HogieWogie

Pinkalicious

2010-09-29T21:45:00.003-04:00

I recently renewed my love for these cookies, which are not available in my area. I used to eat these in college on occasion. The 500 calories per cookie may or may not be responsible for the freshman 15 or 20 that I gained. I always seemed to crave them on Sundays as I walked past the vending machines on my way to church in the Smith Fieldhouse. I wondered if it would be considered breaking the Sabbath if I bought one from said vending machines after church, but I think they actually turned the vending machines off on Sundays at BYU. Anyways, I am glad that they make them in smaller sizes now, so I won't feel like such a pig when I eat 3 or 4 of them in one sitting. Somehow, eating a smaller cookie in greater quantities seems less indulgent than eating one of these big babies!

photo: samsclub.com

P.S. Granny B.- You have got to get a better picture of your signature cookie on your website! Fuzzy, very fuzzy. If you are the home of The Original Pink Cookie, don't you think you would rather highlight those gorgeous pink cookies instead of those pumpkin chocolate chippers or snickerdoodles??!! Come on!

Cookie Table??!!

2010-03-23T11:46:00.002-04:00

Where has this been all my life??!! I can't believe I have lived my whole life to this point not knowing about this. I grew up in New Jersey for crying out loud, you'd think I would have known. More importantly, why hasn't this tradition spread like wildfire? It is the greatest...idea... ever. I am now obsessed with cookie tables. I have been reading everything I can about them, talking to people who have actually had cookie tables at their weddings, and am trying to get myself invited to a Pittsburgh wedding. I am plotting for the day when one of my children weds, to start this tradition. Does anyone know of an upcoming wedding in Pittsburgh that I can crash??

photo: gourmet.com

Help!

2009-12-30T15:14:00.003-05:00

Dear Reader,

I know I have maybe about one reader left on the planet, but if you read this, you have to do something and then tell your friends to act. Trader Joe's is discontinuing my favorite product ever (they are notorious for hooking you on something and leaving you hanging, right?). So, this Purify Grapefruit Chamomile Sea Salt Scrub is the best product in the world. It is the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. It is the most fruity, refreshing, invigorating, moisturizing, luxurious, anti-depressing, happy fragrance there is. It is pure grapefruit happines, I don't smell much chamomile in it at all. My winter skin cannot live without it. I have seriously been in a funk since learning that I won't be able have it anymore and my last jar is now empty. I feel hopeless. Dear reader won't you please e-mail the folks at Trader Joe's and tell them how unhappy you are that they have discontinued this most amazing product? I am hopeful that they will get a flurry of mail to warrant reconsidering this most tragic decision. If you have never tried it, you still need to e-mail them with your complaint, even if you don't live near a TJ's because if they do decide to carry it again...you will thank me. If you are a devotee of this product, you need no encouragement. Please, please,please just get the word out and in the mean time if you happen to see a jar or two or three on the shelves of your local TJ's, snatch them up quickly! You could even send me a jar and I would pay you handsomely. Help a girl out.

Happy New Year!

Photo: apartmenttherapy.com

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-29T21:06:00.004-04:00

Go make these now! Don't bother with the bat shape, just make them and devour. Don't know how to make dulce de leche? Get a can of sweetened condensed milk (take label off), boil it in the can in a big pot of water for three hours (keep it covered with boiling water), yes, three hours... your house will get nice and steamy and your neighbors may wonder what is going on in there??!!...your pores will open up beautifully too... but then you will have...the nectar of the gods (common sense caution: don't open the can until completely cool, okay?). These cookies really just serve as a vehicle to keep yourself from eating the stuff right out of the can. Happy Halloween!

image:marthastewart.com

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-10-12T10:53:00.004-04:00

I think these are the best pumpkin muffins that I have tasted. A friend of mine in Kansas shared this recipe with me. I love that the recipe calls for buttermilk and molasses. I made them mini size and they were perfect. I used all whole wheat flour too and they are great. Chocolate chips wouldn't be a bad addition either. Here is the recipe from Elie Kreiger at Food Network.

image:marthastewart.com

Magic in the Middles

2009-09-08T22:23:00.005-04:00

Try these. Soft, peanut butter center, chocolate cookie on the outside. It is almost like my favorite cookie, Peanut Butter Blossoms only inside out. The only change I made was to omit the peanut butter in the chocolate part. I wanted there to be more of a distinction between the chocolate and peanut butter. Delicious. Really serious cookie. They take a little time to make, so only make them for people you really love.

Image: kingarthurflour.com

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-06-23T08:19:00.011-04:00

These are the best...pancakes...ever. My friend, Jaime makes these and like everything she makes, they are divine. I am completely obsessed with them. You will love them so much that you will want to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...but don't do that, they are all oatmeal... plus you can make them with whole wheat flour without anyone knowing! So do not eat them as your three meals a day as you will be tempted to do, trust me...I've done it before, it's not pretty. But do make them right away with the Buttermilk Syrup...they go to together.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes
Combine in large bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight:
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups buttermilk

In the morning add to the bowl:
2 eggs
2 T. sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup flour ( I use white wheat)
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon

Mix well in mixer or by hand and drop onto hot griddle. Serve with buttermilk syrup.

Buttermilk Syrup:

2 sticks of butter
2 c. sugar
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla

Melt butter in LARGE pot, then add sugar and buttermilk. Boil 2 minutes, remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Stir well, it will bubble up profusely at this point so make sure you have a big pot. Serve over Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes. This syrup keeps well in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave. You could make half the recipe and it makes enough, then you won't feel so bad about using 2 whole sticks of butter, but it's really, really good.

photo: foodnetwork.com

Disgusting

2009-06-12T22:15:00.001-04:00

Last night we were drawn to this segment of a program on the Travel Channel. We couldn't stop laughing at this restaurant from Taipei Taiwan called Modern Toilet. No joke, the food is served in plastic toilets etc. I am not even going to go on...you just have to read for yourself here, here, you get it, right?

image: spike.com

I scream

2009-06-11T22:56:00.002-04:00

Have you tried this? I am not a huge ice cream lover, but this one does it for me. Vanilla ice cream with thin ribbons of chocolate throughout. It is kind of like a Klondike Bar, but SO much better, the quality of ice cream is waaay better, as is the chocolate, plus you get lots more chocolate in every bite. It's like that Magic Shell stuff without the partially hydrogenated junk. GO get yourself some and while you're there, pick up some little Keebler waffle bowls to go with...it's the perfect treat.

Chocolate

2009-06-04T13:50:00.003-04:00

This is my favorite. I love milk chocolate, but most brands are too sweet for me. This one is a bit darker than most milk chocolates. It's really good on it's own, in a recipe, or for hot chocolate.

M&M's Miracle Cookies

2009-05-06T16:20:00.004-04:00

These are unbelievably good. Just 5 ingredients and you get the perfect bite of peanut butter and chocolate. Cookies without butter or flour?! Who knew? I guess that is the miracle.

1 egg
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
*3/4 cup M&M's chocolate mini baking bits

Mix it all up in a bowl, the dough will be a little crumbly. Scoop onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen small or 18 large cookies. Mine don't turn out like the picture at all. Mine keep their mounded shape which is extra good to bite into. I suppose you could flatten them if you want, but then you wouldn't be able to fit the whole thing in your mouth. You will love me forever once you try these. This is where I got the recipe.

*I use mini chocolate chips and only 1/2 cup, I think 3/4 cup is way too much.

V Chocolates

2009-02-23T13:09:00.003-05:00

What???!! I've never done a post about my favorite V Chocolates? Mmmmm. You better get on over there and get you some chocolate covered caramels or truffles or thin mints or toffees. Best... caramels... EVER. Would I lie to you? Try the Milk Chocolate Caramels with Pretzels first. Then get some of the Little Bears, little cinnamon bears dipped in Belgian chocolate...to die for. Pick up some of the Chocolate Frogs for the kids because you will not be sharing.

True Beauty

2009-02-19T18:40:00.002-05:00

Does anyone else in the world besides me, watch this show?? Come on people...I need to dish with someone about it! This is television viewing at it's finest.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

2009-01-27T18:45:00.005-05:00

Lest you think I only bake treats, here is proof that a few healthy things do come out of my kitchen once in awhile. This is a really good alternative to deep fried, greasy, but-oh-so-good buffalo wings. Not exactly man food for the big game, but still delicious and satisfies my need for Frank. The blue cheese dressing is really good too. One minor change I make to the recipe: instead of broiling it in the oven, I just saute cut up chicken in a little olive oil with THE hot sauce in frying pan. Easy.

Photo: foodnetwork.com

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

2009-01-01T10:40:00.004-05:00

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then there is nothing else to say here. I came across this picture on my very favorite food blog Serious Eats. I was reading this piece about one of my first loves and then I found this recipe here and then I made it right away. I can't think of a better way to ring in the new year than with this. There are no words to describe the pleasure. I even forgot to add the butter and didn't even know it was missing, but I will have to make it again soon and conduct a control group among my expert panel of tasters (Andrea, are you in?). I used half semi sweet, half milk chocolate pieces. So, a control is definitely in order, not that there is anyway to improve upon perfection, just more excuses needed to make it again...and again. I didn't put marshmallows on top, just a dollop of cream, but the toasted marshmallows on top and the look of hot chocolate are what lured me in. I am mildly obsessed with hot chocolate so you can see why I was drawn to this photo and the 12 Days of Hot Chocolate bit. Cheers!

photo: ezrapoundcake.com

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

2008-12-12T13:06:00.004-05:00

This little house won first prize at the local Ginger Bread House Decorating contest. Sweet! All that creativity must certainly come from her mother. Well, I unwrapped all those Tootsie Rolls, that must count for something, right?

Puff my pastry

2008-10-26T14:56:00.007-04:00

Make these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, now! Puff pastry, peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallow all baked together in a gooey, perfect little bite. These pretty much meet all of the daily requirements from the food pyramid(minus maybe a few key foods) so why not serve them for dinner? Just serve a nice salad on the side and call it good. So easy to make, kids can assemble them. Leave the peanut butter out if allergies are a concern, they are still really, really good. In fact, you could get pretty creative with these and come up with all sorts of fillings, puff pastry is nice like that. Oh, the possibilities! You could put anything in my puff pastry and I would eat it, almost.

Chocolate Malt Sandwich Cookies

2008-10-03T21:24:00.003-04:00

You have to try these. My friend, Lisa raves about them here.
I didn't really believe that a cookie could be THAT good, but just look at the ingredients...as if they didn't have me at chocolate malt...they had to go and add creme fraiche, cream cheese, AND half and half!!! Unbelieveable. They are really good chilled, and get better the next day in my opinion...if they stay around that long. And an added bonus is that they are really rich, too rich for my kids, so I get to eat them all. If you can't handle the filling(wuss!) you can fill them with ice cream. This is the perfect cookie for ice cream sandwiches(my search is over) they are nice and flat, but still chewy and can hold up to the melting ice cream. But really, don't waste them on ice cream, make the filling. Thanks Lisa, I hope lots of packages full of malt powder start coming to your doorstep! Get the recipe here.

Photo: marthastewart.com

For Nie Nie

2008-08-27T08:27:00.000-04:00

In December 2007 I bought these shoes. A few weeks later I broke my foot in a bad way. I've never worn these shoes. My life was turned upside down for a time after my injury. I was no longer able to do the everyday things I sometimes dreaded and complained about. After being parked on the couch for months, I would have given anything to get up off of that couch, drive my kids to school, make their lunches, and vacuum the floors. When I recovered I vowed that I would never again complain about washing the dishes, scrubbing the kitchen floor, folding laundry, or changing another poopy diaper. I really have tried to live each day full of gratitude now that I can get out of bed unassisted and walk to the bathroom, take a shower, and drive to the store. When I talked to a good friend of mine shortly after the incident she said that she would be grateful that day and every day that she could go run her errands that she didn't want to do. She got it right, that is exactly what she should have said and done to make me feel better.
Over the last week I haven't been able to stop thinking about someone who I don't even know, but who will be aching to do all of the things she was once able to do, but can't until her body is able. My friend Gabby, has declared Thursday August 28, 2008 Nie Nie Day in honor of Stephanie. That day I will do for Stephanie what she cannot do for herself. I will get out of bed and shower and dress myself for Stephanie. I will wake four sleepy little heads and fix their breakfast for Stephanie. I will make the beds and pick the clothes up off of the floor for Stephanie. I will drive my children to school and pick them up at the end of the day for Stephanie. I will run my errands with a car full of screaming kids for Stephanie. I will happily make lunches for my children and snacks and dinner for my family in honor of Stephanie. I will scrub my toilets and wash and fold and put away mountains of laundry in honor of Stephanie. I will scrub my floors and dust the cobwebs in honor of Stephanie. I will answer phone calls, e-mails, walk to the mailbox and pick up the dry cleaning in her honor. I will load and unload the dishwasher many times for Stephanie. I will pick up toys from the floor for the 13, oooth time that day for her. I will change lots of diapers and brush little teeth for her. I will clip tiny fingernails and toenails, bathe little ones, and comb knots out of their hair for her. I will help children with homework and read stories to them for her. I will tuck four little ones into bed at the end of a long day, for her. I will do it all over again the next day and the next... full of gratitude for what I can do. I will savor every minute of the day and no longer look at those tasks as mundane or too laborious because I know if she could she would give anything to be able to do just one of the things on my list today. Today I will wear my red shoes for her, maybe when I am vacuuming!

The real hero of the Olympics

2008-08-24T17:47:00.007-04:00

Hands down, the best part of the Olympics was this young boy, Lin Hao who led the Chinese team at the opening ceremonies. Don't get me wrong, I love Michael Phelps and his mother as much as the next gal, but this brave boy deserves more gold medals than all the athletes combined! See the story here and here.

French Dip

2008-03-15T13:01:00.005-04:00

Here is the best recipe for French Dip Sandwiches that I have ever tasted. I used to make these every now and again, but they will never make an appearance at my dinner table after trying this latest recipe. They are an abomination, a slap in the face to the slow cooker recipe. These are 10 times easier and quicker to make and if I can make your life easier when it comes to dinnertime, then my job here is done. A few changes I made to the recipe: I seasoned the meat with salt and pepper, and browned it on all sides before adding to the slow cooker. I omitted the beer and subbed a can of beef consumme. I put the consumme in the pan that I used to brown the meat and scraped up all the brown bits, then added it to the meat in the slow cooker. As most reviewers suggest, about a half an hour before serving, take the meat out and slice it and put it back in the cooker for the last half hour. You could also add worchestershire sauce to the au jus, but I left it out and it is mighty tasty just like that. It's all I can do to keep myself from drinking that juice down as an after dinner drink!

Photo: Allrecipes.com

Chocolate Caramel Slice

2007-06-30T21:04:00.004-04:00

I had to come out of hiding to share this bit of deliciousness. This was in the May 2007 issue of Bon Appetit and when I laid eyes on it I knew that we would be instant friends, it was love at first sight. I just got around to making them today and boy howdy are they good, good enough to break my vow of silence in the blog world. Think Twix candy bar but 10x better, maybe 20x even. This is the recipe that I used, but I wasn't crazy about the crust. There are better recipes out there for a more buttery crust. The caramel and chocolate were perfect together, how can you go wrong with those two? They are a match made in heaven. I did a Google search for these babies and found a lot of variations, some with coconut in the crust, some use crushed cookies, plus I learned about Copha (a shortening derived from coconut)but most stay true to the same ingredients. Bring these to your next barbeque and you will be the most popular person there. Really, I don't know where these have been all my life or how I have managed to get this far without them in my life. I do believe my life is now complete. Now I will resume my hiatus, I've got more important things to do, like watch So You Think You Can Dance.

Photo: Taste.com.au

Salsa

2007-06-01T17:31:00.001-04:00

I need a good bottled salsa recommendation. I have been on a lifelong quest for THE perfect "go to" salsa that I can keep on hand. I have tried a number of mediocre jarred salsas in my lifetime, but none of them are worth keeping around. It used to be Pace Picante, but it lacks that certain something, then Goya Pico de Gallo, but either they changed or I changed. I've tried the Desert Pepper brands and they are good, but not knock your socks off good, Newman's, Chi Chi's, Frontera Grill to name a few, I think I have tried them all. I recently tried an Archer Farms brand that has promise, but I continue to search. If you have found your true love, your soul mate in salsas will you please share the love? I am sure I am not alone in this search.

photo: williams-sonoma.com

Pecan Squares

2007-05-31T06:10:00.000-04:00

I don't know if I have posted this recipe before or not, but it definitely is worth repeating. Awhile back The Food Network aired a short lived series called The Cookworks, loved it, but it's gone, curses! One episode had the participants making these. My mouth was watering and I could not stop thinking about these until I finally made them. I normally don't eat pecan pie because it is way too sweet and rich for me(if that can be believed). These are great for the pecan loving bunch because they are caramel-y, gooey, sticky, and buttery, but not overly sweet or rich like their pie counterpart. You can even taste a little bit of the honey. I don't dip mine in chocolate like Ina does in this photograph, but it's not a bad idea at all.

Photo: foodnetwork.com

A Mom and her Nose

2007-05-30T11:22:00.001-04:00

I have had this cold for some time now. I can't smell when to change the baby's poopy diapers. My son will come home from school and say, "Mom, you have to change his diaper, he really smells." I wonder how long he has been sitting in it, poor thing?! I have almost burned the house down twice now. I go to put something on the stove and walk away only to come running for all of the smoke billowing out of the kitchen. I nearly poisoned my family one night...how was I to know the meat was bad??!! I couldn't smell or taste it, looked good to me! Thank goodness my husband came home from work AFTER we had all eaten the tacos and he asked, "what's wrong with this meat, is it bad, I think it's bad?!" Nice. So, I used to think that losing your sight or hearing would be the the most frightening sense to lose, but I would have to say, as a Mother, losing your sense of smell/taste is by far the most hazardous. A Mom needs her nose. I will say that it is an optimum time for cleaning out all of those things growing fur in my fridge and changing said poopy diapers.

Sandals

2007-05-29T14:28:00.001-04:00

I thought these were cute for little girl feet. Guess where you can find them?? Target, of course.

Mississippi Mud Cake

2007-05-23T07:20:00.000-04:00

The photo of the mint brownie cake below was reminding me of Mississippi Mud Cake, so I had to share the recipe that I love. There are a lot of recipes for Mississippi Mud cakes, pies, bars, all worth a try, but this one in particular does take the cake. I figure if I blog about all of these decadent desserts, then maybe I won't be tempted to want to make them and eat them all in one day.

Photo: Allrecipes.com

White Chocolate

2007-05-22T09:05:00.000-04:00

With my recently inherited assortment of chocolates, I made Grasshopper Squares, a mint brownie done up. The mint filling is a white chocolate and mint ganache. I left out the creme de menthe and just added a little extra peppermint extract. If you have some white chocolate that is just sitting around and you don't know what to do with it, you could also make these White Chocolate and Lime Blondies. I've made these without the filling part (too much fuss) and put the white chocolate in the bars and then made a glaze with powdered sugar and a little lime juice and they are great. Thanks epicurious.com for all of the lovely recipes and photos, this photo is actually the Chocolate-Mint Brownie Cake, it was much prettier to look at than the grasshopper squares in that sweater!

Bunny Cakes

2007-05-21T10:17:00.001-04:00

I love this book. I love most all of the books involving Max and his overbearing sister Ruby. This book especially makes me laugh, but really makes me hungry for Red-Hot Marshmallow Squirters. I wish there were such a candy. I also love to have books with my children's names in them. I have one for all of them except the last one, anyone know a good children's book with a Christian in it? I think he is tired of us singing Onward Christian Soldiers to him.

Yummy Salad

2007-05-18T06:43:00.001-04:00

Now that warmer weather is here, who feels like cooking? (Not that we ever feel like cooking, right?) I love this salad because it has so much going on, is really easy to put together and tastes SO GOOD. I love that it uses a rotisserie chicken, anything that calls for a rotisserie chicken has my name all over it. It makes a great presentation and impression. Here is the recipe for the critically acclaimed dressing from a cook in Kirkland, Washington (see reviews from this recipe). I love me a good asian chicken salad.

3T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. sugar
3T. soy sauce
1/2 t. dry mustard
2 T. sesame oil
1/2 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 T. toasted sesame seeds

Photo: allrecipes.com

Happy Birthday, Liz

2007-05-17T17:10:00.000-04:00

Liz,over at backwardsattraction is having a birthday today...if my records are correct. Go on over and wish her a good one! Here's to you, Liz!

photo:Williams-Sonoma.com

New shoes

2007-05-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

I have been hunting high and low for a good pair of summer shoes that will go with everything. I think I have found them. They are very versatile, will match everything that I wear and are the right price. I am just worried that they scream "stripper" just a bit. What do you think? Find them here.

Skin So Soft

2007-05-16T16:00:00.000-04:00

I was stocking up on my favorite sunscreen/insect repellant and I came across this bit of information regarding Avon's Skin-So-Soft and all of it's many uses. It removes chewing gum from hair and gets out ring around the collar and repels bugs all at the same time? Who knew? Now that is a product I can get behind. I was never a fan of the stuff, until vacationing in Hilton Head, SC years ago and they sold the stuff EVERYWHERE as a bug repellant. It seems to do the job, so Avon has now marketed it as an insect repellant. I love that it now has sunscreen and can do double duty against that nasty West Nile Virus, plus it is DEET free, big plus. It's a good thing.

P.S. I do NOT work for AVON.

Photo: avon.com

Prayers

2007-05-16T10:41:00.000-04:00

Sometimes prayers are answered in mysterious ways. My prayers were heard and answered for Milka chocolate the other day. I found a little package on my doorstep and what to my wondering eyes should I find, but this cute little purple cow and about a dozen different chocolate bars from said purple cow(and other varieties). How is it done, you ask? How did the blog gods know of my heart's desire? My dear blogging friends, just when you think you are too weary to blog anymore and want to give up the fight, keep on blogging I say, good things may come your way. Just blog your wishes and you MAY receive. It also helps that I have a friend living in Ireland and she happened to read this. It's nice to have friends in high places! Alright you win, Jodi!

Date Shake

2007-05-15T10:17:00.000-04:00

Have you tried a date shake? I have to admit, I was VERY skeptical at first. I think I must have had a bad experience with dates as a child, I think they look a lot like cock roaches, don't they? My last issue of Bon Appetit had a recipe for a date breakfast smoothie that sounded pretty harmless, so I gave it a go. Not bad, even delicious I might say, so good that I had to blog about it. I think it must be a California delicacy, so Californians may appreciate them much more than the rest of us, but do try one.

For a shake, use vanilla ice cream instead of yogurt. You can also use a little nutmeg and cinnamon for extra flavor. Mmmmm.

photo: click here

Suds

2007-05-12T13:16:00.000-04:00

This is one more thing that I love from Target and then I will stop with the shameless plugs. Baby Hair & Body Wash is only 97 cents at my local Target, 97 CENTS!! I don't care if the kids dump the whole thing down the drain, squirt the whole bottle in the tub and slide around on it, or fill the tub with the entire bottles' worth of bubbles, it's only 97 cents. I've learned the hard way that the fancy, expensive stuff does the same job, doesn't smell/clean any better and I don't freak out when I find an empty bottle the same day I opened it.

Do my eyes deceive me?

2007-05-10T09:51:00.000-04:00

Has anyone else seen Kiehl's products at Target?? Target, yes Target. I might have been dreaming, or it might have been a REALLY good knock-off. I really think I did see a small selection of these really good products there, a bit pricier than usual, but at Target nonetheless. Just when I thought I couldn't love Target anymore!

Photo:Kiehl's.com

Mother of the Year

2007-05-08T22:25:00.000-04:00

I've lost the battle, given up, thrown in the towel. My fight to keep white bread out of my kids' diet is over. I am surprised I have succeeded this long. They have known about white bread and have bemoaned the fact that I would NEVER cave and actually buy it. They've had it enough to know that they were really missing out on an important rite of childhood. So when my son kept coming home from school with his uneaten sandwich day after day, I had to do something or the poor boy would starve. We tried other menu items for awhile, even different brands of whole wheat bread, but to no avail. I searched the grocery store shelves high and low for the "healthiest" white bread possible. Satisfied with my all-natural, organic choice, I took the leap. I grew up in a house where the bread was always homeade and always whole wheat, so you can understand my anxiety about bread. This was the last stitch of the few healthy foods in the lunch department, so you see why I agonized over this decision. The sandwiches are being eaten with great gusto now. White toast with butter in the morning is such a treat! I might get the Mother of the Year award this year! Well, maybe not quite, I am sure she would never down grade the quality of her bread . Hopefully I will advance to the rank of "Fancy Mom" at the very least. You see, "Fancy Moms pack things like Doritoes, Fruit Roll-Ups, Dunk-A-Roos, and Capri Suns" said my son. It's a slippery slope, but I think I'm headed in the right direction.

Photo: wonderbread.com

Save Our Chocolate

2007-05-04T14:20:00.000-04:00

I normally don't get politcal on this blog or anywhere, for that matter. However, I make an exception when chocolate gets involved. It appears that our beloved chocolate is in trouble and needs our help. Apparently, the USFDA is threatening to tamper with our chocolate, using sub-par ingredients like vegetable fat to replace the quitessential cocoa butter in chocolate. Ugh! In my opinion you can't have chocolate without cocoa butter. If you want to get involved click here. To see my favorite chocolate blog (and how I learned about this impending issue), click here. Really, it's a whole blog about chocolate.

Photo: Guittard Chocolate Company

Give Peace a Chance

2007-05-01T21:13:00.000-04:00

When Dorie Greenspan came out with her latest book, Baking: From My Home To Yours, one recipe, in particular stood out to me, World Peace Cookies. With a name like that, how could you not be tempted? I had to make them, Pronto. They are a bit of an obsession, one of my many. You just have to make them for yourself. They are not your ordinary chocolate chocolate chunk cookie. They are a sable (SAH-blay)meaning sand like in texture, they are crumbly and buttery and salty and chocolatey, you'll see. Grab a glass of milk.

Chalazion, I have a Chalazion!

2007-04-30T21:46:00.000-04:00

I will spare you the picture of MY chalazion, let alone any old picture from the files. What is a chalazion you might be asking? I know, I had never heard of a chalazion before today. Isn't the thin skin around the yolk of an egg called such, but spelled differently? I could be wrong there. That's not what I have (the thin skin surrounding an egg yolk). I have a lump on my eyelid called a chalazion. Who knew??!! It's been with me for a few weeks and in typical Jenni fashion, I have not consulted a doctor yet. Who needs a doctor when you have WebMD?! Right? So, it's been there for awhile and I had a new tube of Erythromycin, so I used that for a bit thinking it was some kind of infection. Not an infection. Then I started thinking that maybe it was a sty, but it didn't have all of the characteristics known to a sty. So, I consulted my trusty WebMD today and faster than you can say, "Chalazion" I had my diagnosis! How is that for speedy? All the while my husband is rolling his eyes at me because I won't make an appointment with a "real doctor"!! Phooey.

If you would like to know more about my chalazion and others like it, click here, but don't scroll down to the bottom if you have a weak stomache.

Get it right

2007-04-28T10:48:00.000-04:00

Dear Fruit of the Loom, Hanes, Children's Underwear makers of the world,

Would you please put the large character on the front of the children's underwear so that my child will not have to wear his underwear backwards anymore. I would think that with the technological advances and progressive thinking in the underwear industry today, you would have figured that kids want to be able to see who they are wearing. Until then, we will continue to wear them backwards so we can see Spiderman, Batman, Lightning McQueen, Superman, Hulk, Power Rangers, and Scooby up close and personal.

Thanks so much.

Chicken Divan

2007-04-25T16:33:00.001-04:00

Every once in awhile I find a decent recipe from she-who-shall-not-be-named in this household. This recipe makes two dinners in one, but I have only made the Divine Divan part, so I will list it here. It's really just a chicken and broccoli casserole, spiffed up.

2 c. chicken stock or broth
4 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
1 shallot, chopped
2 t. olive oil
1T. butter
1 1/2 t. flour
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/8 t. nutmeg
1 lb. broccoli spears
8 oz. gruyere cheese- shredded
salt and papper to taste

Bring stock to boil, add chicken and poach. Remove chicken and reserve stock in separate dish. Saute shallots in oil and butter for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring. Ladle in reserved chicken broth and whisk in cream. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Slice chicken and add to sauce. Meanwhile cook broccoli. If using frozen, microwave a few minutes. If fresh, simmer in 1 inch of boiling water 2-3 minutes. Place cooked broccoli in 9x13 size dish. Layer 1/2 the cheese over broccoli, top with chicken mixture, then add rest of cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. That's it.

Happy Monday

2007-04-23T12:04:00.000-04:00

Did you miss free cone day like I did? Blast! This is the flavor I would have chosen if I would have remembered to go. It is one of my favorite flavors that B&J make. I think Baskin Robbins may have their free scoop day coming though, or did I miss that too? If I haven't missed it, I will choose German Chocolate Cake if it is in that day. Most days it is not. Have you ever tried Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip? I hear it is tasty tasty. Maybe someday I will splash out and get the 6 pints for $50 smackerooos. Or better yet, I could probably just drive/ fly to Ohio for that price! Afterall, Cleveland is in Ohio and ever since 30 Rock last week, I've been aching to go to Cleveland. "If the whole world moved to their favorite vacation spots, then the whole world would live in Hawaii, Italy, and Cleveland." -Floyd

What is your favorite ice cream?

Will It Float?

2007-04-20T12:03:00.000-04:00

Apparently my toddler has been sneaking out of bed at night to watch David Letterman do his Will It Float? bit. Almost daily I walk into the bathroom to find a few new items added to the toilet. Most of them do NOT float. Do you want to know what they are? Legos, do not float, Hot Wheels cars do not float, neither do bagels, toothbrushes, cell phones, shampoo bottles, toothpaste tubes, pencils, hairbrushes, granola bars, etc. etc. Almost everything we own, if it is big enough to fit into the toilet bowl, has been put to the test. While some of the items may float upon initial dive into the toilet, by the time I find them, they are safe and snug at the bottom of the can. Don't worry, most of these things flush down quite well with no adverse affects(so far). As for the cell phone, it has survived, but there is not enough disinfectant in this world to get it clean enough for me to use it!

Lemon-Blueberry Cake with White Chocolate and Cream Cheese Frosting

2007-04-18T12:52:00.001-04:00

I love this cake. I love the frosting, it's not too sweet, great consistency and compliment for the cake. Do make this frosting for this cake, they were made for each other. I love blueberries and lemon together, it is such a Springy combination to me. The nice thing about this cake is that the whole thing freezes well. I have wrapped individual slices and frozen them and taken them out of the freezer whenever I needed a little cake, which is about everyday. I really didn't need to freeze this cake because it was gone in no time, but do keep it cold in the refrigerator and do use cake flour. Next time I make this cake, I think I'll make it into cupcakes. Maybe Spring would come at last if we all made this cake and joined hands and did a little dance!

Photo: epicurious.com

Serendipity

2007-04-13T13:19:00.000-04:00

Waiting for the mall to open today, I wandered into CVS. I must have done something right in my life because there was one box of these See's Lollypops and one box of the little pops on the shelf with all of the Easter clearance candy! The bonus is this: $3.50 for the Lollypops(regularly $13.75 plus shipping for me) and $1.49 for the Little Pops($3.30 a box). I couldn't quite figure out why CVS was carrying these, but I didn't ask, I just ran to the checkout quickly before anyone realized that there must have been some mistake! I don't think anyone knows what a good thing they had there. And the extra bonus is that my little Russel Stover Coconut Nest's are only 33 cents a pop now! That, my friends, is sweet serendipity.

Chili Friday

2007-04-13T12:25:00.000-04:00

I made this chili the other day, but was not crazy about it. It has potential, but needed a lot of work. I added garlic and that helped tremendously, but it still needs a little something. I have tried many a chili recipe only to keep going back to my faithful stand-by. It has a whopping 1/2 cup of chili powder, which is way too much for me, I use about 1-2 tablespoons. I also leave out the stout. Besides those 2 changes this chili is delicious, I love the smokiness of the chipotle peppers and the lime crema makes it extra deliciousness.

Grace - Part 2

2007-04-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

You need to click on this and check out this fall. It made me feel less clumsy to see that even people who get paid to walk, still have a little trouble sometimes, okay, a lot of trouble in her case. And to see my runway debut, click here.

Grace

2007-04-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

A little comic relief for today. This past Sunday I was taking my son out of the nursery at church. There is a baby gate at the door, a new baby gate, a much taller than the old baby gate, gate. I am holding my toddler in my right arm. On my left arm are a few bags, coats, papers, etc. I proceed to step over said baby gate to make our exit so as not to let any of the little nursery people out. You can see where this is going...pencil skirt+high heels+big baby in arms+new, way too high baby gate =
It was all a blur to me, all I remember thinking is, "I'm going down and there is nothing I can do!" I only remember seeing my shoe dangling in the air above my head and my little one looking at me like, "What is wrong with you? You are NOT supposed to fall with me in your arms!" I quickly came to and made my graceful exit only to find my husband on the other side of the door, snickering! Of course, I burst out laughing with him, but I wasn't sure who I felt more sorry for, me, or the missionaries who happen to catch a glimpse!

Chicken Cacciatore

2007-04-10T12:16:00.000-04:00

This is a really uncomplicated dinner to make. It only uses about 5 ingredients, which is what I love about it. It got a few nods of approval around here, so I think we will be seeing it again a few times. Oh yes, we will be seeing this one again. I have a tendency to get a little excited when I hit on a meal that appeals to all three of the little gourmands in this house, that is until I make it to death and then no one ever wants to see it again! I will try to exercise a little restraint with this one. I served it with egg noodles and it seemed to work out splendidly.

Animal Bag

2007-04-05T14:15:00.000-04:00

Does your house seem to be overflowing with stuffed animals? I came across this solution for storing them awhile back, but haven't made the purchase yet. I am not sure if the animal owners in this house are quite ready to see their pets enclosed like this, but it sure would make a comfy seat, I argue. There are quite a few different shapes and styles to choose from. Find it here.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2007-03-31T17:36:00.001-04:00

The one cake that my Mom makes that is most memorable to me is an angel food cake. She has a lot of variations on the theme, but this one stands out the most to me:

1 angel food cake

1 pint heavy/whipping cream - whipped
1 cup raspberry jam

Fold jam into whipped cream and spread over prepared cake. You may want to freeze the cake so that the cream will adhere more readily. She made this cake many times, and sometimes would substitute chocolate syrup in place of the raspberry jam. The raspberry was my favorite though, so fluffy and creamy. She used to make something similar, but would break up the cake into pieces and use strawberry jell-o and cream, and frozen strawberries. Another good one was her Rocky Road Angel Food Cake. I could go on and on about the delicious things that came out of my Mother's kitchen. If you want to see one more easy, yummy recipe of my Mother's, go here. Happy Birthday, to you!

April Fool's

2007-03-31T17:12:00.000-04:00

My one April Fool's trick is this:

2 scoops of vanilla yogurt
2 peach halves or apricots (canned work well)

Place yogurt on a plate and flatten a bit to resemble the egg white. Place the peach or apricot cut side down on the yogurt. There you have 2 fried eggs, sunny side up. Easy. That is the extent of my excitement over this holiday. Of course no one in this house is fooled by it anymore, but they love it and request it every year.

Easter Goods

2007-03-31T16:56:00.000-04:00

Nothing says Easter to me more than these Coconut Nests. I look forward to their arrival on the shelves every year. In the past, I would just throw the jelly beans away, but now I can pawn them off on the kids and we're all happy. These nests and I go way back, we have history, so I would have to choose these over Cadbury mini eggs(as much as I love them) as my Easter treat of choice. Get them while you can!

Sterling Silver Bubble Wand

2007-03-29T12:36:00.000-04:00

Who wouldn't love to get this sterling silver bubble wand in their Easter basket this year? At only $188, I am sure the Easter Bunny can deliver. Or at least I am sure he can come up with $30 for the pewter version. If you haven't received this catalog, make sure you check it out. I have too many favorites to choose from. Make sure you type in a hyphen between chasing and fireflies when searching for this website, something I can't quite figure out pops up otherwise.

Party Thaaang

2007-03-22T21:17:00.000-04:00

Last night's edition of Party Thaaang was great, Senior Prom 2003. If you are not lucky enough to live in Rhode Island, then you are probably wondering, "What is Party Thaaang"? Party Thaaang (yes, there really are three a's in THAAANG) is a local cable program which features highlights from the lastest dance club scene, high school dances, proms, bars, etc. There is no plot, dialogue, or cast, just a bunch of people getting their groove on. My husband and I look forward to watching Party Thaaang every chance we get, in an attempt to better familiarize ourselves with the local culture. I guess there are more and more reasons for me to like living in Rhode Island everyday!

More good stuff

2007-03-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

Don't miss the giveaway today at LoveBoxes. DesignMom's guest mom, Lindsey, has featured Love Boxes on today's post. See it here.

more notes to self

2007-03-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

My friend, Kathryn reminded me that I too need to make a few notes to help me remember certain things. Today's note to self would be to check all pants pockets before placing them into the washer/dryer. You see, my son went on an adventure to Dave and Buster's on Saturday for a school function. He earned all of these tickets from playing video games and stuffed them into his pockets. He came home and announced that he was going to save them all and earn more tickets to win a really "great" prize! So me, being the brilliant Mother that I am, did not check said pockets (nor do I ever bother to check any pockets) before laundering them today. As I was pulling out ticket after ticket, and lint glob upon lint glob, I asked him, "Just how many tickets did you win on Saturday?" J: "129 Mom, why?" Me:"Oh, just curious..."

Do you know how much lint 129 tickets produces? I have yet to see the end of it. Three loads later and I am still pulling out tickets from the dryer, clothes, and lint trap and I haven't even folded the laundry yet. I know tickets aren't as bad as lipstick or gum, but how am I going to come up with 129 tickets??!!!

Giveaway City

2007-03-16T09:49:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, click on over to this site. My sister-in-law, Tiffany is having a great giveaway today and maybe something next week. Her boxes are hand painted with love, and you will LOVE the market bag in today's prize. It looks like there are a few other goodies to be had by the lucky winner. Get hopping.

Bombay Potatoes

2007-03-13T12:51:00.001-04:00

My friend, Jamie Oliver gave me this recipe. It's really good as it is, but I've messed with it a bit, stealing the idea from a potato dish I had at Deepika's house. I think my recipe is WAY better than Jamie's because I use bacon. And we all know that EVERYTHING is better with bacon. Here you go:

6 potatoes, peeled, cubed -parboiled
6 slices bacon, cooked
1/2 t. ground mustard
1 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
2 t. curry (or more)
1-2 t. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 scallions chopped
2-4 tomatoes, chopped
handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Boil the potatoes, but not completely, they will finish cooking in the next step. Watch them so that they do not cook all the way through otherwise they will get a bit mooshy (which isn't a bad thing). Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a pan. Remove cooked bacon to a towel or rack. In the same pan you used for the bacon(leave all of the bacon fat in there) add the scallions, ginger and spices, let cook over medium heat just for a few seconds, don't let burn. Now add the potatoes to finish cooking, stirring to get the potatoes covered with the spices. If you need more spices, then add more. Crumble the bacon into the potatoes. Add salt if needed. Once the potatoes are cooked through, turn off the heat and add the cilantro and tomatoes. I hope I haven't left anything out. If you don't trust my recipe, you can always make Jamie's.

Look what I found!

2007-03-12T22:20:00.000-04:00

Now you can buy the mix here. You provide the butter, eggs, and milk and they provide the rest plus those cute little dots that adorn the tops of their cupcakes. The recipe for the cream cheese frosting is on the can, so make sure you have all the ingredients ready. In the store you can buy an extra special gift set that includes a single cupcake case for a cupcake on the go. Wouldn't that make a great little something for the cupcake lover in your life?

Milka...mmm...

2007-03-12T22:02:00.000-04:00

This is one really good bar of chocolate. I could really go for one right now, but they are not so accessible in my world. Sometimes around Easter I have found Milka Truffle Eggs at CVS or Target, but they don't really do it for me. If I get desperate I may have to order it here. Maybe we should write letters, e-mails, phone calls, etc. to petition the Milka makers to sell their chocolate in our local stores.

2006 Rocked!

2007-03-09T11:08:00.000-05:00

My eldest son was given this assignment in school:

It was a very good year because...

His response:

"I made new friends. It also was a good year because I got good presents for Christmas. One thing I got was some tasty cheese spray[in my stocking]. These are reasons why 2006 was a good year."

And to think I fretted and worried that he would be disappointed over not getting a Nintendo DS last year!

Why was 2006 a good year for you?

School Lunch

2007-03-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

I hate making lunch in the morning for my kids to take to school. I don't so much hate actually preparing the food, I just hate thinking about what to pack EVERY STINKING DAY OF THE WEEK! It gets awfully old making turkey sandwiches for one and a bagel with cream cheese for the other, day in and day out (since PB&J won't even get a sideways glance) not to mention packing additional sides, drink, and a mid-morning snack. I know they tire of the same old same old as well and if I should run out of supplies I simply dig from the bottom of the barrel and at the end of the day, with looks of disgrace on their faces, I am met with,"Mom! What DID you pack in my lunch today??!!" Enter the Thermal Snack Jar, my life saver. My brilliant sister-in-law, mother of 6, food preparer extordinaire, told me about these gems sometime ago. This was it! The answer to all of my problems! I heat up a can of soup, and lunch is done. I throw in a little of last night's dinner and voila! I put in some cold milk, add cereal to a separate bag and bam! (Sorry for that annoying Emeril reference, it's just so exciting!) Macaroni and cheese, spagetti, hot oatmeal, the possibilites are endless. I now dread the morning lunch-making assembly line no more.

The Red Balloon

2007-03-08T10:11:00.000-05:00

Do you remember this? I have been searching for books that I haven't read to my kids yet and remembered how much I loved this one as a kid. I recall viewing the film in elementary school more than once and loving that too. There are hardly any words in the film, except Pascal calling, "ballon, ballon" a few times. I love the story of his friend, the balloon and its loyalty. The revolt of the balloons in the end of the story is especially exciting.

Not even this

2007-03-08T09:54:00.000-05:00

Can you believe she doesn't even like this one? Of course she doesn't, I like it, therefore she does not. Maybe if I told her I hated it?? Should I get it and make her wear it, or do I risk scarring her for life, (as my husband says he is from being made to wear pink pants as a lad) and years of therapy??!!
Sigh. I know we can find a compromise out there somewhere. Maybe you have a girly girl who would wear this, then I can live vicariously through you for a bit.

Girly Girl

2007-03-06T13:40:00.000-05:00

What little girl would not want to wear this ultra pouffy, pink, pretty, precious ballerina skirt?? I'll tell you who wouldn't want to wear it...MY little girl, that's who. I've been shoppping for Easter dresses and have had a difficult time finding something for my once- girly- girl- gone- all- too-cool-teenager on me! It doesn't help when a catalog like this comes to my door, either! If only they made a green or brown corduroy version of her everyday pants into a dress, then maybe she'd be happy!

Swiss Chard

2007-03-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

This is the vegetable of the day. I should make it a point to highlight a certain vegetable weekly in this blog, but there are not many vegetables that excite me that much. I love vegetables, don't get me wrong. When prepared the right way, there are not many vegetables that I won't eat. It's just that I don't dream about them. Swiss chard, however, excites me enough to blog about it. I love this stuff. It's very good for you, a lot like spinach, but doesn't leave your mouth as chalky as spinach does. When we had that spinach scare, I used swiss chard as a substitute for most things requiring spinach. It's really pretty to look at too with those colorful stalks. I like to cook it this way:

A little olive oil to a heated pan
A clove of garlic, chopped
Chop up the stems and add to oil first. Saute a bit, then add the chopped up leaves. Saute until wilted sufficiently. Add salt and pepper. Yum-o! You can also add some balsamic vinegar to the pan to add a little zing.

My Sister's Granola

2007-02-26T13:57:00.002-05:00

My sister makes the best granola that I have tasted. She's no granola, far from it, but she knows good granola. The recipe makes a HUGE amount, so I've reduced it by half here.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup nuts i.e. sunflower seeds, walnuts( I like almonds)
1 cup dried fruit, any kind(I like unsweetend pineapple, apricots...)

Mix all of the above in a large bowl.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup honey
2 t. vanilla

Heat oil and honey to a rolling boil. Turn off heat and add vanilla. Pour over granola mixture and blend well. Spread on a baking sheet.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, stirring the granola every 5 minutes while baking to ensure even browning. Watch it closely as it can burn fast. For softer granola do not bake as long. This is a great basic recipe add or subtract ingredients according to your taste. You can use less sugar if you like, increase the amount of wheat germ, add flax seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, raisins, it's perfect for experimenting. I'm going to go make some right now.

photo: Williams-Sonoma.com

Do Not Forget to Vote...

2007-02-26T13:29:00.000-05:00

The contenders are in, it is time to cast your vote for the next Haagen Dazs limited edition flavor. Click here to cast your vote and see the 10 flavors vying for your consideration. ( The last contest winner, Sticky Toffee Pudding, showed up at my doorstep last summer, free of charge, because they felt so sorry for me that I had moved to podunk RI.) I am trying to decide between Ginger Cashew Crunch, Caramelized Pear & Toasted Pecan, or Lillikoi Butter & Macadamia Nut. Which flavor will you choose?

P.S. Lindsey, I suggest you get in on the next contest, you would for sure win.

Chocolate Sparkle Cookies

2007-02-24T15:26:00.000-05:00

Here is the recipe for the cookies I've been promising Liz and Michelle. The recipe comes from this bakery in Vancouver, Canada. I've never been there personally, but I've made the cookies enough to know that it would be worth the trip. They are lovely and chocolatey and rich and you don't even miss the flour. I usually buy the almond meal at Trader Joe's, but you can easily do it yourself with some almonds and sugar and a food processor(just subtract the amount of sugar added to the almonds from the recipe). Make sure the almonds are really cold when you process them or you will get almond butter, which isn't such a bad thing really.

One good thing...

2007-02-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

This is the one good thing about living in Rhode Island so far. The Passion Heart (King David)- molded white chocolate heart filled with a fresh passion fruit and milk chocolate ganache, and the Helena (Peaches and Cream) - a peach pate de fruit layer over a vanilla ganache made with fresh vanilla beans, enrobed in milk chocolate may make life worth living here.

Fat Tuesday

2007-02-20T10:02:00.000-05:00

I couldn't let today go by without mention of this holiday dedicated to gluttony and the worship of food. Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day...for as many names it has there are an equal amount of food traditions. In some countries they eat pancakes and have pancake races. Other countries eat split pea and ham soup and go sledding. Here in this country, I believe savory dumplings are the delicacy of choice. My favorite tradition though, happens to be doughnuts; paczki(paunch-key) to be exact. In Poland , if you don't eat at least one of these jelly- filled doughnuts on this day, things are not going to bode so well for you in life. I think the idea is to eat as many as you can. What a great holiday, no? I think I was only able to down three in one sitting. I heard tale of a certain sister missionary downing 12 at one time. I don't know if that is really true, but it's a good story. Whatever the case may be, it's a good day to stuff yourself silly.

Why I Love Julia

2007-02-19T21:34:00.000-05:00

I have been reading, My Life In France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme. One of the reasons I love Julia so much is because she can say things like this,"...in [my] day the American housewife had to juggle cooking the soup and boiling the diapers...'if she mixed the two together, imagine what a lovely combination that would make!'" My favorite quote by far! She was so endearing. She was a master, but still humble and teachable. She was the queen of classical French cooking in America, but would never turn her nose up at a tuna casserole. I watched her on PBS every chance I had when I was a kid. She turned me onto many other cooks and showed me that cooking is cool. Cooking, while a necessary evil for some, has turned into a bit of a passion for me. I am glad to have someone like Julia to look up to and share in that passion. And I am double glad that I don't have to boil diapers.

Chalupa

2007-02-19T20:58:00.001-05:00

These boats are known as chalupa in one Mexican dialect, or so I am told. They're quite pretty, but I want to talk about the kind of chalupa that you eat, and NOT the Taco Bell version. My good friend Misa makes a mean chalupa filling. Most of the recipes for the filling seem to have a lot in common, but what makes Misa's recipe so great is that you dump everything into the crock pot and go. Misa has to feed a family of 8 and then some, so the recipe accomodates her quite nicely. I have to pare it down and make half to feed my little brood.

3 lb. pork loin roast - browned (i didn't brown it and it was still good), you can also use chicken
4 - 15 oz. cans of beans - any mixture will do i.e. pinto, kidney, black, etc. drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-4 oz. can chopped green chilis
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
1 T. salt
1 t. oregano

Dump the above ingredients over the meat and mix a little bit. Cook in crock pot until it falls apart, on high for half day or low for all day. Shred with a fork and mix well. This makes a LOT, so you may want to make half. Now for the boat part. Fry up some tortillas in a little oil and place over a bowl to cool thus making the shape of a little boat. Or you can omit that step and just serve in a soft tortilla and roll it up, burrito style. Fill with pork filling and other toppings if desired i.e. cilantro, cheese, salsa, sour cream, etc. Although I have to say, these are outrageously good on their own and don't need a lot of extra fuss. Thanks Misa.

Funnies

2007-02-12T22:57:00.000-05:00

I have this little four year old who has the funniest things coming out of his mouth. It's just the age where they are repeating every little thing they hear. I have had to turn my head and laugh silently most of the time. I often make notes of what he's said on my calendar so I can remember to tell his Dad when he comes home from work. Before I throw last year's calendar away, I want to jot these things down here so I don't lose them for good. He's growing all too fast and pretty soon he'll start making sense and then it won't be so funny anymore.

-"I am not dealing with this right now, I'm dealing with you, Mom!"

-"Try these, they're lovely." (pocorn kernels)

-"I'd be delighted to."

-"Mo-om! I am trying to concentrate on my food!" (while I was using the too loud blender)

-"Did Soph have a go?"

-"Christian's not clever enough."

-"I'm just going to snuggle up."

-"How do you take your hot cocoa?"

-"That would be successful." (anything that is a good idea)

-"Are these biscuits? I want a biscuit."(said in your best British accent)

-"Now YOU cooperate!"(said in your best Mom voice)

-"This is the life!"(on getting into the tub)

-"Can I have butter on my doughnut?"**

-"Whoever wins is me, and whoever loses is you."

-"Mom, did you say that I could say 'it sucks'?"

-"When you lick the sugar it is TOTALLY, COMPLETELY goooood." (on eating grapefruit)

The Caesar closet= The cedar closet

The Celebration Army = The Salvation Army

-"Binga Binya-ah" = Viva Pinata

-"Stunkin' " = anything bad

-On the way to the doctor one day you said, with your monster truck in hand,"If anyone wants to play with my toy then I'll just use my karate skills on them." I say,"How about you just tell them nicely that you don't want anyone to play with your toy?" "No, I'll just use my karate skills on them." Well, we go to the doctor, we wait, you play, no kids are even in the waiting room. We get checked up, we go home. On the way home it suddenly dawns on you..."Awwwwwww, I didn't even get to use my karate skills...oh man!"

and this one is from his sister, age 7 on going to New York for a visit..."You know when you're so excited that you just want to stretch and put your teeth together??!!" Yes, I know the feeling.

**my personal favorite

More Dolly

2007-02-09T19:11:00.000-05:00

Just in case you can't get enough of her, Dolly has come out with a new cookbook. She sings AND cooks, what a woman! You can find it here. Can't you just see me and my main man singing Islands in the Stream in a karaoke bar on Valentine's Day?? Now THAT would make for a steamy V-Day for sure! Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Valentine's Day Cookies

2007-02-06T13:21:00.002-05:00

I have what I think to be a pretty unique recipe for Valentine's Day cookies. I have sampled a lot of different kinds of cookies in my life and have never come across any like these but from my Mom's kitchen. The original recipe calls them Birthday Cookies, but I have always known them as the Valentine Cookies with the Red Hot Frosting. The frosting is what makes them really special, the color is almost a hot pink, and the taste is not like any ordinary frosting. Try them and you'll see.

Cookie:
1 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1 cups oats (old fashioned)

Beat butter, powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla together until creamy. Then add the dry indredients. If dough is too sticky to work with at this point, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in freezer for a few. Preheat oven to 375. Roll to about 1/4 inch thick and cut with heart shaped cookie cutters. ( My Mom uses a heart with a scalloped edge, I think that makes the prettiest cookies, I hope she wills that cookie cutter to me someday!) Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 8-10 minutes. Do not let them get brown. While cookies are cooling, make the frosting.

Frosting:
1- 8oz. package cinnamon red hot candies(a.k.a. imperial hearts)
1 stick butter
1 pound powdered sugar
water

Put red hot candies in pan with just enough water to cover them, stir constantly. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then simmer with the butter until all of the candies are dissolved, keep stirring. This may take awhile. Take off heat and add powdered sugar and stir until it thickens just a little. You want it to be a bit runny because it will thicken as it cools. Ice cookies immediately. You can do this by dipping the cookie face down into the frosting(it is more of an icing) or with an offset spatula or knife. The icing will set up nicely on the cookie. Gotta go make some.

I will never, not ever, eat a raw oyster, ever

2007-01-31T11:20:00.000-05:00

The other day I was talking to my husband about his dislike for lotion. He says that the greasy residue that it leaves is like lard. This immediately reminded me of the time I was forced to eat fresh, homeade lard that my host's cat had just licked. Then I was reminded of all of the disgusting foods I have ever eaten in my life. Most of these foods were consumed while living in another country and I had no choice really, but to eat or commit the ultimate offense. I am not a very adventurous eater, I love good food, but I do not consider myself a "foodie" because I refuse to eat certain things like head cheese and sweetbreads. Oysters are on that list of things I never want to try. The reason that I am so afraid of oysters is because of a little thing called kisiel. Kisiel (pronounced: key-shell) is the Eastern European equivalent of Jell-O. The only difference is that kisiel has the consistency of sputum, yet comes in a variety of different fruity flavors. Imagine my luck to be served gooseberry flavored kisiel one day. Not only was it the color and consistency of snot, but it tasted just like it too. I don't really know how I was able to get it down, because everything in my body said that this should be going up, not down. The gag reflex was in full force as I tried to stuff more cucumber and kielbasa sandwiches down with it, but it still wouldn't go (heave!). My host, seeing my difficulty asked if I would like a drink? Please, even that hibiscus tea would help get this down!!!! But what should she bring?? no it wasn't the old stand-by, hibiscus tea. How about a nice toasty mug of warm milk to wash it down?? Nothing like a little extra mucous production to help things along. I should have hid the stuff in my warm milk, but I didn't want the woman to discover it after I had left. I wanted to feed it to the dog, but he only wanted my kielbasa. My companion was having the same trouble I was, so I couldn't give her my portion. The only choice we had was to slurp it, oyster style, in one big chug. We held our breath, tried to imagine it was a big bowl of ice cream, and down the hatch. It was a fight to the finish, but we came out victorious and lived to tell about it. I have to say that it was the most disgusting or maybe most difficult things I have ever eaten. I have eaten carp that has lived in a bathtub for a few days, then cooked and served with aspic (a close relative of kisiel). I have eaten tripe, which smells and tastes like poop. I have eaten pickled herring, fresh lard, parts of meat that are usually reserved for other uses, raw octopus, grass soup, and some pretty scary things, but none of it compares to kisiel. I imagine raw oysters to be of the same texture as kisiel, so I am never eating one, ever. I know they are a delicacy. I know they are supposedly an aphrodisiac. But I am not eating one. I know I am a wimp, a lightweight when it comes to eating, I know there are those of you out there who have eaten a plethora of more adventurous (read:disgusting/unpalatable) things that can't be touched by my measly selection. So, let's hear it...what are some of the most disgusting things you've ever eaten??

Chocolate Shortbread

2007-01-26T17:33:00.000-05:00

Today I made this. Yes, amidst all the blogging I've done today, I actually had time to bake! This is great to make when you have no eggs or vanilla in the house and need a quick chocolate fix. I didn't make the icing, it is divine on it's own or with a little melted chocolate dipped or drizzled. We cut out little heart shapes(and a sleigh for Max) when it came out of the oven and it looked so much more appetizing than the picture shown here. Warning, save some of the dough for baking, you might eat it all out of the bowl like I almost did.

Weird

2007-01-26T17:25:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else think this story is suspicious, or is it just me? Hmmm...August wedding, May baby...I know it is possible, but it is really close, eh? Sounds pretty fishy to me.

You're It

2007-01-26T13:02:00.001-05:00

I have been tagged, so I guess I am supposed to reveal 5 things about myself that you might not otherwise know. Here goes:

1. I am a long-time(no longer in the closet) Dolly Parton fan. How can you not love Dolly?
2. I am not an animal lover, dogs esp. scare me because they can smell the fear plus they stink, shed, sniff you, and lick you, horses also bother me, they could eat me if they really wanted to.
3. I am afraid of Jaws coming to get me, esp. if I am the only one in the pool.
4. I secretly hope my son's tarantula dies. Don't tell!
5. I secretly hope my daughter's
Tamagotchi dies and never spawns a new generation.

There you have it, now you know my secrets. I think I am supposed to tag some people now...hmmm whose secrets do we want to know??? I tag Jodi of Jodisblog, Erin of LeeLouAnn, Amanda of fancypantsmom, and the newest blogger on the block, my sister of ShaunaNaner.

The Edible Schoolyard

2007-01-26T13:02:00.000-05:00

This is Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. I've been impressed with her efforts in The Edible Schoolyard.
I am glad that there are people like her, who see a need and make it happen.

Rhode Island-ish

2007-01-26T09:34:00.000-05:00

My first indication that I was in foreign land was when I registered my children for school this past fall. The secretary intoduced herself as, "Mahsha". "Mahsha" I tried to repeat, not knowing if this was some mix of Madge and Marcia or Magda, better yet, how would I even spell that?? Her last name was Polish, so I assumed that was the origin of her first name too. Come to find out her name is Marcia, just plain Marcia with a New England twist. Of course! I didn't think that moving just two states away would require me to try to understand a new language, forget about speaking it, I think they can understand me just fine. Or can they? My oldest child is in third grade. The teacher was explaining words with the -AH- sound, as in lost, not, awesome...you get it...she asked the class what sound the word b-e-c-a-u-s-e makes. My son raised his hand and pronounced it like this --bee-kuhz-- Wrongo! The girl next to him raises her hand and pronounces it this way --bee-kawwwz-- Bingo! Huh? Well, then they all went to get a drink from the bubbler and then they played tag and had to run to goo or else they were out! If you don't believe me, ask my friend Lisa to tell you why she failed so many spelling tests in this great state! My first grader is having a bit of trouble in this area as well. One student in her class spells park this way p-a-k and why shouldn't she?? That is exactly how it is pronounced! We are trying to invent a new version of Hooked on Phonics for my daughter so she won't be tricked on this weeks spelling words caught and bar.

Sprinkles

2007-01-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

I wish I could go here.

Lemon Chicken

2007-01-21T17:23:00.000-05:00

Michelle asked for a good lemon chicken recipe. I saw this made on Food Network a long time ago and it intrigued me because it uses lemon curd, one of my favorite ingredients. It is really quick and easy to make and tastes really good. I know there are thousands of good recipes for lemon chicken out there, but this is the one I keep going back to because everyone seems to love it (even though it's from Rachel Ray and my husband can't stand her because of her striking resemblance to an ex-girlfriend!) Serve with rice, and broccoli and you've got yourself a pretty mean meal. Use a good lemon curd or you can make your own. Don't know how to make lemon curd?? Of course you do, it's the same stuff you put in lemon bars.

Landslide!

2007-01-17T17:16:00.000-05:00

I read this book when I was a kid and absolutely loved it. I recently introduced it to my older kids and just finished reading it again and still love it. The image of these five children trapped under the earth, in a house for their entire Christmas vacation, has always stayed with me. I remember trying to imagine myself in that same situation and trying to think of ways to get out/survive. How awful! I tried to find a copy in my local library, but it doesn't seem to be in circulation any longer. I did buy a library bound copy from amazon.com for a really great price, though. Maybe you read this as a kid too?

Could it be???

2007-01-15T20:12:00.000-05:00

Look what I saw today in the store! I kid you not, before Valentine's Day could even begin to poke its head out....the eggs are here!!!! And oh yes, I bought a tiny bag and yes, they were good. If we were lucky enough to live in the UK, we might get them year round. I saw a picture of some Christmas eggs on E-bay for sale. Because you know, Christmas and chocolate eggs go so well together. Really, chocolate eggs, if they are of the Cadbury Mini Egg variety, go with just about everything!

I love these

2007-01-12T15:28:00.000-05:00

Hurry and get your Honeybells!

2007-01-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

This is probably another to add to my list of foods to eat before you die. If you haven't tasted a Honeybell orange, you better get moving because they are only available this month. Otherwise you'll have to wait until next year to taste their sweet, juicy little goodness. Really, they are the sweetest, juiciest variety I have ever tasted. A honeybell is a hybrid of tangerine, grapefruit, and clemantine mandarin I believe, I am not an expert, I just eat them. Every year, my sister from Florida, sends us a huge box and we devour them until the citric acid burns become too painful to bear. The box comes complete with a few bibs to catch all the juice, they're that juicy. I don't think you'll find these in any grocery store, you've got to have connections like me, but if you check here or here they might be able to hook you up.

The Naked Chef

2007-01-11T11:23:00.000-05:00

I think Jamie Oliver might be one of my favorite chefs. He is really fast moving in the kitchen, his recipes are easy, straightforward and always yield great results. I also like what he is doing to change school lunch in his country and train teens to work in the food industry. I am sad that his shows can't be seen on the foodnetwork anymore, he's really fun to watch.

Try this

2007-01-10T16:57:00.000-05:00

The multi-talented, Denise made this once and I make it all the time now. SO good! You must try it. I've used pita bread for the crust as well, and even used it as a bruschetta- like topping without baking it. It's a great apetizer or meal. Can't say enough good about it. Thanks Denise!

Make mine a Grande

2007-01-09T18:09:00.000-05:00

Look at these great cups. They're coffee to go cups, but not so disposable. I saw these at Rockett St George, introduced to me by the one and only Design Mom. I have been thinking about these ever since I saw them months ago...think of the possibilities with these....endless. The best part is the secret message on the bottom, "Chocolate, men, coffee - some things are better rich."

Chocolate, not Gingerbread Cupcakes

2007-01-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

Ever since I made gingerbread muffins last week (and my husband thought they were chocolate) my adorable husband, has been bugging me to make these. This recipe is one of the better chocolate cupcake recipes that I have found. So good that they can almost stand alone without any frosting, now that is the sign of a good cupcake. Just the right chocolate flavor, dense, moist, and rich thanks to the sour cream. Do not be decieved, I do not frost mine like this picture seen here, but I do use an easy butter cream like this:

1 stick butter, room temp.
1 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar (or more as needed for consistency)
1/2 t. vanilla

for chocolate frosting, add some cocoa powder to frosting maybe 1/4 c. or so

P.S. The picture you see here is Martha Stewart's Hi Hat cupcakes

Quick Creamy Tomato Soup

2007-01-06T15:12:00.000-05:00

Today is a tomato soup and grilled cheese kind of day. I stole this recipe from Rachel Ray and made a change or two. She uses basil in it, but I can't serve certain people soup with green things floating in it.

1 - 32 oz. carton chicken stock/broth
1 - 28 oz. can concentrated crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup orzo pasta or any small pasta

Add chicken stock and tomatoes to medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until bubbly, add cream, salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. I usually add the pasta already cooked at the very end, or you could add it and cook until done, or leave it out completely. Serve with your favorite grilled cheese.

If you like pina colada's...

2006-12-31T21:30:00.002-05:00

Here's what's on the menu for our rockin' New Year's Eve bash.. Virgin Pina Colada's and Chinese Dumplings. For the Pina Colada's:

1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 c. - 1/2c. cream of coconut
6 scoops pineapple sherbet
ice -optional
fresh pineapple - optional

Blend in the blender, pour and garnish with fresh pineapple wedges, a cherry, and a paper umbrella(a must). Makes about 3 cups.

Now for the dumplings. My sister-in-law, Tiffany gave me this recipe and they are wicked tasty. They are a bit time consuming, and make a LOT, so if you are not feeding an army, make half. I figure this is a good thing to make once a year since it takes a big chunk of time to fill all of these babies. Definitely worth the time.

1 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 c. minced cabbage
2 1/2 c. minced garlic
1/4 c. minced onion
2 1/2 t. minced ginger root
1 t. salt
1 egg

2 pkgs. wonton wrappers

Mix all of the above except wrappers, and saute in skillet, until meat is browned. Fill each wrapper according to package directions. Boil, steam or fry dumplings until done. Makes about 100, that's right, 100.

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. sugar

Blend well and dip dumplings as you eat. This sauce is a must for these dumplings. So good. Happy New Year everyone! Cheers!

Festivus For the Rest of Us

2006-12-30T22:02:00.000-05:00

While most of you are giving careful thought to the coming new year and said resolutions, I am thinking that it is time for the airing of grievances. No better way to start the new year off than with a little axe grinding, right??!! Once you get it all off your chest, then you can move on in a more positive direction and run that marathon with gusto, or wake up on time every day, or eat healthy, or whatever your resolve may be. So, I've let this little grievance of mine go, brushing it off as no big deal for years now, but still definitely at the top of the list of pet peeves of mine, until today...I can stand it no longer, it's CALL WAITING. Basically, what it boils down to is this...you're talking to some person on the phone, then someone beeps in, the person you are talking to says, "I've gotta go or hold on, SOMEONE is on the other line." Translation: I'd really rather talk to that PERSON than you now, so I gotta go. Rudeness. I refuse to sit on hold while they check to see if they would rather talk to me or the other PERSON. I almost always hang up when they leave me hanging. I'm fine to sit on hold for the doctor/hotel reservations etc. because they are busy people and that is what you do at a business, you put people on hold. But friends do not put friends on hold...I mean really, you can't miss a call??!! The thing that got me all jazzed about this today, because like I said, I had let it go long ago, but today a friend put my daughter on hold! The nerve! Oh no you din't just put my daughter on hold! Am I just a lunatic? Maybe there are advantages to call waiting, it can get you out of many a boring phone conversations. At any rate, I don't mean to be disrespectful to any of my readers who may have call waiting...I am sure there are very good reasons for having the call waiting option installed to your phone line that I have not thought of and I will find myself eating these words in a minute...hold on...just after I take this call...

Creme Brulee French Toast

2006-12-21T10:46:00.000-05:00

This is good for breakfast, sometimes I make it on Christmas morning. I have altered it a little using egg nog and it is even better, I think. I use half egg nog and half of the half and half plus 1 or 2 eggs and leave out the Grand Marnier( I usually don't have any on hand) but do add the vanilla. You can leave it over night to soak or just make it up and cook that morning and it works just fine. Grate a little fresh nutmeg on top if you like. Yum-o.

If you like egg nog, you should also try these. My friend, Megan made these last year for a cookie exchange and I thought they were amazing. The texture is perfect, soft and dense, full of egg nog flavor. I can't get enough of them! Go get yourself some egg nog.

Time to...

2006-12-18T22:28:00.000-05:00

This is how I feel today...