OYE!

I have an insatiable appetite for pizza. Its mostly just bread but with the sauce and pepperoni on top, its like extra special bread. Sometimes we think we couldn't just eat 4 slices bread with butter for dinner but we can somehow justify pizza, mostly b/c its so delicious. I don't put cheese on my pizza b/c of my intolerance to dairy products. Take away the dairy intolerance issue and its still really good. Its almost like Americans have been somehow brainwashed into thinking they have to have cheese on top of or in everything they eat. To me, when I eat pizza, its more like taking some bread and dipping into some sauce with a little meat on the side...give it a try, you may like it and in the process break the chains of dairy enslavement!

Bad Turkey Juice, Bad!!!

Would it be ok to hate a dead turkey??? Seeing I've never actually had a turkey that hasn't been frozen (yes, I've cooked a frozen turkey before...our company was able to stay a long time!!). You could say, I was quite surprised to notice turkey juice meandering around and socializing with the other refrigerator tenants. The produce got especially close to the turkey juice. In other words, I had to clean the bottom of my fridge out and throw out all my produce I had bought for the week! Which meant: I had nothing to eat!! My cucumbers, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, ginger, apples, pico de galo!! the whole shabang! Our kitchen was cleared and then sanitized after the cleaning expo. Lesson learned, I will always put the bird in a pan, just in case the Turkey juices get lonely and dare to mingle with the dinner guests residing in my fridge.

Committed, disposable no longer

I bought my very first roasting pan the other day. This may seem strange to some but I have gone 13 yrs now of cooking for myself and my family without a roasting pan. I've always bought the foil pans that can be thrown away. Yeah, its worked but I feel as though now I'm committed. Now I can buy an extra large turkey or ham for the holidays and not fear the pan will bend or disintegrate from the 7 extra hours it takes to cook the turkey because it didn't thaw all the way and its Thanksgiving morning and you have company coming that will not leave until they have a full meal in their belly! With the pan, I also bought a turkey. We're not having Thanksgiving here at the house this year, so that means no left over turkey sandwiches with cranberry and gravy for supper and lunch the day after!! I plan to make the turkey and sides the day before thanksgiving then when we come home we'll have plenty to choose from, maybe even make some soup!!

No ordinary nugget

Nuggets, one of the forbidden foods of a dieter, dietitian, health nut, purist, or whatever you'd call someone who's watching what they eat for whatever reason they might choose! I must give special thanks to a friend, who will remain anonymous (you know who you are!). This friend made dinner for me and my children one night. She made turkey nuggets. The kids loved them, so about a year later, I decided to make them! Right, I know...it only took me that long to make something the kids liked that was easy!? I must preface the rest of this with "after last nights chicken nuggets, I never want to willingly eat frozen-processed-even minimally processed-chicken nuggets ever again!" So last night, I took some frozen rosemary olive oil bread out of the freezer, thawed it then threw it in the food processor to make bread crumbs. Then I cubed some chicken breast meat then coated it with the bread crumbs. I Sprayed a baking sheet with some oil, then threw them in the oven at 400 degrees, turned them over after 20 minutes then let them bake a little longer on that side. I made some brown wild rice and green beans with cranberry sauce on the side. MmmMmmmMMMM! I was so very glad we had leftovers so I could have some for lunch today. If you ever get the chance, try it...you may never want to see the frozen chicken section ever again!

A time to...

There is a season, a time, a dawning, an age, a moment....to....eat or not to eat. Of course we should eat...but what are we eating? Something that's been sitting in a box for 13 months before it comes home to sit on our shelf for another 3 months? I've had to recently reboot my eating...the boxes and cans slither their way into your life, they slip through the stress fractures and seep into your grocery cart, then they multiply. They devour your pantry space and fill you with guilt for not eating them because why waste money on stuff that will go bad in 5 days because something will happen that will somehow prevent you from eating that fresh food? There is a time for the packaged-processed stuff, there is a season for it, a moment of desperation or utter pity we allow ourselves. A moments, a season, an age don't last forever or they are a short span in the long view in the order of life. I'd like to be an eater of the herb of the fields...you know, the stuff that grows, not the stuff that's packaged? However, when desperation calls from its miry quagmire, don't be surprised to hear, from my kitchen, the crackling of plastic or the hum of the can opener....

Salad to the rescue

Basically since vacation, we have been surviving on easy meals...I know, I know...but things keep coming up and I'm tired or I can't think or I don't get to the grocery store....so then I rummage through the pantry, the freezer or our stash in the basement. I can't even remember what we've been eating. Spaghetti maybe? Some crabcakes? I don't know...but today I've taken the first step towards recovery. I had a salad. I went to the store last night, bought some produce and today I made a salad for lunch. It wasn't as torturous as I thought it would be, just not as satisfying as maybe a steak bomb sandwich--which I did have the other night on a hot, fresh roll from the oven with A-1 and white barbecue sauce smothered in peppers and onions!!--anyway, I put some smoked ham and smoked turkey on top of the lettuce with a finely slicedgreen apple, sliced onions and chopped cukes. I forgot to add the craisins, I'm sure I'll remember tomorrow...yeah, I know, prolly not! The road will be bumpy, this I know, for my hunger tells me so...

Appetite lost...

Something very strange is happening. I have lost my appetite. True my daughter will be going in for surgery in 2 days, that might have something to do with it....but I don't feel stressed or worried, I feel "at peace", no anxiety, no apprehensions...but just no appetite. It's as if I've down shifted into low gear and I just want to stay in the slow lane. Maybe I am stressed, worried, not "at peace", anxious and apprehensive but don't realize it. Maybe I just don't feel like eating...that doesn't seem normal. It could be I am consumed by the week and my responsibilities...but I'm finding little enjoyment in my great past time...I guess if this is the new "me" I'm ok with it, that'll make each pound a little easier to shed.

MammaHulk

Yes, I do have a strange sense of humor. So if you read the previous post you'll understand how my humor works. I wrote about how I love Pico de Galo. A kind of "salsa"...so I thought it to be fitting to write my post in Spanish. If you want to know what it says, visit your favorite online translator, copy/paste then translate. It won't be exact to what I had written but it should be close enough.

Things are still up in the air with my youngest, just waiting to get an appointment at the ENT's office. If the call doesn't come soon, my MammaClaws will come out, my flesh will turn green and I will have muscles protruding from parts of my body that I never knew had muscles, I'll also need to buy a new outfit due to the ripping and tearing...

el pico de Galo es mi amigo

Pico de Galo...SI!! Adoro pico de galo! ¡Agregué algún pico de Galo a una cacerola caliente y agrieté un huevo sobre ello, que hizo el mejor huevo frito que yo jamás he tenido! Agregué unas pocas tiras de tocino y puse el todo en un panecillo inglés. ¡Fue tan muy bueno!

¡Delo un trata, usted lo puede querer tanto hice!

let me deviate from the subject...

I know this blog is conversations to myself about cooking and my love for food and pictures but I'd like to go a little off-subject. Yesterday, while visiting a friend at a nursing home, I noticed my youngest had a very large lump on her throat. The friend, who had been a nurse for 48 years, took a look at the lump and agreed that wasn't entirely normal. So I did my best to keep my cool and not go into a mommypanicattack and decided we'd go home and quietly call the doctors office. When we arrived for the appointment we were greeted by a very nice nurse practitioner. My first thought was "oh great" a N.P!! I want a doctor!!! However, she put a very worried and scared 5 year old at ease and said that she was going to bring in the on call doctor. So now the 5 year old and the 34 year old were at ease. After a few minutes of hearing the two "discuss" things down the hall, the doctor walked in with a very large medical journal opened to a certain page with a certain drawing of a child's head and many different labels pointing to various regions on the child's head and neck. The first thing he said was that if it is what he thinks it is, everything is all right. Phew! However, I was waiting for the punchline...whenever anything like that is said, there's gotta be more to it. The basics of it is he thinks she has a thyroglossal duct cyst. The only way for it be gone is to remove it surgically. There it was, the punch....my 5 yr old going in for surgery. So, that's where we are right now. We have to bring her to an ENT to have further tests to confirm his diagnosis. He thought we were ok, bringing her home, since she wasn't in any pain, no fever, no redness which means no sign of infection. If these things get infected, its pretty much a nightmare. So, we'll do our best to keep an eye on things and see what this week will bring. My little one is very scared about any type of needles, surgery, etc...so we're trying to make this as "painless" as possible. Trying to make the experience as "fun" as we can. Things like this happen, I suppose, when you least expect it. All you can do is just roll with the punches and do your best to take each and every step.

Extra! Extra! Pathetic Atrocity Surprises Family!

Sitting ominously on the counter I saw my means to an end. I had to feed my family. But what to make? My mind was blank. Quietly sitting there was 2 lbs of ground Angus beef. The clock was ticking and nothing was coming to mind. It seems I had become bored with all the usual suspects. Spaghetti, nope...sloppy joes, nope....meatloaf, nope....hamburgers, nope....

Having nothing in mind, I plopped the meat into the dutch oven and started searing it. Dumped some spices in then put the cover on. Wandering about, I opened the pantry door. There staring back at me was a very large can of baked beans. Closing the door, I couldn't bring myself to put baked beans in with the meat....or could I??? Opening the pantry door, in somewhat disgust with myself, I grabbed the beans. What to eat with it? Bread. I know, pathetic, isn't it? However, I must say, yesterday was Wednesday. And the person dropping off the boy I babysit after school was late at the drop off site. So we got home 15 min later than usual. Why is Wed such a big deal in the equation in all of this? We have Midweek church service on Wed nights. We leave for church by 6:45 which means we have to have all schoolwork and piano practicing done, be cleaned up, dressed and presentable then fed before we leave. That 15 min is priceless on a Wed night! I usually try to do an "easy" meal on Wed nights b/c of those things. However this Wed night, I wasn't very prepared. So After I added the beans, I thought "What am I doing? I just ruined all this meat." I grabbed some barbecue sauce, garlic, mustard and ketchup then added the appropriate amounts to taste. What came of it was a tomato-less chili. I toasted the bread and scooped a spoonful on top...My husbands had a piece of melted cheese on the toast. I sheepishly handed each plate to each person, thoroughly embarrassed by decision to make such an atrocity. Before I knew it, I heard hmmm...then a mmmm....everybody liked it!! Go figure!

Its all in the details...

Why do the exact same dishes made by the same recipe taste different? Some have speculated that its the cookware, the humidity, the oils from the hands of the cook, the natural aromas of the kitchen. At a glance, a meal can be simple. I suppose when each of us cooks, we do things just a little bit different without realizing it. At a glance it all looks the same, but if you were to go into the nitty gritty details of the cooking you'd see minute changes that have a huge impact on taste. Its sort of like looking at a hand, at a glance you see the fingers, the palm, how the hand connects to the arm, and you may even see the fingernails. However, as you get closer you begin to see nooks and crevasses and wrinkles, pores and ultimately each individual finger print. I think that's how our cooking is, we each have our own cooking print, unique to our own. So no matter how many times I try to make porkum pup like my mother in law, its not gonna happen. I'll just have to be happy with the way I make it and try to convince her to have us over for supper on a regular basis! When you cook, think about your cookingprint and how its unique to you and you alone...

revenge of the gardener!

It has been brought to my attention that the meatloaf I made last night was liked by all. Check that one in the imaginary recipe box! I was able to mow the grass today. I had fun driving the mower through the garden. Slashing and cutting the broccoli that never flowered and squishing and pulverizing our midget corn that was once a beautiful green that turned into a sun-yellow. Although, I did run over part of the hose. And yes, it was damaged, well cut, well mutilated...but I think its still fixable. So now our sunflowers that once were towering above us looking down upon the beings below is now looking like it needs to be brought to the flower hospital and put on life support. What we need is some good compost. The soil needs some good ingredients. Or maybe it just needs to rest. So why don't I have an actual recipe box? I have my gram's but I never think to use it. Maybe I should try it, give it a whirl and see what happens....

hello??!! is it me you're looking for?

Last night I didn't quite make the stew I was hoping for....my hunger won and I decided to do the easy version...just some canned chicken, with some chopped onions, add a little chicken broth and corn starch with a side of green beans and some stuffing...voila! Dinner is served. Tonight is another attempt at the meatloaf. I did it pretty much the same as last time just added some mexican spices to it. so....we shall see, it will be a flop or a new menu item. I think I'll make some garlic mashed potatoes and wax beans to go with it. I know, not that exciting but hey the leaves are changing, the wind is blowing and comfort foods are knocking at my door...might as well let them in and say hello!

MyMenYou

Cell phones and I don't mix well. If you ever call me on my cell, please have some compassion on me during our conversation. For some reason, when I talk on a cell I can barely hear what the other person is saying and/or I'm in a place that is very distracting! I am not a multi-tasker and for that I am truly sorry. The groceries I just bought are all put away and I keep seeing my reminder note to freeze some cheese...gotta do that soon!

On the menu this week is....

1.meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans

2.Baked chicken, potato wedges and salad

3. Pizza/mini hot dogs in a blanket (for Wed night, AKA: church night)

4. Chicken stew

5. kielbasa Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

6. Pizza for the babysitter and kids and roast beef sandwiches to bring to a get together!

7. ?? no clue!

I did make the meatloaf last week. I liked it a lot! I followed the recipe and it was a very fine meatloaf :) I liked it so much I want to make another! Maybe I'll make the meatloaf tonight? hmmm....maybe I'll wait until tomorrow...its rainy today and the chicken stew sounds pretty good....whats on your menu for the week??!!??

I will....

Ok, so Loryn and I are the only ones who liked last nights dinner...remember the kielbasa, wild rice and corn? Yeah, Dave and Syd didn't like it, they said it tasted too "sharp". Oh well, that's ok. It doesn't matter....mostly because I'm sipping a banana shake topped with some soy whipped cream and the whipped cream has sought and found my nose more than once....that's all that matters right now. "Carpe" the moment. Right? Food does rescue me from so many things. I use it to heal and make things all better. Not such a great thing, in the grand scheme of things. Just one of my many flaws...

This week I will attempt meatloaf. Every time I've tried it, it hasn't turned out well. I've given myself some "I wills"...

1. I will use a recipe

2. I will take its internal temp.

I think I'll be safe if I stick to those principles. I love meatloaf sandwiches so if all goes well we'll be enjoying some leftovers. If not, I'm sure I will write about it...

Daily Deglaze

Cooking is definately relaxing for me, not the clean up but the cooking. I've got some kielbasa, onion, corn, mixed rice cooking together in some chicken broth. As I started the chopping then the sauteeing my mind began to wander...yes, my mind wanders quite a bit but its a theraputic wander. Before I deglazed the pan, with the chicken broth, the rice was beginning to stick to the pan and I thought about how our lives can become stuck from stress/chaos then we get frazzled and panicky. Some, like me, have a low "boiling" point. I don't multi-task well and I don't handle stress well. I begin to panic and become stuck like the rice. Now others have a much higher "boiling" point. Some people can be in a situation and be totally calm and think things through. Lets just say for people like me, we need people like that in our lives. As I began to deglaze the pan, I saw it as a stress reliever. It was relieving the rice from the pan, it was calming the rice down. I think sometimes we can allow ourselves no chicken broth, we think we can push through the heat and eventually we'll be done. But what we don't see is that we need the chicken broth to be done quicker and better. So deglaze and pour on the chicken broth!

'Tis the season...

Apple pie. The most ingenious combination of dough, sugar, fruit and spices. By far, my favorite dessert. Today I made two pies. They're still in the oven. The process took quite a while. Let's just say I'm not the fastest peeler or dough roller...I believe it took about 40 minutes to peel, cut and slice/dice the 10 apples. Then an additional 30 minutes to make and roll out the dough. I do like my pie to have soft apples. In order to make a soft apple pie, I do a few things that deviate from the recipe...I know, big surprise. I almost always stray from the recipe. When I cut the apples I don't make them all uniform, making sure to cut out any of those horrid seed cocoon/shell things you find every once in a while. I slice some thin, some thick and some are cubed. This makes for different textures and consistency in the pie. So you have some slices that are fully intact and then you have a somewhat homemade applesauce as the filling. I also don't add in as much cinnamon but then add in a little extra nutmeg. As far as cooking time goes, the first ten minutes is at 400 degrees then after that I drop the temp down to 325 for 50 min. The entire cooking time is 60 min. Most recipes say about 30-40 min at 400 degrees but I like how everything cooks slower and longer. I may be tempted to just have pie for dinner tonight...I hope no one calls the food pyramid police.

rebellious couscous

Couscous, that funny little pasta. Each time I've tried it, I haven't really liked it. Recently I bought some to try it again...but this time, I didn't follow the directions. I know, I'm such a rebel. A rebel with a cous...yeah, I'm corny. I added garlic and my usual seasonings and extra water! What a difference some seasonings and extra water can do! Last night I cooked some diced onion and kielbasa together, added my usual spices, varying amounts than the usual just to come up with a different flavor and then some chicken stock...in 3 minutes it was done. My husband was rather unsure of it when he saw what we were having....I was glad to see he had seconds :) I made some Amish bread to go with it, some wickles (wicked good pickles) and applesauce on the side. Somewhat of an odd combination but it worked.

So if you don't like something, try it again but make it your own way...you may end up liking it like that.

Great Expectations....

Except for eating at Five guys, Dipsy Doodle and a recent burger at the 99 I'm disappointed when I go out to eat. Why is that? Is it because I'm expecting too much? Am I conceited b/c I like my own cooking? Am I too critical or picky? Am I selfish b/c I want my food to yell at me and say "Hello! I'm the best thing you've eaten all year!" Do I have my own agenda of wanting to convince myself and others that my cooking is the best??? Deep down, honestly, the answer is no. I guess everyone in their own way, likes their way the best. But is that what motivates us to have an opinion? Is being confident about what we like or don't like to fulfill a selfish desire or want?? Maybe for some...So what motivates us to have an opinion about what we like or don't like?? What motivates me? That's a good question. I'll have to think about that and get back to you.....in the meantime, I wouldn't get the chili from the new place on Rt 3 in Tilton....

doggy biscuits

This holiday weekend we had my sister, her husband and kids come over for a barbecue. We had a great time! We had our annual game of catch with a softball followed by all of us showing our kart wheeling skills... I must say, I was rather impressed by every ones techniques and abilities! We gabbed for a couple of hours while we made the kids go outside and play....Muhahahahah! Adults have such power...

For our lunch I made 2 lbs of burgers and two packages of Hebrew National hot dogs. We had some wickles and kosher pickles on the side, Dave made some barbecue beans, I made a tuna pasta salad with the wickles...if you haven't tried wickles they are a fantastic pickle that's "wicked" good...their slogan is wicked good pickles, hence the name wickles. Wickles have a hot chili pepper with garlic in the jar with them. So your mouth goes through a carousel of flavors and heat with each bite...its wonderful! My sister brought 13 ears of corn, of which I successfully burnt and undercooked them all at once! The grill was literally on fire! I was so disappointed in myself. She also brought a tortellini pasta salad. Once everyone had eaten and it was time to clean up, we had a TON of hot dogs leftover! So for the next three days, guess what we ate for lunch and dinner???!!! By Monday night I didn't want to see another hot dog but that's what we had so we had to make do. I had actually run out of my non-dairy hot dog rolls so I made some biscuit dough, rolled it out and wrapped a couple of hot dogs with it. I had a heated skillet with some olive oil and cooked them up...I was pleasantly surprised! The outside of the biscuit had browned nicely and the hot dog was nice and hot. I dipped them in some honey mustard sauce along with some barbecue sauce. It was very good! Now I know how to make pigs in a blanket in a cinch. Maybe, someday, if I ever have you over for dinner and on the menu is doggy biscuits, you'll know what it is!

Condiment Confessions

I confess, I love condiments....ketchup, mayo, mustards, barbecue sauce, dressings, A-1, you name it and I will most likely have put it on something, sometime in my life. I've been trying to lesson the drenching and increase the "natural" taste of what I eat. Since doing that I have found I like my food moist! Yes, moist. Not like "oh this is a moist piece of meat", I like it dripping with something that makes it gooey....It sounds gross but thats how I like it. I experimented today with my lunch. I cooked up some chicken tenders and some rice. The rice is a mixture of white, brown, wild and red. I added some spices to it and extra water. Once the rice and chicken were cooked I poured the rice on to my plate and the chicken on top of the rice. The rice was kind of soupie but not so much it was like soup, just enough to dip the chicken into it! It turned out to be pretty good, the rice had a lot of flavor! Yay, for experiments!

Blogcation

My blogcation has been good and very refreshing. The kids are in their second week of school and I'm starting to figure out our new schedule. Today has been very productive. It feels good. Some days feel like you've been working all day and everything is worse than you started! I just finished making some pasta for our dinner tonight, its chilling in the fridge. Pasta salad is one of those life preserver sides. When there's nothing to go with that main course, there's always pasta salad. We like ours pretty plain and simple. I just boil some kind of small pasta, tonight it was rotini, then drain and pour Italian dressing on it then throw it in the fridge. Before I serve it, I just pour a little more dressing on it and toss. Everyone likes it so it works for us. My husband had requested Sloppy Joes. He recently got invisiline so when he puts a new set in, his mouth is really sensitive and needs easy foods. I feel funny sending him off to work with oatmeal and applesauce...but its better than nothing. The sloppy joes consist of ground turkey, green/red peppers and onions from the food processor, and tomato paste with various spices. Sometimes I make Sloppy Jose's. That's the same thing just with "Mexican" spices like cumin and such. Its so easy to make sloppy Joes like this, plus we like it better than the can or the packets.

Now that I'm back from my blogcation, I shall be writing more about my love for that little thing I like to call food. (yes, that was supposed to be a lame joke...)

Sneaky Snacks

Snacks are that special something that I hate to love. Snacks are my enemy that I can't seem to get enough of. Snacks are like a secret agent who infiltrates the thickest web of secret service and somehow finds its way in the middle of the oval office staring at the president. Snacks sneak. They hide in the darkness and whisper in your ear, telling you to walk zombiefied to the pantry and the fridge and just look. There's no harm in looking, right? Yes, a snack is my kryptonite. I must regain my power over the snack. I must arm it with some kind of proximity alarm system so when it comes near, my common sense will be alerted and I can protect myself from the incoming snack attack. When all is said and done, my alarm is me, I am allowing myself one snack per day. I have it sitting in front of me. Its a small bowl of pretzels. When its gone, its gone. No seconds or convincing myself a tuna fish sandwich with bacon is in fact a snack and not a meal...because in order for it to be a meal you'd need some chips or a side of fries, right? EEEEEK!!! It's scary how some thoughts can help justify things! I've been going without an evening snack for a couple of days. I must say I am incredibly hungry when I go to bed. Yeah, I know I'm complaining a little bit. Maybe if I continue going snackless, the hunger will go away and I'll stop whining...

The King and I....sigh....

While on vacation, I chose to keep up with my posts with plain old pen and paper. So here is an entry from our week away from reality...

It's extremely humid here, by the ocean. The paper I'm writing on is damp and the fan is blowing the page every time I lift my hand. I think a little boredom has set in with the kids. They can't fully grasp the concept of relaxing or doing little to nothing. Between the bike rides, walks, swimming and late nights you'd think we'd be scooping them off the floor because they've oozed into some kind of gelatinous substance. As one of my dear children is peering through a broken kaleidoscope and the other is making necklaces with string and various odds and ends that she calls beads, my thoughts wander to food. What will eat? I suppose our lives revolve around eating, whether we'd like to admit it or not. If we don't eat, we don't function so whether we're planning our days around each meal time or cleaning up from the mess that is required to keep our bellies happy, there it is staring at us each and everyday, the need to eat. Ok, enough about trying to make myself not feel guilty about thinking about food or pondering about how much food we actually have to consume and how many times a day we're stuffing our faces....back to vacation....We've decided that each person will get to pick one restaurant to choose from. Today is my youngest's day to choose. Of course, like every fine 5 year old, who somehow sees every fast food window display, she has chosen Burger King but only for the happy meal toy....sigh.....We don't usually go out to eat so I suppose a trip to BK is ok....its vacation so anything goes, right??

The key to better tasting food: VACATION!

Vacation, a time for whatever you feel like. Whether its scheduling yourself so you can cram every last ounce of fun, excitement and sightseeing as you can or just "mozying" around, doing nothing. Basically, I like my vacations to be guilt free. Free from guilt even if the sun is shining, the water is perfect and I decide to take a nap! Free from guilt even if I blow our food budget on chips, taboule salad and Tasty Cakes! Its OK. I think everything tastes better on vacation. Maybe because I'm doing what I feel like or I'm out of the usual routine. When we go to the cottage, we like to make a spaghetti dinner. For some reason, it always tastes better there than at home. Now, while we're at the cottage, we're usually biking, walking or swimming. All of which works up a good appetite. So that could have something to do with it. Although, there maybe scientific proof for why things do taste better. I recently heard an interview with a neuroscientist who studies mice and the taste section of their brains. He explained how he had the brains mapped out and had a visual of their brains on a computer monitor to show if the taste section would light up when he gave them certain foods. He explained one day how he placed his coffee mug down, which made a noise. When the mug made a noise the taste section of the brain lit up. So after doing multiple tests, blah, blah, blah he published his findings. He found that taste is connected to sight, sound and smell. So not only is your mouth connected to taste but what your hear, see and smell counts when you taste something. So atmosphere really does matter! That got me thinking, if we surround ourselves with things that are pleasing to us such as decorating, music or lighting our food might in fact taste better to us! We may not fully understand it but if it works, then hey go get yourself a new table cloth or get dressed up for dinner and see what happens!

A Healthy Brownie: Myth or Legend???

Could I be arrested for saying there's such a thing as a healthy brownie? Well, in Steaky's World there is. When I make brownies I add some oat bran and flaxseed meal, making sure to add extra water and olive oil. Yesterday I made some from a ghiradeli box mix that contains no dairy. I think it was a double chocolate with chocolate chips mix. I spooned the mixture into cupcake papers and baked them....sooo good! Whenever you add some oatbran there is some, let's say "texture" to it. If you can get past the texture issue, its a great way to get some much needed fiber into your diet. Plus, if its in something thats "chocolatie", there's more motivation to eat it! I started to use my 4 mile walk video again. I've tried walking up and down our dead end road and doing multiple laps around our driveway circle but the video seems to keep me at a good pace and motivates me to complete the 4 miles. I seem to give up too easily and don't push myself hard enough when I'm on my own. The walking is supposed to help in the chub banishing mission along with the food journal. Yesterday I had 2 cups of coffee, too many slices of amish bread (3 to be exact--2 of the slices had bacon between them-how did that happen!?!), a banana shake, a handful of wheat thins, a bowl of cereal, chicken n mashed potatoes along with the peas from our garden and then 2 brownies!! EEEEEEK!!! What was I thinking!?! I guess there's a danger in exercising because it gives you a false sense of being able to eat more than usual. I definitely don't want my exercising and eating to become a wash...or to exercise so I can eat more! So today I did 4 miles again and I plan to make my green banana shake, not too sure what I'll do for lunch but I think some tomatoes and cucumbers should be included. As for dinner tonight? Not sure....we shall see....could brownies topped with raspberries be considered dinner??

Rain, rain down....

Last night was filled with odd dreams. As well as odd thoughts that made perfect sense. I had one thought of a black square that was inside an envelope, it being inside an envelope was to prove something....can't quite remember the something that was trying to be proven, thankfully I don't remember the details when that happens...it always makes for a strange day, the morning after, trying to figure out why you thought that thought was so good!! Anyway, the rain is falling now, only a screen door separates me from being completely soaked. The rain is good! Not only for its value but for its smell, sound and the sights. The garden really needs the rain. Yesterday I picked some cherry tomatoes and peas. A large bowl of peas became a small bowl of peas once we took them out of their pods. The girls and I worked on the peas together. I told them how I used to help my grandmother with the peas she picked. I remembered how helping was a great way to spend time with my grandparents. Even though they had certain chores they had to do, they would let me help. They included me. Whether it was peeling apples and me eating the apple peels or taste testing the frosting or watching the beans soak, it was time spent. The girls reserved some of the bigger peas to make maracas. Now they're drying on the counter. My youngest asked if they were ready to be maracas only 20 minutes after we put them out to dry. The simple mind of a child is priceless and yet a little redundant at times...So now, as the rain is falling, a cup of coffee is calling for me. The porch beckons me to join it so I shall relinquish my will and do as they command.

Spaghetti breakfast

This morning as I was contemplating what to have for breakfast I saw the leftover spaghetti sitting in the fridge. Throwing away any scrap of will power I heated it up and ate it. Yes, spaghetti for breakfast and some amish bread on the side. I am thoroughly satisfied and warm with contentment. What does this mean for the rest of the day??? Maybe a bowl of cereal for lunch and for dinner....but it was good and I'm glad I had it for breakfast. The spaghetti sauce was an experiment. The experiment came from some bacon meatballs I make sometimes. last night, I chopped up some bacon, crisped it up, added some chopped onions and then the ground turkey. Splashed in some worcestershire (woostahsheer) sauce, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and basil. Once that was cooked I added some crushed tomatoes to it, added more garlic and basil and a little salt/pepper to taste. We had some angel hair pasta and the amish bread I had made earlier in the day. This might not sound very good to some of you out there but you're not eating it, I am :) We make the foods we like and we cook 'em the way we like them!

good food day!

I keep a food journal when I see that my chub is becoming more and more comfortable showing its face in public....let's just say the chub has slumped down in the comfy couch, put its feet up, cracked open a Pepsi, ripped open a bag of chips and has gotten unlimited cable installed with a pack of no-dose sitting beside it. So here it goes, my food journal for yesterday

coffee: sugar and silk creamer

chocosilk green banana shake (12oz)

cucumber & tomatoes on oatnut barowsky's (no preservatives) bread with miracle whip

chicken breast on romaine lettuce, topped with zuchini'n'summer squash soaked in balsamic vinegar

fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

YUMM!!! I have no idea how many calories it was but it was a great food day! Hopefully I can shame my chub into repentance and it can go back to lurking in the shadows....far, far away from any public appearances.

The calm before the storm...

Today is the day. The day I switch on the coffee mill. I've read over the manual for the thirteenth time and I think I'm ready. I bought some whole beans and they're ready to go in the hopper. I washed the bins with warm soapy water and now they're drying. The only thing missing in the grand perfect cup of coffee equation is a tea kettle. Right now I heat the water in the microwave in a Pyrex measuring bowl. In the grand scheme of things, I suppose its not the worst way to get hot water into a frech press....

This morning was a wonderful morning. I made my coffee and went out on the porch. My oldest daughter came out with me and as we rocked in the rocking chairs, we talked. As the clouds meandered by, we talked. As I sipped my coffee, we talked. It was so very relaxing and nice. I love those quiet times when you slow down and really listen to someone. Isn't that what we all want, is just someone to listen? I listened to my daughter talk about so many things, including her excitement of buying school supplies, at times I had to reel her back to reality when she started wondering about all the different colors of whatever and which one she would pick. But those times of just listening are so important and coffee time is a great time to do that. There's no rush, no hurry, no multitasking....just sipping and enjoying the calm before the storm. The storm of the day, when you cramm all you can so you can have a productive day and feel like you've accomplished something. As a mom, I feel more productive in that 15 min it takes to drink a cup of coffee, when I sit and listen and talk...giving my time and myself is just as important as doing the dishes, laundry, bills or making meals. Its what builds that bond that can last a lifetime. Coffee isn't only for the drinker, it can be so much more than that. It can be a tool to slow down and give yourself to that person who needs to be heard.

A Midsummers barbecuedream

The summer is filled with days of grilling. Filled with smoke billowing from the escape hatch on the side of the lid, teasing the bystanders who are patiently waiting with their plates in hand. The smells of the grill transports even the hardest of folks to a place of bliss and peacefulness. To a place where dreams come true and Utopia and contentment resides in each nostril.

So whats a girl to do when she has company coming? Grill, baby, Grill! When I think of cooking for a group of people, the grill is always there to help me in my quest. Ahh, the grill. I know some people are intimidated by it but its gotta be the easiest way to cook. Its a skillet and oven all in one. The other night I made some barbecue chicken and burgers. The chicken legs had an apple tomato sauce and the chicken breast had a chile lime sauce. The burgers were cooked over the charcoal grill and the chicken was cooked on the propane grill. As far as grilling goes, my rule of thumb is to give it a good sear or even a little burn, rotate and then take it off heat and let it "bake". I do like to use a sauce with some kind of sweetness so you get the "caramelized" pieces. I like grilling b/c it adds texture to the food. Its no longer one type of flavor but multiple flavors and textures when you taste it. I'm not saying to burn your food all over, just little parts of it. The parts that are cooked more taste and feel differently from the parts that aren't cooked as much. Don't get me wrong, sometimes the barbecuedream can be that of a nightmare where the meat is like cement or a ball of charcoal. But if its done right with care and patience, when its in the middle of summer and you've gotta cook, let it be that of a beautiful dream that will send you and your guests into a state of bliss and contentment that they won't want to wake up from.

WHY NOT!

My last post, I must admit, was a little odd. But I do like odd things and since this blog is intended to be conversations to myself, I suppose its ok. The meaning behind it was that my husband surprised me with a new purchase. He bought me a kitchen-aid coffee burr mill. It came unexpectedly quick through the mail so when it arrived unannounced, I wasn't prepared with the supply of whole coffee beans to try it out. So there it sits...quietly on the counter. I am very anxious to use it! We recently came back from a short excursion to visit friends out of state. I hate traveling. Let me say that again, I HATE TRAVELING! I like it once we get there but the process is one that could remove any form of sanity I may have once had. We had a great time once we arrived, we took our time and did some sight seeing. One of the places we went to was a little chocolate shop. It was a rather pricey chocolate shop. One of the friends bought a few pieces of tiny individual chocolates. I must admit, my first thought when we walked in was, "you've got to be silly or so insanely rich that you just don't care about money" to buy anything in this place. But as I was watching the friend pick out the single pieces of chocolate, a thought seeped in. Slowly cascading and covering my previous misgivings of the place, I thought "why not?" Why not give yourself a little luxury, why not try something new that could be outrageously priced? Do I value myself so little that I don't think I can allow myself to spend $2.00 on a piece of candy that's the size of 3 nickels stacked on top of each other?? Ok, so its $2.00 for a tiny little piece of candy and of course I start playing tug of war between how many bags of candy could I have bought for the same amount of money. I guess it all relative to your own likes or dislikes. Some people might think its waste for me to have a coffee mill. Of course we shouldn't live beyond our means, I'm definitely not saying that, but when I think of what I should buy I only think of the "$" value, not the "life" value. Yeah, I might be able to get more quantity for the same amount of money but what about the quality of it? Its almost like we're martyrs, punishing ourselves in our everyday life b/c for some reason we don't think its worth it to spend "x" amount of dollars on something that could give you a little bit of pampering each time you use it. I wasn't expecting those tiny little candies to change how I thought of things. So, why not! Why not give yourself a chance, a chance to try something you might not have tried for what ever reason. Show yourself that its ok, that you're worth that tiny piece of chocolate that could buy a Happy Meal for some starving, whining child in the suburbs who can't live without the newest McDonald's toy!

Weapon of mass destruction

The battle between man and food wages on. The lands are decimated, the people are scattered. An eeriness fills the air with deafening silence. Footsteps echo down a dimly lit hallway, hidden far beneath the earth. Leading into a large room filled with computer screens, the footsteps are drowned out by the clamoring of voices filling the background with noise. "Sir, we have confirmation on the package!" "bravo, bravo, tango, 1, The package is on route." With a lean and a nod, the silent command is given.

What is this package you may ask...its one of total and utter destruction. It will grind its foes to whatever command you give. It will bring a peace and comfort like never seen before. For this weapon of mass destruction is a.....coffee grinder! Watch out coffee beans, you're world is gonna change. No more will I be set within your grip, tightening each day as your bitterness grows and I try desperately to keep you fresh. For I will have the power, I will consent to what kind of coarseness you will be and I shall use my french press with out fear of your dusty grounds slipping through the borders of the mesh screen. Yes, this war wages on but for me, another battle has been won.

Nothing too exciting

Grocery Day. Dreaded Grocery Day. I have yet to get myself into a shopping schedule that allows me to go without the kids. Really, they're great to have with me, especially now since they have "jobs" while we shop. My oldest pushes the cart and the youngest loads stuff in. However, I have an inability to multi-task which means things do not go smoothly....and things get messed up.

Yesterday we went to the store, we actually did pretty well staying within budget, I only forgot one thing, which was fluoride mouth wash-no biggie, right?. Not bad....so as I was putting the groceries away, my oldest asked me where something, that I bought her special, was. Now this something was to replace something that I ruined. This something was something that my oldest was being very, very patient about. Then I remembered. I had left it in the cart! So we packed ourselves back into the car, found our cart still in the cart return. But nothing was in it! So we trekked back inside bought a new one and soon after realized it was the wrong thing!!!!! Once we all recovered from the shock of it all, my oldest said to me, "Mommy, it meant a lot to me that you drove us back to the store to get a new one for me." In that one sentence I felt tremendous joy and thankfulness, that she would say something like that, as well as a lot of guilt for not checking things better. So we will try again...sometimes I get really frustrated with myself when I make stupid mistakes and then sometimes I realize those things can teach humility and patience and a myriad of other things.

After that fiasco, the day had to continue. We had company coming for dinner so I had decided to make a pork tenderloin, veggies and salad. I cut some lettuce and parsley, pinched some basil and picked a young zucchini, all from our garden. Next step was to prep the tenderloin, after removing the silver skin, I gave the tenderloin a good massage with some olive oil, s/p and then I seared it on the grill. I then placed some basil in a foil "boat" with a little more olive oil, placed the tenderloin on top of the basil and put more basil on top then wrapped up the boat. I placed it on indirect heat and let it cook for about 20 min until it came up to temp. Next was the salad, it consisted of our mescaline lettuce mix, apple, lemon juice, some chopped parsley and basil. Then onto the veggies, I cut some summer squash and zucchini on an angle, tossed them in olive oil, s/p and placed them on the grill as well, once they were done, I tossed them back into the olive mixture to coat. Finally, it was time to eat! When I had assembled it all onto the plate, it was my very own masterpiece! It looked beautiful! I added a little applesauce on the side to dip my pork in and....yummo!!! The kids didn't care for the parsley, in the salad. Fresh parsley has a spice and harshness to it. I like it in little amounts, put too much in and you'll find yourself secretly scraping your plate into the garbage when no one is looking. It felt great to actually get the majority of our dinner from the garden! To me, there's a special uniqueness that I love, knowing where my food came from, picking it and cleaning it myself. Eating what you have, maybe limited and maybe nothing too exciting but it's so much more satisfying.

A mug shot

I love mugs. I am a little particular about mugs. It can't just be any mug. The weight and balance has to feel right. The material a mug is made from, to me, changes the way something tastes. I mostly drink coffee out of my mugs, so this is something I'm very familiar with....since I have a cup every day. The size of the mug changes the way the coffee tastes, as well. I use the same amount of coffee, sugar and silk creamer, but if the mug is smaller or larger, then the coffee will taste different. This may all be in my head but since its there, I might as well just go with it and not fight against the current to change it...it makes me happy, and at this stage of my obsession, I'm not hurting anyone, so its ok. If you must, go ahead and take a few shots at me, in my mug obsession, I'm ok with it. Tease me, berate me, laugh at me, it won't change a thing about how I feel about mugs. Each morning, I choose a different mug. My favorites are my "marvelous mom" mug, the "snowflake" mug and the green "John Deere" mug (Yes, I have more than one John Deere mug!) A personal favorite of mine and some rather sarcastic friends is the "Shakespearean insults" mug. That one is a stout mug which is a bit bigger than the rest of my mugs. It also has a small handle so you feel really secure when holding it...but the best part of that mug is that you can read some pretty damaging insults on it. My favorite one is "I do desire us to be better strangers", as well as "thou art a boil, a plague sore". So for those of you out there that share in my love for this mug, this post is dedicated to you!

Roam if you want to...roam around the store

Yesterday I went grocery shopping. I had put it off long enough. Roaming through the isles I grabbed some Jiffy crust (to make some cinnamon rolls). I noticed some more jiffy products that were dairy-free. I grabbed a few and off I went to finish the rest of my shopping. As I was putting the groceries away, I noticed something. I didn't buy any eggs!!! Then I noticed I didn't buy chicken for grillin or the ground turkey to make some home-made sloppy joes!!! I even had a list with me!!! So much for roaming, maybe not so good of an idea....I wanted to slap myself in the forehead....however, I'm unable to, which is a little frustrating...my hand doesn't turn the right way! So now I have all these boxes of Jiffy sitting in the pantry, twiddling their thumbs, patiently waiting for me to buy more eggs. I did have one egg left in the fridge, though. Last night, I decided to mix up the apple muffin mix. I peeled and sliced some apples and placed them in the bottom of 4 individual cast iron mini-skillets. Sprinkled the apples with cinnamon/sugar and poured the muffin mix over them. It was good, but it was lacking some type of sauce or topping. Next time I make them, I may try a nutmeg sauce...so what to do about the missing chicken and ground turkey. Guess we'll have to make do. I think for me, I need to go shopping by myself, when I'm not distracted by two little ones asking for various things or keeping them focused to keep up with me.

The best laid plans of Moms and friends

Long ago in a land, far far away, there lived a mom.

A mom who tried so hard to stay in touch with friends. She used the local town donkey to send messages to other stranded moms and friends. She tried to have in depth discussions about the grass growth with her husband but after a long day of talking at the sun, for he was a sun talker, his mind and vocal chords had to be rested so he could talk to the sun the next day. Even though, this mom loved to take care of her children, bake, cook and kept a clean hut, messages and sitting quietly in the evening was causing this mom to feel lonely and isolated.

One day instead of sending the donkey to send the message, she decided to ride the donkey and give the message face to face. After her husband set out to talk to the sun, some ominous clouds came rolling in. The wind watcher stopped by and told her there would be some wind that day. Then the Thunder hearer stopped by and told her there might be some thunder, then the Lightning seer stopped by and told her there might be some lightning. Knowing that the donkey usually gets struck by lightning, she decided not to go. Quietly, she sat. Thinking. She walked into her kitchen, started the fire in the baking whole and began to mix up a new concoction. For her, the creation of something new in the kitchen was a comfort to her. Creating was as much of a comfort to her as eating. Her mind began to roll past the frustrations and her spirit was lifted. Seeing her children enjoy her new creation gave her a new energy as well. Her heart knew that in her hut was a good place to be and she realized she would not be confined to her hut always. Soon she will go and see her friends face to face and will share the loveliness of the sound of voices with those closest to her. But for now, she was to be patient and she was content with that.

Pick-a-Knick

Last week, we brought the kids to Polar Caves. It was great, we had a blast. It was one of the hottest days this summer. One thing that was incredible about it, was the rock garden. I know, a rock garden? How could a rock garden be cool...well being cool is what was so neat about it, as you walked in between the boulders the temp dropped about 10-15 degrees! As a kid, I went to Polar Caves many times and as a parent it was great to share the thing I did as a kid with my kids! The one thing I never did as a kid, was the lemon squeeze. Its this hole that you must wriggle your way through. There are directions posted on the cave wall on how to get through it. Since I never did it as a kid, I decided now, as an adult, was the time to give it a try! Ducking down, putting my left shoulder through first then my left foot, I found myself almost levitating up through the hole. With a pull and a push I was at another rock that had to be conquered, with a swing of my right foot over and a slide down, I was through! I had conquered a childhood fear. Was it all that scary, no. But as a kid, those things look like the end of your life right before your eyes! We ended our expedition with a nice picnic lunch then the kids had some ice cream. Its amazing how some pretzels, watermelon and cold cuts can be so satisfying on a hot day!! Sometimes picnics can take any mundane meal into something spectacular. I think it might have something to do with the fact that you're doing something different. Most of the time, you're purposing to enjoy your day. I don't think I've ever been forced to have a picnic so I could be tortured or mistreated. Picnics are like the last chapter in a great book. They conclude the adventure and leads you into the sequel as well as reminds you of the prequel. Picnics aren't rushed or discriminate, they just are where you are. Eating in mid-fun whether its on a beach or an adventure in the woods. So go for a picnic, prove me wrong and tell me it was horrible.

Convenience Invasion

As I was flipping the pages of my first installment of my Bon Appetit subscription, I saw an advertisement. The advertisement was for flavored mayo. Staring at it, I became perplexed. Do people really need to buy flavored mayo? I don't mean to offend if there are some of you out there that like the concept or even like eating it. Have we as a consumer been lulled to sleep by the big food corporations so much that we can't make our own flavored mayo? I guess after thinking of all the "convenience" items we have why haven't they made flavored mayo sooner? We already have flavored water, infused garlic/herb olive oil, mixed fruit cups, bisquick, pre-cut apple slices, L'eggo my Eggos, presliced pepperoni, canned soups, sloppy joe mix, sliced cheese, Rica-A-Roni (and why is it a San Francisco treat?), salsas, innumerable spaghetti sauces....the list could go on and on. After eating so many pre-made things its like we've become zomboid beings who are being cattle driven into one basic common flavor denominator. Leaving behind our taste bud freedom, we won't realize what food should really taste like. Is it so hard to add some Italian dressing or some fresh basil or chopped dill to your own mayo? Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of convenience items. But it seems we're heading down a path that will make us dependent upon the food corporations to feed us and we could lose what its like to eat "real" foods...foods without a ton of sugar, salt, whey protien or modified cornstarch.

When in the course of each meal, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the commercially processed food bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of cooking and eating entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of each taste bud requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to cook and eat for themselves. --I'll give two points to anyone who can tell me where I modified this statement from!

Cook off!

I have been unofficially challenged to a chili cook-off by a dear friend. I will gladly accept the challenge. Not to show that I am a better chili-chef but merely....to eat more chili! I love to eat other people's cooking! I may talk big and tell her she's gonna get whooped but its all in good fun.
If I like my own cooking, then why do I like to eat other's culinary creations??? You see, when you're the cook, you start from the beginning. You have the meet and greet time, where you say hello to whatever you're cooking. Checking for any bad attitudes, criminal records or spots that could spoil the party about to begin in the oven, grill or stove top. Then its onto preparation then mixing and adding other things such as herbs and spices. By the time you get to eating it, you are very familiar with the sights, sounds and smells....and sometimes the tastes. So when you take your first bite, its as if you're saying "hello, old friend. Nice to see you again, mmmm...you're so yummy just like I knew you'd be." However, when someone else cooks for you, the meet and greet time is that first bite! As if in that first bite you're saying "Hello, nice to meet you! I never knew we had so much in common! Lets get together again sometime!!"

I can't wait for the cook-off.....I know it will be good b/c if the challenger is bold enough to make the challenge you know they've got some "skills" to back it up! So what will come of the cook-off? Maybe some trash-talkin' and definitely some time well spent with friends, laughter and totally enjoying a couple bowls of YUMMO!!

Venomous coffee grounds

The birds were chirping, the clouds were meandering through the sky as the unaware, ordinary mom walked through the cascading shadows from the bright, cheery sun, she made her way to the kitchen. Her family was a-buzz with the new day, excited with the potential of what might lay in store for them. While the children were laughing, the father coaxing the dog to obey his commands, the mom made her way to her morning friend, the coffee maker. Reaching for the unopened can of coffee, she slid the can over to herself to open it for its first time. Before she knew it, a spray of venomous coffee grounds leapt at her from the can! Scrambling their way into her eyes, they made their attack. She was left paralyzed for a moment. Then her mommy training kicked in and calmly she reassured her concerned children she was all right. Once she was in the shower to wash away the attackers, she felt something. It was a jolt, a bolt of lightning coursing through her veins. The attackers had reached their destination and had completed their mission! They had made her into a new creature, a creature of the night and the morning. A super high energy, super caffeinated, all powerful CaffeineMom! With extra strength and vitality she grabbed her broom and swept every room in the house with lightning speed, she then grabbed for a toilet scrubber, within moments, the toilets were scrubbed and the scrubber had lost its bristles from the speed and agility of the CAFFEINEMOM! Soon this ordinary mom was no longer ordinary, no more did she wear her bunny house slippers and sweatpants, no longer was she hiding in the shadows when a car would pull up to the house! The house was clean, the kids were run ragged with activities and the dad always had a full stomach with his favorite meals! Whats next for CAFFEINEMOM? Who's to say what her next adventure may be....we must be patient and wait and watch for....CAFFEINEMOM!!!!!!!!!!

Purplesaurus Roar!

Being a survivor of the 1980's food pyramid which consisted of spaghettios, kool-aid and Hostess Twinkies, its a wonder that I like real food at all. I love to sit down to a plate full of veggies fruit and whole grain what-evers. The social implications of admitting that one loves the smell of spaghettios and the taste of purplesaurus Rex along with pretty much any Hostess product is rather damaging to any credibility one may have in the food realm. But in secret, the thought of sitting down with anyone of those things gives me a sense of being at home with myself...all plump and happy. But happy for a time....soon comes despair and regret and wishing to have made better choices. As people, we have the chance to choose. To make the good decisions or bad ones. For a time, the not so good decisions satisfy a temporary need but however long it lasts, there's a consequence of some kind that comes eventually. You'd think it would be easy to make the good choices. Good choices are sometimes the hardest. Whether its raising a child, a dog or even a garden. Sometimes I really don't want to weed but then I'm so very happy with it once I'm done. Why can't I think of the end result while I'm contemplating my choices!?! You might take this as complaining and yeah, maybe I am a little but I think I speak for the masses and I'm not alone in my boat. I have said to myself, if only I knew then what I know now. I can kick myself for all my mistakes or I could learn from them. Although, there's a part of me that's thankful for all those spaghettio & kool-aid days. Remembering myself looking at a Twinkie and wondering how they got the cream inside brings a flood of warm, happy memories...could you have the same kind of childhood memories with a tomato and oat nut sandwich with a side of side of quinoa??? Maybe so, but I like mine just they way they are...let the social implications come, hear my purplesaurus roar!!

Pools just wanna have fun!

Yesterday was a great day! It was busy but very enjoyable. We left the house at 9:30am and got home at 9:00pm! phew...it was like running a marathon, but with no dehydration or weeks of training or tendon pain. Part of the marathon included a trip to a friend's house. It was a hot, sunny day and they have a pool. Also, they have a refrigerator. Everytime I've gone there, I've been welcomed with a plate full of food. Once, it was a wonderful, tender, rosemary pork tenderloin cooked with sliced potatoes...which was an "eat it as slow as possible" dish! Yesterday, the counter was piled with assorted meats and veggies n' fruits. Once the kids had their plates assembled, the gate was open and I could have at it. Soon, on my plate, was a rainbow of foods. Some bourbon turkey, ham, cukes, tomatoes, raspberries and guacamole! It was the perfect for lunch on a hot summer day! The rest of the day consisted of steady immersion in the pool for about 3 hours! I know the pool had just as much fun as we did. Its such a treat to be able to swim and just soak when the sun is shining, watching the kids play together, with good company. The kids couldn't get enough and I must admit, I couldn't either. (Thank you, to you, my friend for such a great day!)

Ramblin on....

The flashing cursor shouts at me each time it blinks on and off, "Write! Write! Write!" and I shout back with "I will! I will! I will!" The cursor tormenting me into submission, I can no longer help myself...
Its almost July....where did June go? I know, in a few weeks I'll be asking where July went. Funny how that works...that's why 80 year olds will tell us young'ins that life goes by so quick but we won't believe them until were 80 yrs old telling the 30 somethin's to cherish each moment b/c life is too short. I know the sun will rise and it will set each and every day...its not like I can slow the sun down. We're not given any extra hours in any particular day. So what are we supposed to do?? Somehow, someway, it all goes back to food....
For a moment, think about a meal that you really, really love. How do you eat it? Is it slow, taking in every wonder of the smells and sights and tastes? Or are you ravenous and can't get enough? If you can imagine the Tasmanian devil cartoon character after he's eaten through every tree, rock and house, when he stops spinning, his chest heaving up and down, looking around for more. Yup, that's me....but I can also be the deliberate, suave "peppe le pue", savoring and loving each tender morsel. Both ways are equally satisfying. What can we learn from "Taz" and "Peppe"? Sometimes you gotta go full tilt and carpe diem and other times, sit and wait for the special moments and absorb it all until you feel like your gonna burst....Life rambles on whether you want it to or not, just remember to enjoy the ride!

Bounty Hunters Unite!!

When I go out to a restaurant, I expect to be slammed, bombarded, inundated, attacked and annihilated by the food I order. How can I say this?? Well to put it bluntly, I felt jipped. Jipped by the restaurant, jipped by the menu and Jipped by the waitress smiling at me with the anticipation of her tip b/c of the awesome service and food she was to lavishly serve us, making sure to always top off our glasses. You know, if I wanted a little bit of food and to only have one glass of strawberry lemonade, I'd stay at home. With great anticipation of not having to cook and then clean dishes, looking at the menu I saw a picture of bounty. It was a skillet of fries smothered in Texas chili and topped with jalapenos. I knew, that was what I wanted. As I heard the sizzling skillet making its approach, it was as if the battle hymn of the republic was blasting in my ears. Then when the skillet landed, it was as if the needle on a record player had been scratched and the record began to skip. and skip. and skip. What??? that's my bounty of fries and chili??? Dave looked at me and said, if you want to order more chili, you can, if you want......So as we waited and waited and waited for the waitress to even walk by our table I ate the half-chili-covered fries. Then I saw our waitress whizz by in a flash, like she had somewhere much more important to be, than our table. I called to her and as she turned back to me, in mid stride, I lifted up my voice and called out, "I'd like a cup of chili please!" Without breaking her stride, she gave me a nod and continued on her way. Meanwhile, Dave's cup had been empty for quite sometime and having had chips 'n' salsa, some spicy fried onion strips and chili, he was in need of some serious drinkage. You'd think at a place where patrons were eating spicy foods they'd either provide a bovine who produces milk on the spot or drink refills regularly. Personally, I think the drink refills would be a whole lot easier and convenient.

What has happened to getting a full plate of food? Is it the recent dietary regulations? What ever happened to live free or die?? or whats that line in the constitution about the "pursuit of happiness"???? I understand that there are some folks who eat regularly out at restaurants but lets have some stuff suited for those folks who go out biannually, give us a treat and give us a good kick in the gut with a hearty plate, FULL of food!

Quality > Value

Before the "hubster" went off to work this morning, I decided to make some fresh OJ. I had bought a bag of oranges that were about $2.49/bag. In the bag were 9 oranges....it took 5 oranges to make 10 oz. So, IF I was to do the math, that's pretty expensive OJ. I would have to say though, its way better than the stuff you buy in the store. As I was cleaning the many different parts of the food processor, cups, strainer (I don't like pulp) and the knife that it took to actually make the juice I was thinking of the cost difference and I got a little perturbed. It costs more for ME to squeeze MY own juice???? I'm doing the work! and it costs more???? How did things get turned so upside down? From what I know, processed OJ contains the entire orange, peels and all....plus, the color difference between the fresh and the store bought is dramatic. If more people knew what freshly squeezed looked and tasted like, there would be an outcry of outrage and a protest to have OJ returned to its natural state...but instead, we the consumer has been lulled into thinking that OJ should be more yellow than orange...hmmmm, interesting once you think about it. I think we've gotten in the mindset of more for less is better....when in fact, its the other way. If, when I am to go grocery shopping, I concentrate less on "value" and more on quality and buy less --to keep within budget--we'll be eating better and less. Which will be better for us in sooo many different ways. OK, that's my rant for the day...now onto other things!

Desperate measures

Today, right now, I am super hungry...I am too hungry to to to to to to.......uh-oh, I am slipping off into the forbidden zone, my stomach has taken over my body and I can't be held responsible for my actions!! So whats a super-hungry-desperately, crazed person to do?? Make something ridiculous and enjoy it immensely. In the oven, I have some peach cobbler cooking and on the stove some water is boiling for some macaroni soon to be drenched in some Italian dressing. Quite the lunch, eh?? We have nothing of real substance in the house b/c I've been putting off going grocery shopping. Desperate times call for desperate measures...