We just watched the Canadian women’s hockey team win gold. I was sad for the team from USA, but I also thought that they should have been trained in how to show good sportsmanship. The crowd was dying to support them, as you could tell from their response to the few US women who bothered to wave to the fans. Every time one of them tried to smile past her disappointment and look up and out the crowd went wild. I also wasn’t too impressed when I heard that the US team had already ordered the gold label bubbly for the after-game party… Guess they’ll be sending that back. They skated well and played a tough game. Tonight, however, it was Canada’s night.
Bethany:
A print of a dog
This is a dog print that I saw on the way to my bus stop.
Cat:
Thanks, Michael and Sylvia
This is a loaf of bread that I baked tonight (as Bethany would say). Michael can take credit for providing the actual method and recipe via his Facebook entry, but Sylvia deserves some of the credit for talking about baking bread and bringing bread baking books with her to the kids’ pottery class, and thus planting the seeds generally.
Andrew:
Standby to roll record....
Yes I know this is an “audio” tape instead of a more proper and dignified video tape. But I wanted to celebrate my brother-in-law’s other line of work as an audio mastering engineer. Chris probably has never even used tapes like this as he was already in the digital age when he was taking classes. This is 5000 ft of 10.5″ tape for 12 tracks of audio. They also had 2″ reels that could hold 24 tracks, which was more standard. Nice to look at on the wall.
Ever since we went to San Diego last November, I have been craving the fresh, warm, paper-thin tortillas they had served with our breakfast at The Green Flash.
These weren’t exactly them, but a healthier alternative which fit the bill. They were moist, not too flour-y, pliable, and mostly: fresh, warm, and paper-thin.
In the whole dinner-scheem of things, they didn’t take too long to make. I used a combination of Wheat Flour and All Purpose Flour; the inital recipe called for two cups of White Whole Wheat Flour of which, I didn’t have on hand. Even with the labor and the substitution of ingredients, it was still quicker than running to the grocery store - my nemesis.
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
1 C Wheat Flour
1 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 t Salt (but I will use more next time)
3 T Olive Oil
2/3 C Warm Water
Combine flours and salt in medium mixing bowl or food processor. Mix in oil and then warm water (with the machine running, if using a processor). Let sit, covered, for 20 minutes.
The real directions say to turn the dough out onto a “lightly floured surface,” but when I have made tortillas in the past they were really dry because of the excessive flour.
So, I turned them out onto a non-floured surface. I found there was just enough oil in the mixture to keep it from gluing itself to the countertop.
Cut dough into eight equal pieces. (Cut in half. Then cut the halves in half. then cut those halves in half again and there you have eight almost equal pieces).
Pat each piece of dough into a four-inch disk. Place on the countertop and roll out using a rolling-pin. Because I didn’t use any flour on the countertop, I continuously had to flip the dough over. I flipped and rolled each piece five or six times, or until it was about 1mm thick.
Place rolled-out dough onto griddle, and cook on medium high heat (I had mine set at 350°) for no longer than 30 seconds per side. If you leave it cook for too long, it will turn out like thin crispy flatbread.
Once it goes onto the cook top - you’ll have to work quickly to get out the wrinkles, as they cook pretty fast. This is where smaller tortillas might be easier to work with.
To Flip, I just grabbed the edge of the tortilla with my fingers. You could use tongs or a large spatula too. To keep the tortillas warm, place flat on a plate and cover with a towel.
To keep them, place them in a large ziplock bag and lay flat in the fridge. They reheat nicely in the microwave.
My adorable God Daughter Bella is leaving Long Beach and moving to Missouri. I’m so sad I wont get to see her cute little face whenever I want =( I made her and her mom Lisa a goodbye dinner tonight… Bella liked it!
On the menu for tonight was thin sliced chicken breast with plum sauce & cilantro, mashed sweet potato with pecans and garlic lemon green beans. For dessert I made home made ice cream sandwiches with chocolate chip cookies & sugar free butter pecan ice cream.
I’ve been at home with the GeekBaby for the past week. Half of my two week “vacation” is already gone. It’s my first real experience of stay at homedom. And instead of cleaning or organizing or laundry or doing anything really useful at all, I’ve been cooking up a storm. I miss the lab bench an awful lot.
This week will have the added fillip of my needing to get some actual work-work done while I’m at home. I have 24 hearts worth of histology pictures that need myocyte diameters measured. This sounds more glamorous than it actually is. I’d like to get them all done, but it depends on the whims of my child.
But all these things aside, I find staying at home isn’t much different than going to the lab.
See, working as a research assistant for six or seven years turns out to be excellent practice for motherhood. Whining crying children or whining crying postdocs? The only difference is the power dynamics, at home I’m nominally in charge. Okay, that’s absolutely untrue. In both environments you must stop whatever you’re doing to tend to your postdoc and/or baby. Immediately.
Research assistants also learn about doing dishes that they didn’t make dirty, and picking up other people’s messes, and cleaning up other people’s toxic spills, taking people to the emergency room because they did something unsafe and are now paying for it… the list goes on and on! It’s practically the same job.
So I’ve been soothing my science-y bits with lots of cooking. I made my first ever batch of candy – fleur de sel caramels – and burnt my thumb with molten sugar doing it. I invented a crock pot minestrone recipe. Today I’m doing crab cakes. And to avoid completely overwhelming this blog with cooking, I’m blogging about all the cooking over at Om Nom Nom…
I’ve done more cooking than blogging. GeekBaby lets me cook, since it means he gets to eat. Blogging does not directly translate into eating, so he crawls into my lap whenever I try. Like he’s doing now. I guess it’s time to go.
From what I’ve read, exclusive pumping is the toughest way to feed your baby compared to breastfeeding and formula feeding. From personal experience, it’s certainly time consuming because I’m, more or less, doing both – expressing the milk and feeding my daughter from the bottle. All the benefits of breastfeeding with all the hassle of formula feeding. Time consuming means more need for multi-tasking and short cuts. Today was an especially busy one: laundry, shopping, professional job (I work part time from home), aside from baby duties. And of course we have to eat. My husband is a great cook and shares in the cooking duties, but tonight, and many nights, dinner was on me. Quick and easy for me not only means fast to prepare but also fast clean up, which means few pots and pan. In this case, I turn to the entree salad and tonight I made chicken salads with apples, nuts and blue cheese. The most painful part is the chicken, and tonight I relied on the store-bought rotisserie chicken or as my husband calls it, the cheater chicken. Combine all the components with a light dressing and I feel like I’m contributing the the weight loss of my pregnancy and getting a nutritious meal that will give me the energy to pump and do everything else that supermoms do.
ABOUT THE FRUGAL & FUN FORT WORTH WEEKEND EDITION ~ Each Friday, we post ideas for FREE (or almost free) weekend entertainment
for you and your family. This weekend’s tips include:
• FREE Family Fun, VeggieTales Movie Premier • FREE Pottery Barn Decorating Class • FREE Elmo’s Birthday Party and Storybook Reading
• FREE Cooking Technique Class at Williams-Sonoma
Frugal Weekend Entertainment Option #1
Take in a FREE Movie at the VeggieTales Premier of Pistachio:
The Little Boy that Wouldn’t ~ Keller Saturday, February 20, 2010
Bring your friends and family to the premier of the newest Veggie Tales
movie, Pistachio: The Little Boy that Woodn’t. Northwood Church in Keller
is hosting a pre-release showing of Pistachio on Saturday, February 20th.
The event is FREE and everyone is welcome at this family friendly community
event. Click here to get a preview of the movie.
Details, Details What: This new VeggieTales adventure teaches the importance of
family and obeying parents. Learn more about the movie and premier
at 817.431.2088, x129 or click here. When: Saturday, February 20, 2010 ~ 6:30-7:30pm Where: Northwood Church in Keller, 1870 Rufe Snow Dr.
(Rufe Snow & N. Tarrant Pkwy). For directions, click here. Cost: FREE!
::
Frugal Weekend Entertainment Option #2
Learn New Decor Tips at a FREE Pottery Barn Decorating Class Saturday, February 20, 2010
Get new ideas for freshening up your living room for Spring!
Join Pottery Barn for a fun in-store class, where they will share helpful
tips for creating a great living room space. This week’s demonstrations
will teach the art of arranging furniture, choosing lighting accents, and
accessorizing for comfort and style.
Details, details What: For more information, click here. When: Demonstrations take place all day, February 20. Where: Click here to find a Pottery Barn store near you. Cost: FREE!
::
Frugal Weekend Entertainment Option #3
FREE Elmo’s Birthday Party and Storybook Reading at Borders. Saturday, February 20, 2010
How Fun! Borders Books and Music is hosting a special birthday party for
Elmo and the kids! Activities include storytime, fun activities and more.
Details, details When: Saturday, February 20, 2010 ~ 11:00am Where: Borders Books and Music, in the Children’s Area.
Directions to your local Borders can be found by clicking here. Cost: FREE!
::
Frugal Weekend Entertainment Option #4
Take a FREE Cooking Technique Class at Williams-Sonoma Sunday, February 21, 2010
Learn a new cooking technique!
Winter time is a perfect time to get in the kitchen and try something new.
This week’s lesson at Williams-Sonoma will demonstrate new techniques,
ingredients, and recipes including how to make some old favorite comfort
foods in a fresh new way. You’ll get an opportunity to try delicious
samples, too (My mouth is already watering!)!
Note: You’ll want to call to reserve your spot since class size is limited.
Details, details
What: For more information, click here. When: Sunday, February 21 ~ 1 hour class times vary from store to store. Where: Click here to find a Williams Sonoma store near you. Be sure
to call your local store to RSVP. Cost: FREE!
Enjoy!
Want to keep up with fresh ways to save money
and button down the family finances?
Subscribe to Frugal in Fort Worth now. It’s FREE!
Did you find these savings tips helpful? Please let us know in the
comments section or forward this site to others!
Though Jingle linked to my new poetry project, I wanted to put out a new poem for her Thursday rally, just to keep up with the spirit of new-ness and give an introduction to my acceptance of her kindness.
Circle of Friends
Billy!
I will be accepting the Circle of Friends Award as well as Billy’s Blogtastic Friends Award 2010 from her. I’m not so very good at the passing on and commenting bit, but I will do my best to get around to everyone. If I may, I’m going to switch around and do something special for the both of them in conjunction with today’s rally. I haven’t been feeling well, this week, but I’ve gotten well-wishes from my friends here and everyone has still come to visit me – this grants me happiness the likes of which words scantily describe, but I shall try my best. This poem is dedicated to my circle of blogtastic friends – you know who you are, as you come and join me in this wonderful conversation we have started, you and I. I consider you deep friends, even if I’m a bit phantasmal at times…it’s simply because I am in the process of a transformation. To most accurately describe such a process to you, dear ones, well…it will require a bit of wordsmithing, and I’ll never pass that up.
Thank you Billy, Jingle, Kokot, Isha, Beth, Leslie, and Brian specifically for taking the time to allow me to catch up with you. Everyone has such busy schedules that it amazes me what you guys accomplish – I wish to be more like all of you, and so this is for you and everyone here, my friends. :)
Love’s Song Be My Guide
~
Fearing what’s below—
Living on the edge—
Staring at a ledge—
What I do not know—
Filling up my mind—
Something is inside—
That I can’t abide—
Restless sleep I find.
~
Walking in the snow—
Who am I today—
Would I want to stay—
Movements now are slow—
Something is inside—
That which is unclear—
I am taught to fear—
That I cannot hide.
~
Sure it is not me—
Subtle jagged patch—
Eyes could never catch—
Wish I could not see—
Glimpses of the thing—
Something is inside—
Ward it though I tried—
Steals my right to sing.
~
Absence of the touch—
Weakness of my skin—
Little things and such—
Can’t contain within—
Exits through my tears—
Something is inside—
Through a darkness peers—
Light that would reside.
~
Empty I am not—
Innocence has come—
Feelings I have caught—
Knowing not where from—
Maybe never left—
Something is inside—
Hidden in some cleft—
Bandage now applied.
~
Treble is my soul—
Two halves of a heart—
Bass to make it whole—
Sorrow when apart—
Play in minor keys—
Feelings to appease—
Something is inside—
Calling to the tide.
~
Melding lullaby—
Sometimes need to cry—
Then we need to laugh—
Joining in the staff—
Harmony one day—
Melody to play—
Something is inside—
Love’s song be my guide.
~
On a final note, I have continued my food odyssey So I shall give you a couple more tastes of yumminess. First is actually my wife, Joanna’s, creation: some lovely Hot Cross Buns -
Hot Cross Buns!
To drink with it, something I came up with while watching “Kseverny in the Kitchen” (that should totally be the name of one of the segments of your roadshow, Kokot ^^): Chocolate-covered Strawberry milk! -
ChocStrawberry Milk
If you’re not too full of buns (and still have plenty of milk ^^), then the main breakfast shall be this lovely Homemade Waffle with a reduction sauce of Fried Banana and Butterscotch Schnaps. Enjoy!
Pictures of the progress on the rocket stove we are building.
Hot Water Tank
Part of the water heater will serve as a stand. The other part will be the outer shell of the stove.
Still to do: Add some support and embellishments. Cut a hole in the side for the feed tube (where the sticks will be inserted). Create the cooking surface on the top of the stove. Construct the inner wall of the stove (will be out of stainless steel). Add insulating material (vermiculite? some type of gravel?). Finish the exterior with paint suitable for high temps.
Tonight my better half informed me, gesturing toward the recently received Playboy magazine on the table “they have recipes in there!”
He had started chuckling before I could even finish asking “For what?”
After we had a good laugh, my curiosity got the better of me. Being the logical female that I am, I checked the table of contents. Hm…something about….fish.
I thumbed through an endless sea of bronze boobs, past a poem by Stephen King, and finally located the “School of Fish” article between the centerfold and the big section of naughty cartoons.
Behold, sushi! “Tuna & Avocado Cubes” or “Miso Black Cod and Spinach Goma-ae”.
Both recipes seem accessible, employing easy techniques and reasonably available ingredients. I’m tempted to try one, or both, so that I can add “cooking with Playboy” to my resume.
I saw a few articles I might have to go back and read too…
The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices
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IThe Spice Kitchen/i offers more than one hundred delicious recipes for using herbs and spices to add vibrant flavors to your food at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any time in between. From Spiced Yogurt and Granola Parfaits, to Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon-Balsamic Vinaigrette, Spiced Guacamole, Tarragon Chicken Potpie, Clove Spiced Caramel Corn, and more, this exciting cookbook is full of inventive recipes, information, and tips for using herbs and spices. Best of all, the recipes are easy and fuss free–a must for busy home cooks who want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time at the family table. And with dozens of full-color photographs and illustrations, IThe Spice Kitchen/i is as beautiful as it is practical.PIThe Spice Kitchen/i changes everything, using herbs and spices to add special twists to favorite family recipes, from macaroni and cheese, to burgers, chicken salad, deviled eggs, and much more. It’s the only all-purpose cookbook for spicing up everyday meals. Not just exotic extras, spices from around the world make it easier–and much more fun–to turn out delicious and healthy food. The simple but flavorful recipes and ideas in IThe Spice Kitchen/i will make old family favorites new again–and bring everyone to the table.
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The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices CustomerReview
I collect pounds cook and does not disappoint when it is not only a limit and comes with colorful recipe. If you pass, you will notice that the information and stories that are all sort of interesting enough to repeat to others. There was so much information on the use of spices and beliefs of the story that made me laugh sometimes, because he was very curious and interesting, while br / time.br / If we had gone from informativeAspect of what you have is easy to prepare, who want a beginner cook, will be introduced with the spices, "practice" with. The recipes are simple and fairly rudimentary. Each expert cook who will be in their repertoire as this book does not expand is shocked! If you are not lovers of good food and the idea with rosemary, oregano, thyme, coriander, sage, is nervous, then this is the perfect title for your level.br / br / The book loses a star for me, because the authors SalesLunch on your website dried spices organic form TL standard, which is why the call for recipes teaspoons only. This book seems to be an indicator br / endeavor.br / or recommendations to a collector of cookbooks (like me nervous to use) or for the beginner who is cooking herbs and spices. The recipes are delicious, easy and a simple meal at home before your home if you have not already.
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My wife Anne had a craving for taco salad tonight, so she pulled up two money recipes: the first, a simple ground beef mixture:
1 pound of lean ground beef (I know, a real shocker – I normally hate ground beef)
2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
The second, another simple one, a cilantro-lime dressing:
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of Mexican oregano
salt to taste
Mix the ground beef and the spices in a bowl and then throw them into a hot pan that is capable of searing the meat. For me, that meant putting them in my beloved cast iron frying pan.
While the meat is doing its thing, put all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender and liquefy.
Finally, in whatever order you choose, place the following:
Had a great class last night about cooking kale–how to blanch it in salt water to remove the harshness and make it more tender. Then we used it in a well-received dish: Kale Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Sauteed Pears. At the end, however, someone asked if he should always blanch kale before using it. It seems he just sautes it, without first blanching, then tops it with lots of toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds.
That inquiry gave me another lesson in good answers and better answers to cooking questions.
In last week’s fresh cilantro example, I learned that the technically correct answer to a cooking question isn’t an absolute. On the continuum of possible cooking options, the technically correct answer may hold the “Best” position, but there are a lot of “Good” to “Better” options to the left of it that could produce perfectly satisfactory results.
In response to the kale question, I gave the technically correct answer: For tough characters like kale, blanching holds the “Best Cooking Technique” position because it has such a good success rate. But it would have been better if I had also shared two additional, key tenets for home cooks:
1. Do what works and what you can. If sauteing kale is something that you are comfortable doing, that you can do easily, that you actually do–and that produces food you like–then don’t ever give it up as long as it is healthful.
A Valentine for Your Heart: Kale Pizza
2. Accumulate, don’t replace. New techniques aren’t meant to replace current techniques that work. Instead, think of a new technique as just one more trick up your sleeve. So the next time you’re staring at a bunch of kale on the counter, hallelujah! You now have one more delicious way to fix it–a really good thing since kale is so power-packed and it’s in season in all winter long.
So happy kale eating and please leave a comment if you’d like a copy of the wonderful recipe we made: Kale Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Sauteed Pears.
By the way, I am going to experiment using the pizza topping with pasta (whole grain of course.) Maybe with extra olive oil and chicken or vegetable broth for a little sauciness. I’ll also revisit kale sauteing and see if I can come up with an even better answer for next time.
My husband is looking for a recipe to make on valentine’s day…
He’s so amazingly thoughtful.
(the photo shows him in the dark, in our bed searching on his iPhone).
Until next time…
Your friendly neighborhood SuperWife.
Let’s keep this simple. Garlic bread is delicious, easy to make, and inexpensive. There are 2 common methods to making it:
Butter – some people prefer the taste
Olive oil – healthier for you
What I propose is this. Whatever you’re eating with that garlic bread is probably Way fattier than a little bit of melted butter… so why sacrifice flavor for a few calories? Olive oil does add flavor too, however, which is why I use both!
There are 2 important things to remember with garlic bread.
Use soft butter, not melted. If it’s melted, you’ll have to pour it instead of spreading it and that’s just an accident waiting to happen.
Broil instead of baking. Broiling ensures that the top is cooked nicely but the rest of the bread doesn’t burn in the process.
Ingredients:
Butter
1 baguette or loaf of french or Italian bread
Garlic (minced)
Olive oil
Fresh parsley
Optionally: you can add oregano, cheese, rosemary, or basil. Experiment with it!
Process:
Mix the softened butter, olive oil, and minced garlic in a small bowl.
Add in any seasonings or herbs.
Cut the loaf of bread lengthwise in half.
Spread the garlic butter over the bread evenly.
If you’re adding cheese, now’s the time to sprinkle it.
Place both halves of the bread on a baking pan or cookie sheet.
Broil in an oven for 15 minutes or so.
Cut up and enjoy!
If you don’t eat all of it, wrap up the remaining bread in aluminum foil and throw it in the refrigerator. Just throw it in the microwave for a few seconds when you feel like polishing it off.
Short, sweet, and to the point. And, as always, in no particular order.
What have we come to? Please enlighten me.
1. Leggings as pants. Girls, I get it. They’re comfy. I agree. But does it need to be spelled out for you? Leggings are not pants! I have a rule (I’m sure I got it from somewhere, but I’m not exactly sure where): leggings can be worn alone if your shirt covers half of your bottom end. If not, you need to put something else on. A long sweater will work. Or perhaps a pair of Levis. But leggings with a short tee? Don’t do it.
2. Valentine’s Day. The day, not the movie. I’m not usually a holiday scrooge, but I make an exception for this one. I just don’t understand. Would someone care to enlighten me? What is it that makes February 14 more special than February 15?
3. Constant pessimism. This one isn’t really something I don’t get. It’s more something I just hate, and I think everyone knows an eternal pessimist. I know a couple. Every time I’m forced to sit through an hour of constant complaints, I want to slap them! Can your life really be so horrible that you have not one nice thing to say? I mean, maybe if you smiled and saw the glass as being half full once in a while you’d be a little happier. So listen up pessimists: keep it to yourself. I don’t want to hear it.
4. Cooking shows. My sister watches The Food Network all the time. Sometimes I see something that looks good, and then I want to bake. But more often I’m just confused by the whole thing. Isn’t this why we have recipes? I mean, do we really need to watch someone go through all the steps in their fancy kitchen when we can read it all from a book or website? One woman even wears heels while she’s cooking. Who does that?
5. Twitter. This one is a little hypocritical, I guess. I use Twitter. Increasingly often, too. I don’t really get it though. First of all, it took me a long, long time to finally figure out how to “talk” to people. Then it took me even longer to figure out how to see the responses that you get. I think the draw for a lot of people is the celebrity factor. You can talk to celebrities and they can talk back to you, just like friends. I dunno though… I’m not sure I can walk away from it now, but I don’t really get it either.
On a more positive note…
1. Lists. I’ve always been a lists kinda girl. It’s such a simple way to organize your life. So when I was in Vancouver and saw the Listography books, I nearly died. It’s literally your life in lists. I’m partial to the music one (that would be my life in playlists). Worth a look if you’re not familiar.
2. Lost. I just did a post about this, so I won’t nag about it. For those who watch, you know why I’m addicted. For those who don’t, you’re missing out.
3. Vintage and consignment. I’ve never fancied myself a vintage clothes shopper, and certainly not a consignment store junkie. However, I came across a few stores over the weekend that changed me. My favorite of the bunch is called Fashionably Yours. It’s an upscale consignment shop, and it’s incredible! I was hooked from the moment I saw a pair of nearly-new charcoal grey D&G pumps for $250. Yes, that’s right, $250. Unfortunately for me (though slightly better for my wallet) they were half a size too small. But you can bet that I’ll be returning to the store come spring to stock up on cute summer dresses!
4. Flickr. I found this site years ago, but I’ve recently started exploring it again. Each time I get inspired all over again. I cannot wait to get to Paris. Moi, mon Nikon, et La Ville-Lumière.
5. LTR. I seriously debated about not putting this on here, but what the hell. An entire blog dedicated to writing letters to Rob Pattinson. Glorious. I came across a reference to the blog (and it’s sister site, LTT) while searching for a certain partially-finished novel, and I googled it to find out more. As they say, the rest is history. It occasionally makes me do crazy things and question my sanity, but then I remember: that’s normal. It’s an awesome little world, and I’m so happy I found it.
So there we are. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Did I miss anything?
If Turkey has never had a Thanksgiving dinner, but was dry and mild, then this article may help you understand why. Sometimes it is simply used to the taste, but often it's down to how Turkey has been cooked – or was not adequately watered, or often enough, or was baked at the wrong temperature.
Some people mistakenly cook a turkey at a temperature too high, and keeps them in too long – you can leave a Turkey that is very dry andwell cooked. Although this is a taste less than ideal, is better than the alternative – a cooked turkey and food poisoning.
The right way to cook a turkey
In general, turkeys should be cooked to 325 degrees. Preheat the oven to try to keep It All Away – especially for curious children who may be inclined to play with the knobs on! Not groped to open the oven door when it's time to baste the turkey, as this allows the heat and slow cookingTrial.
You can rely on the directions of cooking to get an idea of how long should turkey to cook, but if you're a meat thermometer so much better. Plug it into the deepest part of Turkey to monitor the temperature. A turkey is fully cooked when the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. If it's anything less than this, put Turkey back a bit 'longer, as you might point your guests food poisoning if a turkey is cooked, and food poisoningdefinitely not fun!
There is a lot of mystery around what meditation is and what it means. I’ve been meditating somewhat regularly for the past three or four years, ever since I read Russell Simmons’ book, “Do You!,” (an incredible inspiration for any wanna be entrepreneur). For me, meditation is basically a prolonged period of intense concentration. It doesn’t sound particularly relaxing but the fascinating thing about concentrating intensely on one specific thing for a period of time is that you cease to stress about anything that would ordinarily make up the background chatter that is present in your mind when you’re not in deep concentration.
I began my meditation practices by concentrating heavily on my breathing (and I still do this from time to time). Breathing is a very relaxing thing to concentrate on – it has an innate peacefulness that makes it easy to concentrate on for 15-20 minutes. Ever since we started Coup de Taco though I have very rarely sat down for a typical cross-legged, breathing based meditation and instead I’ve found relaxation and the ability to center and ground myself while I’m cooking.
There are times in the kitchen when I’m cooking three or four dishes at once but every once in a while I get to focus on just one dish. Recently it’s been the Cuban black beans. I don’t really have a specific recipe for the beans and so I have to cook based on the smells, sights and taste of the dish as I progress. Instead of thinking while I’m cooking, I just look deeply into the pan. For five or ten minutes I don’t let anything enter my mind besides the very sight of the beans. For those minutes the world around me fades into nothingness and what’s left is just the beans. Even my own sense of self diminishes and I feel part of the beans rather than a person who is acting upon them. The beans become very alive to me – the color of the dish pops out starkly against the silver-gray of the pan. The smell of the dish becomes very potent and I can sense very subtle progressions in smell as well as sight as I pour each ingredient into the pot. I am guided naturally from ingredient to ingredient without a set plan – I am just moved by the smells and sight of the dish.
Importantly, the stress of my day fades away completely for these five to ten minutes while I’m concentrating on the dish because there is nothing else in the world to me at the time. For the moment, beans are everything and the rest of life is a dim white noise, barely noticeable in the background. If I was worried about the truck or a new dish or paying our employees, all of those things fade out and all that’s left is the smell, taste and sight of black beans simmering. It’s worth allowing yourself those five to ten minutes a day to concentrate strictly on one thing that brings only peacefulness and no anxiety. Best of all would be to concentrate that intensely on everything you ever are doing in an effort to beat back the background banter of your mind, which is the source of your anxiety.
For me, it’s very difficult to maintain that level of concentration all the time but at the very least I grant myself those few minutes of meditative cooking to release my mind from the anxiety of the rest of my life. It may just be five minutes of bliss but it sets my mood for the rest of the day.
Last night, I did something magical. I actually doubled our dinner so that I would have a second meal for later use. This allows me to schedule my laziness in advance. This tasty display is actually in my freezer right now.
It’s a Chili-Cheese Potato Casserole, by the way, made with lean ground turkey. No, it won’t end up fuzzy with chili-tasting freezer burn. The recipe comes from Once a Month Mom, who knows her poo when it comes to freezing food for later use.
I started cooking this thing with good intentions and very few ways to store it. The original plan was to freeze it in the pan we were eating out of. However, the more I stirred and seasoned, the more it looked like that idea wasn’t going to work. Thankfully, I had a throw-away pan on hand. I could actually use another set of Rubbermaid containers. They can take a serious beating. I know this from experience, since a few of them have fallen out of my freezer onto the tile floor multiple times — and they are still going strong!
Very Nice Rubbermaid Set for Under $20:
Rubbermaid 7J98 Easy Find Lid 24-Piece Food Storage Containers
More Once a Month Cooking Recipes That I’ve Tried:
Don’t Panic – Dinner’s in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead
Don’t Panic–More Dinner’s in the Freezer: A Second Helping of Tasty Meals You Can Make Ahead
It’s winter, which means our CSA box has apples. And more apples. Did I mention apples?
In an effort to use up the apples, I decided to make applesauce. Nothing special, I took 3 – 4 pounds of the apples we had (fiji’s, red delicious, and others) chopped them and cooked them down. I did add a cinnamon stick, a little nutmeg and 2 – 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Apples
I cooked until they were mushy and then processed for canning.
Even better, last night I used the applesauce as the filling for some apple turnovers. We usually have squares of puff pastry in the freezer so I defrosted 2 of those. Add a little bit of apple filling, make a triangle, crimp, milk wash, bake at 400 for 20 minutes or so. Serve warm with a little vanilla ice cream.
It worked well. The pastry was savory rather than sweet, so next time I might sprinkle some coarse sugar on the outside before baking. But it was very tasty.
Have at least as many apples again, so will probably make more applesauce this weekend. Particularly given we’re getting another big rainstorm and the weather is going to be miserable.
I heart coffee and coffee hearts me. But I think my insides deserve a breakfast that gives back a little more than some caffeinated pep in my step.
Over the Christmas holidays while I was gorging on salted peanuts, salted triscuits and red wine I started to feel really bloated and instead of eating better (nizzle say whut?) I decided to fantasize about being a super healthy raw food vegan. I watched this almost cultish video on the raw food lifestyle called Raw for Life . This movie, full of these energentic, passionate raw foodies hailing the electrifying powers of raw food sucked me right in. Listening the benefits of something as simple as increasing the amount of greens one eats made alot of sense to me. Green is good! So I decided then and there that when I returned home I would explore the raw lifestyle – I also acknowledge that peanuts are not raw so our love affair was coming to an end. Note to self: increase peanut consumption while you can.
When I returned home I was magically gifted with a friends used Vitamix which I’ve come to believe is almost a requirement for successfully eating raw. (This used Vitamix was nice because not only did I save a couple hundred bucks I didn’t purchase anything new. Woot!
So far the Vitamix has been great and I have been drink a ton of greens. After alot of thought I realized that I could not commit to the raw lifestyle but I could improve my eating habits by stuffing my face with more raw veggies vs those lovely salted nuts.
Green Breakfast Smoothie
* This is an ever changing recipe so be creative!
2-4 cups of greeny goodness (kale, spinach, collards etc)
1/2 cup of frozen fruit (blueberries or raspberries)
1 cup of vegan milk (I use almond or soy)
1 cup of veggies (carrots or zucchini seem to work best)
1-2 scoops of protein powder (I used pumpkin seed protein)
1-2 tbsp of ground flax (Omega III’s are your friends)
water (amount depends on whether or not you want a smooth smoothie or a chewy smoothie. Sometimes a chewy one makes you feel like you’re having a real meal.
Today, I am claiming a small victory at the grocery store!! I went in prepared and came out a victor. I matched my coupons up with what was on sale – especially the buy 10 save $5 items. Then ground beef was on sale (with my store saver card) and so was frozen chicken, both of which my family eats a lot of. Then I had some coupons for cleaning products – buy 2 get this product free (one of the options was on sale too). Then I had 2 coupons for a new product out – $1 off a package of toilet paper and a $1 off OR a free roll. So here is the list of what I got:
2 boxes store brand corn flakes, 96 oz. bleach, 12 rolls toilet paper made from recycled paper, 1.5 pt. ice cream, 3 boxes fiber granola bars, 6 bags fish crackers, 2 containers of disinfectant cleaning wipes, 3 lbs. store brand frozen chicken pieces, 1 lb. polish sausage, 8 lbs. ground beef
The grand total before discounts and coupons was about $82. I paid $33.27!! Yeah for me!! The store paid me $1 to take the toilet paper out of the store (they read the coupon wrong in my favor) and I got the bleach and cleaning wipes for $2.01. I know there are people out there who do a far better job playing the coupon game, but this was the best success I’ve had yet, so I just had to share. I’m learning and that’s what it’s all about!!
Now, on to my challenge to cook from what I have for the next 2 weeks (minus milk, bread and lunch meat). I have the menu planned and ready to go. I’ll let you know how it goes…
The attraction of kitchen utensils for the mail order dealer is that every household is a potential target. Saucepans, frying pans etc sold as matching sets can be promoted either as useful gifts or for the purchaser’s own use.
Detail the qualities for cooking purposes of the particular materials the pans are made of, stressing how easy it is to use and to clean them and how they enhance the excellence of whatever is being cooked — or whatever their virtues really are. High street shops tend to display their kitchenware in a rather unhelpful manner, leaving potential buyers with little upon which to base their buying decisions beyond appearance and price. Mail order can score by talking informatively to the intelligent cook.
Price/weight ratio is good for sets of items, and sometimes acceptable even for single items. After-sales problems should be few.
A well produced catalogue of items can be advertised in the classified columns. Particular items or sets can be sold off the page by well designed display advertising.
Follow-up possibilities include the complete range of kitchenware in particular and of household items in general.
When you have your first home, window-shopping never grows old; but without will-power, the looking could easily turn into buying. Thus, enter my conscience — my sister Sarah. She and I have a perfect system — don’t let the other buy anything unless they absolutely love it, need it, and can afford it. Whether we’re trying to add some decor to a bedroom or searching for the perfect pair of jeans, we’ll always turn to the other and ask, “What do you think?” And if the other responds with a hesitant, “Well, you might be able to do better,” the purchase is usually off. Besides, when you’re trying on clothes, it doesn’t hurt to have a supportive shopping-buddy by your side. With such a friend, if you feel fat while trying on an outft, it’s always the outfit’s fault and has absolutely nothing to do with you!
Late this afternoon, after hanging out with Sarah for an hour or two, I tidied up the house and did some dishes to pass the time away, as I had a writer’s group to attend this evening. It wasn’t until about 4pm that I realized that I didn’t have anything planned for supper… I have a weekly, food schedule that I follow and base my grocery shopping against. It’s the only way I can balance working 40 hours a week and making dinner every night. There’s a notebook stuck to our fridge, which lists what I plan on making when. This week, I somehow I over-looked Sunday. How I jumped from Saturday to Monday, I have no idea. How does one do that? I could understand if I maybe skipped over Monday by accident, but forget about Sunday?
I am blaming this predicament on the busy schedule of this week and do realize that it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. There’s no use crying over spilt milk, right? Oh, wait, we were out of milk too… Sooo, I honestly did feel frustrated, especially since I didn’t have time to go to the store and pick up some supper items. But the good thing is that we were able to use up the last of the left-overs. Thank goodness veggie chili makes a lot!!
Speaking of meal planning, I just started a spreadsheet for specific food items, so that I can organize the recipes I’ve made. For example, I have a specific page designated for chicken, beef, vegetarian, fish, dessert, and breakfast. I record the recipe name, the cookbook number (I designated numbers to my favorite cookbooks), the page number, and then check off the subcategories if the meal is company worthy, healthy, quick, or a make-ahead meal. That way, if I’m looking for a quick meal that’s good enough to serve company, I just pull out my spreadsheet and scan down the columns until I find a recipe that is checked off in those two categories. I’ve honestly only done this for two of my cookbooks up to this point, but I’m hoping to get more done because it saves me time in the long run!
Well, another week is here… Happy Monday in advance everybody!
Bring your friends and family to the premier of the newest Veggie Tales
What I propose is this. Whatever you’re eating with that garlic bread is probably Way fattier than a little bit of melted butter… so why sacrifice flavor for a few calories? Olive oil does add flavor too, however, which is why I use both!
It goes really well as a side with pasta!
