I ♥ Squash Soup

Last Saturday was National Soup Swap Day. I intend to swap some soup myself, though scheduling did not permit that on Soup Swap Day. I will be showing up at a friend’s house next weekend with four quarts of frozen soup (a lot of people do six, but this seemed excessive given the prevalence of small kitchens here in NYC), prepared to snack and chat and bring home four quarts of soups made by friends. I haven’t swapped soup in this fashion before, but it seems like a nice way to add variety to holed up winter nights, to extend the tradition of sharing food beyond the one-night potluck.

I have been mulling over what soup to make. I’ve been eating lots of bean soups lately, hearty and full of protein and fiber. I made a big pot of tomato leek soup earlier this week that would probably freeze just fine. Lentils are great, and split peas, too, but my mind keeps coming back to squash soup. My decade(-plus)-long obsession with this soup has led some friends to think of me at the sight of butternut squash in the past, a fact that warms my heart more than the most heartfelt and deliberate compliments.

As with most obsessions, there is a story behind this soup. It is this: I took a year off between high school and college, and I spent a little bit of time in England. While there, I volunteered for a short time at a community arts center called the Great George’s Project in Liverpool, also known as the Blackie (so called because the building in which it was housed was once covered by decades of soot and city grime — it was cleaned up by the time I arrived, but the name had stuck). At that time, life at the Blackie was very communal. Staff and volunteers lived in one of two old houses up the road, chipped in for groceries and took turns shopping, and we shared dinners in the old chapel building in which we all worked. We also took turns cooking.

For someone who has always taken pride in her food, cooking duty was far more anxiety-producing than you would think. For starters, I was not accustomed to cooking for large groups of people. In addition, we received weekly produce deliveries, and we had to work with what was on hand. While this type of challenge now thrills me to no end, I found it a bit off-putting when fresh out of high school, thousands of miles from home, cooking in a drafty old building on a stove that needed to be lit in the most dangerous-seeming way I could fathom. Peering into the vegetable box toward the end of the food-delivery week and finding a handful of parsnips and two sad eggplants and knowing they had to feed twenty people or so was not at all inspiring.

In addition, and in keeping with the community-minded approach at the Blackie, meals were to be designed with everyone’s dietary requirements in mind. Again, I love this kind of challenge in this day and age, and I appreciate the goal of inclusiveness, but it was difficult for many of us at that time to create large meals that were free of all yeasted products, mushrooms, dairy, eggs, any and all animal products, etc. Surely I am forgetting some additional allergy. Wheat? Some other grain? We weren’t really supposed to use tomatoes, but that was more a strong preference of one of the founders than a strict allergy. Add in the facts that we had an extremely limited spice cabinet, that we all took turns cooking, and that some staffers had little to no interest in food, and we wound up with many uninspired and far from delicious meals.

The dinners that were truly good shone like little diamonds in the rough. One time, Kelly cobbled together a vegan, allergen-free toad in the hole that excited one and all. Occasionally, someone would roast parsnips to sweet, spicy perfection. And a couple of times, Jennifer poured coconut milk and ground black pepper into a pot with onions and tomato. A separate pot alongside for those who did not eat tomatoes contained onions and coconut and squash. It was simple, delicious despite its lack of fancy spices, and I loved pouring the two soupy stews together over rice, savoring the richness of the coconut milk, brightness of tomatoes, creamy sweetness of chunks of squash. An obsession was born.

I know now that the combination of coconut milk and winter squash is not particularly rare, but, when worked into night after night of drab and burned-around-the-edges meals, each of those nights following a morning of tea and toast with jam and cheese (one slice of toast with cheese, the other with jam, still one of my favorite breakfasts), a day of cup after cup of sweet, milky tea, the squash and tomato stew stood out as rich and decadent while still altogether nourishing, and I loved it.

Jennifer’s simple, separate stews have evolved over the years, in various kitchens that I have inhabited, into one big pot of gingery, squashy, tomato-y, coconutty goodness. Sometimes there are other spices. Sometimes it is smooth, other times chunky, most frequently somewhere in between. I have cooked this soup since I was eighteen, for college friends in my momma’s house, for a whole floor of girls in the dorm when I was back in England, for boyfriends, family, childhood friends. I think this is the soup to make this week, four quarts to freeze and some extra to savor on cold winter days, rich and wholesome all at once.

Awesome Squash Soup: Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I usually use olive oil, but I suspect toasted sesame would be even better)
• 1 large butternut squash (or equivalent quantity of your favorite winter squash), peeled, seeded, cut into cubes
• 1 big can diced tomatoes (or crushed or whole – whatever)
• 1-2 cans coconut milk
• an inch or so of fresh ginger, finely grated
• garlic (I use lots – probably 4 or 5 cloves, but you could do less or omit if desired)
• vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• extra spices as desired (a simple dash of curry powder is nice and warming, a sprinkle of cayenne brings some heat)
• fresh limes

Please note that these quantities are approximate. If you’re not typically a big experimenter, make it without the addition of other spices and then taste it, see if you feel like stirring more in.

How to Make Awesome Squash Soup:

1. Saute onions in vegetable oil over medium-low heat until translucent. Stir them so they don’t brown.
2. Add garlic and ginger and cook for a couple minutes more.
3. Add squash, tomatoes, coconut milk, and enough vegetable broth to cover the cubes of squash by an inch or two, and bring to a simmer. If you know that you want to add a dash of cayenne or curry powder, now is a good time.  Simmer until squash cubes are tender. You should be able to easily smash them against the side of the pot with a spoon.
4. Mash to desired consistency. I used to use a potato masher to crush the cubes up a bit. I have also used an immersion blender, beating half the soup to smoothness and leaving some chunks. If you want a totally smooth soup, you can just throw it in the blender, but I think it’s best to leave a little texture in this soup.
5. Taste it, add salt and pepper and any other spices you desire, and serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. A sprinkle of fresh cilantro would probably be good here, too.

This soup tends to thicken up if put in the fridge. I love leftovers spooned over brown rice and reheated just as much as I love this soup on its own, preferably ladled into a nice, deep bowl. Make some, eat some, be warm this winter.

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

Cashew Curry with Veggies and Tofu!

I found this cashew curry recipe on 101cookbooks and tried it a few weeks ago. It made a GREAT yellow curry – with a few modifications and additions on my end The recipe is below, with my modifications in purple. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole coconut milk (I used light coconut milk – it gives the same flavor with way less calories! And I probably used about 12 oz instead of 8 oz)
• 1 – 2 tablespoons curry powder (I actually ended up using 3-4 Tbsp curry powder, and added more to taste as needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove, chopped (I like garlic so I used about 3 cloves)
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 ounces firm tofu, cut into small cubes (optional) (I used 8 oz)
• Veggies: 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch segments & 1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into tiny florets (this is from the 101cookbooks recipe. I used 1 head of broccoli, 1 pound asparagus chopped, and 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced)
• 1/3 cup cashews, toasted
• a handful of cilantro, loosely chopped
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (if you like things spicy)
• You can add cumin, cardamom and pepper (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• Brown rice (to serve the curry with – I use minute brown rice)

Directions

I cooked this recipe slightly differently than the 101cookbooks recipe. My directions are in purple below

1. Saute the onion and 2 cloves chopped garlic in 1/2 tsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp curry powder and salt and stir until combined.
2. Add the coconut milk to the onion mixture, bring to simmer and work out any clumps
3. Stir in the tofu and cook for a few minutes until the tofu has absorbed most of the flavors
4. Add remaining curry powder and water to the coconut milk/tofu mixture and cook down the liquid for a few minutes.
5. In a large pan, saute the broccoli, asparagus, and red pepper (or whatever veggies you use) with 1 clove chopped garlic over medium heat. Add salt, cayenne, and curry power to taste. Cook until veggies are crisp
6. Pour tofu/coconut milk mixture over veggies (in the pan) and stir to combine. Add additional spices as needed. Cook through for a few minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in cashews. Serve over brown rice with a bit of cilantro topping each bowl.

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

The Colors of Health: Red, Gold, and Green

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, going raw has really opened up the world of vegetables to me – well, that and joining a local organic CSA.

Over the last three weeks, we’ve probably gone through four (if not six!) heads of cabbage – some of them green, some of them red (or, technically, purple).

Anyway, I started off using the larger, outer leafs as wraps for burritos and using the smaller, inner leaves for making small batches of slaw.

That was until I made a batch of raw hummus out of tahini and zucchini that was just begging for some chips – hence the habit of tearing red (or purple) cabbage leaves into chip sized chunks was born. Trust me, no one was more surprised than me about how good raw cabbage leaves tastes when combined with a little hummus! Let’s just say that life was good.

But then the CSA cabbage started.

I had one head left over from the week before, had just bought a red one, and got two more!

At this point in my life I am committed to two things when it comes to food: don’t waste it and (obviously) don’t cook it!

So, racking my brain for an answer, I hit on a solution: slaw. And lots of it!

Now, if you’re like me and grew up anywhere remotely resembling the south, your idea of slaw probably involves a lot of mayonnaise and other sundry items – none of which resemble anything close to being raw (let alone good for you). But I was determined, and here’s what I came up with:

1 head of cabbage (green), shredded

3-4 carrots, finely grated

1/2 cup of parsley, finely minced (I’ve also used cilantro)

Braggs Liquid Aminos, to taste (at least 3 tablespoons, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Braggs)

2 limes, juiced

1/2 – 1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon of cinnamon (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon of turmeric (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon of cumin (or more, to taste)

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Himalayan sea salt (pink), to taste

This stuff is seriously delicious. I’ve been eating it by the plate – sometimes alone, sometimes mixed with Shirataki noodles, which aren’t technically raw, but aren’t technically food, since they’re all fiber and are, by design, indigestible.

Since I was eating so much cabbage – as wraps, as chips, and as slaw, I found myself wondering what nutrients cabbage actually contained. I mean, it wasn’t like I didn’t know what cabbage was prior to my latest pro-cabbage phase, but I certainly hadn’t ever given it much thought. I mean, it’s cabbage. Not that interesting. Right?

Well, not really.

Cabbage, as it turns out, is a cruciferous vegetable – as is other well known superstar vegetables (a/k/a super food veggies) such as broccoli, kale, brussels, and bok choy. According to the Whole Foods website:

The phytonutrients in cruciferous vegetables initiate an intricate dance inside our cells in which gene response elements direct and balance the steps among dozens of detoxification enzyme partners, each performing its own protective role in perfect balance with the other dancers. The natural synergy that results optimizes our cells’ ability to disarm and clear free radicals and toxins, including potential carcinogens, which may be why cruciferous vegetables appear to lower our risk of cancer more effectively than any other vegetables or fruits.

For more information about cabbage, go here. And to learn more about the health benefits of cruciferous veggies and how to get more of the into your diet, go here.

Now, some of you might be thinking: Well, that’s all well and good, but I thought cabbage gave people gas.

Well, yes and no.

Personally it doesn’t bother me, but I know it does some people. That’s where the turmeric comes in. And besides it’s wonderful flatulance reducing properties, turmeric is a superfood in it’s own right.

Trust me, if your not getting enough cruciferous vegetables or turmeric in your diet, you might want to consider adding more. Men in particular, should seriously consider increasing their intake of turmeric – especially to any recipe including cauliflower (which is, you guessed it, another cruciferous veggie)!

So, if you’re stuck in a rut on your vegetable consumption, branch out. And whatever else you do, eat your turmeric!

[Via http://kjlivinglively.com]

grilled vegetable pasta

Photo Credit

A couple days ago I had an adventure in the kitchen making a pasta dinner!  I love pastas that are mostly dry, with a touch of olive oil and amazing vegetables and spices…  So here’s a quick pasta recipe for you!

grilled vegetable pasta – serves 2, prep and cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

180g Whole Wheat pasta of choice

Water to cover pasta

1 T. Mixed herbs – Italian

Half large green and red bell peppers, sliced to 1/4″ pieces

Courgette (zucchini) sliced to 1/4″ pieces (and bite sized length)

3 T. Olive Oil

1 T. Garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 C. Cooked tuna or 1/2 tin of tuna or cooked salmon, optional

1/4 C. Grated cheddar cheese, optional

In a saucepan, bring pasta and mixed herbs to a boil and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, put oil, garlic, salt and pepper into a medium mixing bowl and toss in vegetables until well covered.  Place the vegetables on your grill on foil evenly and not overlapping under a medium-high heat for roughly 15 minutes (keep an eye on these and turn foil to prevent over-browning if necessary).  Toss your tuna in the bowl previously used for tossing the vegetables and pop that in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds just prior to serving your dinner.  Serve hot and top with grated cheese for extra goodness!  Enjoy!

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

With these mortal hands, I will bake you a loaf....

I’ve been baking bread, oh yes I have. Satisfying as it is to chomp on anything half decent that you’ve made yourself, I’ve got to say that producing a simple loaf of fresh, warm bread from the oven has given me a genuine sense of pride. It’s something so incredibly basic but such a staple - partly because it’s so basic. And delicious too, of course.

Okay, so I haven’t invented the wheel or discovered fire. All I’ve proved is that I too can do something that millions of people have been doing for thousands of years in hundreds of countries and cultures around the globe. But my point is that I’ve done something that not many of us – in this country at least – get the time to do any more.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe there to be plenty of great things about the times we live in. I don’t yearn for the days when we had to rub a couple of sticks together all day just to stay warm at night (although ‘making fire with two sticks’ is next on my ‘To do’ list.) But to lose touch with the food we eat, where it comes from and what goes in to it does seem to be something worth considering for a moment. Food is important isn’t it? (If only you could have seen what I ate as a student. I ate a Smash sandwich once. That wasn’t on homemade bread, I might add…)

Up until I started baking bread, 100% of the loaves that I bought came from supermarket shelves, well, maybe the odd one from a bakery. Occasionally a market. Okay, so probably more like 99.99% but that doesn’t have the same impact. Anyway; moving on…

Loaves sell at around a pound a go, readily sliced and convenient as you like. They last for days too. But when you taste your own fresh loaf there’s no comparison. Once you’ve started to hone your kneading techniques and produced the perfect dough – the kind of dough you don’t want to stop battering – you may decide to make a regular thing of baking your own.

But like many, I have a job to go to and soon enough Leanne and I will have a wee bairn to rear. That uncharismatic, but readily-sliced and oh so convenient, loaf of Kingsmill may just prove to be all too easy to grab from the shelves in the near future. No doubt it will remind us of how convenient modern life sometimes needs to be.

In the meantime, I encourage you, dear reader, to go forth and bake your own loaf when you get the chance – especially if you’ve never done it before. And lo and behold, here’s one of mine!

A fresh loaf of bread from the oven, courtesy of Jimblytheblindman

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

Crazy Summer Weather

Spent the last couple of days catching up on jobs.  There is loads of lawnmowing to do here and since I am the only person who is able to do it, it sometimes gets a bit away on me.  Still have not finished due to untimely showers.  Which will only make the grass grow back faster.  Oh dear. 

We’ve been cooking up large recently, using all the lovely fresh summer fruits available to make jam and chutney to see us through the winter months.  So far we have got Tomato Chutney, Peach Chutney and Apricot Chutney, plus we had enough leftover fruit to make Apricot Jam and Peach Jam.  We grow the fruit ourselves, although we had to buy the apricots.  We got a good deal, getting 10 kilos for $20.  I noticed the other day once of our neighbours has a large, heavily laden plum tree so I should give her a call and see whether she could spare any for a good cause!

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

Home cooking

Just before Christmas I started working at home on a full-time basis due to health reasons, which, of course means I’m in charge of cooking dinner. I don’t think I have ever been ‘in charge’ of dinner, so this is a nice novelty for me. When commuting back from London and getting home at around 6.30pm I was never in the mood for cooking anything. If I lived on my own I’m sure I would have lots of pasta and baked beans on toast for dinner. I would be very skinny but most probably very unhealthy. Being a non-meat eater I have to be creative with meals so I make sure I’m getting enough protein from beans, diary, eggs or fish. I like Quorn as well at least once a week as well.

As well as a love for baking cakes I now can cook Mexican bean wraps, Quorn chilli, vegetable Moroccan tagine, lasagne, vegetable and butter bean stew, bean burgers and various fish dishes (normally the fish is just baked in the oven). It is quite fun looking for recipes and this is what I need to keep being motivated in cooking every night. The internet has a wealth of recipes so now I can have a good curry takeaway and then find a million recipes for it online. Just like the Chana Masala I cooked the other week. In addition, I seem to like cooking stew-style dishes like tagines or chillis and baked dishes like pies. Not that I haven’t cooked a pastry-topped pie yet – I think that is mainly because of the high fat content in pastry but that is what makes them so yummy.  Funny, but it makes me feel smug that we eat home-cooked food and not food from the freezer or out of a jar!

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

The amazing cuppa cake

OK, this is the best cake recipe every. It takes only a few minutes to make, and the same to cook, no preparation required.

Add the following items into a large cup;

4 dessert spoons of self-raising flour,

4 of sugar,

2 of cocoa

Now add one egg and mix it up thouroughly.

Add 3 desert spoons of milk,

3 of oil (olive, sunflower, something like that)

3 of choc chips (optional)

and a splash of vanilla extract (again optional).

Microwave for 3 and a half minutes (that’s for an 800 watt microwave by the way).

Finished and ready to eat, and absolutely delicious. My picture doesn’t do it justice, I’m afraid.

Really nice served warm with ice cream.

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

Dreary Sunday

I had planned for today to be my long run for the week…until I woke up to a rainy day. I thought I might could get out and run before the heavy rain moved in, but no such luck! As soon as I walked out the door, it started pouring. So I walked directly to the clubhouse gym to run on the treadmill. I knew going in that there was no way I was going to do double-digit mileage on the treadmill…I get soooo bored! So I compromised and ran a fast 5k, walked a mile on 10% incline, and then did a half-hour on the elliptical on the highest level…still a really good workout, even without putting in the miles. I guess I’ll go on a long run one afternoon at the beginning of this week…Tuesday might be good since I get out of class by 1:45pm. Ah this rain/ice/snow/dreary weather really dampers my mood! I need some sunshine…and warm weather, maybe?

So I have gotten a lot done over this weekend, and today I finished up returning and buying textbooks…hopefully I’ve gotten everything I need by now! Last night I was looking at assignments for my Health & Nutrition class that I just registered for, and I am actually really, really excited for this class! I even did a few of the Extra Credit assignments already, because I thought they were interesting! I read the assigned readings from our text this morning and almost couldn’t stop reading. Again…I should’ve been a dietician! ha ha

I’m a big fan of Panera Bread…whenever my mom and I go shopping or we’re near a Panera, we make sure we have lunch there. I just love their soups and salads…and fresh coffee to go with it! There happens to be two Paneras near my college, one is right off campus and the other is about 6 miles away. I’ve been craving it since I’ve been back at school, but I’ve resisted going because it would probably become a habit! Anyways, there happens to be an Au Bon Pain on my college campus, which is very similar to Panera. ABP is even included on our mealplans, so I went there today instead of giving in to my Panera addiction! I got Low-Fat French Onion Soup (it didn’t have bread and cheese on it) and a Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad….and it was surprisingly really good! Since I have a whole Commuter Student Meal-Plan to use by the end of the semester, maybe I’ll start going to ABP more often. I have been cooking at the townhouse a lot, so I haven’t really eaten on campus until today. But I have always had a problem spending all of my mealplan money, so maybe I should (not?) cook so much. I think most people like the convenience of having a meal-plan, but I would honestly rather cook. Does anyone else prefer cooking over having someone prepare food for you?

[Via http://britdanielle07.wordpress.com]

Elderberry cordial and good health

The elderflower season is long gone ::sniff:: We have run out of elderflower cordial ::sob:: So now I’m busy collecting elderberries, and making cordial out of them.

Given that I LOATHE cloves, and nearly every recipe for cordial I found online said to use them, I leapt on the following recipe as soon as I saw it. Unfortunately I can’t remember where I found it, so it is unattributed, sorry. This makes 1 pint of elderberry cordial:

2lbs caster sugar

1 pint boiling water

1 lemon, zested then sliced

1 1/4 oz of citric acid (I used three teaspoons)

25 elderberry heads.

1. Wash and drain the elderberry heads before removing the berries and putting in a sauce pan.

2. Add the sugar and boiling water and put over a medium heat. Stir continuously until all the sugar has dissolved in the simmering water then add the citric acid and lemon zest and slices.

3. Combine well and simmer for a further five minutes before covering with a tea towel. Put the saucepan in a cool place and leave overnight to let the flavours infuse.

4. After it has rested, strain through a piece of muslin. Store in a dark place. The cordial can be used immediately and keeps for at least three months.

These photos manage to capture the amazing depth of red colour that the cordial turns after the berries have steeped overnight – the liquid becomes a concentrated and intense red, which if spilt stains every surface in sight.

The flavour of the final product is rather more difficult to describe. It has taken me a few days to decide that I actually like it, as I think it tastes like a cross between blackberry and cranberry juice – just different to anything I’ve ever tasted before. It is delicious when diluted with soda water and is also lovely as a warm drink.

The more I research the elder tree (sambucus niger), the more flabbergasting its health properties appear to be. I remember James Wong, an ethnobotanist, describing the elder as the “medicine chest of the people” on Grow Your Own Drugs because of its huge range of traditional medicinal uses.

I’m particularly interested in its antiviral properties; ever since a severe bout of glandular fever at university many years ago, I seem to come down with tonsilitis at least once a year, and even the slightest hint of a cold sees my tonsils swell threateningly.

Hopefully this cordial will help give me a bit of a boost, and I plan to have loads on hand over the winter period. I’m looking into elderberry tinctures as well, and am drying a few berries for other recipes I’ve stumbled across on the net (remember – don’t eat the berries raw, they can cause stomach upsets).

As an intriguing aside, some people have commented on the shape of the stems that the berries come from, and how they resemble the human lung:

I don’t usually read anything into this sort of comment, but the stems do sort of bear a passing resemblance to the bronchi in the lung. Kinda interesting given that the plant is said to have healing properties that relate directly to this part of the human body eh!

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

Pancakes with Peanut Butter

Picture the perfect Saturday morning. It probably includes a nice sleep in, then waking up to a good breakfast and a sunny day, with some set agenda, not enough to feel rushed, but at least motivated and excited to do something. My great Saturday’s start off with a slightly different scenario, but I still look forward to them.

This morning I woke up to my alarm well before the sun came up, fed my cat, downed a smoothie and drove to the other end of Seattle for my weekly long team training run. I was apprehensive about going out on the long, hilly, 130 minute run after Tuesday’s running pain. I talked with my coaches and we decided that I needed to take it easy, and do a shorter loop that would not take me as far from the parking lot in case I ran into pain and needed to walk back. I ran with another woman and we took our time easing into the half-marathon training loop. We got back to the cars at 90 minutes pain free, so I did 20 more minutes on my own just around the park. I was so happy that I felt ok! Rest did me well this week. I am still going to take it easy in the coming weeks, but I was glad that the horrible pain was gone.

After practice we had breakfast at a teammates house…amazing bacon, potatoes, eggs, and pancakes….oh how I love pancakes! In college I developed a taste for pancakes topped with peanut butter and syrup. Don’t judge, just try it sometime. It feels good to be warm and well fed after a long run.

I am going to have a relaxing afternoon and then go out in Seattle to see my old roommate’s band play at a local club. Right now though, I feel like a need a nap and to ice my knees. Like I said, it feels like a pretty close to perfect Saturday.

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

Marvelous Minestrone

Growing up, I was convinced that my mom had the best recipes. Her food was better than anyone’s. These days, I’ve decided that it’s because it was mostly homemade.  We may not have been the most well-off at times, but my mom took the groceries and made magic.

This minestrone is a perfect example. It was a quick and delicious dinner for any night of the week.  I remember eating my helping and then getting a bowlful of only broth.  (Guess what my daughter’s favorite part is, too)  It was the perfect cold-weather meal.  When I left home, this was one of the many recipes I demanded from my mother.  But then, I thought I had to follow the recipe to the letter.  During college, I stressed over getting the vermicelli and the fresh snap peas and mushrooms. How could I achieve this delectable soup without including every ingredient my mother did?

However, when I became married and poor (don’t those two always go hand in hand at first?), we could barely afford the bacon, much less all those fancy ingredients.  So, I had to  ~gasp!~   improvise.

And I’ve found that improvisation is what this soup is made for.  I think my mother knew the secret of this soup that I had yet to learn:  it’s the broth.   It doesn’t really matter what goes into the pot, as long as the basic broth components are there. Since these were simple pantry items, that was the easiest part. I mean, as long as you can operate a can-opener.

Since the broth is the main flavor, you can add and subtract at will with this recipe.  And it serves any number.  My mom’s original recipe serves 4, but I remember that whole pot of soup feeding our family of 6 with a bowl leftover in the fridge. Simply put, to feed more,  add more vegetables or double the broth.  Great recipe for a recession!

These days, I put just about anything and everything into my minestrone. Tonight I doubled it and added cannellini (sp?) beans and potatoes. And I didn’t put in snap peas OR vermicelli. (I’m all rebellious like that)

Here’s the original recipe, but please, pretty please, make this your own. You can make it with all fresh vegetables or completely from those dried and canned vegetables in your food storage. As long as you keep the tomatoes, chicken broth, and spices, you’re golden.

Minestrone (serves 4)

2 slices bacon, cut in thin strips (I usually add as much as I have leftover from a recent breakfast)

1 large onion, finely chopped (fine or rough, your choice)

1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced (canned, dried, or frozen OK)

1 clove garlic, minced (I added more)

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (or roughly chopped)

1 large can (49 1/2 oz.) chicken broth

1 can (1 lb.) tomatoes (go ahead, add an extra small can. you’ll thank me)

1 tsp. each salt and basil (I NEVER add this much salt to anything. merely a dash will do you here)

1/4 tsp. thyme and pepper

4 oz. vermicelli (or whatever type you like/have)

1/2 lb. snap peas or edible pea pods, ends and strings removed

grated Parmesan cheese

In soup pot, cook bacon over medium heat until it browns; remove from pot. To bacon grease remaining, add onion, mushrooms, garlic, and carrots. Cook until the onion is soft and the potato is slightly softened. Stir often to keep the garlic from burning. Add broth, tomatoes in liquid (coarsely chop them in the can with kitchen shears), salt, basil, thyme, and pepper. Bring to boiling and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Bring soup to boiling and add the pasta (if using). Cook, uncovered, until the pasta is nearly tender, about 10 minutes. Add peas and boil for 2 minutes. Serve with cheese on top and well-buttered, crusty bread on the side.  We used sandwich bread, so we won’t judge.

Oh!  I almost forgot.  A great tip when you’re making soup and want to get lunch for the next day taken care of:  if there’s enough broth, add 1 1/2 c. to 1 c. couscous.  Gives wonderful flavor to the couscous without you doing any more work.  Unless your husband comes home and eats your couscous.  Then you have to make more.  But, you also get to make up! 

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

The Case for Cooking

There’s a really insightful post at Change.org’s Sustainable Food blog about the “new era in American food.” The author, Katherine Gustafson, writes about how fast food chains such as McDonald’s are using new ideas to get their customers to stay longer at their stores, and how this shows a fundamental change in our eating habits. It’s a great article and I urge you to read it.

There’s one particular line that influenced me to write my own thoughts about this topic:

This food is by and large what the American population likes to eat, and we have come to accept the speed as normal.

It’s been years since I’ve eaten at a burger joint, but I can speak for my family and friends that they don’t see places like Burger King and McDonald’s as just something convenient – it’s a legitimate choice for their next meal.  This shows that my family and friends, and I assume a majority of Americans, honestly do not care about how their food is processed, how much they enjoy it, or how it tastes. It all comes down to how cheap and fast it is.

I take a lot of joy in cooking. It’s without a doubt my favorite hobby, and it is a sure way to relieve stress. On the rare occasions where I eat out or order delivery, I end up feeling that I’m missing out by not cooking myself. I have a lot of respect for home-cooked meals not only because are they undoubtedly more nutritious, but because they also taste better. A big part of my love of eating comes from concern for how my meal was cooked and whether quality ingredients were used, something restaurants rarely care about. When you eat out, whether it’s fast food or  a sit-down place, your meal is a product of speed, cost, and efficiency. Taste can be compromised to some degree.

(A simple note – there are certainly restaurants that really do care about the quality of their ingredients and finished meals. I’m writing primarily about popular chain restaurants.)

The majority of people I know hate cooking. To them, it is a chore. So they stock their pantries and freezers with cheap frozen meals and ridiculously processed foods. I feel like such people are missing out, and that they are also passing on an opportunity to easily create for themselves a healthier lifestyle.

I used to live on frozen Amy’s meals and canned veggies. It was by no means an exciting culinary life – and even though I knew that at the time, I figured there was no way I could cook. There were plenty of excuses – I don’t know how, it takes too long, I’m too busy, by the time I get off work I’m too tired, etc., etc.. But then I fundamentally changed the way I ate, and in the process changed my life. Simply by cooking all my meals myself, I shed sixty pounds in less than a year, and I feel amazing. I also discovered I had a love for cooking that will probably last the rest of my life, as well as appreciation and respect for every bite I take.

The misconception that cooking takes too long or that it’s too hard is keeping so many people back. There are plenty of people who hold down full lives and jobs and still find time to cook healthy, home-made meals for themselves and their families.

So here’s a challenge: tonight for dinner, why not skip the dodgy, plastic-wrapped frozen veg patty and whip up a delicious meal yourself? Do you need inspiration? Here’s 10 ideas for healthy, speedy, and delicious meals.

1. Pizza – whether you use a home-made or good quality whole-wheat pre-made crust, you can any toppings you wish. A few of my favorite ingredients are fresh tomatoes and herbs, olives, mushrooms and broccoli.
2. Smokey Miso Tofu
3. Taco salad – just through together tortilla chips, beans, taco seasoning, tomatoes, lettuce, and salsa.
4. Polenta and Tofu Skillet. This is one of my favorites.
5. Oven-roasted vegetables. Make a tin-foil packet of healthy veggies, a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, and roast in the oven until fragrant. I promise you’ll love it.
6. Soup! There are thousands of variations and you can use anything you happen to have in the kitchen.
7. A huge salad. Ideas for ingredients include a variety of greens, seeds and nuts, avocado, raisins, oranges, any vegetable you can think of, and a simple lemon-olive oil-balsamic dressing.
8. Stir-fry. This is my signature I’m-too-tired-to-cook meal. I use whatever I have, add my favorite spices, a little soy sauce, and serve over rice.
9. A super-easy and yummy tempeh salad that you can stuff into whole-wheat pitas or serve over a bowl of greens.
10. And finally, if you absolutely refuse to cook when you get of work, for example, why not cook up a few extra meals on your day off and then freeze them. Then, when you’re too tired to cook, just heat them up! It’s as simple as that!

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

Jus Alpukat (Avocado juice)

Yak yak yak..

Jus Alpukat. Ehm, aku suka banget sama jus satu ini, gara2 pernah minum pop ice yg alpukat. Hhahaha. Aneh ah. Trus kakakku pernah buat, tapiiii, ha! Dia salah resep. Yg jadinya asli gak enak banget!

Akhirnya, aku buat deh. Pas pertama sii lumayan enak. Yang ke dua ini nih lumayan mirip sama pop ice.

Bahan:

• 1 Alpukat matang (yang udah empuk)
• 2 sendok susu coklat bubuk/ susu kental manis secukupnya
• Sedikit kopi. Cuman dikit bgt kok
• 2 sendok gula
• Air minum secukupnya. Kalo aku tadi sii 1 setengah gelas biasa.

Cara:

• Belah alpukat tadi. Trus dikeruk. Kalo satu setengah gelas tadi itu cuman buat setengah alpukat.
• Masukan ke dalam blender. Tambahkan susu, gula, air, dan kopi sedikit.
• Tutup blendernya. Trus diblender deh (taukan caranya make^^)
• Selesai.

PS: Yg ijo ijo itu parutan coklat sisa. Marutnya pake parutan keju.

Yak, yak yak. Dijamin enak dah!!!

SELAMAT MENCOBA

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

Distractions

With the devastation in Haiti I feel distracted from the “work” I’m supposed to be doing. Quite frankly, my start to 2010 has been full of distractions. Since December 27th I’ve been doing just about everything except working. We had a few unexpected snow days, and school delays, just after the end of Christmas break. I spent most of my time drying wet clothes, stirring hot cocoa, and praying everyone stayed safe while they bumped down neighborhood hills on a speeding sleds. In the midst of the cold snap I spent several days sitting with my sisters and my mother at the bedside of my dying Aunt Mary. As a result I attended two family funerals before January 10th – my aunt’s and my sister’s mother-in-law who died unexpectedly after she developed a blood clot in her leg. Now, I find myself riveted to the TV in disbelief when I see images from Haiti. I wait for the phone to ring or my e-mail to deliver word of evacuation at a Haitian orphanage where close friends are adopting two children.

At times like these all I can do, other than pray, is remain present to those I love by using my time and talent to cook. I guess when you break it down, cooking is my therapy. Since the beginning of the year I’ve made several yellow buttermilk sheet cakes, a few batches of pimento cheese, and several bowls of fresh dill dip to serve with sliced carrots or wavy potato chips. Over the weekend I took advantage of Saturday morning at home to make a large batch of lentil soup and bake some soft chocolate chip cookies to deliver to our friends. I can’t pretend food solves our problems or takes away the distractions. It doesn’t. But, I’m pretty sure a pot of soup, or a homemade cake, can become a balm for wounds that gape open when someone we care about dies or when we can’t stop thinking about those who can’t defend themselves in a massive natural disaster.

C.S. Lewis once said, “The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s “own,” or “real” life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one’s “real life” is a phantom of one’s own imagination.”

At the end of the day, my ability and resources to cook remind me to be grateful. For today, my family and I live in a safe place where clean water and food is readily available. For today, I can stand to chop and stir. For today, I am given the opportunity to pause and create a space in my day where I can send prayers to those affected by the circumstances of their lives. For today, feeding others reflects our larger responsibility to take care of each other as we walk together through the day by day distractions of our lives.

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

Heh - Pig Fingers!

A while back, I stumbled upon a new (to me) blog.  I don’t even remember how I found My Wooden Spoon, but I did, and I liked what I saw, so I added Lori the Cowboy’s Wife to my rapidly increasing list of blogs on my “Google Reader.”  And I wonder why I don’t seem to get as much accomplished during the day as I used to!

Anyway.  A couple of weeks ago, a new Food Challenge was announced, and boy, did my ears perk up!  Peeps and I greatly enjoyed “Hobo Mondays Tuesdays” and were disappointed when Michelle discontinued that challenge.  But, you know, life goes on, right?  We started our own Third Thursday challenge, and now the, what? Wooden Spoon Mystery Ingredient Challenge?

I don’t know what she’s calling it, but we decided we wanna play!

The rules seem simple enough – create an original recipe using all three of the named ingredients.  Oh, and take a picture of the final dish. Fortunately, the rule isn’t “take a not-sucky picture,” because I think that would be kind of beyond me. . .so here we go!

JANUARY’S FOOD CHALLENGE

Mandatory ingredients for January’s food challenge are:

• Corn Flakes
• Hot Sauce
• Honey

So let’s do this!

First off, here’s my philosophy regarding “original recipes” – often when I cook something, read a cookbook, watch a chef, I learn something.  It may be a technique, a food combination, or even a way of looking at and thinking about a particular ingredient.  Many “original recipes” I’ve made have been inspired by, or springboard from, something else; they often start when Peeps or I look at a recipe or tasted a finished dish and say “what if we . . . “   Or, in this case, if we’re presented with a trio of ingredients.

What if we. . .

. . . fiddled with our cinnamon honey chicken tenders?  I mean, say, instead of breadcrumbs seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, we started with corn flakes, and seasoned them a little differently?

Say, we use for breading:

• 1/2 cup crushed corn flakes (measure after crushing)
• 1/2 tsp. each black pepper & dried mustard
• 1/4 tsp. each ground turmeric & dried sage

That should work quite nicely, don’t you think? A little mustard and sage, but not too much, allowing that sweet, um, corniness to come through, and, ultimately, complimentary to the “hot sauce” that’s to come.

Huh.

But you know, using corn flakes to bread chicken?  I mean, wow, how original.  Besides that, we’d just roasted a chicken a few days before, and we had leftovers from that we’d been working on, so, well, let’s do something a little different, huh?

Like, say, some boneless pork loin?

Heck, if you can swap chicken in virtually any pork recipe (within reason, of course), you should be able to use pork in place of chicken, right?

Of COURSE you can!  So we pulled a package of three boneless chops out of the freezer, and I sliced them into strips.

Pig fingers, if you will.  (Hey, chickens don’t have fingers either, you know!)

We just start with the basic egg wash that we dip the strips into:

• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/4 tsp. Tabasco

Then roll (or shake) the fingers in the corn flake mixture, and lay them out on a parchment (or silicone) lined (or well-greased) baking tray and bake for 15 minutes at 425°.

Meanwhile, we still had two Mystery Ingredients to use – the hot sauce and the honey.  No problem!   Melt together for a sauce:

• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/4 c. butter (half a stick)
• 1 Tbsp. Tabasco

While we have other hot sauce in the house (I think), Peeps has a clear preference for Tabasco.  Me, I think it all kind of tastes the same – what can I say?

A tablespoon of hot sauce may seem like a lot, but it’s really not.  We’re mixing it with four times as much honey, and 4 more times as much butter – not to mention the pork and corn flakes.  It’s well-diluted, fear not!

Once the pork strips have baked for 15 minutes, go ahead and pull them out of the oven, and pour the honey-butter-hot sauce mixture over them.  Be sure to thoroughly coat them, then stick ‘em back in the oven to finish cooking, about another 10-15 minutes, or until the meat is done, but not dried out.

Or course, the breaded pork strips could easily be made in bulk and frozen on sheets to be baked and sauced later.

And Here’s a printable version of the “recipe.”

The bottom line – we found these pork strips delightful!  They were sweet and kind of, I don’t know, zesty – not too hot (which is good for me!), but you definitely taste the zing! of the hot sauce.

I would definitely do this again – I really liked the hot-sweet combination of the honey and hot sauce.  And WHO KNEW corn flakes would be so indestructible?  Even after being crushed, then stuck to the pork, then baked, then coated with honey, they were STILL crispy and, well, kind of corny. . . but in a good way!

We all know I’m photo-challenged, so here’s the picture of the finished dish – believe me, that’s the best of the half dozen I took!

It looks like there are a few other entries up at My Wooden Spoon, so be sure to check them all out when you have a minute!

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

Tipping Over The Restaurant Business Model

After going out to dinner last night, it got me thinking about the whole restaurant business model. It was a fine restaurant, in a pleasant location, replete with overpriced food and drinks. When I go out for a meal, I understand that I am paying for the privilege of not cooking, the talent of the chef, perhaps a romantic ambiance, and some share of the general overhead of the establishment. I am also paying the salary of my server. The restaurant gets off the hook for $2.13 an hour. I cover the rest at a socially accepted percentage of the cost of the overpriced food and drink I just consumed.

The more expensive the item I choose from the menu, the pricier the drinks in which I indulge, the higher the salary of the person I am temporarily employing to serve me. Who came up with this system? If I am going to be responsible for my server’s salary, I think it should be based on how much of that person’s time I take up, say on a per table basis. The restaurant could post its hourly rate, such as table for two, five dollars an hour, table for four, ten dollars and hour, and so on. In that manner, dining in a restaurant with an inflated, overpriced menu wouldn’t mandate that I pay my server as if he were an employee of Goldman Sachs.

Now, I’ll drink to that.

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

26 Month Gouda on Monster Hash with Omelette and Mimosa Sauce

One of my goals for 2010 is to create 30 sauces. It’s not over 1,000 like Escoffier but I think I can get there one day. This mimosa sauce is fantastic and while I won’t share the details of the exact measurements, I will share the ingredients.  My f’ing hand is killing me right now so I’ll make this quick.

Ingredients:

Hash

• Russet potatoes, grated
• Clarified butter
• Bacon fat
• Salt and pepper
• 26 month old Gouda Cheese……don’t wake up and use Gouda unless it’s aged for 26  months…..be a snob sometimes
• Fresh dill
• Sour cream

Mimosa Sauce

• Champagne, purposely made flat
• Orange, juiced
• Fresh meyer lemon puree
• Shallots
• Clarified butter

Omelette

• 2 eggs
• Red bell pepper, 1/4 inch dice
• Clarified butter
• Salt and pepper, tt

[Via http://ericriveracooks.com]

Chapter 4: I am in-like with Pasta!

What can I say? I love eating pasta as much as cooking pasta. I like experimenting of different sauces and the like. I love…love…love….see my addiction to that word? I just am in heaven when pasta is on the menu. Pasta is comfort food for me. It really cheers up my bad day and it brightens the mood. What I like even more is how easy you cook pasta and how efficiently can come up with a meal. Within thirty minutes, voila! You already have a meal that’s good for four!

Clearly, I have cooked way more pasta dishes and I can’t help it! Have a look, but take a deep breath first!

Here are the other pasta dishes I’ve managed to whip up:

Baked Farfalle Noodles in Four-Cheese red sauce topped with Mozzarella

Spaghetti with Sausage and Basil

Tomato and Sausage pasta topped with Parmesan Cheese

Penne with Shrimps in Red sauce

Carms' Carbonara

FYI: My basic carbonara recipe has three essential ingredients: cream, bacon, and nutmeg. And did you notice the pasta craze? We all have that certain weakness and mine’s not so obvious isn’t it?

Would you agree with me that I am in-like with pasta?

Lovelots,

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

Leek and pancetta tray bread

I have had a bread machine for many years now and for several months at a time, it sits in the cupboard. However, this week it has emerged from the cupboard and I have been making all sorts of yummy bread based products! The first was the cinnamon rolls – yes I cheated and used the machine to make the dough!

Today I saw a recipe in my Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook for a leek and pancetta tray bread, which looked delicious and ideal as I had some leeks to use up and bought some pancetta yesterday. After putting a picture on twitter I had lots of requests for the recipe!

Ingredients for the bread base:

6 tbsp water

1 egg

225g strong white bread flour

1 tsp salt

25g butter

1 tsp fast action dried yeast

Ingredients for the filling

3 leeks

75g pancetta

140ml soured cream

5 tbsp milk

2 eggs

salt and pepper

Put the bread base ingredients in your machine in the order specified by your machine’s manufacturer and put it on the dough setting.

Slice the leeks quite finely and fry in a little oil on a low heat until they are soft, then leave them to cool.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle about 23 by 35 cm (or the size of the try you want to use). Press it into a tray, making sure there is dough up the sides to contain the filling. I use my Pampered Chef Medium Bar Pan, which was a perfect size. Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Spread the leeks over the base then add the pancetta. Mix the soured cream, milk and eggs together and pour over the leeks and pancetta. Add some seasoning and bake for about 30 minutes until the edges look golden and the filling is set.

Serve warm.

I found the dough to be a little salty for my liking so I will put less in next time.

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

Camping!

I went camping last week at Big Sur with  some friends for one night and it just reminded me how much fun camping really is. I suggest everyone go do it. I would suggest Big Sur to everyone who has not been there before. The weather was beautiful, warm enough not to wear a shirt in fact. There is always lots to do when camping. From collecting firewood, to night hikes along the beach, to cooking massive amounts of food. If you’re in Big Sur, I strongly suggest bringing a camera so you can capture the magic of the sunset and sunrise. I know its early but it’s more than worth it. There are some simple rules to follow when camping also.

1. Always bring water. Keep water with you wherever you go.

2. Always keep a knife with you. You’ll never know when you’ll need it.

3. Bring a jacket/sweater. While it’s warm during the day, it does get cold at night.

4. Check the weather and road conditions for wherever you’re going so you can be properly dressed and prepared. You don’t want to get caught in the rain without a jacket. Or snow without chains for your vehicle.

5. All in all enjoy yourself. Nature hikes are fun, but bring a flashlight if you hike at night.

[Via http://queerfresno.com]

A Microwave Poached Egg: Breakfast of a UG Champ

Photo Credit to NotAHipster on Flickr

There are certain times where and when convenience should not trump taste. If you are a gourmand, one that over-indulges in fine food and drink, scrambled eggs in the microwave may not qualify as “good food.” It doesn’t to me. It is rubbery and disgusting and I’d rather dirty a frying pan, spatula, and have my house smell of eggs than eat such a concoction. However, that is not the case with microwave poached eggs. Poaching eggs is a very difficult task it requires a certain temperature water, a slotted spoon, a paper towel, and a lot of patience. In the words of Homey D. Clown, “I don’t think so… Homey don’t play dat!” I have no qualms about using a microwave, I am uncouth. Although, I am not a savage and know only morons would use a microwave to reheat pizza. With that said, if you love a good poached egg then use the microwave. It is quick, simple, and has minimal clean-up. It is my typical breakfast and was going to email this video to Josie, who asked for it, and then realized I might as well share it with all of you. There is no talking and pretty music, so please enjoy and get your microwaved poached egg on.

Here are a few of my tips:

-Add salt to the water before you add the egg

-I microwave my egg for 48 seconds

-I use potato bread for that smushier (technical word) quality

-Sprinkle the two P’s, pepper and paprika, as soon as the egg is on top of the bread

[Via http://uncouthgourmands.com]

Garlic Cucumber Salad (涼拌黃瓜)

Preparation time: 15 minutes

• 8 ozs. Cucumber (1 large hothouse cucumber or 3 small Persian cucumbers)
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Cut the cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and slice off the center to remove the seeds. For large hothouse cucumbers you may want to further cut the quarters into eights lengthwise. Then cut into two-inch long pieces. Add the salt and garlic then mix well. Refrigerate the cucumbers for about 30 minutes.

When ready to serve drain the salt extracted juice from the cucumber pieces and arrange on a plate. Be sure to retain the garlic. Pour the sesame oil over the cucumber and serve chilled.

Credit:http://www.redcook.net/

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

Saturday at Whitetail

I spent the better part of last week organizing a daytrip for 8 of my friends to Whitetail, PA for a day of snowboarding/skiing. It was only a couple hours away, and they griped about leaving at 8:30am (babies), but we all arrived around 10am, ready for a day on the slopes.

I’d heard from other people that east coast slopes couldn’t compare at all to Tahoe; everything I heard was right. The mountain was more like a hill, the bunny slope was about 20 feet long, the blacks felt like blues, blues felt like greens, the runs were icy with a thin blanket of manmade powder despite it having snowed the night before, and the ticket was still $63. At least I got to snowboard!

We had a pretty good group, ranging from first-timers to more experienced folks. Laura (the annoying/weird girl from work) and I went with Andrew and Jared on the more advanced runs. The rest of the group stuck to greens and blues. We spent a few hours with them in the afternoon, and Laura and I tried to give Gabe (a newbie to snowboarding) some pointers; it was hard because he’s goofy, but he picked it up pretty well! Even though the runs were icy, the relatively easy grade of the mountain gave me courage to try the only double black at the resort. I ended up feathering down half the run because it was too icy to do anything else, but was able to zip down the rest without too much difficulty. In all, I didn’t have any major falls, just semi-falls where I sat down, kept sliding, and got right back up. The only boo-boos that happened were 1) accidentally ran over a kid on skis because he turned right as I turned left, and 2) having a 4-person fall while getting off the lift, since Gabe, Denise, and Andrea all decided to go towards the center and crash into everybody.

I really do miss having mountains that have back trails, where the moguls aren’t blocks of ice, where falling doesn’t mean sliding for over 75 feet. Despite my complaints last season, I now miss lifts that only take you halfway up the mountain, then going to a different lift for the summit, because it means the summit is too high for one lift to go straight up. I guess you have to make do with what you’ve got though; even though the mountains here stink, I plan on going much more this season, otherwise I’ll go out of my mind!

The group posing for a photo before hitting the slopes. Jared, Andrew, Laura, Denise, me, Danielle. Red seemed to be the color of choice this season, and it was kind of hard to tell Andrew and Jared apart sometimes.

At the summit; Whitetail was similar in size and grade to the surrounding hills, so you can see that nothing was too steep.

Laura, Jared, and me at the top, right before sunset. We stayed until about 8pm to check out the night skiing, but it got so cold that we headed back to DC earlier than we planned.

I screwed up my courage and finally bought meat that hadn’t been processed. Ok, so it was individually-wrapped frozen chicken breasts from Costco, but I still defrosted them and cut the raw meat myself, so I’m rather proud. I made a stir-fry dish with the browned chicken, bell peppers, onions, a bit of minced garlic, and added black bean and garlic sauce

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

When Zen Isn't Zen

Last night I made granola.  What could possibly be more zen than making your own granola?  Except when your 11-year-old decides to pretend to be a dog and and other assorted animals in the kitchen while you’re trying to be zen and make granola.

Pretending to be a puppy is tolerable or even cute behavior in a toddler.  It’s less endearing in an 11-year-old.  Especially when you’re trying to make granola.  I did my best imitation of a mature mom and patiently told her that I was not enjoying her game and suggested that she sit on the stool and keep my company in the kitchen or play her animal game in another room.  For some reason, that didn’t work.  Ok, it never works.  At least not for me.  Finally, Little One changed tactics and asked if she could help with the granola.  Secretly, I wanted to say no, but I know that it’s good to have kids help with cooking so I said ok.  Little One happens to be a pretty good cook.  Unfortunately, Little One took it a step too far when my back was turned and I turned into Cursing Mommy.  Cursing Mommy refers to a piece written by Ian Frazier in the current issue of The New Yorker that Little One read this morning (The Cursing Mommy Cooks Italian) and found hilarious.  She probably didn’t find it quite as hilarious when her own mommy turned into Cursing Mommy.

Little One and I made our peace quickly, and the granola is pretty delicious.  And now you know how zen isn’t always zen.

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

The Winter of My Dish Content

Public domain photograph of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This is the winter of my dish content, made glorious . . . full formed, and finished and sent by dinner time into this breathing world.” With a nod to Mr. Shakespeare.

For most of my adult life, I’ve made Italian food for the holidays, often a seafood dish like spaghetti and clams for Christmas or New Years Eve and usually, a lasagna on Christmas Day.  I might make a ham, macaroni with ricotta, and a salad for New Year. Or, I might make something Greek, a moussaka or a pastitsio.The main reason for these selections was ease, not nostalgia or tradition. These are the kinds of dishes that are either easily and quickly assembled just before dinner time, or they lend themselves to preparation in advance. This really works when you juggle a job (sometimes more than one) and try to make a memorable day for your child, husband, and elderly parent. I’ve always had the theory that good times are emotional vitamins. Creating good memories strengthens us for the tough times, which are inevitable. So celebration is important and food is a natural part of celebration.

Since I’ve generally been the one with total responsibility for meals, I’m just delighted with our new, evolving traditions. The hallmark seems to be collaboration, and there isn’t anything more collaborative than making tamales. That’s just what we did this year. We thought it would be fun, even though none of us had ever prepared them before. First we mined the Internet for recipes. We got all the ingredients together, and I prepared the pork for the pork tamales ahead of time. Then we got together the Monday before Christmas to assemble and steam the tamales. Before we started work, we watched some YouTube video demonstrations to see exactly how the assembly is done. It was a good afternoon’s work, but no where near the project we expected it to be. In between forays into the chips, salsa, and guacamole, we made thirty-eight tomales, froze them, and defrosted only what we needed on Christmas Day. Maybe next year we’ll do tamales again.  Maybe not.  No matter. Warm collaboration will always make for a winter of dish content, even if the dish were just a simple bowl of rice.

[Via http://musingbymoonlight.com]