The title of this blog are words to live by...at least for me. The more sour the lemons, the more wine is needed. I haven't written in a while for a number of reasons. First-Thanksgiving was CRAZY!!! By crazy I mean the wonderful kind of crazy that leaves you exhausted but wishing it would never end. There were endless amounts of food and even more fun with our families. Second-the end of November seemed to whiz by and I barely remember this first week of December. There were so many things to do. Between Home School meetings, school party planning, mall Santas and shopping, it has been a whirlwind. The third and main reason I haven't written is I wasn't sure what to say. I am a firm believer in being as honest as possible in my blog. It is hard to write honestly when you are not ready to face the truth within yourself, but after some time to think I'm ready... so here it goes.
In early October I went for a routine GYN checkup. The doctor who delivered the minis is no longer with the practice, so I figured I'd see one of the new doctors. After some complications and a trip to the emergency room, I ended up switching doctors and meeting the OB/GYN who probably saved my life. In early November, my new doctor found a large fibroid which required surgery. This was a routine surgery, or at least we thought so. During the course of the surgery, she thought something didn't look right to her and she was right.
Nothing good follows when a doctor says "I'm sorry to tell you this..." I was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer on Friday November 9th. Let's just say it is an awful feeling to wake up from anesthesia and be told that you have cancer, especially when there were never any suspicions of cancer beforehand. I can't even begin to describe the things that went through my mind when I heard those words and looked up to see my Mom and Murph standing beside my hospital bed. The doctor had spoken to them already and the look of shock and sadness on their faces only confirmed for me what I had thought was possibly anesthesia induced delusion.
And then I cried. And cried. And cried. And cried. I cried for the next week off and on. I cried every time Murph left for work. My Mom came the next morning to help me at home after the surgery and just to sit with me and hold me while I cried some more. I cried on Murph. I cried next to Murph. I cried on my Mom. I cried in the shower. I cried alone in bed. I cried every time Stina or Matthew smiled. I just kept hearing the words in my head..."I'm so sorry Dana. You have cervical cancer." I felt as if I was watching someone else's terrible life or the worst Lifetime movie ever, and I was the main character. Stina believed I had a bad migraine (which I had also). My sister changed her Thanksgiving flight and came a week early and stayed through Thanksgiving, and I really cried.
I finally stopped crying after my follow up to the surgeon. She said they believed it was early stage and set me up with an oncologist. I saw the oncologist the week after Thanksgiving and she is wonderful. I wish I didn't ever have to meet her, but I guess if this is the way it is, I am happy she is my doctor. She preliminarily staged me at stage 1B and recommended a radical hysterectomy for the week after New Year's. I cried again. Murph and I had no intention of having another baby, but now I knew the option would be gone. I got the letter from the insurance company today approving my Pet scan and I cried again. I watch Stina dance around and sing the songs from Brave and I cry a little. I hear Matthew's speech exploding and am amazed at how many words he knows and I cry a little. I don't want to miss a minute with them.
My survival expectancy is very good. After the hysterectomy my doctor is hoping I may avoid chemo or radiation. I still have so many thoughts and emotions going through my head. I am grateful for everyday I have my minis. I am grateful I still feel good-so good I didn't even know I had cancer until last month. I am beyond grateful for my family and my husband, who let me scream, cry, and held themselves together for mine and my children's sake so every now and then I can fall apart. I'm grateful I have a husband who offered to shave my head if I ended up needing it and even told me we'd look cute bald together if I did end up having treatments. I'm starting to be okay with the diagnosis, or at least get used to it. I don't cry when I say the word cancer but I still cry at night when I pray and when it's quiet and I have time to let my mind go. I get weepy when I think of my beautiful babies. They are the reason I will beat cervical cancer.
So there it is...some of the sourest lemons life has handed me lately. You now see why lemonade wouldn't be enough for these lemons. These called for wine and lots of it. A bit of advice, if you are diagnosed with cancer, DO NOT watch Hallmark Channel Christmas movies the same weekend you have been diagnosed. I never noticed before how many of these movies' storyline is a Mom dying (usually of cancer) and the Dad struggling to raise 2 kids and reluctantly find love for Christmas. Give yourself a week or 2 before you watch Hallmark movies. And I hate the Christmas Shoes song even more than I hated it before.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
The Great Debate...Thanksgiving Part 2
Now that the presidential election has been decided we move on to the next great debate in our nation...STUFFING or DRESSING! Depending upon where you live and what your ingredients are you are enjoying either stuffing or dressing this year for the big feast. I will be enjoying BOTH! People seem very passionate about their stuffing/dressing. Oysters, sausage, fruits, cornbread, Stove Top...these all evoke big emotions and I'm sure some wonderful memories. I am not quite as passionate about my stuffing/dressing as some may be, but I do tend to use the same recipes each year for both. They are tried and true and while the dressing is a traditional cornbread dressing, the stuffing is anything but traditional. For the stuffing I use a variation on Rachael Ray's Stuffing Muffins recipe. They are super easy to make and even easier to transport. They are packed with sweet and savory flavors thanks to a combination of traditional herbs and apples and dried cranberries. The dressing is a traditional cornbread dressing-soft and yummy. The subtle bacon flavor brings a saltiness to the dressing. No fruits, no sausage, just the straight up cornbread and sauteed veggie taste.
I begin taking out my Thanksgiving recipes the week before and start writing my lists. I only do the stuffing and desserts and the turkey with my Mom, my sister and Mom do the rest, with me helping out along the way. Usually on Thanksgiving you can find me downing bloody marys and alternating between cooking with my sister and Mom and watching football with Big Daddy. Being the one to make the stuffing/dressing and desserts is a great job! I can get most of the cooking done the day before and on Thanksgiving I can focus on helping out in the kitchen and enjoying the holiday. As much as I like turkey, let's face it, the sides really end up being the stars of the dinner show, at least in our house. My one other job is a huge one-that is the job of keeping every one's bloody marys flowing! I make the bloody mary mix 2 days in advance so the flavors can blend. This year there has been so much happening in the past two weeks, I actually went against all my instincts and bought a pre made mix!!!! But in true Dana fashion, I can't leave it at that-I have to add pureed celery, lime juice and horseradish to at least make it a little more like homemade.
So on to the point of this rambling blog...Stuffing or Dressing! Whatever your preference, hope you try these recipes and enjoy them!
3TBSP olive oil
1 stick butter, softened
2 bay leaves
3 celery stalks & leaves, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
handful Craisins (dried cranberries)
2 Gala apples, peeled and chopped
2 TBSP poultry seasoning (I use Bell's)
handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
8 cups cubed stuffing
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using 3 Tbsp butter, grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Heat olive oil and 5 TBSP butter in large stock pot. You use the pot to accommodate the 8 cups of stuffing later. Saute the carrots, celery and onion with the bay leaf for 5 minutes. Add the craisins, apples, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Stir and cook until the veggies begin to soften-about 8-10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and stuffing to pot and stir to distribute veggies through cubes. Remove bay leaf at this point. Remove from heat and begin to add stock, one cup at a time. Mix until moist but not wet. Fill each cup and bake 20 minutes. Allow the cool so you can comfortably remove the muffins. These are best served warm and travel well.
4 TBSP butter melted
3 TBSP bacon dripping(warm)
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal (I do not use self rising. I use the stone ground)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
*optional-3 slices crispy bacon broken into small pieces. Honestly, I'm still on the fence about this being optional. If there is an option for bacon, I don't think I know many people who wouldn't take that option.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add 1 TBSP melted butter and 1 TBSP drippings into the a cast iron skillet (10"). Heat in the oven 5 minutes. Sift cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Beat the egg and both milks together. Slowly whisk into the cornmeal mixture. If using the bacon pieces (and how could you not), this is the time to add them. Whisk in the rest of the melted butter and drippings. Pour this yummy mixture into the hot skillet and return to oven. Bake for 20 minutes at 450. The finished cornbread should be a golden brown color and be firm to the touch. Cool before adding to the dressing. Or you can serve it as is.
1 cornbread
6-7 slices white bread, dried in oven
1 sleeve saltines
2 cups celery, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 stick butter, softened
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
pepper
1 1/2 TBSP poultry seasoning
4-5 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13 x 9 pan with butter. In a very large bowl, combine cornbread (crumbled), dried white bread (crumbled) and broken up saltines.
Meanwhile in a skillet, saute the celery, onion and bay leaf until slightly softened. This should be about 5-8 minutes. Add the sauteed veggies to the bowl of cornbread mixture. Add stock, starting with 5 cups, mix and add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and parsley. Remove bay leaf when you come across it. Add eggs, starting with 4 and mix well. Add the extra cup of stock and 5th egg if mixture seems dry. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake about 45-50 minutes. The consistency is more like a wet cake, not the usual dry crumbly texture some of us used to stuffing may be used to. It is yummy and delicious though!
So here's two sides to try and tomorrow, if I'm not in a bacon coma (how can you cook only 3 slices of bacon and not eat any) I'll post some of my favorite desserts and my favorite Bloody Mary recipe. It's spicy and thick and oh so worth the vodka!
I begin taking out my Thanksgiving recipes the week before and start writing my lists. I only do the stuffing and desserts and the turkey with my Mom, my sister and Mom do the rest, with me helping out along the way. Usually on Thanksgiving you can find me downing bloody marys and alternating between cooking with my sister and Mom and watching football with Big Daddy. Being the one to make the stuffing/dressing and desserts is a great job! I can get most of the cooking done the day before and on Thanksgiving I can focus on helping out in the kitchen and enjoying the holiday. As much as I like turkey, let's face it, the sides really end up being the stars of the dinner show, at least in our house. My one other job is a huge one-that is the job of keeping every one's bloody marys flowing! I make the bloody mary mix 2 days in advance so the flavors can blend. This year there has been so much happening in the past two weeks, I actually went against all my instincts and bought a pre made mix!!!! But in true Dana fashion, I can't leave it at that-I have to add pureed celery, lime juice and horseradish to at least make it a little more like homemade.
So on to the point of this rambling blog...Stuffing or Dressing! Whatever your preference, hope you try these recipes and enjoy them!
Stuffing Muffins (Rachael Ray's recipe with a few change ups)
3TBSP olive oil
1 stick butter, softened
2 bay leaves
3 celery stalks & leaves, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
handful Craisins (dried cranberries)
2 Gala apples, peeled and chopped
2 TBSP poultry seasoning (I use Bell's)
handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
8 cups cubed stuffing
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using 3 Tbsp butter, grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Heat olive oil and 5 TBSP butter in large stock pot. You use the pot to accommodate the 8 cups of stuffing later. Saute the carrots, celery and onion with the bay leaf for 5 minutes. Add the craisins, apples, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Stir and cook until the veggies begin to soften-about 8-10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and stuffing to pot and stir to distribute veggies through cubes. Remove bay leaf at this point. Remove from heat and begin to add stock, one cup at a time. Mix until moist but not wet. Fill each cup and bake 20 minutes. Allow the cool so you can comfortably remove the muffins. These are best served warm and travel well.
Cornbread Dressing
This is a traditional Southern dressing. Before you get started on the dressing, you will need to make the cornbread-I usually make mine by Monday evening, so it will be a little drier by Wednesday when I fix the dressing itself.Cornbread with buttermilk and bacon
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| Ingredients for the cornbread-the Jack Daniels mug is where I store my bacon drippings in the fridge. I use a much larger glass for my actual Jack Daniels! |
3 TBSP bacon dripping(warm)
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal (I do not use self rising. I use the stone ground)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
*optional-3 slices crispy bacon broken into small pieces. Honestly, I'm still on the fence about this being optional. If there is an option for bacon, I don't think I know many people who wouldn't take that option.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add 1 TBSP melted butter and 1 TBSP drippings into the a cast iron skillet (10"). Heat in the oven 5 minutes. Sift cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Beat the egg and both milks together. Slowly whisk into the cornmeal mixture. If using the bacon pieces (and how could you not), this is the time to add them. Whisk in the rest of the melted butter and drippings. Pour this yummy mixture into the hot skillet and return to oven. Bake for 20 minutes at 450. The finished cornbread should be a golden brown color and be firm to the touch. Cool before adding to the dressing. Or you can serve it as is.
Cornbread Dressing
6-7 slices white bread, dried in oven
1 sleeve saltines
2 cups celery, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 stick butter, softened
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
pepper
1 1/2 TBSP poultry seasoning
4-5 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13 x 9 pan with butter. In a very large bowl, combine cornbread (crumbled), dried white bread (crumbled) and broken up saltines.
Meanwhile in a skillet, saute the celery, onion and bay leaf until slightly softened. This should be about 5-8 minutes. Add the sauteed veggies to the bowl of cornbread mixture. Add stock, starting with 5 cups, mix and add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and parsley. Remove bay leaf when you come across it. Add eggs, starting with 4 and mix well. Add the extra cup of stock and 5th egg if mixture seems dry. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake about 45-50 minutes. The consistency is more like a wet cake, not the usual dry crumbly texture some of us used to stuffing may be used to. It is yummy and delicious though!
So here's two sides to try and tomorrow, if I'm not in a bacon coma (how can you cook only 3 slices of bacon and not eat any) I'll post some of my favorite desserts and my favorite Bloody Mary recipe. It's spicy and thick and oh so worth the vodka!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Football and Squash (not the sport) Ahhh yes...It's Fall!
I can't believe how fast this Fall seems to have flown by! We came across Christmas music already on the satellite radio while driving home from school this week and it has even snowed already. Even though Winter seems to be knocking on the door, I'm still not yet ready to give up Autumn and all it's charms. One of the best parts of Fall is football and there is nothing better than hearing my Stina cheering for UGA and Army and of course the Chicago Bears. Those cheers are even better when they are coming from the bleachers only a handful of rows from the field at Michie Stadium at West Point!!!! Stina is now officially inducted into the West Point football trip! And amazingly enough, so has my sister! For many, many years my Mom and I have been driving up to West Point for football. It has always been such a great trip and a wonderful experience-there is no place more beautiful than West Point's campus in the Fall. Now being able to share this with my daughter and my sister has only made it even more special. Even though they lost, and have usually lost most of the games we have attended, it is great to be there and cheer on the Black Knights.
And now onto something else that just screams Fall and Thanksgiving...SQUASH!!!! I could eat squash everyday. I love cooking with all kinds of squash-spaghetti squash, acorn, carnival, butternut. I have yet to meet a squash I didn't like. They are versatile, tasty, easy to cook and best of all pack a big nutritional punch. They are a perfect dish for every night and especially for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of my favorite days in the year. You have a great combination of family and cooking.
Acorn squash is yummy, small and simple to fix. They are a pain to try to peel and the skin is edible, unlike many other squashes, so I find it is best to cook them with the skin on. My favorite recipe for acorn squash is Brown Sugar Roasted Squash. The color is bright and the flavor is sweet. Each half holds a buttery, sugary sweet treat.
The other squash I love to cook with is Butternut Squash. Butternut squash has a beautiful bright orange color and tends to have a firmer texture than acorn squash. You do have to peel the butternut squash, but the hard work of peeling is well worth the treat you get when the squash is roasted and yummy. I'm going to give you two ways to fix the butternut squash. The best part of that is the recipe is the same for each, but you just go a little further to make the soup. Roasted butternut has a caramelized, deep roasted flavor. The soup has this same roasted caramelized yumminess, but with an added creaminess that is irresistible and this recipe doesn't use any cream, so it isn't calorie laden.
2 TBSP butter, plus butter for greasing pan
1/2 cup brown sugar
sea salt or kosher salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a foil lined baking pan. Halve squash and scoop out seeds. Place in pan open side down. Bake 20 minutes. Turn squash over and pierce flesh with a fork being careful not to pierce the skin. Put 1 TBSP butter into each. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar into each half. Bake for another 20 minutes. Sprinkle with a dash of coarse salt when finished.
3-4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
3-4 sprigs thyme, tiny leaves removed from twiggy stems
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, sprinkle cubed squash with chopped fresh herbs. Add 2-3 turns olive oil and mix together making sure squash is well coated. Turn squash out onto a foil lined cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, taking out halfway through cooking time to stir. Season with additional salt if needed.
1 stalk celery, chopped with leaves
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 carton chicken or vegetable stock
In large pot, saute celery, carrot and onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add roasted squash and cook 5 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 20-25 minutes with cover on halfway. Once the vegetables have softened, turn off heat. Using a hand immersion blender, puree to a smooth texture. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender, doing it in small batches. If the soup is too thick you can always add more warm stock.
*use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.
The best part of the soup recipe is that it can be used with leftover roasted squash from the first recipe. I usually double the roasted butternut squash recipe so I know I have enough to make soup the next day.
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Planning to post a few more Thanksgiving recipes tomorrow and Tuesday...as long as I don't drown in pie dough tomorrow!
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| Aunt Beady, Stina and me at West Point! |
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| Mimi, Aunt Beady and Stina cheer on Army! |
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| Even an Army Jeep calls for the best modeling pose! |
Acorn squash is yummy, small and simple to fix. They are a pain to try to peel and the skin is edible, unlike many other squashes, so I find it is best to cook them with the skin on. My favorite recipe for acorn squash is Brown Sugar Roasted Squash. The color is bright and the flavor is sweet. Each half holds a buttery, sugary sweet treat.
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| Brown Sugar Acorn Squash |
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| Acorn Squash is a perfect side for Roast Chicken. My friend Stina is stealing Buttered Noodles! |
Recipes for Squash:
Brown Sugar Acorn Squash (serves 2)
1 acorn squash, scrubbed and cut in half2 TBSP butter, plus butter for greasing pan
1/2 cup brown sugar
sea salt or kosher salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a foil lined baking pan. Halve squash and scoop out seeds. Place in pan open side down. Bake 20 minutes. Turn squash over and pierce flesh with a fork being careful not to pierce the skin. Put 1 TBSP butter into each. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar into each half. Bake for another 20 minutes. Sprinkle with a dash of coarse salt when finished.
Herb Roasted Butternut Squash
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed, seeds removed3-4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
3-4 sprigs thyme, tiny leaves removed from twiggy stems
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, sprinkle cubed squash with chopped fresh herbs. Add 2-3 turns olive oil and mix together making sure squash is well coated. Turn squash out onto a foil lined cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, taking out halfway through cooking time to stir. Season with additional salt if needed.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Follow the recipe above and then...1 stalk celery, chopped with leaves
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 carton chicken or vegetable stock
In large pot, saute celery, carrot and onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add roasted squash and cook 5 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 20-25 minutes with cover on halfway. Once the vegetables have softened, turn off heat. Using a hand immersion blender, puree to a smooth texture. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender, doing it in small batches. If the soup is too thick you can always add more warm stock.
*use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.
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| Sauteing yummy veggies for a creamy butternut squash soup. |
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| Nothing could be easier than stock in a box! |
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| An immersion blender is one of the handiest tools in my kitchen. |
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Planning to post a few more Thanksgiving recipes tomorrow and Tuesday...as long as I don't drown in pie dough tomorrow!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Rainy Day and Getting Cozy
The other day it was raining here in New York...again. Not just raining but pouring outside. It was a dark morning and even Stina questioned me when I woke her up asking if I was sure that it was daytime and time for school yet. Murph called out sick so it seemed like the perfect day for pajamas, comfy sweats and soup. After I dropped Stina off at school I took a quick swing by Stop and Shop and grabbed the Soup Veggie pack. There was no farmer's market and there is something about the soup veggie pack in the produce department that reminds me of when I was little. My Mom was always making soup for us and we loved it! Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Whether it's the warmth it offers or the memories of chilly days after playing in the snow, there is just something about chicken soup.
I always have poached chicken on hand. Poached chicken is great to have in the fridge-I use it for soup, chicken salad, tacos, and so much more! It is the easiest thing to do too which makes it even more appealing. I usually poach 3-4 breasts (boneless and skinless) at a time. In a medium pot, I boil water (enough to cover the chicken), 4 baby carrots, onion or shallot (halved), 1 celery stalk cut in half, parsley, dill and if I have it 2 or 3 slices of lemon. Add some salt and pepper and when the water comes to a full boil, add the chicken. Cook it for about 5 minutes, then cover and turn off the heat. I leave it covered for another 20 minutes, turning over after 10 minutes. That's it-take out the chicken and keep until you are ready for it.
Now onto the soup...Murph was listening to some Frank Sinatra and Louis Prima in the other room and that seems like perfect soup making music. The chicken may seem like it should be the star, but there are no solos in my soup. I want all the components to make an ample appearance. I try to cut bigger slices of my veggies so they all have a chance to shine! Use whatever veggies you've got on hand-that's what makes it so easy.
For this soup I used carrots, celery, leek, onion, turnip, a parsnip and of course dill and flat leaf parsley. I always use flat leaf parsley-I have no use for the curly kind :-( If I have the time or the chicken I will make stock, but this soup was all about fast comfort so I took the easy route and went for stock in a box. I am in love with stock in a box-I have at least 4 in my cabinets at ALL times!!! A little obsessive-yes but I am never out of it! I also added in the all important noodles-I used fine egg noodles. I boiled them in chicken stock before adding them so they didn't suck up all my stock in the soup.
2 carrots, sliced into coins
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 small turnip, peeled and diced
1/2 leek - sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 parsnip, sliced into coins or cubed
small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
small bunch fresh dill, chopped
1-2 boxes of chicken stock (depending on how much broth you want)
3 cups of fine egg noodles, cooked (or whatever noodle you like)
Heat the stock in a medium to large pot to a low simmer. While your stock is heating, cut up your veggies and chicken. Once you have a little bubble in your stock, add the veggies to the pot. Add half of your chopped parsley and dill. Save the other half of each for right before you serve. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the cooked noodles and the rest of the parsley and dill. Simmer 5 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
The next blog will be about another of my favorite soups-Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. Nothing like squash to make it feel like Autumn!
I always have poached chicken on hand. Poached chicken is great to have in the fridge-I use it for soup, chicken salad, tacos, and so much more! It is the easiest thing to do too which makes it even more appealing. I usually poach 3-4 breasts (boneless and skinless) at a time. In a medium pot, I boil water (enough to cover the chicken), 4 baby carrots, onion or shallot (halved), 1 celery stalk cut in half, parsley, dill and if I have it 2 or 3 slices of lemon. Add some salt and pepper and when the water comes to a full boil, add the chicken. Cook it for about 5 minutes, then cover and turn off the heat. I leave it covered for another 20 minutes, turning over after 10 minutes. That's it-take out the chicken and keep until you are ready for it.
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| Chicken poaching-there's a few lemon slices hiding under the chicken. |
Now onto the soup...Murph was listening to some Frank Sinatra and Louis Prima in the other room and that seems like perfect soup making music. The chicken may seem like it should be the star, but there are no solos in my soup. I want all the components to make an ample appearance. I try to cut bigger slices of my veggies so they all have a chance to shine! Use whatever veggies you've got on hand-that's what makes it so easy.
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| Lots of veggies for a healthy, hearty and yummy soup! |
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| This is the soup we had for lunch on that rainy day! |
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| I threw in an extra picture because I forgot to take one of the soup in the bowls-I was so hungry I forgot to use the camera that was next to me at the table! |
Chicken Soup for a Rainy Day
2 poached chicken breasts cubed (recipe above)2 carrots, sliced into coins
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 small turnip, peeled and diced
1/2 leek - sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 parsnip, sliced into coins or cubed
small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
small bunch fresh dill, chopped
1-2 boxes of chicken stock (depending on how much broth you want)
3 cups of fine egg noodles, cooked (or whatever noodle you like)
Heat the stock in a medium to large pot to a low simmer. While your stock is heating, cut up your veggies and chicken. Once you have a little bubble in your stock, add the veggies to the pot. Add half of your chopped parsley and dill. Save the other half of each for right before you serve. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the cooked noodles and the rest of the parsley and dill. Simmer 5 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
The next blog will be about another of my favorite soups-Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. Nothing like squash to make it feel like Autumn!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Primping the Pumpkin
Pumpkins are everywhere right now. The minis have already made two trips to pumpkin farms this month and we ended up with 9 pumpkins in the house this year. We have one big guy still waiting to be carved-I am determined to carve it all fancy this time around. I told Murph that I'll be using his Dremel to do it...we'll see. The minis, Murph and I painted three medium pumpkins and we have one small one and 4 mini pumpkins. The small pumpkin and the mini pumpkins were super primped this year. I made the small one especially for my Stina. She is a Georgia Bulldog girl and loves watching football on Saturdays while yelling in the living room..."Go doggies! Woof woof woof!" On Sundays she calls my Big Daddy and serenades him with Go Bears! Grrr Grrr Grrr! I just love this girl!!!!
As for the "fancy" pumpkins-they were super cheap and soo easy. I have made the sparkle pumpkins before so I had all the glitter and glue. These were actually free because my Mom had bought the four mini pumpkins for me-score me! The UGA pumpkin cost 73 cents-I had Sharpie markers already and just printed up the logo.
First up-Sparkle Pumpkins. I use the mini pumpkins for this and they look beautiful on my wall unit, but I also have used them lined up on a rectangular platter with leaves as a centerpiece.
I paint the pumpkins with the paste. The Martha Stewart Glitter glue has a brush attached to the top, so it is very convenient. Once the pumpkin is completely covered, I sprinkle the entire pumpkin with glitter. I repeat this for each pumpkin and allow it to dry over night. I like using a variety of Fall colors but you can use any colors you have on hand or what you like best. What you are looking for is the sparkle! The bonus is that all four pumpkins were completely glittered in less than 30 minutes.
Next up is the UGA pumpkin. This one was a little more complicated but still on the easier side. You will need a pumpkin (thanks captain obvious), logo you want to transfer, white chalk and permanent markers in the color of your team. The Dawgs are black and red-colors I already have so again this was a cheap project.
I printed up the UGA logo and covered the back in white chalk. The chalk creates an outline transfer onto the pumpkin making it easy to get more precise lines. I could never have done it freehand-I know my limits!
Tape your logo onto your pumpkin and pressing hard, but not hard enough to puncture the skin, trace the logo onto the pumpkin. I used a fine point Sharpie for this part.
You will be left with a chalk outline that you can then write over in your permanent marker and begin to color in. I used permanent markers as opposed to paint because paint gets too messy and I wanted the lines to be precise.
Once the G was totally filled in I needed to make the red outer oval. I used a second printed logo so the chalk dust wouldn't mess up the black G. I cut out the thin outer oval and colored it in red.
As for the "fancy" pumpkins-they were super cheap and soo easy. I have made the sparkle pumpkins before so I had all the glitter and glue. These were actually free because my Mom had bought the four mini pumpkins for me-score me! The UGA pumpkin cost 73 cents-I had Sharpie markers already and just printed up the logo.
First up-Sparkle Pumpkins. I use the mini pumpkins for this and they look beautiful on my wall unit, but I also have used them lined up on a rectangular platter with leaves as a centerpiece.
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| my mini pumpkins |
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| Glitter-I LOVE SPARKLY THINGS! |
I use the Martha Stewart glitter whenever I can. It is really fine and has amazing sparkle. The Martha glitter comes in tons of colors and all different textures. Just wait until I blog about decorating pine cones for Christmas-you will see why my house and kids are usually covered in glitter by the end of December! I will glitter just about anything that sits still long enough. One of the kitties was sleeping under the table today when I was doing the pumpkins and by the time I was finished the end of his tail even ended up glittered.
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| Sparkle Sparkle! |
Once the G was totally filled in I needed to make the red outer oval. I used a second printed logo so the chalk dust wouldn't mess up the black G. I cut out the thin outer oval and colored it in red.
And there you have it-two different types of fancy schmancy pumpkins for Halloween. Stina was so happy when she came home from school to find her football pumpkin. She knew as soon as she saw it and even barked her best Dawg bark!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Slow Down for the Season...
So as you know from my last post, I LOVE Fall! Besides the cooler weather and the beautiful scenery the food is wonderful. Fall is the time when I start to make heartier, homier meals. It is the time for comfort foods to shine! This is also the time I pull out my slow cooker from it Summer hibernation in the closet. This Autumn, the slow cooker has been working overtime-from BBQ Chicken to Applesauce I have loved using it again.
As far as slow cooking goes, I was always afraid to do it. My Mom never used one when I was growing up and I was convinced it was because the house would go up in flames if left unattended. This may have been a possibility with the crock pots of the late '70's but today's crock pots are super sleek and as far as I know super safe! I have even left the house with the slow cooker on!!! Me, nervous, anxiety prone me actually left the slow cooker on with NO ONE HOME! Baby steps folks-I'm getting there.
So the first venture was applesauce. My kids love applesauce and will eat it with anything. When Matthew was a baby, I made all of his food and his favorite was homemade applesauce pureed with chicken. Not much has changed except they'd much rather eat regular chicken separate from their apples. This time around I made Brown Sugar Applesauce. It is a dark, yummy applesauce filled with warm caramel sort of flavors.
BROWN SUGAR APPLESAUCE
8-10 apples, peeled, cored & sliced (I used a combination of Golden Delicious and Gala)
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker and mix well. Cook on LOW for 8 hours. Stir every so often. When the time is up, you can mash with a potato masher for chunkier sauce or use an immersion blender for a smooth sauce. Remember-the flavor of the spices will intensify in the slow cooker so if you don't love the punch of the spices, lower the amounts.
I also tried a new chicken recipe last week. I love barbecue anything. From pulled pork to barbecue chicken, if it has barbecue sauce on it, I'll most likely LOVE it. The recipe I tried was BBQ Chicken-a moist, yummy, flavorful chicken. I used a few different slow cooker BBQ chicken recipes and took a bit from each one and this seemed to be my favorite. I served the chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans. I only add a few dashes of Tabasco because the kids won't eat it if it's too spicy. I add some Tabasco to my own dish at dinner. I totally forgot to take the pics of the process, but then again, do we really need to see pics of raw chicken?!?!
BBQ CHICKEN BREASTS
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz. water
2 TBS yellow mustard
3 TBS Worcestershire
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
dash pepper
dash garlic powder
4 TBS brown sugar
a few dashes of Tabasco
small onion, chopped
Trim excess fat from the chicken. Sprinkle with Lawrys & rub into both sides of the breasts. Spray the slow cooker with non stick spray and place chicken in cooker. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the chicken and cover the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6 1/2 hours. For a thicker sauce, you can cut the water to 4 oz. or leave the cover off for the last hour of cooking.
This season brings out my inner comfort food cook, so I can't wait to keep cooking and eating this Fall. Everyone seemed to really enjoy these and it's almost time to make more applesauce! Next blog will be about pumpkins!!!! Painting, picking and maybe even some carving. Until then, enjoy the cool breeze and pray the rain stops-the minis and I need to get out and play in some leaves!
As far as slow cooking goes, I was always afraid to do it. My Mom never used one when I was growing up and I was convinced it was because the house would go up in flames if left unattended. This may have been a possibility with the crock pots of the late '70's but today's crock pots are super sleek and as far as I know super safe! I have even left the house with the slow cooker on!!! Me, nervous, anxiety prone me actually left the slow cooker on with NO ONE HOME! Baby steps folks-I'm getting there.
So the first venture was applesauce. My kids love applesauce and will eat it with anything. When Matthew was a baby, I made all of his food and his favorite was homemade applesauce pureed with chicken. Not much has changed except they'd much rather eat regular chicken separate from their apples. This time around I made Brown Sugar Applesauce. It is a dark, yummy applesauce filled with warm caramel sort of flavors.
BROWN SUGAR APPLESAUCE
8-10 apples, peeled, cored & sliced (I used a combination of Golden Delicious and Gala)
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker and mix well. Cook on LOW for 8 hours. Stir every so often. When the time is up, you can mash with a potato masher for chunkier sauce or use an immersion blender for a smooth sauce. Remember-the flavor of the spices will intensify in the slow cooker so if you don't love the punch of the spices, lower the amounts.
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| I kept sneaking apples out of the cooker-they tasted like yummy apple pie! |
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| Finished product-darker than what I was used to, but super caramel yumminess! |
I also tried a new chicken recipe last week. I love barbecue anything. From pulled pork to barbecue chicken, if it has barbecue sauce on it, I'll most likely LOVE it. The recipe I tried was BBQ Chicken-a moist, yummy, flavorful chicken. I used a few different slow cooker BBQ chicken recipes and took a bit from each one and this seemed to be my favorite. I served the chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans. I only add a few dashes of Tabasco because the kids won't eat it if it's too spicy. I add some Tabasco to my own dish at dinner. I totally forgot to take the pics of the process, but then again, do we really need to see pics of raw chicken?!?!
BBQ CHICKEN BREASTS
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz. water
2 TBS yellow mustard
3 TBS Worcestershire
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
dash pepper
dash garlic powder
4 TBS brown sugar
a few dashes of Tabasco
small onion, chopped
Trim excess fat from the chicken. Sprinkle with Lawrys & rub into both sides of the breasts. Spray the slow cooker with non stick spray and place chicken in cooker. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the chicken and cover the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6 1/2 hours. For a thicker sauce, you can cut the water to 4 oz. or leave the cover off for the last hour of cooking.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...Sort Of and Dinner Schedules
That's right everyone...it's almost here! I can barely contain my excitement!!! Despite what you may be thinking, I am not referring to Christmas. I am talking about, drumroll please.......FALL! That's right-Autumn! It's my favorite of all favorites-as if you couldn't tell by the excessive use of my exclamation points! What is not to love about Fall? First and foremost football has begun-college and NFL. It's a Thursday night and I get to watch football (or listen to because I'm typing) and have a beer with the windows open and a breeze blowing in. It's almost time for cozy sweaters and fabulous layers and of course my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. This will then lead into my tie for best day-Christmas. Fall is when I drive up to West Point with my Mom and go to an Army football game, something my Mom has done since she was in college...pre-my Dad days. This will be Stina's first trip to West Point and I can't wait! My house is starting to change over to it's brown, orange, yellow and gold decorations. And let's not forget the smells!!! Strong scents of apples, cinnamon, and pumpkin are found everywhere, from the grocery store to my own living room. Te smells of Autumn put me in a great mood. It is a smell that makes me think of comfort and snuggles. Aren't you just getting the warm and fuzzies already. Don't get me wrong, I love Summer. My house is filled with shells, beachy smells and I would sell my soul for a Coppertone scented perfume. I love the beach, getting a tan (I know..bad bad!), and summer veggies. Mimi is home and the kids are running around the yard and swimming. Summers in Mattituck with my family at our summer house are my favorite memories. I think that as I have gotten older and had my my children, I crave organization. Fall represents organization to me. I think it goes back to when I was teaching-I bought my new supplies, decorated my classroom with fresh new ideas and go to start over with a brand new class. Fall became my new Spring-a season of rebirth. The added bonus is that as a natural curly haired girl who insists on straightening her hair DAILY (I should be committed or receive therapy for my hair trauma), the Fall is "good hair" time! All Summer I fight, a mostly losing, battle against the humidity and big hair. Not the good big hair kind that I like when I use a lot of spray and my giant rollers, but the bad kind. The Streisand of the late 70's kind of big hair.
This is also the season of cooking like a madwoman for me. Once the weather gets a bit chillier Murph knows it's pumpkin bread time! He patiently waits all Spring and Summer for my pumpkin bread season to start. I only make it in Fall and Winter-got to build up the anticipation for him! This is the time of year when my slow cooker comes out of the cabinet and I begin to bake and feed almost everyone I meet. I also resume making our Dinner Schedules. The Dinner Schedule is like a food bible in my house. Cooking is sort of like my own personal religion, I have been known to break into song and possibly speak in tongues at the Farmer's Market when I see all the new fall veggies. This carries over into meal planning for me. Our Dinner Schedule came about for a few reasons. First-it helps me to grocery shop much more efficiently. If I know what I'm cooking two weeks in advance I can shop for those meals and eliminate wasting money on ingredients I didn't end up using. Second-the planning ended Murph's constant question-"What are you cooking today?" Third-I need the organization. Our house is chaotic at best and the Dinner Schedules help me to know what I'm doing each day. It also helps to remind me to defrost things when I need to (something I could never remember). Finally-I am most excited to cook in the Fall. I love the ingredients specific to this season, so I am always looking forward to planning out the meals and browsing through my cookbooks and magazines. The schedule generally takes the Summer off. Our schedules are unpredictable in the Summer and we are rarely home, so there's no point to making a schedule. And yes, I do deviate from the schedule. It is not written in stone, just printer paper. A few people have asked me about the dinner schedule so I figured I'd write about it.
I set aside an hour once every two weeks to plan out our dinners. During this hour, I look through a few cookbooks and magazines that have recipes I wanted to try. If I have a little more time, I go through my recipe files online and try to find new things I haven't tried. I make a scrap list of all the recipes I want to use and then organize them by day. I try not to do repeats within the two weeks. I also try not to do back to back dishes-for example Chicken Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I try, not always successfully, to space main ingredients apart. I also include at least one meat free day. As far as side dishes and veggies go, I put them on the schedule for most days. For any day without a veggie listed, a veggie is added but I usually don't decide on which one until I see what I have in the house on the day itself. Once my scrap list is organized, I then go to my saved file-Dinner Menus-and type up two weeks worth of schedules. These printed schedules go up on the fridge in the kitchen. I then write my grocery list using the schedule as my guide.
I find this has saved us money because we aren't wasting ingredients and I can work with my coupons and the sales at the store. I have been able to cut my big grocery shopping trips to once every two weeks and only make one other trip for fresh veggies or odds and ends. I also make a weekly trip tp the Farmer's Market and will change the schedule or add to it when I find something especially yummy there.
Below are two of the schedules coming up. I can't wait to start cooking this coming week!
This is also the season of cooking like a madwoman for me. Once the weather gets a bit chillier Murph knows it's pumpkin bread time! He patiently waits all Spring and Summer for my pumpkin bread season to start. I only make it in Fall and Winter-got to build up the anticipation for him! This is the time of year when my slow cooker comes out of the cabinet and I begin to bake and feed almost everyone I meet. I also resume making our Dinner Schedules. The Dinner Schedule is like a food bible in my house. Cooking is sort of like my own personal religion, I have been known to break into song and possibly speak in tongues at the Farmer's Market when I see all the new fall veggies. This carries over into meal planning for me. Our Dinner Schedule came about for a few reasons. First-it helps me to grocery shop much more efficiently. If I know what I'm cooking two weeks in advance I can shop for those meals and eliminate wasting money on ingredients I didn't end up using. Second-the planning ended Murph's constant question-"What are you cooking today?" Third-I need the organization. Our house is chaotic at best and the Dinner Schedules help me to know what I'm doing each day. It also helps to remind me to defrost things when I need to (something I could never remember). Finally-I am most excited to cook in the Fall. I love the ingredients specific to this season, so I am always looking forward to planning out the meals and browsing through my cookbooks and magazines. The schedule generally takes the Summer off. Our schedules are unpredictable in the Summer and we are rarely home, so there's no point to making a schedule. And yes, I do deviate from the schedule. It is not written in stone, just printer paper. A few people have asked me about the dinner schedule so I figured I'd write about it.
I set aside an hour once every two weeks to plan out our dinners. During this hour, I look through a few cookbooks and magazines that have recipes I wanted to try. If I have a little more time, I go through my recipe files online and try to find new things I haven't tried. I make a scrap list of all the recipes I want to use and then organize them by day. I try not to do repeats within the two weeks. I also try not to do back to back dishes-for example Chicken Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I try, not always successfully, to space main ingredients apart. I also include at least one meat free day. As far as side dishes and veggies go, I put them on the schedule for most days. For any day without a veggie listed, a veggie is added but I usually don't decide on which one until I see what I have in the house on the day itself. Once my scrap list is organized, I then go to my saved file-Dinner Menus-and type up two weeks worth of schedules. These printed schedules go up on the fridge in the kitchen. I then write my grocery list using the schedule as my guide.
I find this has saved us money because we aren't wasting ingredients and I can work with my coupons and the sales at the store. I have been able to cut my big grocery shopping trips to once every two weeks and only make one other trip for fresh veggies or odds and ends. I also make a weekly trip tp the Farmer's Market and will change the schedule or add to it when I find something especially yummy there.
Below are two of the schedules coming up. I can't wait to start cooking this coming week!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Harvest Moon
It has been a busy summer! This summer started off rocky but thankfully with lots of family and great friends, it actually ended up being a pretty good season so far. The minis, Mimi and I drove to Georgia to visit my sister and her husband and of course my father, Big Daddy. The kids love Mimi and Big Daddy's house-it's much bigger than our house and they can run around to their heart's content-no downstairs neighbors to worry about. Murph flew down later in the trip and we all had a great vacation going to outdoor fairs, farmers' markets and the pool. We had a chance to stop in North Carolina to visit with my sister in law and my husband's cousins and their children. We even managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Sesame Place especially for the minis and they LOVED it! But now we are back at home base and I'm ready to pick up where I left off-yay!
My Grandpa has been growing tons of veggies since before I was born and though his garden has gotten a little smaller, it is still amazing to me that a 90 year old man will go out in hot humid weather to tend to his tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, swiss chard, basil, eggplants and accidentally this season, JALAPENOS! As a kid there were at least a dozen types of veggies being grown throughout the summer at our house and it was wonderful! It only encourages my hope that when I have a house with a real yard I can grow enough veggies in my own yard to not have to buy much produce in the summer and just enjoy the ones we've grown! This post is a tribute to my grandpa, who is probably outside right now at 7:20 am watering, because the tomatoes I used were his own grape tomatoes!
This is also a shout out to, guess who...NIGELLA...again! I am not really a crazy stalker, but I do love her recipes and find they will come out well without fail. This one is from the Nigella Express cookbook. I used her recipe but made some changes to work better for me.
Moonblush Tomatoes are sweet and yummy!!!! They are cheaper than sundried tomatoes (basically free if you grow your own tomatoes or have an iron man 90 yr old grandpa who grows his own for you) and you can use them anywhere-salads, pasta dishes and I've even drizzled them with balsamic and included in an anitpasto. They are called Moonblush because you leave them in the oven overnight (oven off). When you wake up the smell in the kitchen is pure heaven & I usually use them right away for lunch or if I can wait, for dinner. They do keep in the fridge for about a week or 2, but I can't attest to that because they are generally eaten with 3 days in my house.
1 lb. grape tomatoes (Nigella says about 24-I usually have about 40 at a time)
3 TBSP olive oil
sprinkle sea salt
sprinkle thyme
1/4 tsp sugar
4 or 5 basil leaves
3 or 4 cloves garlic
Heat the oven to 450 F. Do this about 15 minutes before you plan on putting the tomatoes in so the oven has enough time to build up some heat.
Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange them cut side up on a cookie sheet (with sides). Toss them in the olive oil, salt, sugar, and thyme-making sure to turn them cut side up again.
Do a rough chop of the garlic-big chunks are okay. Tear the basil leaves. Sprinkle the garlic and basil over the tomatoes.
Put the tomatoes in the oven and turn off the heat. Leave the tomatoes in the oven overnight. Don't open the door if you can help it - this allows heat to escape and who wants escaping heat to ruin their moon tomatoes!
That's it-when you wake up your kitchen smells awesome and you have these slightly wrinkly, cooked down, yummy, sweet tomatoes ready for anything.
Enjoy them! I love them and they are handy to have around all the time, but are even better when I know the tomatoes have been home grown by my grandpa and most likely picked by Stina. Stina has been following in her great grandpa's footsteps and this summer grew carrots and green beans in my grandpa's garden. She has so far only gotten one bean and we aren't too sure what is going on with her carrots but it's a start. Mimi said if she doesn't get a carrot soon she's going to stuff some baby carrots in there so she won't get discouraged-4 year olds may not know yet they don't come out of the ground nicely trimmed and shrunken to a baby size!
Next blog will be Chicken and white wine sauce...that's what's for dinner here later!
My Grandpa has been growing tons of veggies since before I was born and though his garden has gotten a little smaller, it is still amazing to me that a 90 year old man will go out in hot humid weather to tend to his tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, swiss chard, basil, eggplants and accidentally this season, JALAPENOS! As a kid there were at least a dozen types of veggies being grown throughout the summer at our house and it was wonderful! It only encourages my hope that when I have a house with a real yard I can grow enough veggies in my own yard to not have to buy much produce in the summer and just enjoy the ones we've grown! This post is a tribute to my grandpa, who is probably outside right now at 7:20 am watering, because the tomatoes I used were his own grape tomatoes!
This is also a shout out to, guess who...NIGELLA...again! I am not really a crazy stalker, but I do love her recipes and find they will come out well without fail. This one is from the Nigella Express cookbook. I used her recipe but made some changes to work better for me.
Moonblush Tomatoes are sweet and yummy!!!! They are cheaper than sundried tomatoes (basically free if you grow your own tomatoes or have an iron man 90 yr old grandpa who grows his own for you) and you can use them anywhere-salads, pasta dishes and I've even drizzled them with balsamic and included in an anitpasto. They are called Moonblush because you leave them in the oven overnight (oven off). When you wake up the smell in the kitchen is pure heaven & I usually use them right away for lunch or if I can wait, for dinner. They do keep in the fridge for about a week or 2, but I can't attest to that because they are generally eaten with 3 days in my house.
Moonblush Tomatoes
1 lb. grape tomatoes (Nigella says about 24-I usually have about 40 at a time)
3 TBSP olive oil
sprinkle sea salt
sprinkle thyme
1/4 tsp sugar
4 or 5 basil leaves
3 or 4 cloves garlic
Heat the oven to 450 F. Do this about 15 minutes before you plan on putting the tomatoes in so the oven has enough time to build up some heat.
Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange them cut side up on a cookie sheet (with sides). Toss them in the olive oil, salt, sugar, and thyme-making sure to turn them cut side up again.
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| Not sure why I took a picture of me cutting them-think I needed an "action shot". |
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| I unfortunately took this pic before the basil had gone on, but you get the idea. |
Put the tomatoes in the oven and turn off the heat. Leave the tomatoes in the oven overnight. Don't open the door if you can help it - this allows heat to escape and who wants escaping heat to ruin their moon tomatoes!
That's it-when you wake up your kitchen smells awesome and you have these slightly wrinkly, cooked down, yummy, sweet tomatoes ready for anything.
Next blog will be Chicken and white wine sauce...that's what's for dinner here later!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Father's Day...I Know It's Late!
So I need to apologize up front...this post may be a little sad. I know I don't usually do sad well, and you are probably reading this thinking it was false advertising. I wrote some happy, regular old posts, lured you into reading the blog, then...WHAM, I hit you over the head with sad and heavy. I used pancakes and homemade laundry detergent as a blogging bait and switch. I promise you this is not the case! The original post began as a totally benign, slightly sappy Father's Day post about what great dads and grandpas I've known and a cute interview idea I saw and tried with the minis for Murph. The interview will be in my next post, but I just had to do this first.
So let me start off by saying that I have been blessed. I know everyone says that but I really have been blessed. I have known some wonderful men in my life and my first men were my Dad and my Grandpa. My Dad has forever been my biggest cheerleader and when needed my biggest critic. He has loved me unconditionally and taught me to love others the same. He may live in Georgia, but rarely has a day gone by where we haven't spoken at least once or at the very least shared voicemails with one another. I also have been blessed to have an amazing Grandpa-he is 90 and still cracking me up. My Grandpa is like a second father to my sister and me. We always lived close to my grandparents-either across the street or upstairs. My Grandpa STILL chases after my minis in the yard and grows the best tomatoes I have ever eaten. I love the summer because my grocery bill drops considerably once his garden is in full bloom.
When I married Murph, sure I got a great guy, but I also gained his family. You always hear about "the INLAWS" (generally said with a certain tone). This is only natural when you are merging families and these families have their own traditions, ideas and personalities. It isn't always easy, but I am lucky to actually have, dare I say it GREAT INLAWS! I'm not going to make you all queasy and say we all have the perfect relationship at all times. Both our families are human and I am sure, like everyone else, that there have been times we conflicted on something or disagreed on an issue. Above all though, my family has accepted Murph and his family with open arms and they have done the same for my family and me. This brings me to the other father in my life...my father in law. Murph's father, Pat opened his arms to me from the moment Murph and I began dating. Pat had raised four daughters and two sons and always treated me as if I'd been there since day one! Pat passed away on Monday night, the day after Father's Day. I think it was Murph's uncle who said to me at the wake-his death was expected but so unexpected. This was exactly it-Murph's father had dealt with a variety of health problems for many years but he had always seemed to push past things and we all sort of thought that he may outlive all of us. I never realized how hard it would be to say goodbye to him. Pat was a fixture in the house-he was ALWAYS there! He was either watching an old war movie, Walker Texas Ranger or playing with his grandchildren. I think I took it for granted that he would always be there-sharing a strange fact, telling a story about Rockaway, snoozing in his spot on the couch or sneaking the foods he was not supposed to eat. I don't think I'll ever drink a cup of tea without a pang in my heart. He was inadvertently funny and that's what I will always remember. Whether he was announcing the arrival of an Omaha Steaks delivery with gusto or telling me the plot of a Steven Seagal movie, he made me smile. He didn't like complicated, just ask the TV remote and VCR. It was simple with Pat-he loved his family and was happiest when he was sharing a story or a meal with them, just talking and being together. I don't think I'll ever really grasp the idea that he isn't going to be there.
This week has been a rough one. Most people who know me know that I am not good with change. Three years down the line and I am just starting to realize that my Grams won't be sitting at the kitchen table when I walk into my Grandpa's house to visit. I hate saying goodbye and I cry at the drop of a hat (thanks hormones and pregnancies). I saw, in action this week that when family comes together, you gain an amazing strength. So as cliche as it may sound, yes...I have been blessed. Blessed to have a been born into a wonderful family whose love is unending. I am blessed to have gained another family by marrying Murph, my inlaws who have accepted me into their hearts and their lives without skipping a beat. I have been blessed to have friends who without even a word knew gave me their love and support. I promise, I'll write about the interview next blog. Thought I'd get it in today, but sometimes you have to change it up a bit.
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| My Dad, Papa, with the minis |
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| My Grandpa, Jojo, with the minis |
And of course I can't leave out my Murph! He's not only a pretty great husband, but an amazing father to our two minis. My kids light up when Murph walks into a room, and with good reason. I couldn't have imagined that the same guy who drove too fast, stayed out too late and tempted fate too often on the bike ramps he haphazardly constructed would be the same man who would wear a pink straw hat for tea and know all the words to the Fresh Beat Band songs to make his children happy.
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| Murph and the minis |
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| Poppa with Stina |
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| Poppa, my father in law, with Matthew |
This week has been a rough one. Most people who know me know that I am not good with change. Three years down the line and I am just starting to realize that my Grams won't be sitting at the kitchen table when I walk into my Grandpa's house to visit. I hate saying goodbye and I cry at the drop of a hat (thanks hormones and pregnancies). I saw, in action this week that when family comes together, you gain an amazing strength. So as cliche as it may sound, yes...I have been blessed. Blessed to have a been born into a wonderful family whose love is unending. I am blessed to have gained another family by marrying Murph, my inlaws who have accepted me into their hearts and their lives without skipping a beat. I have been blessed to have friends who without even a word knew gave me their love and support. I promise, I'll write about the interview next blog. Thought I'd get it in today, but sometimes you have to change it up a bit.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Love & Pancakes
I am in love! You are probably expecting me to say I'm in love with Murph or my kids, and yes of course I am. This is a different love however. I am in love with Nigella Lawson-there I said it! I love her! I really do-I love her shows, her cookbooks, her recipes, her website and Nigella herself. I am basically cooking my way through Nigella's cookbooks. I am still a devoted Lidia Bastianich fan, but I can have more than one love can't I? I am not the only one in our house with a little crush either. No matter where he is or what he is doing (with the exception of napping), when Matthew hears her voice come on the TV at 3:00, he stations himself in front of the television and just watches, in awe, along with his mommy. I'm not sure what it is exactly about Nigella. Her voice is mesmerizing and soothing, she is undoubtedly beautiful, and her recipes are some of the best meals I've ever made. Oh, so I guess I do know what it is then-all these things I just listed. I guess there is a reason that she is considered one of the sexiest women in Britain.
In my effort to get back to basics and save a little here and there, I came across a Nigella recipe for pancakes. She had been making them on an episode of Nigella Express and they looked divine. (yes pancakes can be divine). Pancakes had long been my nemesis. I tried different mixes-from gourmet to Bisquick and no matter what I did they were either thick heavy doughy weights or thin burned drips. I decided to give it a go one last time before I retired my cast iron griddle pan forever. I had all the ingredients already in the cabinets, so I set out to make pancake mix hoping to eventually create the same fluffy beauties that Nigella served up on her show. My helper, Stina was in the kitchen with me as we ventured into the world of homemade pancake mix. She helped me to measure the flour, sugar, and baking powder. I figured this could double as her Math lesson for the day too. Within minutes we had a mix all ready for the next day's breakfast.
The next morning I was determined to make pancakes that were at least okay, if not maybe even a little bit good. The first batch went on the griddle and cooked up quickly and looked good, no burning, perfect size and shape. Each batch after seemed to easy to be true. Breakfast was ready and now the true test-Murph and the kids. No one expected much, after many failed breakfasts of pancakes at my hands. The first bite was like a little cloud melting-slightly sweet and light. These little perfect disks of honey colored goodness were a success!!!! Everyone loved them! With Nigella at my side (in spirit of course-haven't been lucky enough to actually meet her) I had made the perfect pancake!!! I can't even begin to count how many pancakes I have made since that first day with Nigella's recipe, but let's just say, we are now on our 7th batch of mix and it lasts a while. We now eat pancakes twice a week and have even been guilty of three times around the holidays. Stina eats the leftovers (rarely are any) spread with Nutella and rolled up for a mid afternoon snack. Below is Nigella's recipe for the mix and the batter. Yummy-enjoy!
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar (I use homemade vanilla sugar)
Mix together and store in a jar. I use my extra canning jars.
Making the Batter:
1 cup pancake mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
Heat a flat griddle (I use a double burner cast iron griddle. Nigella says not to oil it, but I do use a swipe of vegetable oil just in case). Whisk all the ingredients together. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle and wait for the tiny bubbles. Flip when you see the bubbles. It is about a minute per side.
To make homemade vanilla sugar, I just put about 3 cups of sugar (not exact) into a jar and add an open leftover vanilla bean (leftover from making marshmallows). Close the jar and leave in the cupboard. Within 2 or 3 days, your sugar is lightly scented and flavored with yummy vanilla. Just keep adding more sugar as you use it.
These are possibly the best pancakes I have ever tasted. There is just something so yummy and light about them, they become addictive. Hope you love these as much as we do!
In my effort to get back to basics and save a little here and there, I came across a Nigella recipe for pancakes. She had been making them on an episode of Nigella Express and they looked divine. (yes pancakes can be divine). Pancakes had long been my nemesis. I tried different mixes-from gourmet to Bisquick and no matter what I did they were either thick heavy doughy weights or thin burned drips. I decided to give it a go one last time before I retired my cast iron griddle pan forever. I had all the ingredients already in the cabinets, so I set out to make pancake mix hoping to eventually create the same fluffy beauties that Nigella served up on her show. My helper, Stina was in the kitchen with me as we ventured into the world of homemade pancake mix. She helped me to measure the flour, sugar, and baking powder. I figured this could double as her Math lesson for the day too. Within minutes we had a mix all ready for the next day's breakfast.
The next morning I was determined to make pancakes that were at least okay, if not maybe even a little bit good. The first batch went on the griddle and cooked up quickly and looked good, no burning, perfect size and shape. Each batch after seemed to easy to be true. Breakfast was ready and now the true test-Murph and the kids. No one expected much, after many failed breakfasts of pancakes at my hands. The first bite was like a little cloud melting-slightly sweet and light. These little perfect disks of honey colored goodness were a success!!!! Everyone loved them! With Nigella at my side (in spirit of course-haven't been lucky enough to actually meet her) I had made the perfect pancake!!! I can't even begin to count how many pancakes I have made since that first day with Nigella's recipe, but let's just say, we are now on our 7th batch of mix and it lasts a while. We now eat pancakes twice a week and have even been guilty of three times around the holidays. Stina eats the leftovers (rarely are any) spread with Nutella and rolled up for a mid afternoon snack. Below is Nigella's recipe for the mix and the batter. Yummy-enjoy!
Nigella Lawson's Pancake Mix (from Nigella Express)
4 cups flour3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar (I use homemade vanilla sugar)
Mix together and store in a jar. I use my extra canning jars.
Making the Batter:
1 cup pancake mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
Heat a flat griddle (I use a double burner cast iron griddle. Nigella says not to oil it, but I do use a swipe of vegetable oil just in case). Whisk all the ingredients together. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle and wait for the tiny bubbles. Flip when you see the bubbles. It is about a minute per side.
These are possibly the best pancakes I have ever tasted. There is just something so yummy and light about them, they become addictive. Hope you love these as much as we do!
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