tray for the rest of the EMS department. I don't think I do anything out of the ordinary. I use the basic recipe on the back of the marshmallow cream jar. I do use different kinds of chips and add ins though. I still think the peanut butter is the the best and I probably get the most requests for this.
Last year I started making bon bons which though are a little time consuming but are ridiculously simple.
Bon Bons
pkg of oreos
1pkg of soften cream cheese
1 pkg of chocolate chips

Place oreos in food processor and pulse until they are completely ground. Mix oreos and cream cheese. Chill for about an hour for easier handling. Roll into walnut size balls. For easier dipping I recommend freezing. Melt chocolate chips ( I prefer dark chocolate) in microwave (I recomend doing about 1/2 cup at a time 30 second intervals, stirring in between till smooth) or over a double boiler. Let the chocolate cool down just a little before dipping in the cookie balls. Cool on a parchment paper lined tray. These freeze very well.
Variations: ENDLESS there are several different flavors of oreos and of chocolate chips! You could also add a splash of your choice of extract flavor too the cookies.

These are very rich! One or two with a cup of coffee is divine and very satisfying. But be aware addicting ...You are likely to be ready for another in an hour or so!

My son likes them undipped which makes them even more simple!

I am currently working on truffles which has had it's ups and downs. I made a pumpkin truffle which didn't come out so hot, likely due to my ..hmmm "what if I don't measure and just add whatever I want to this" attitude. I finally came up with one that although was Very tasty I just don't think had the WOW factor that makes it worth my time. I think I will stick to the fudge and Bon Bons.

Caliente

2006-10-04T21:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my friend Savanna and I went to Salsaritas for lunch. It was pretty good and the servings were GINORMOUS! The salsa had a pretty good little "bite" to it but it really got me craving some really good Pico de Gallo. I was going to make it last night but my neighborhood grocery store did not have any ripe avocados. So, before I came home from work tonight I stopped by the BEST store in Fayetteville where they always have GREAT produce. They of course DID have ripe avocados. They even had the black skinned ones that I like ( as opposed to the bright green ones that are harder even ripe). It is unusual for me to come home and cook after working 12 hours but I was REALLY craving this. Besides, it is not really cooking, just a lot of chopping. This recipe is totally simple and any of the ingredients can be adjusted to your particular taste. I like LOTS of cilantro in mine!

Pico de Gallo

3 ripe tomatoes

1 small red onion

Cilantro (about 1/2 of a bunch)

2-3 cloves of garlic

1-2 jalapenos

1 ripe avocado

juice of 2 limes

1tsp salt

Quarter tomatoes and gently squeeze to seed then dice to taste (depending on how chunky you like) dice onion and avocado, mince garlic. Finely chop jalapenos (the seeds and ribs are the hottest part of the pepper so if you want less heat scrape these out). Mix all ingredients in a bowl add salt and lime juice. Let stand for about 15 mins. I think a bowl of tortilla chips and a nice frosty Margarita would go just fabulously with this! It also is a great topping for fish. Personally I can eat the stuff by itself especially if you add some cooked shrimp to it. I almost forgot ..quite yummy over scrambled eggs! Did I mention I REALLY love Pico de

A Leap of faith

2006-10-02T21:50:00.000-05:00

When you hear what I have made today, I will bet that your first thought is going to be "EWWW!!!" I am not sure what made me think that this really MIGHT be good. I figured it would be interesting to say the least. I suppose I took the risk just because I like ...No love, Basil. (Just in case you have not noticed this already). AND I have a lot of basil growing in my garden and I am not sure how much longer it will last. So, open your mind. Last week I made (drum roll..........) Basil Ice Cream. Ok, I will give everyone a minute to wrap their minds around this......................................................................................................................................................... Hear me out! Basil is in the MINT family! The finished product actually tastes a bit like Mint Chocolate chip but it has a fresh twist at the end. A small scoop of this at the end of a meal is a light refreshing dessert. Don't get me wrong, I am not going to be running out to the store at midnight to get my basil ice cream fix or anything. My favorite is still Ben and Jerry's Triple Brownie fudge. But, I do think I will make it for my next dinner party. If for no other reason than to have fun seeing people's reaction to it. I think it is something interesting and something people will talk about. So here is the recipe, I got it from The Food Network (of course) It was on Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello. I cut the recipe in half and just made a pint for the trial run. YEA, I WAS SCARED! Plus 8 cups of basil is a lot..Even if you grow it yourself. I think I will make a quart soon though so I have some on hand for people to try out. So here it is I DARE you to try it!
Basil Ice Cream
8 loosely packed cups basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon powdered vitamin C
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup shaved, bittersweet chocolate

Blanch the basil leaves in boiling salted water for 5 seconds, then place in an ice bath. Drain and wring the basil dry in a dish towel. Chop coarsely.In a food processor, puree the basil with salt, vitamin C and just enough softened ice cream to make a puree (about 3 tablespoons). You should have about 1 cup basil puree. Add the remaining ice cream and puree. Quickly take the finished pureed ice cream and transfer it from the processor back to the freezer container. Add chocolate and mix in thoroughly. Place container in freezer. Freeze for at least 1 hour
Notes: That is the original recipe ( of course) I made some changes. I used regular kosher salt, I used Fruit Fresh instead of Vit C powder although I think if you eat it the same day this really is not necessary at all and I used a Hershey's Special dark chocolate bar and grated it.

Anyone out there????

2006-09-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

I am probably going to be writing this to myself because if there was anyone reading my blog before I doubt they are now. I can't believe it has been almost 2 months since I have posted! I have cooked but I guess not anything I felt was good enough to post. I have been working on A recipe for a Chicken contest. I am sure that you would get sick of hearing about the same dish over and over again. I know I am getting sick of eating it! Besides ..If I post it here someone might STEAL IT! I KNOW that this blog is SO well read that SURELY there are spies out there looking for my perfect recipe!
Anyway, on to some dish on food (rim shot) I love to go out to eat for breakfast more than any other meal. In fact a breakfast or brunch buffet is my all time fave. I like so many breakfast foods that making a feast at home is WAY too much work. I want the biscuits and gravy and eggs and bacon and potatoes and waffles and fruit! BUT, for a good omelet..I want to make my own. That's because to me the EGG is only a background for my veggies and cheese. I love a HUGE omelet that is literally BURSTING with Peppers and onions, mushrooms and what ever other veggies I have on hand. I love it to be ooooooozing with ooey gooey cheese. This morning I decided to use feta cheese and I added some basil (of course when do I NOT add basil) and sundried tomatoes. YUMMM! What I really wanted in it was some fresh SPINACH! This ban on spinach is killing me. BRING BACK MY SPINACH!!! I was going to add some frozen but Alas, I have used it all working on my contest recipe (OOPS , forget that you read that looking over my shoulder for spies).
So, I know this is no culinary masterpiece but it was a nice hearty breakfast and something to get my blog up and running again.

A Trifling Dessert

2006-07-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

So, can anyone tell me HOW...just HOW do you transport a trifle bowl? The only way I can think of is if you have someone hold it. What if you don't HAVE someone who can hold it?I can tell you how NOT to transport a trifle bowl. You DEFINATELY should not transport a trifle bowl in floorboard of you car. EVEN if you are holding on to it with one hand while driving! Because when you let go for a NANO-Second to answer your cell phone...even with one of those high-speed MCDonalds looking ear-piece thingys it WILL, I repeat WILL ,fall over and land on the floorboard of your car. Rendering an afternoon and several $$ completely wasted! It will also put you in a VERY VERY bad mood!!!

I was so excited. I was going to a dinner party and I decided that this Peach Melba Trifle sounded scruptious! I envisioned ohh's and ahh's from the other guests! I imagined moans as they took the first bite! imagined, "Oh, Sindy you are SUCH A GOOD COOK!" I got none of that ...what I got as I carried in the half empty, dasterdly trifle bowl with what now looked the birthday cake of a 1 yr old AFTER he smeared it all over himself. Were pitiful looks ...pats on the back , and "I am sure it will still taste wonderful" There was a enough left in the bowl to try. But it was ruined...it could be the best thing in the world ..but it just wasn't the same.

Ok, I did try it and it was good ...sigh ! Really it was ....sigh! OK, I just can't stop pouting enough to be objective. I would recomend that you try it ..the ingredients will tell you that there is no way that it wouldn't be good. But I WILL advise you that you should make it and SERVE it in the same location!
The only good thing is ...I actually had the presence of mind to take a picture of it BEFORE I left home. So ...YOU get to see it BEFORE it became a pile of mush! Pitty that my friends did NOT!

Peach Melba Trifle
6 cups Frozen sliced peaches (defrosted)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs Fresh squeezed OJ
Zest of 1 0range
1/8 gound nutmeg
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 TBS raspberry Liqueur
1 1/2 cups seedless raspberry jam
1-16oz pound cake cut into 1/2 in slices
1/4 cup water
additional:
1 large pkg instant vanilla pudding prepared as directed except replace 1/4 cup of milk with 1/4 cup of Grand Marnier .

In large bowl combine peaches , sugar, oj, orange zest, nutmeg and 2TBS of the Grand Marnier. Stir well and set aside
Combine Raspberry Liqueur and jam and set aside
Place layer of pound cake in bottom of trifle bowl. mix remaining Grand Marnier and water, brush onto pound cake.
Spread 1/3 of jam mixture onto cake, Spoon 1/3 of pudding mixture on top and a layer of peaches ( removed from juice with slotted spoon) Repeat for a total of 3 layers. Chill for 1 hour.

I made some adjustments to the original recipe which I got from "Perfect Party Food" It actually had a recipe for a vanilla custard flavored with the Grand Marnier. It also called for topping it with 2 cups of heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks. I had plans to top it with store bought whipped cream ..but did not get that far ...SIGH It was also supposed to be refrigerated for at least 8 hour but I did not have time for that. ....SIGH! Did I mention that Trifle bowls by there very nature are TOP HEAVY??????

Aloha

2006-07-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

Despite working all weekend I actually managed to do a lot of cooking. On Saturday I catered a dinner for my co-workers before I started my 12 hr shift. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so I have no ACTUAL EVIDENCE of this ...so you will have to take my word for it. We had Margarita Chicken, which is really just another recipe for chicken marinade . I just broiled it and served it with a lemongrass and ginger rice (box mix from Harris Teeter YUMM!) but you could also grill and afterwards do a wide variety of things with it like add to a salad or fajitas. I got good reviews from my co-workers. Proven by the fact that the container of left overs that I went back to get at the end of my shift had disappeared. Then again those guys will eat anything! I also made a Trifle with lime and angelfood cake ..along with the other usual suspects like whipped topping and cream cheese. I will post that recipe later as again, I have no pictures and since it was an experiment...it has no catchy name as of yet.
WHAT do you ask does any of this have to do with my title or the picture ? Not a darn thing I was just showing off my SUPERCOOK abilties to work 36 hrs AND get my cook on. Are you impressed? ..NO? Awww darn ( looking forlorn and dejected). Ok, well let me get on to my actual post topic.
Sunday at Church we had a Luau and contest for the best Hawaiian dish.
So I poured over my cookbooks and searched the internet for days looking for something that looked yummy, yet different. I ended up at the food Network and Emeril was kind enough to provide a recipe for Molokai Sweet Potato Salad. Initally I was not sure that I liked it but after it had a chance to sit and the flavors mingle I liked it a lot. I guess I expected a sweeter flavor but it turned out to be more Savory. The sweet potato did not take on that usual "Thanksgiving" flavor and the pineapple was very subtle. It was a refreshing change of pace and I would have to say that I have not ever tasted anything similar. Considering my love of food and willingness to try just about anything, that is quite an accomplishment. I would recommend that you give this recipe a try if you are planning a Hawaiian type meal or any casual meal that might include pork. The flavors are not too strong so unless someone has a strong aversion to the individual ingredients it should be a dish that is pleasant to most palates that are at least moderately adventurous. Much to my dismay the contest was not carried out due to lack of voting ..I guess no one wanted to compete against me (wink wink).
Margarita Chicken Marinade ("Perfect Party Food" cookbook)
1/4cup olive oil
1/2 cup OJ
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup gold tequila
1/2tsp ground cumin
1canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Place chicken and marinade in ziplock bag and let marinate in Fridge for at least 4 hrs or overnight. Makes enough marinade for about 12 chicken breasts. Broil or grill chicken until juices run clear Garnish with fresh cilantro and slices of lemon, lime and orange.

DO YOU LIME?

2006-07-18T12:34:00.000-05:00

I love creamy, decadent foods. Who doesn't? But I have noticed that in my day to day cooking I really swing the other way. Especially in the summer time. I crave things that are light and fresh tasting. This is why I love fresh herbs! My other love is citrus, lemon and lime especially. My absolute favorite dessert is Key Lime Pie. Depending on the recipe this can be creamy and decadent too, but the lime just gives that fresh, light burst of flavor that to me, is heaven! I was browsing through some recipes and came across a simple recipe for a marinade. It was specifically for pork chops but after tasting it I think it would be wonderful on chicken also. Of course, I can't ever make a recipe EXACTLY how I find it so had to tweak it up a bit by adding the lime zest and rice wine vinegar (actually it called for more lime juice than I had which was the real reason for the vinegar). The zest in citrus is where all that intense flavor lives and it's my personal opinion (for what THAT is worth) that it is simply a waste to not use it. I was in a hurry and did not marinate the pork chops as long as it called for and I broiled them. Let me just say they were delish! I think left to marinate all day or overnight and tossed on the grill would make them even better. BOTH of my children complimented them ..that is a miracle in itself!!!!!!

HONEY -LIME MARINADE
zest of one lime
1/4 cup fresh sqeezed lime juice
2Tbs honey
1/2 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium)
2 cloves of garlic,minced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (milder than regular)

Place ingredients in a large ziplock bag add pork or chicken, give a shake and let marinate for at least 4 hours. Remove meat from marinade. Discard marinade ( if you want to baste meat reserve a little marinade BEFORE adding meat). Grill or broil meat until done.
I served this with a lemon-grass and ginger rice (yes, I cheated! It was from a box) and a salad of fresh spring greens. Perfect summer dinner!

Confused Salsa

2006-07-11T11:52:00.000-05:00

I was in the mood yesterday for some fruit salsa. My recipe was inspired by the recipe from "Pampered Chef" but of course I had to make it my own. It turned out pretty tasty so I took some with me while visiting a friend and between that and grazing on it everytime I passed the fridge yesterday, It was GONE before I went to bed last night. Low and behold my daughter liked it!!! My son's comment was that it was like picking up the wrong drink. Evidently his taste buds were confused by his eyes. He was thinking regular salsa That's ok ..he is easily confused. He said it was not bad but he did not eat any more. He said not to be offended. I told him I would never be offended by his opinion of anything I cook because has has NO TASTE! He was offended.
So, I decided that I would make some more . I tweaked it up a bit more today although I am not sure that the extra work of the cherries was worth the effort.
As a tribute to my son I will call this CONFUSED SALSA. I served it with cinamon tortilla chips I made by giving tortillas a light spritz of cooking spray, sprinkled on some cinamon and sugar then baked at 425 for about 8 mins turning over half way through. I am a big yogurt eater and I prefer to get vanilla yougurt and add my own fruit. I thought this would be really good in it.It would also be a nice filling for Crepes or topping on french toast or waffles.

Confused Salsa
1 pint of strawberries
2 Granny Smith apples

2 Kiwi

1 cup cherries
1 nectarine
2 oranges
3 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS dried Mint

Dice strawberries add brown sugar and mix. Peel and dice nectarines kiwi and apples add to mixture. Pit and chop cherries (optional). Zest one orange and add the juice of both oranges to mixture. Add Mint. Stir well. Cover and chill for at least 1/2 hour. Serve with Cinamon Tortilla
chips or as a topping for ice cream, french toast or yogurt.

No Talent, just pretty

2006-07-02T17:46:00.000-05:00

Is that not pretty? Doesn't it just look YUMMY? I just got my shipment from William-sonoma with my Pineapple and Mango slicer and had to try them out. The Pineapple cutter I would definately recomend! You just slice off the top and screw it down into the pineapple and it is perfectly cored and sliced. If you are careful (which I was not) you will have an intact pineapple shell that you can use to serve your fruit salad or make cool frosty Drinks (Do, you like Pina Coladas...and getting caught in the rain...). The mango slicer also CAN work very well ...sliding down over that tough pit and leaving two halves that you can just turn wrongside out and slice off the peel. HOWEVER, you have to make sure you have a nice shaped mango with the stem in the center (Which I did NOT) Anyway this is just a basic tropical fruit salad. Pineapple , Mango , Papaya, Kiwi and Bananna.

Techical Difficulties

2006-07-01T00:18:00.000-05:00

Here is the pictures from the previous post. Hopefully next time I can get them TOGETHER
Tortellini with Dip Recipe Courtesy of Indyfoodie http://www.indyfoodie.blogspot.com/

Stuffed Cucumbers

Savory Ham Cheescake

We interrupt this Diet for a Wedding

2006-06-26T12:48:00.000-05:00

DISCLAIMER:I have been trying to keep my recent posts healthy and on the lighter side. But for me denial does not work. I have to give myself permission to occasionally be "bad". So please heed this disclaimer. There is NOTHING healthy or light in today's recipes. There are no LOWFAT, or LOWCAL or Fat Free ingredients. Today is about creamy, indulgent foods.

I love my job as a paramedic;but after a back injury I have come to the conclusion that I need to start exploring "back up plans" I am not looking to leave EMS in the near future but I can't physically do this job until retirement (Which at the hospital I work at would be about another 20 yrs or so) One of the "Second careers that I am exploring" is Catering. I got my first opportunity to try my hand at this yesterday. A lady in my church recruited myself and my friend Savanna to be in charge of food for her wedding. Estimated number of guests 200. I honestly had no idea how to figure how much food that was going to be. So, I concentrated on the menu and let Savanna take the lead on that stuff. We also had prep help of two other women Susan and Lila(who were also in charge of decorations). We worked great together and could not have pulled it off without the whole group along with the MANY other people who pitched in on the day of the wedding for all of the final setup. We pulled it off without a hitch and had lots more food than we needed which we felt was better than the alternative. Tons of compliments and most importantly the Bride was very happy! I learned a lot and have a starting point for my next endeavor.
The menu was heavy Hor d' Oeuvres. We had alot of the usual suspects like veggie trays meatballs and finger sandwhiches but I really wanted to do some special, elegant things that would hopefully, knock the socks off of the guests. One thing a little different ;I did I credit to a fellow Blogger Indyfoodie, was tortillini with dip. We had to modify the dip because the bride wanted to avoid anything with nuts and guess what, Pesto has nuts. So basically I used all the ingredients of pesto sans the Nuts. It was really nice but I think her original recipe would be better and hope to get to use that next time.
A recipe for Savory Ham Cheese Cake I found in "A Taste of Home" magazine. It was very elegant and was all that I had imagined it would be. I plan to keep it as one of my top signature dishes.
Savory Ham Cheesecake
3cups Oyster crackers, crushed
1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup melted butter
Filling:
4- 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
4 eggs lightly beaten
2 cups(8-oz) shredded swiss cheese 2 cups finely chopped cooked ham
1/2 cup snpped chives
1/4 cup fresh minced basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Combine crackers,parmesan and butter. Reserve 1/4 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a greased springform pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, beat on low until just combined. Add remaining ingredients
and beat until just combined. Pour mixture into crust. Sprinkle top with remaining cracker crumbs.
Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 60-70 mins until filling is almost set. Turn oven off. Leave cheesecake in the oven with door ajar for 30 mins. Cool on a wire rack for 10 mins. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool for 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Serve chilled or at room temp. with assorted crackers. About 40 servings
Visually, I think the most popular item was stuffed cucumbers, inspired by a wedding episode of"Semi- homemade" on Food Network. I did not however use Sandra's actual recipe. It is a Sindy original if I do say so myself was a great success.

Stuffed Cucumbers
12- english cucumbers
4- 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup drained and finely chopped roasted red peppers
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/4 cup snipped chives
Beat all ingredients except cucumbers and place in a pastry bag with a large star tip
Run a grater or zester randomly down side of cucumbers to make a nice pattern. slice cucumbers very about 1 1/2 inches. With a small melon baller or grapfruit spoon make a small hollow inside of cucumbers. As you are cutting place cucumber slices upside down so that liquid does not pool inside. Pipe cream cheese mixture into cucumbers mounding it up well over top of cucumber. These can be made the night before. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Aprox 100 slices
GRRR..... PICTURES WILL NOT LOAD....CHECK BACK LATER.

Summer Wrap

2006-06-22T20:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, Ok I know its been awhile since I have posted. Hopefully, I still have some readers left. I have been busy doing all that summer stuff. I recently came back from a long weekend at Myrtle Beach. I did make my weightloss goal before I left but... With dinner one night at the Melting Pot (YUM!!!) and another at Captain Georges seafood buffet and snacks and cocktails(lot's of cocktails) I am afraid to get back on the scales until I get back to my good eating habits for a little while. This wrap was inspired by the Thai tuna from Roly Poly one of my favorite "fast food" places. I have tried about half the stuff on the menu and have NEVER not liked something and I feel like I am giving my body something healthy as they use lots of fresh ingredients. I usually opt for extra spinach on my wraps to add bulk and help fill me up. Sorry about the picture quality. I took the pictures then ATE THE WRAP and THEN looked at the pictures. Let's just say it tasted better than the pictures look. Sweet and Spicy Tuna wrap
1/2 cup (total) cubed mango, pineapple and avacado
1 Tbs minced red onion
1 Tbs sweet chilli sauce
1 pouch Sweet and spicy tuna
4 Tbs shredded sharp cheddar cheese
baby spinach leaves
alfalfa sprouts
Mix together fruit, onion and chilli. Layer spinach on each tortilla. Place half of tuna on each tortilla. Spoon half of fruit mixture on each. Top each with half the cheese and a handful of sprouts. Roll tightly. ENJOY!

Basily Good Idea

2006-06-03T14:33:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have already heard me say that I like to add Pesto to my Ranch dressing and I will say again it is soooo Yummy. BUT...... I am trying to cut calories and fat these days so adding pesto with all that olive oil is not helping that (although olive oil is heart healthy ..still adds the calories) . I can't stand the taste of any "white" fat free stuff (mayo, ranch, sour cream , ect....) I will eat light versions of these but there is just something "off" tasting about the fat-free stuff. Catalina, French , thousand Island are all ok fat-free. Anyway, I digress. I love ranch on my salads but also for snacking with carrots, celery, cucumbers, radishes, ect... So, here is my latest experiment. I would not make more of this than you plan on using in a day or possibly two. I am not sure how well the basil will hold up in this for longer. Thinning the dressing out a little makes that 2TBS serving of dressing go a little farther without adding as many calories ( for dipping veggies you won't miss the thickness). The basil makes up for the flavor loss.

Light Creamy Basil Ranch Dressing
1/4 cup Light Ranch dressing
2 TBS skim milk
1-3 TBS Fresh basil leaves finely chopped
Mix together and let hang out for a half hour or so to give the basil time to permeate the dressing.

Here Fishy Fishy

2006-06-03T09:32:00.000-05:00

Good News! I am happy to report that I have lost 6 lbs!!! Whoo hoo!!! I have been really sticking to my good eating habits. I have added tons of veggies to my diet (raw for the most part because they are more filling and easier for snacking) No special meals but trying to make lower fat and carb choices (but still eating normal food) and strict portion control. I am allowed a snack anytime I wish but it is fruits (usually 2 a day) or Veggies (unlimited). I am also working on getting more dairy with yogurt and an occasional 1/2 cup of low-fat ice cream (vanilla with a handful of blueberries is my favorite) This is the secret for me ...Working on adding good stuff instead of concentrating on eliminating bad stuff. If I eat all of the good stuff I am supposed to ..There is not much room in there for the bad stuff. People at work are making fun of me and my never ending lunchbox of food (mostly veggies) but HEY ...IT WORKS FOR ME!!! I also go for the "eating from the rainbow" thing, this helps with taste boredom and takes advantage of all the different vitamins and anti-oxidants from different fruits and veggies.Last night I made fish which I love but don't eat that often because my children won't eat it. This recipe was inspired by an episode of "Good Eats" with Alton Brown. He did a fish in parchment paper. I have to say this is a quick and painless way to cook fish. There is no mess and it does not smell up the house as much as other cooking methods. The other thing is it comes out SUPER MOIST. I have done this with a variety of fish (salmon, talpia, tuna and this time Mahi- Mahi) and veggies. My favorite veggies to put in it are Sugar snap peas(but I ate all of them with my hummus, thanks INDYFOODIE that was a great idea) and carrots but I was out of these so I went for what I had on hand. INGREDIENTS: Fish Fillet (Mahi- Mahi is pictured) ,1 cup frozen spinach thawed and drained, 1/4 cup jullienned carrots ,1/4 lemon, salt & pepper to taste, dab of butter ,Parchment paper Tear of about and 18 inch piece of parchment paper. Fold in half and cut into a heart (just like you did in grade school). Unfold and place spinach on 1/2 of paper near fold. Add a dab of butter.salt and pepper to taste. Place fish fillet on top of spinach. Salt and Pepper to taste. Add another dab of butter. Squeeze lemon over top. Fold paper over and starting at V of the heart make about 2 inch folds over laping each one by 1/2. When you get to pointed end twist. Place on microwave safe plate and NUKE for 4 mins. TA DAHHHH ! Perfectly cooked fish with no fishy smell in your house. I served mine with Rice. I would have preferred Brown rice ..But ...I REALLY need to go the store! Note: Alton added a splash of Vermouth to his. The last time I made this I used a splash of Bacardi limon which added a nice depth to the flavor but I totally forgot it this time.

Please, NO PICTURES!!!!!

2006-05-21T17:37:00.000-05:00

Over the last few days there have been several instances where I have had my picture taken or viewed pictures of myself and I will tell you I have been LESS THAN PLEASED with what I have seen. So, at this time when I am grumbling and fretting over this I get an Invitation to go for a "Girl's Weekend" at Myrtle Beach. Oh yeah ...Not to mention that BIG 4-0 is lurking right around the corner ...CAN THINGS GET WORSE??? I am not someone who has that one downfall food. I don't particularly like fried food. I don't eat tons of sweets. Not a huge junk food eater. I just LOVE FOOD!!! My love of food and cooking is definitely getting the best of me. I have contemplated the plans where you get the prepackaged meals but then, not only would I be miserable because I can't EAT what I want, I would be doubly miserable because I could not COOK.
OK,OK I have done this before.I am a weight-loss EXPERT! Really, I have lost TONS of weight....It just keeps finding me and bringing friends back from where ever I lost it too. A few years ago I lost about 40lbs. I did it by eating TONS of veggies in a rainbow of colors. Fish at least a couple of times a week and practicing good portion control in everything else. I did not cut OUT a single thing and I let myself have at least a small portion of anything I wanted. OH YEAH ..And I exercised my butt off. So, my first goal is too lose 10lbs by my beach trip next month. I figure I have a little over 3 weeks(26 days to be exact). Not a cake walk (ohhh cake) but definitely doable!
So, hopefully my posts will reflect my goals and give me incentive to come up with interesting meals that are healthy. It's so easy to slip into that rut of eating salad all the time because it's easy. I know from experience that doing that is a surefire way to bore me off track and right into a dish of Stuffed shells with 4 cheeses. (Forgive me Rachel it was SOOO YUMMY).
So, I am going to eeeeease into this. For Sunday dinner today I am made a really colorful and flavorful Spinach salad. BUT.... I still made dessert(can you say PORTION CONTROL??)It is a favorite of mine called Blueberry Delight. I got this recipe from a friend in PA many years ago. I love to make it for picnics and it is my 4th of July dessert because to me it looks so so so ...I don't know, Patriotic I guess. I have made some changes to try to cut the calories a little. The taste was still great but it made it a little unstable and did not set up as well so the look when it is cut, suffers a little. The original recipe calls for an entire box of Powdered sugar which I cut to 1 cup. I substituted fat free cream cheese and light Whipped topping for the full fat versions. All in All I would call it a success! Like I have said before I am not a baker so I use store bought angel food cake. If you are feeling froggy you can bake your own, but why?
Here are the recipes. I hope you enjoy and please make comments. I need all the encouragement I can get.
Spinach Salad
2Tbs Sesame oil
1/4 cup Veg Oil
1/4 orange juice
1 Tbs dijon Mustard
2Tbs Red wine vinegar

Chicken breast (1 small per person) chopped into bite size pieces
Fresh Spinach washed and dried (use the bag its easy)
Mandrin oranges, drained
Fresh strawberries, quartered
Hard boiled Egg
Red Onion Finely chopped
slivered almonds
poppy seeds

Whisk first 5 ingredients together until emulsified. Place Chicken Breasts and about 1/4 cup of dressing into a ziplock bag and let marinate for about an hour. Drain Chicken. Place chicken in a skillet with a drizzle of oil(or non-stick spray) and cook through.
Arrange spinach, fruit,onion and eggs on plate and top with chicken. Drizzle with desired amount of remaining dressing. Sprinkle on Almonds and Poppy seeds.
For a quick version I also love the store bought Raspberry Vinegrette Dressing (fat free of course) and the store bought roasted chicken.

Blueberry Delight (slimmed down version)
1 pkg fat free Cream Cheese,room temp
16oz container Light whipped topping thawed
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (Bar type) Angelfood Cakes
1 10z can Blueberry Pie filling

For ease of cutting place the angel food cake in the freezer for a couple of hours (not required but you will thank me). With electric mixer mix Cream Cheese and powdered Sugar. Fold in Whipped topping and mix just until incorporated (don't over beat). Slice cake into 1inch slices and place half in a 9x13 inch pan. Spread 1/2 of the mixture over cake, place another layer of cake on top. Spread remaining mixture on top. Spoon on thepie filling evenly then carefully spread trying not to disturb cream cheese mixture below. Chill for 1 hr.

Note: This would make a beautiful trifle bowl. I would add a layer of pie filling in the middle, if you wanted red white and blue you could even use strawberry for one layer.

Hello....911?

2006-05-20T07:13:00.000-05:00

Life has been a little hectic in my house lately so I have not posted anything new in awhile. In fact except for Lasanga for My friend SueEllen I have not really cooked anything of substance in a while either. My children have been living on left overs (the lasangna was good for a couple of meals), take out and frozen food. Between my job my, my son's job and my daughter's social life there really has not been one day this week that we have all been home. I feel like SUCH a bad Mother!

One of the things that has had me busy this week is National EMS week. Yesterday we had Nice Picnic of sorts. My co-workers Jessica and Jesus did the planning for this I just helped out with ordering the cake and setting up. In past years we always have the same thing, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs with the ususual suspects for side dishes. This year though we were lucky enough for a REAL treat. "Kinlaws" was kind enough to donate the food for us. Classic southern fare. BBQ, fried chicken, hushpuppies, green beans, corn on the cob. They also provided all of the paper products to go with it along with sending it in food service insulated box thingys(I am sure they have a name but I have no idea what it is). We were all quite impressed and greatly appreciate their contribution it was WAY more than expected! One of our co-workers, Vertel made a TON of Ribs! They were to die for! I am definitely going to ask her for her recipe and if she gives it to me I will post on them more later. The cake, I ordered from My friend Vince at "Parties To Go" he gave us a nice discount on an awesome cake. We opted for half Choc/chocolate pudding filling and half White/Strawberry filling. Though we had a lot of people, I have never been to an event where ALL of the cake is eaten. Especially where there is so much other food present. I saw no one taking the usual dainty slices (although dainty certainately would not describe this crowd anyway) and MANY people coming back for seconds and thirds. I will have to say that the cake was a definite success and a confirmation that Vince has something out of the ordinary going on. Just ask Rental provided us with the Bungee Run which was quite comical and had me flat on my back (literally) laughing hysterically. Its a HUGE blow up thing with 2 lanes. Each person is attached to the end by a bungeed harness. You then race as far as you can down the lane and try to place a block on a velcro pad. The object is to try to get your block farther than the other person. One you let the block go the Bungee cord WHIPS you back, hence the lying on your back an laughing hysterically. Once this happens ..Who won is irrelevant!They also provided the Toss and burst. This is an improved version of a dunk tank. On person sits under a basket which holds a balloon filled with water (although you could fill it with all sorts of disgusting stuff a la Double Dare) and you toss a ball at a target and if it hits then a spike breaks the balloon over the persons head. One of our supervisors, Calvin was a great sport and let us underlings take out our aggression on him. It took a couple of rounds to get the hang of it so someone had to "TEST" the target to make sure it was working properly(wink wink) After that he endured several more rounds of soaking. A slide show was another source of entertainment,it included candid shots of members of our service on an off duty. We are an odd lot and tend to stick together, often vacationing and celebrating life events , several are even married to other emergency service people and medical personnel. Geeze, you would think that we would want to get away from each other once in awhile. EMS tends to be a way of life for many of us and we are one big family with all the usual idiosyncrasies. We were also Lucky enough to get a visit from John from Oldies 96.5 who provided us with some great music. I think that a good time was had by all who attended, those who were off duty and came and stayed and those who dropped by in between calls to grab a quick bite before heading back out to provide the citizens of Fayettenam with Emergency Medical Care. Unfortunately, there were some who were just too busy "saving lives" to make it but that is the nature of the beast and missing out on life events (and meals) are something that we are used to because it does not matter if it's Christmas or an anniversary or EMS week, 911 doesn't close!

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

2006-05-10T11:36:00.000-05:00

Ok, so my name is not Mary and I really don't consider myself contrary(of course I am sure there are people who would argue this point.) But my garden is growing very well. I am a fairly new gardener and every time I plant something I cross my fingers and hope it will grow. This is my first year planting herbs and I really wanted to make sure that when I used them that I would still have plants so I planted a lot in each pot. Well ...They are already bursting out of their pots! This is a good thing BUT...Now I have to repot. Again this is a cross my fingers thing and hope I don't kill them. So this morning I repotted almost all of them. Basil and Cilantro are my two favorites so I planted them the thickest. I was able to make 2 good sized pots out of each of them. The rosemary is a beautiful plant and I put it in a bigger Pot. If my new deck ever gets built I am going to plant rosemary as bushes I have a friend who says you can't kill them (good choice for me) and they do well as bushes. The savory, which I planted just because it sounded good is growing very tall and lanky and I noticed its starting to get little purple flowers on it. I am not sure what to do with this particular herb that I seem to have an abundance of so if anyone has any ideas or recipes that use it please share them with me . The only thing that does not seem to be thriving is the sage. Its healthy looking but not getting much bigger. If I use more than a leaf or two of it I will not have much of a plant left. I am hoping all of my babies do well and I am not back to buy my herbs at the grocery store in a few weeks.

Key Lime Pie!!!!!!

2006-05-05T17:05:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the 23rd annual Springfest at my church. This is a fundraiser we do each year. All of the proceeds benefit children in the local community. One of the things this money is used for is to buy glasses for children who would not otherwise be able to afford them. Last year we raised $16,000. This year our goal is $20,000. There is a GIGANTIC indoor yard sale , an auction, a plant sale, and bakesale. This year there is a silent art auction and we will be raffling off a beautiful handmade quilt and a computer. The yardsale is from 7-10am. The Raffle drawings and Auction are at 930am. Please join us at Westminster Presbyterian Church @ 2505 Village Dr. Fayetteville NC. Located at the corner of Villiage and Purdue Dr. So, this will be my contribution to the bake sale. This is a recipe that I orginally got from Southern Living 2004 http://food.southernliving.com/southern/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1023664 As usual I have tweaked it a bit by adding grated lime zest. This seems like a little thing but it really takes the flavor up a notch. The oils in the zest are a much more intense flavor than the juice alone. It is totally simple and can be whipped up in about 15 mins. The longest part is waiting for it to cool. As I have said before, I am not a baker but this one is simple enough even for me. Ingredients: 3 large Egg yolks, 1/2 cup lime juice, Pinch of salt 1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 tsp of vanilla, 10 individual or 1 whole graham cracker crust.
Place egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and wisk well. Grate zest of 1 lime into eggs. Roll limes around on counter then place in microwave for about 20 seconds. This will help them to release more juice. Squeeze lime juice into measuring cup. Squeeze 3-4 limes until you get 1/2 cup of lime juice. Wisk lime juice into eggs. Add Sweetened condensed milk,vanilla and salt and wisk well Pour mixture into crusts Bake for 15 mins at 350 degrees. Let pies cool to room temperature and the refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Right before serving Place a dollop of whipped cream on Pie and garnish with lime slice. * Notes: When you cut limes in half after microwaving, CLOSE YOUR EYES!! Lime juice REALLY HURTS when it squirts in your eyes. It also makes the kitchen floor very sticky. Have I mentioned that I am a very messy cook????

Thai'd to Cook

2006-05-02T10:40:00.001-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I woke up (no not being lazy, worked night shift) hungry! I was in the mood to cook something yummy but not too time consuming. I went to my favorite web site "Food Network". Checked out Rachels latest...ehh nothing piqued my tastebuds there. Then I remembered I saw an episode of Food 911 that they did some Asian dishes. Suddenly I am thinking ...Peanuts, sesame....yum! So I quick printed off his recipe for Cold sesame noodles and took off to the store. Now I live about 1 min from a local chain grocery store (oh yeah the ONLY chain grocery stores in town). I won't mention the name but it sounds like "mood cryin". I am thinkin ok this should just take minute. But MOOD CRYIN didn't have chili paste OR soba noodles. Those were the ONLY 2 things I NEEDED!!! So, I leave there and think ...Well darn (that's not really what I thought but I don't want to offend anyone) So, there is a small Chinese restaurant next to Mood Cryin. I walk in and look at the menu. The closest thing I can find is Lo mien...not really what I am in the mood for. So I turn and walk out disgusted "YOU NO ORDER ???" I hear as I walk out the door. No, sorry ..not today. As I walk to the car I say to my self "Self,why didn't you just drive the extra 15 mins to your favorite store" (I won't mention the name but it sounds like Paris Neater).
"Because its farther away and a little more expensive self"
"But everytime you do that you end up spending more time because you end up going to Paris Neater ANYWAY!"
"SHUT UP self!"
So I head toward Paris Neater. I make it to Hope Mills Rd and self says "hmmm, Asian Express is just a mile down this road ..Its still several miles to Paris Neater and then you have to drive back home and cook it. Mmm that Pang Gai...Is some yummy stuff ..You haven't had that in awhile."
"Yeah, but the Kids won't eat Panang Gai"
"They have Chinese too ..They have Sesame Chicken ..Kristen loves Sesame Chicken and remember they have the most Awesomest spring rolls in town"
"self , there is no such word as awesomest"
" I know you are but what am I??"
"I am not talking to you anymore self"
Alas, I had talked myself into it ..Or my Self had talked me into it ...Or something, anyway. So, it was Panang Gai ..med/spicy for me. I opted for the Orange Chicken for the kids, get them to expand their horizons a little. I was hoping for some seaweed salad like I had tried at the sushi bar last week but they didn't have anything like that and no sesame noodles. Ok believe it or not I have never tried Pad Thai. I know, I know that's like the first Thai dish most people try. It just did not look that good to me. BUT ...It had the peanuts I was craving so I ordered it. No spice so maybe the kids would try it (darn kids). 30 mins later I am on my way home ...Dinner cooked, no dishes to do.
Perfectly crispy spring rolls, Panang Gai creamy just the right amount of heat, yummy as usual. Orange chicken was tasty ..Not a big difference from the sesame chicken (go figure) and the Pad Thai? (The kids being the picky eaters they are refused ..Ugh I could have had it spicy!!) I can't believe I waited so long to try it!! Finally Peanuts MMM MMM Good!

Sindy's Eggs Benedict

2006-04-25T11:14:00.000-05:00

Most things I cook are at least inspired by a recipe that I have seen somewhere else. I don't hesitate however, to change anything I don't care for or add something that I think will enhance the dish. I also change ingredients in a dish depending what I have on hand or what is fresh and available. My other thing is I almost NEVER measure anything(which is why I am a terrible baker). I think that these things are what makes cooking fun and interesting. The problem is that it makes it hard for me to duplicate the dish. Though a remake of a dish is usually good, it is rarely the same as the last time I made it. It also makes it hard to share a recipe. That is my goal today so if you try this let me know how I did.
I try to give credit to the person I originally got the recipe from when I share, but this one is really kind of my own creation from all of the different Eggs Benedict recipes that I looked at. I had this dish on a cruise a few years ago but just recently decided to try my hand at making it. Most of the recipes that I looked at had a complicated hollandaise sauce that had tons of butter. The other option here would be to use a sauce mix (the little packets) I have never tried that though so I can't tell you how good this would be. I have eaten "runny" eggs since I was a baby and my Grandma fried them up in bacon grease (YUM!) Just make sure the eggs are fresh.For people who are skittish about undercooked eggs(or have a compromised immune system), you might want to skip this one. This recipe is for one but you can multiply it easily .
Ingredients: 1 whole egg,1 egg yolk, half of a small lemon,4Tbs milk. Nutmeg, fresh basil leaves , 2 Tbs butter, 1Tbs vinegar, Salt, 1 slice of Bread, Bacon.

Fill a med size skillet about 3/4 full of water and bring to a simmer.
Wisk together Egg Yolk, milk nutmeg,salt, Grate just a little lemon zest into mixture then squeeze juice from lemon in and wisk again. Place in a small pan on VERY LOW heat add about 1/2 to 1Tbs of melted butter and a dash of salt. Just let this hang out while finishing the rest of the dish wisking it frequently and making sure the eggs don't set too much. If it gets to thick wisk in a little more milk.

Toast bread and lightly butter. The bread is one of the things that can make the dish great. You can use plain white bread and it will be just fine but I like to use what ever good bakery bread I have on hand. Today I used sourdough.

Add vinegar to your simmering water and swirl it around. Very carefully slide egg into water from small bowl. You don't want the egg to move around much before it sets or it will fall apart.
Let water continue to simmer for 4mins for a soft (runny) egg yolk. Frequently spoon the water over the egg to cook the top of it.

Place toasted bread on plate. Remove egg carefully with slotted spoon or spatula letting water drain off. Place on top of toast. I love basil so sometimes I will add a whole basil leaf under the egg. Spoon sauce over egg top with crumbled bacon (you can use whole bacon strips or Pancetta and layer it under the egg). Sprinkle ribbons of fresh basil over top and garnish with basil leaves.
ENJOY!!!

This really is a simple dish that makes and elegant presentation for a special breakfast.

Sunday Dinner

2006-04-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

Opps, forgot to take a pic of the food!! Here is my daughter Kristen and her friends Kylee and Katie

So while preparing my Sunday school lesson this morning (because that's when I prepare on Sunday morning right before Church) I was online and saw a recipe for "Fake it don't Make Coq au Vin"http://food.aol.com/food/channel/0,18957,7119060327,00.html#histNum=1 So, I invited my Friend Karen and her Daughter Katie over for lunch/dinner after Church. We almost always lunch together on Sunday's but we usually go out.
It called for cooked chicken which I did not have but I did have boneless breasts which I figured I could whip up pretty quick. The only other ingredients I did not have on hand were frozen pearl onions and Garlic and herb salad dressing mix. I thought a quick trip to Harris Teeter for those and some kind of dessert and I would have dinner on the table 1:45....Ha!
Turns out they did NOT have "frozen" pearl onions (I could have sworn I had seen them before) so I figured that it would not be THAT much trouble to use fresh ones. Long story short by the time I left the store It was almost 1:00. Hmm a 15 min drive home , Maybe by 2:00 I could have dinner on the table.
I decided to have oven roasted potatoes(potatoes, olive oil, garlic, rosemary), French onion soup(onions, oil,dab of butter, red wine and beef broth/ topped with bread and swiss cheese) and salad along with my Chicken. All was going well until I got to the part in the recipe that called for the dressing mix...ummm where IS the dressing mix. I know I picked it up and put it in my cart. Karen was busy chopping up the onions for the soup. So she suggested Italian dressing(which I DID have) and we grabbed a some savory (that sounds French doesn't it) and some thyme out of the garden, threw in some chopped up Garlic and called it perfect.
So by 230 ISH ....ok ..it was more like 3:oo,Dinner was on the table. Now , neither of us has ever had Coq au Vin before so I am not sure what it is supposed to taste like. But we proclaimed it tasty!! Katie who is actually quite a picky eater liked it. My Daughter Kristen liked the chicken part but picked around the mushrooms and onions. We decided that though it was very good. It had a different flavor than what we had expected. After a little discussion about this it hit me that when I was making the Soup I had used beef broth.... And hmmm never got out the CHICKEN broth. SOOOO. The question is next time ...Do I use Chicken or Beef broth???? I would definitely recommend trying out this dish. You make the call on the broth.

I shoulda listened!

2006-04-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite breakfasts when I have the time is a simple version of eggs benedict that sort of made up myself. But this morning I thought I would try a new recipe for "slow cooked eggs" that I found on "Eat, Drink and be Miriam" http://www.fayettevillenc.com/blog?id=14 Now, Miriam said that she did not think that these were worth the time; but, I had to be stubborn and try for myself(plus that house-work is still waiting,anything to procrastinate). I threw in some chives from my herb garden (just because I can). Guess what? They are not worth the time (30mins of cooking and stirring). The uncomfortable texture of the eggs was so distracting that I can't really say if I even liked them. I guess the flavor was ok. Had I ordered them out somewhere and not spent the time, I might have liked them a little. I will have to say that I really enjoyed my toast with home made Fig preserves (courtesy of my friend Savanna) the most. Next time I will stick with the eggs benedict!!

Make Me Feel Popular

2006-04-21T23:48:00.000-05:00

So, today was an All about me day! It started out unpleasant so I decided to make up for it the rest of the day. I had an appointment for a test this morning. I won't bore you with the details but it started with a MAM and ended in a Gram. I was supposed to Meet a friend for lunch downtown but she was not able to make it. I was almost ready to head back home and clean house when I remembered "The Chocolate Lady" shop. I was downtown last 4th Friday and checked it out but I had given up Chocolate for Lent. Needless to say..This sounded much better than laundry and dusting. I did stop in on my friend Vince at "Parties to Go" to order a cake for a Baby Shower I am throwing in a few weeks. He is just getting his business started and he makes great tasting AND looking cakes. You WON'T find anything like them at Wally World. So after that it was off to the Chocolate shop. I opted for the mini-chocolates so that I could try them all! It seems as though Liquor was the item of the day. I had to try the raspberry chambre/dark chocolate right there and took home Kalua, congnac, and Grand mariner. YUMMY! After leaving there I contemplated going home again. But the weather was gorgeous so I started wandering in and out of the shops. I made it down to the other end of Hay St. To the Blue Moon Cafe. This is where I was supposed to have lunch with my friend and I had been dying to try it. I usually don't care to eat in a restaurant alone but decided I would grab a copy of the Weekender and sit at a sidewalk table and enjoy the breeze. I ordered the "Californian" Pannini. (Sun Dried tomatoes, cream cheese, provolone cheese, zucchini, onion, sprouts and cucumbers grilled up on sourdough bread). It was very tasty!! I can't wait to go back and try the Pacific Salmon along with just about all the other dishes ..lol. So after lunch I decided I needed a little coffee to go with my chocolate. I headed across the street to Rude awakening to get a cup of coffee and head home to that cleaning BUT............ Someone came in from the back and asked someone to come out to the courtyard behind the shop. I had totally forgotten about that. So, I grabbed a magazine and headed out to the cozy little space with chairs and plants and wrought iron art. I pretended to read the magazine while I eaves dropped on the 3 guys who were already sitting out there. Before I knew it I was in conversation with them. (But I DIDN'T share my chocolate) It was a very relaxing afternoon! I don't normally do things like that by myself. I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. I need to do that more often! As for the housework?? Ummmm... It will still be there tomorrow.