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!!