Cranberry sauce is really one of my favorite things about Turkey Day. The jellied straight-from-a-can kind, although I will eat other kids too. But I'm perfectly happy with the canned stuff - even better if you manage to remove it from the can and maintain the can shape, complete with ridges around the circumference that show the actual shape of the can.
I, um, don't really like turkey. Yeah, I'll eat it, particularly if you add some stuffing and gravy (the good kind, not watery crap). But I prefer ham. Honey glazed, spiral cut, please. Mmmm, ham. So many more leftover possibilities with ham, too. So this year my aunt is procuring the meats for the festivities, but maybe I'll manage to sneak away with a hunk o' leftover ham at the end.
Strange how I can be so captivated and enthralled by food while simultaneously feeling terrible morning sickness, all day long. But really - I haven't lost the desire to eat, or the appreciation of tasty foods. I just can't keep stuff down without lots of meds and a helluva lot of willpower. I'm incredibly dangerous at the grocery store, even as I keep careful track of the locations of bathrooms, just in case I am overcome with nausea. I've made two hungry-and-lacking-willpower grocery runs lately, so I'm well stocked with ice cream sandwiches, frozen Italian ices, cocoa, and enough ingredients to make a batch of cookies every day from now until New Year's.
I got these wonderful Heath toffee chocolate baking bits and can't wait to make cookies with them. I actually bought a bag of these last month, too, but Hubs found them and surreptitiously pilfered and snacked until they were gone. I have to watch him. He does this with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips too - and then I get ready to make scotchies (the oatmeal butterscotch cookie recipe on the bag o' butterscotch chips) and find I have no chips.
Did I mention how delicious butterscotch chips are when added to pancakes? I think I like them even better than chocolate chip pancakes.
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
A Most Excellent Day
Hubs got it this year. No boxes of assorted chocolates, which I've never liked that much. A sweet, thoughtful card. A new hand mixer (!) to replace the one that died a couple of months ago. And a label maker. I think the label maker is my favorite. Have I mentioned my love of office supplies? Now I can label my stuff. And the kids' stuff. I'm excited! He did very well this year.
I hope he liked his presents. I made him an appointment for a massage, which he said he really enjoyed, and I got a rolling laundry hamper for our room. And a couple of movies on DVD that he will hopefully enjoy.
Today has been a very low-key day. My sweet Big Girl is still sick, coughing and dripping and miserable, and she has a bad raw area around her nose from a bit of rough treatment with the tissues. I got her the soft ones, but she's a little too fervent in her nose-wiping sometimes. I'm trying to teach her to pay and blow, not wipe so hard, but her little nose is pitiful and raw.
Two may be getting it too. He has coughed a few times - no nose issues yet, knock on wood. The way the two of them play together and love on each other (when not wrestling), they tend to share all of their germs freely. Fortunately they're out of school next week, so there's plenty of time for them to rest and recover.
I made monte cristo sandwiches for dinner, at Hubs' request. They were good. I even used Wonder Bread for him - he purchased a loaf for that purpose, although I would never buy the stuff. I like good, hearty wheat breads. But the results were good, despite the questionable "bread" he required. We also ate well earlier with Hubs' special French toast, so that this day was a steady progression of unhealthy and tasty foods. The kids ate too many tractor snacks and were briefly wild and energized. They're addicted to them, and are also really stocked about the new Wonder Pets snacks, too (have I mentioned that Two can sing the entire Wonder Pets theme song? in addition to childhood classics like Twinkle, Twinkle).
I hope he liked his presents. I made him an appointment for a massage, which he said he really enjoyed, and I got a rolling laundry hamper for our room. And a couple of movies on DVD that he will hopefully enjoy.
Today has been a very low-key day. My sweet Big Girl is still sick, coughing and dripping and miserable, and she has a bad raw area around her nose from a bit of rough treatment with the tissues. I got her the soft ones, but she's a little too fervent in her nose-wiping sometimes. I'm trying to teach her to pay and blow, not wipe so hard, but her little nose is pitiful and raw.
Two may be getting it too. He has coughed a few times - no nose issues yet, knock on wood. The way the two of them play together and love on each other (when not wrestling), they tend to share all of their germs freely. Fortunately they're out of school next week, so there's plenty of time for them to rest and recover.
I made monte cristo sandwiches for dinner, at Hubs' request. They were good. I even used Wonder Bread for him - he purchased a loaf for that purpose, although I would never buy the stuff. I like good, hearty wheat breads. But the results were good, despite the questionable "bread" he required. We also ate well earlier with Hubs' special French toast, so that this day was a steady progression of unhealthy and tasty foods. The kids ate too many tractor snacks and were briefly wild and energized. They're addicted to them, and are also really stocked about the new Wonder Pets snacks, too (have I mentioned that Two can sing the entire Wonder Pets theme song? in addition to childhood classics like Twinkle, Twinkle).
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Not quite the same...
I'm making the Barefoot Contessa recipe for Pear, Apple, and Cranberry Crisp that I mentioned in a previous post, only things never go according to plan around here. Craisins are a popular snack food among the natives, and I discovered that the bag of craisins I bought for this recipe have been devoured. I have three suspects, and it's likely a conspiracy. Fortunately I had a very large container of raisins, and plenty of them are left.
Then, as I got to the topping portion of the recipe, I discovered that Hubs had used the last of the butter. In fact, the fridge is looking suspiciously bare on several fronts. So he's bringing more home when he gets back from the library, and I'll be able to finish the recipe. We'll have it for dessert this evening, after the herbed pork tenderloin with rice and carrots. I'm feeling positively domestic!
Then, as I got to the topping portion of the recipe, I discovered that Hubs had used the last of the butter. In fact, the fridge is looking suspiciously bare on several fronts. So he's bringing more home when he gets back from the library, and I'll be able to finish the recipe. We'll have it for dessert this evening, after the herbed pork tenderloin with rice and carrots. I'm feeling positively domestic!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Pears and Apples, Oh My!
Big Girl and I went to the grocery store this afternoon, and I discovered that Gala apples and pears were both on sale. So I came home with a big bag of each, and now I have to figure out what to do with them. I just made two apple pies, one of which Hubs took to our delightful neighbors - we love to share food back and forth with them - so I could make another pie, considering how quickly Hubs is devouring the remaining pie. I would love to try my hand at some apple bread, like the deliciously sweet stuff they sell at orchard shops in the mountains east of here. I think I may try a tart of some kind with some of the pears. Mmmm. I'm getting hungry just thinking of the possibilities.
I've been tempted to make some apple butter. It would be a huge undertaking but I love it. Hubs' family used to make it when he was younger, before we were married, when they still lived on their farm in Virginia. It was delicious just spread on warm bread, and I was so sad to see the last jar go, since I knew the chances of them making any more were so slim.
If I had a support staff, I would do so many more things in the kitchen. The main factors that deter me are having children underfoot, having too little room on counters, and getting a backache from standing up to peel or chop fruit and/or vegetables.
I've been tempted to make some apple butter. It would be a huge undertaking but I love it. Hubs' family used to make it when he was younger, before we were married, when they still lived on their farm in Virginia. It was delicious just spread on warm bread, and I was so sad to see the last jar go, since I knew the chances of them making any more were so slim.
If I had a support staff, I would do so many more things in the kitchen. The main factors that deter me are having children underfoot, having too little room on counters, and getting a backache from standing up to peel or chop fruit and/or vegetables.
The Documentary Channel
In one of our regular afternoons of nerdy indulgence, Hubs and I watched a documentary on (ha, ha) The Documentary Channel this afternoon: Sweet Misery - "The artificial sweetener, aspartame, is the bedrock of the diet industry. Found in everything from fizzy drinks to vitamin pills and marketed under a variety of different names, it is difficult to detect and even harder to avoid. But how safe is it' Does it really cause brain tumours, blindness and other serious illnesses' This shocking documentary investigates how the FDA came to approve such a potentially dangerous product."
Hubs has been cautioning me about artificial sweeteners since we started dating. I've gone through periods where I've listened to him, and other periods where I've tuned him out. But this film was quite compelling, and I dumped out the last of my 2-liter of Diet Coke by the end. Diet Coke isn't as good as classic Coke, anyway - and I know my dentist thinks I need to cut back on soda, given the little cavities I've been getting right at the top of my teeth along the gums. I'm very interested to see how I feel after a few days or weeks without Diet Coke and with as little possible of products containing artificial sweeteners. I try not to use too many products with aspartame anyway, but I think the film raised some serious questions about the long-term (and short-term) health implications of aspartame ingestion.
So, this is just another in a long line of developments and revelations regarding food that lead me to think we'd be better off cooking everything from scratch using natural ingredients. I need to investigate options for organic groceries in this area. Finding variety in organics will be tough, but I think I need to try. If we had the room/time/money/land, I'd definitely be more adventurous about growing my own food...
Hubs has been cautioning me about artificial sweeteners since we started dating. I've gone through periods where I've listened to him, and other periods where I've tuned him out. But this film was quite compelling, and I dumped out the last of my 2-liter of Diet Coke by the end. Diet Coke isn't as good as classic Coke, anyway - and I know my dentist thinks I need to cut back on soda, given the little cavities I've been getting right at the top of my teeth along the gums. I'm very interested to see how I feel after a few days or weeks without Diet Coke and with as little possible of products containing artificial sweeteners. I try not to use too many products with aspartame anyway, but I think the film raised some serious questions about the long-term (and short-term) health implications of aspartame ingestion.
So, this is just another in a long line of developments and revelations regarding food that lead me to think we'd be better off cooking everything from scratch using natural ingredients. I need to investigate options for organic groceries in this area. Finding variety in organics will be tough, but I think I need to try. If we had the room/time/money/land, I'd definitely be more adventurous about growing my own food...
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
White Chili recipe
This is one of several recipes that my college roommate shared with me recently. She's a big fan of the crock pot, particularly since it means a nice, hot meal at the end of a long workday. And this one sounds delicious!
White Chili
(This is really good, but requires a lot of chopping. We usually prepare everything the night before and combine the ingredients in the morning. We also cheat and use an alligator chopper rather than cutting by hand.)
3 15-oz. cans great northern, pinto and/or cannelloni beans, drained
2½ cups cooked chicken, chopped (we use boneless skinless breasts and just boil them)
1 cup chopped onion
1½ cups chopped red and/or yellow pepper
2 jalapenos, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dried oregano, crushed
3½ cups chicken broth
shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese (optional)
Combine beans, chicken, onion, peppers, jalapenos, garlic, cumin, salt and oregano. Stir in broth. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Ladle into bowls; top with cheese if desired.
White Chili
(This is really good, but requires a lot of chopping. We usually prepare everything the night before and combine the ingredients in the morning. We also cheat and use an alligator chopper rather than cutting by hand.)
3 15-oz. cans great northern, pinto and/or cannelloni beans, drained
2½ cups cooked chicken, chopped (we use boneless skinless breasts and just boil them)
1 cup chopped onion
1½ cups chopped red and/or yellow pepper
2 jalapenos, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dried oregano, crushed
3½ cups chicken broth
shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese (optional)
Combine beans, chicken, onion, peppers, jalapenos, garlic, cumin, salt and oregano. Stir in broth. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Ladle into bowls; top with cheese if desired.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
New plan...
I've been a bit disorganized and lackadaisical in my approach to blogging, and so I've decided to develop a plan, a schedule, as it were (I had a professor in college who used to say "as it were" all the time and it cracked me up). So, I'm going to incorporate a couple of regularly scheduled features into my blogging, in addition to my random stream-of-consciousness posts. Once a week, generally on Tuesdays, I'm going to start posting a recipe. And on Thursdays, I'll post about a book, either one I've read/am reading/want to read, or one that I like for the younger set. Since things are getting increaingly hectic IRL, and I'm trying to impose a little more order to that chaos, I'll bring a little more order to this place too. Feedback welcomed!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Glimpse of peace
After a long, trying day at home with the kids, I was rather frazzled and anxious. Two is in the midst of a particularly frustrating phase that involves challenging - nay, ignoring my authority. And Big Girl insists that she doesn't need naps anymore and yet becomes completely intolerable, short-fused, and whiny when I am unable to get her to take one. Hubs arrived home to find his daughter in time out and his son receiving a lecture on the wisdom of keeping one's hands out of a dirty diaper. Blech.
Starbucks had some sort of special today, whereby you received a stamp on your receipt for a purchase during the morning, which entitled you to buy a grande cold beverage in the afternoon for only $2. Hubs handed over his receipt and a few small bills and told me to go out and have a break. Sometimes he's a saint.
In a brief, relaxing respite, I acquired a grande mocha frappuccino with whipped cream on top (so indulgent), then visited the library to check out a couple of new books, and finally visited the grocery store. At my final stop, I found two fantastic deals that thrilled me, in a way that just confirmed to me that I am a big nerd who loves to find bargains: whole chickens, reduced as they neared their sell-by dates, which Hubs will smoke this weekend, plus some delicious Bertolli frozen meals on clearance. Sadly, the store probably won't carry that particular variety in the future, but for now, we have a nice stash of chicken with linguine and zucchini in a tomato sauce in the freezer, and several chickens and a couple of beef pot roasts as well. After I pick up my cheap Kellogg's cereal at Walgreens this week, I'll have a good stash for breakfast, too. Hubs is pleased with the meat stockpile. I just need some fresh fruits and vegetables for the kids and me, since we aren't as invested in the carnivore lifestyle that Hubs enjoys. I was only gone for about an hour, but it was fabulous.
Starbucks had some sort of special today, whereby you received a stamp on your receipt for a purchase during the morning, which entitled you to buy a grande cold beverage in the afternoon for only $2. Hubs handed over his receipt and a few small bills and told me to go out and have a break. Sometimes he's a saint.
In a brief, relaxing respite, I acquired a grande mocha frappuccino with whipped cream on top (so indulgent), then visited the library to check out a couple of new books, and finally visited the grocery store. At my final stop, I found two fantastic deals that thrilled me, in a way that just confirmed to me that I am a big nerd who loves to find bargains: whole chickens, reduced as they neared their sell-by dates, which Hubs will smoke this weekend, plus some delicious Bertolli frozen meals on clearance. Sadly, the store probably won't carry that particular variety in the future, but for now, we have a nice stash of chicken with linguine and zucchini in a tomato sauce in the freezer, and several chickens and a couple of beef pot roasts as well. After I pick up my cheap Kellogg's cereal at Walgreens this week, I'll have a good stash for breakfast, too. Hubs is pleased with the meat stockpile. I just need some fresh fruits and vegetables for the kids and me, since we aren't as invested in the carnivore lifestyle that Hubs enjoys. I was only gone for about an hour, but it was fabulous.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Yummy couscous recipe
I made this up myself. And I liked it, and lots of people at the church dinner really liked it too. First, I cooked three cups of couscous with water, butter, and salt according to the directions on the side of the container. Then, I sauted a chopped Vidalia onion in a skillet, with a tiny bit of olive oil, until it was nice and tender, and mixed the onion, a can of (drained) petite diced tomatoes, and a can of (drained) yellow corn with the couscous. I chopped about half a bunch of fresh cilantro and added that as well, plus a sprinkling of lemon pepper seasoning.
I served this chilled, since I had to make it in advance and store it in the church fridge for a couple of hours while I was herding kids, but I think warm would also be nice. This made a huge bowl - plenty for the potluck line plus plenty for us, too. I think next time, I'll cut back to two cups of couscous but keep the other ingredients the same, and that should work nicely. I may also experiment with other seasonings - I love the fresh cilantro, but I think that it might also taste yummy with some cumin (maybe if I toasted some cumin seeds and added them), or maybe lime juice instead of the lemon pepper.
The fresh cilantro made the whole kitchen smell divine. I just love that beautiful fresh smell. I have some cilantro left, so if I have the time before it wilts, I may make some black bean and corn dip. Love that stuff - a recipe my aunt found, I think in Southern Living a few years back. Because I can't resist the chance to tweak recipes to my liking, I make that recipe with Vidalia onions instead of purple ones (too strong), and no red bell pepper (me no likey). I'll track down that one and post it here for your enjoyment sometime soon.
I served this chilled, since I had to make it in advance and store it in the church fridge for a couple of hours while I was herding kids, but I think warm would also be nice. This made a huge bowl - plenty for the potluck line plus plenty for us, too. I think next time, I'll cut back to two cups of couscous but keep the other ingredients the same, and that should work nicely. I may also experiment with other seasonings - I love the fresh cilantro, but I think that it might also taste yummy with some cumin (maybe if I toasted some cumin seeds and added them), or maybe lime juice instead of the lemon pepper.
The fresh cilantro made the whole kitchen smell divine. I just love that beautiful fresh smell. I have some cilantro left, so if I have the time before it wilts, I may make some black bean and corn dip. Love that stuff - a recipe my aunt found, I think in Southern Living a few years back. Because I can't resist the chance to tweak recipes to my liking, I make that recipe with Vidalia onions instead of purple ones (too strong), and no red bell pepper (me no likey). I'll track down that one and post it here for your enjoyment sometime soon.
Going to whip something up...
What I really want to do is take a nap, but duty calls. I need to make something to take to the church picnic tonight, and then rouse the kids to take them to said church for fun and games before the meal. I have some couscous, diced tomatoes, corn, a sweet onion, and some fresh cilantro. I'll see what happens. I can always add some spices to liven things up if it doesn't taste good at first.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Yummy smells wafting through the house
Before I start this, can I just mention that I love the word "waft"? It definitely goes on my favorite word list.
The house smells delicious. I made a big pan of lemon bars this morning, and mingled with that - nicely mingled - is the smell of chili cooking in the crock pot. I'll be taking these items to church this evening to share for Wednesday Night Dinner, which this week is a potluck. Big girl has been eyeing the lemon bars and sniffing them with great interest since she got home (my dad kindly brought her home from preschool since Baby Boy was napping soundly at pickup time). The lemon bar recipe is another favorite from the Southern Living Cookbook. I'll post that recipe in a minute. As for the chili:
One pound ground chuck, browned
One medium sweet onion, chopped
Two large cans of diced tomatoes
Two cans of black beans, pilfered from my mom's kitchen since Hubs apparently used all of our canned beans
Chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste
I'll probably add a touch of flour mixed with water to thicken it up before I take it over. This is all cooking on high in the crockpot and the smell is delightful. Hubs considers himself a chili expert, but I like mine better. Sure, he wins all the chili cookoffs at work, but I always have to add sour cream to his chili so it's not so harsh on my sensitive digestive system.
Off to find that cookbook with the lemon bar recipe...
The house smells delicious. I made a big pan of lemon bars this morning, and mingled with that - nicely mingled - is the smell of chili cooking in the crock pot. I'll be taking these items to church this evening to share for Wednesday Night Dinner, which this week is a potluck. Big girl has been eyeing the lemon bars and sniffing them with great interest since she got home (my dad kindly brought her home from preschool since Baby Boy was napping soundly at pickup time). The lemon bar recipe is another favorite from the Southern Living Cookbook. I'll post that recipe in a minute. As for the chili:
One pound ground chuck, browned
One medium sweet onion, chopped
Two large cans of diced tomatoes
Two cans of black beans, pilfered from my mom's kitchen since Hubs apparently used all of our canned beans
Chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste
I'll probably add a touch of flour mixed with water to thicken it up before I take it over. This is all cooking on high in the crockpot and the smell is delightful. Hubs considers himself a chili expert, but I like mine better. Sure, he wins all the chili cookoffs at work, but I always have to add sour cream to his chili so it's not so harsh on my sensitive digestive system.
Off to find that cookbook with the lemon bar recipe...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
