where have i been?

at this point, i'm on day 33 of my project 365...at times, this project has been a bit overwhelming.  then of course there are days that everything comes out the way i want and it's perfect.  the next 332 days should be interesting :)

and since i've fallen off the bandwagon with uploading photos and most people reading this blog are able to see them on facebook, i've decided to just do this:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=46092&id=1203634507&l=ab2effa266

check it, they're all there!

project 365 days 5,6,7 & 8

day 5

day 6

day 7

day 8

365 project day 3 & 4

you know, it never occured to me how i would go about blogging these...but it does seem silly to upload a photo a day.  i'm sure as this continues, i'll figure it out.  for now, i'll probably post 2-4 at a time.  any other ideas??

day 3

day 4

day 2 november 8, 2009

365 project day 1

day 1 of my 365 project...my 29th birthday

at the end of the growing season, i decided to take a chance on broccoli.  it does better in cooler weather and  thought it would be a fun experiment to see just how far i could push my garden without building cold frames etc.  lately, i had become convinced that i would be proven wrong by the weather and that these poor little broccoli plants wouldn't produce.  but yesterday a tiny head was discovered!  i know, that's like one bite of broccoli, but i was excited anyway.  it is possible!  i can grow broccoli!!!

and then i discovered this interesting fungus in the yard!  this is like THE time of year to find crazy puffball mushrooms and all kinds of other fungal delights.  a friend recently reported finding a puffball over 2 1/2 pounds in weight!! this one's for you farris :)

and the leaves keep on fallin

Fettuccine with Arugula-Walnut Pesto - Fine Cooking Recipe

Fettuccine with Arugula-Walnut Pesto - Fine Cooking Recipe

Posted using ShareThis

so this was an interesting recipe...some pricey ingredients (mainly the walnut oil) and some hard to find stuff too.  one would think that with several specialty groceries and a co-op, i could find arugula...apparently not.  at someones suggestion on the message boards, i substituted the arugula for spinach.  while the result was alarmingly electric green pesto, the flavor was amazing!  also from the message board, was someone bitching about how this is too much work.  anyone that feels this recipe is too much work should just go ahead and resign themselves to the fact that they will eat take out forever.  go ahead and make it, the results are totally worth it.

a day in fall

Coffee-Toffee Pecan Pie - Fine Cooking Recipe

Coffee-Toffee Pecan Pie - Fine Cooking Recipe

Posted using ShareThis

ok, so really.  this takes a long time as any good pie does.  it also takes a ton of ingredients.  i also spent over $25 bucks buying said ingredients yesterday (which is actually enough for 2 pies).  however, that does not change the fact that i think i have found the worlds best pecan pie.  and that it's worth every damn penny.

first of all, hats off to that lady that took her sweet time in front of me in line last week...without you "granny price squabbler" i might not have ever found the magazine "fine cooking."

secondly, i have made three recipes from this lovely publication (four if you count the piecrust) and haven't been disappointed in any of them. 

third...my fears grow as other food mags go under...what if fine cooking gets canned before i ever really had the chance to totally fall in love with it?!

but i digress.  back to the pie.  for you bloomington folks, or probably for anyone that lives near a nice grocery that carries lots of imported foods, you can find these ingredients.  i got lyles golden syrup (just the name made me quite curious) and the european butter at sahara mart.  they also had the instant espresso powder, but it was expensive so i subbed some of the liquid ingredients for a shot of regular coffee (thanks weezy!)

i did make the all butter crust mentioned in the recipe and although it was amazing, if you're pinched for time, i would imagine this rich filling would be fine in a nice premade crust.  i'm pretty sure this pie was in my dreams last night...yes, it's that good.  this would be a perfect thanksgiving pie, or anytime you feel the need for something totally over the top amazing.  i will never make another pecan pie again...this is it!

Autumn Vegetable Soup - Fine Cooking Recipe

Autumn Vegetable Soup - Fine Cooking Recipe

Posted using ShareThis

i made this last night for janel and i....we're big soup eaters in the fall.  it had some wonderful ingredients, but in my opinion could have used a little more of them.  i suggest adding more kale...another cup would surely do it.  and more chickpeas wouldn't have hurt either.  oh, and at a minimum, another clove or two of garlic. 

it was a lovely soup, perfect with fresh bread and butter.  and filling, but not too filling which is good since i'd made the most delicious pie IN THE WORLD for dessert.  coffee toffee pecan pie.  OMG!!!!

Beef Ragù Over Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Bread - Fine Cooking Recipe

Beef Ragù Over Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Bread - Fine Cooking Recipe

Posted using ShareThis

YUM!  this was so good.  as you know, we don't eat beef in this household, but Morningstar Crumbles worked really well.  this was easy, quite filling and an interesting take on beef ragu.

how to search zee blog

it has occured to me on more than one occasion, that i could probably help my readers out with better titles.  i post recipes under titles like "yum" or "holy shit go buy a pumpkin and make this right now."

obviously, this might make it hard to come back and find a recipe later.  so!  i've added a search box that you can find at the very bottom of any page within the blog.  for example, type in pumpkin seeds and then scroll back up to the top of the page.  there will be a nice little box containing any post i've mentioned pumpkin seeds in.  i wish that i could change this feature so you don't have to scroll all the way back up, but i'm still working on that.  in the meantime, i hope this helps ya'll find what you're lookin' for!

YUM!

i was in line behind a very unfortunate woman the other day...naturally i only had two items to purchase, while she was squabbling over the "clearance price" on medium sized pull ups, a princess party set and a pair of snazzy old lady pants.  little did i know this extended stay in the checkout line would put me face to face with an interesting publication called "fine cooking."
i've never seen this magazine before, but quickly found myself fighting the urge to pick up my very own copy...especially after reading a short section on nice ways to use pecans and sweet potatoes.  when i hesitated a little too long to put it back on the rack, i said screw it and bought myself the damn magazine.

so, tonight was new recipe night, pulled straight from the pages of that sweet magazine.  we're still on the $50 a week grocery challenge, and the dish i am about to rave over, fit nicely into the budget.

here it is.....

smoked salmon hash with chive sour cream!!!

serves 4

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 large red potatoes (or 1 1/2 lbs) cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, cored, seeded and finely chopped
kosher salt & pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbs. thinly sliced chives
1 1/2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 4 oz hot smoked salmon fillet, skinned and broken into large flakes (about 1 cup)

heat the oil in a 12 inch non stick skillet over medium-high heat.  add the potatoes, onion, bell pepper, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes more.  season to taste with salt and pepper.
meanwhile, combine sour cream, 1 tbs. of the chives, 1/2 tbs. lemon juice, the mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl and stir well.  set aside.
when the potatoes are tender, genltly fold in the salmon and the remaining 1 tbs. lemon juice and continue cooking until heated through, aboout 2 minutes.  transfer hash to plates.  garnish with the remaining chives and serve with a dollop of the chive sour cream.

my notes:
okay, first of all i never eat bell peppers.  never.  my mother had me convinced at an early age that they were the devil.  i get migraines every time i eat them...obviously the brainwashing worked mom!

second, i didn't have any dijon mustard and i couldn't find "hot smoked salmon" whatever the hell that even is.  the sour cream was FINE without the dijon and the regular ole smoked salmon from kroger worked nicely. 
i served this with roasted asparagus and a fresh spinach side salad.  they claim that this is a "breakfast for dinner" kind of dish, and i will agree that this would make a KILLER brunch dish.  i however, have decided that i can eat it any damn time of day.  it was amazing!!!

super sculpey is pretty much the best!

so last weekend, we picked up a package of super sculpey.  the intention with this block of amazing stuff, was to make dia de los muertos (or day of the dead)  figures out of it.  the holiday's not technically until november, but we wanted a head start.

wandering turtle art gallery and gifts annually puts up a community altar.  each year, the altar is built upon the previous years offerings.  notes are collected, items are stored, and with the help of the community, it grows every year.  it's an amazing thing to experience!!

anyway, so we got this super sculpey stuff...and for about 5 minutes i was making arms and legs and was making people!  but then my clay ADD got the best of me and this happened :

and then i had so much fun making clarence up there that i decided to make guiseppe:

and then somehow i formed another face that was shaped like a piece of toast.  and that's when this happened....

mr. toasty was born!  he started as just a piece of toast, but i knew he needed jazz hands and some legs.  in the end, he looks like some kind of PSA character...i suppose if he were to plug his selected PSA commercial, he would say something like "don't get toasted!  mr. toasty says, weed is for burnouts!!" as that is a joint tucked so lovingly in crust lips. 

and yes, that is a beret.  to be precise, that's a butter beret. 

holy shit, go buy a pumpkin and make these ASAP!!!

ok, it's all i can do to even type this...at the moment, i am desperately trying to refrain from RUNNING back into the kitchen and grabbing handfuls of these and gorging myself with them until my fingers are sticky with the sweet and salty leftovers that i will then proceed to relish in licking off...

whew! really ya'll...YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS!!

sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds

martha has really outdone herself this time!

sour cream citrus pound cake with lemon glaze

oh yes...my very first pound cake!  i'm not sure how a pound cake recipe has never ended up in my hands before this, but after making it, i feel it is the first of many delicious experiments!

this one came from the cambridge school of culinary arts. 

the cake:

1 cup unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract

grated zest of 1 orange, 1 lime, and 1 lemon

preheat oven to 350 degrees.  grease a 6 cup bundt pan
in a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  add eggs one at a time until blended.  sift dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  in another small bowl, combine sour cream, vanilla and lemon extracts and grated zests.  add dry and wet ingredients alternately to butter, sugar and egg mixture until uniformly incorporated.  do not overmix!  pour batter into pan.
bake in a preheated oven approximately 50 minutes ot until toothpick or skewer comes out clean.  remove cake from pan and let cool on a rack before glazing.

the glaze:
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon extract

mix all ingredients until smooth. pour over top of cooled cake and serve.

i think the thing i liked the most about this recipe (besides the amazing flavor and interesting combination of textures) was that it's a perfect make ahead dessert.  if you're planning a dinner with dessert, make the cake the day before then glaze it just before serving.  i probably cooked this just a few minutes too long, but the flavor certainly did not suffer...it was just a little more brown that i would have liked.  if anyone has a pound cake recipe you think i should try, please pass it on!

sweet aberline

here's abby resting after her totally out of the blue surgery yesterday...we're still waiting for the test results to find out if the tumor they removed is cancerous or not.  this thing literally popped up out of nowhere.  one day she was fine and the next, she had this hard, bleeding knot on her leg.  will keep you all posted about her progress healing up and of course the results.

introducing dr. scarlet sprinkles!

about a month ago, i was watching pbs.  a doctor by the name of dr. sprinkles was being interviewed for who knows what.  i didn't care.  all i cared about was the fact that THIS MANS NAME WAS DR. SPRINKLES. i knew right then and there that the next animal to join the herd would definitely be named after this guy.  skip to last week when i walked into sweet repeats, a non profit consignment store where the proceeds benefit pets alive.  pets alive is a wonderful organization that offers low cost spay & neuter services to the community.  since opening in march 2005, the Pets ALIVE Spay/Neuter Clinic staff has performed more than 33,000 sterilization surgeries.  i truly believe that our community needs this service, and naturally find sweet repeats an excellent way to support it.  soooooo, enter scarlet...the sweet repeats store cat that's up for adoption.  i had seen a cage with adoption information during several visits to the shop, but had never actually seen the cat.  well last week we met and it was instant love! i picked up an adoption application, visted her a few more times and decided to go for it.  dr sprinkles is here!

damn you martha!

so i picked up this crepe paper rose kit from martha stewart...lord knows i am always tempted by her ridiculously cute make it yourself kits.  this was however, the first time i've actually purchased one instead of just standing in the aisle of some arts and crafts store oohing and aahing over it.  the results?  quite beautiful!! 

another recipe worth sharing

this one had been on my "to cook" list for at least a week.  we finally got around to making it friday and it was pretty impressive.  i have never made a "hash" and honestly, wasn't really sure what to expect. 

black bean and sweet potato hash

1-2 tbs. olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups, peeled diced sweet potatoes, 1/2 inch pieces
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tbs. ground coriander
1 tbs. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 15 oz can)
splash of water or orange juice
dash of salt
cayenne pepper or hot sauce (optional)

heat the oil in a LARGE, deep non stick skillet.  add the onions and saute on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.  stir in the garlic, cook for a few seconds, then add the sweet potatoes.  cover the skillet and cook for 3 minutes.  add the jalapeno, coriander, cumin amd salt; then use a spatula to turn the potatoes, cover and cook for another 3 minutes.  add the corn and blackbeans, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
if the potatoes are still too firm, add a little water or orange juice, cover, and cook on low until they are tender.  add the cayenne or hot sauce to taste.
serve with minced scallions or chopped cilantro...and a dollop of sour cream if you like.

notes: i did not need to use o.j. or water to soften the potatoes and found that it was hot enough without the optional cayenne or hot sauce.  i thought this would be good with rice, but we were out so i used couscous instead, which i thought worked well.  the next day, we made burritos with the leftovers...adding brown rice and cheese and it was quite tasty!  this makes a whole mess of hash, so it's a quick and easy meal for a family, adinner party or just a good meal for leftovers.

recipe from moosewood restaurants new classics cookbook

week 4 $50.00 a week grocery challenge

well kids, this will probably be my last posting of our grocery challenge. while we fully intend to keep this going, i think i've proven my point. it's sooooo easy for two people to eat three meals a day for 7 days on $50 bucks a week. but there are a few things that i've learned along the way.

-the key to cheap home cooking is a well stocked kitchen. i've known this for years and still dream of a walk in pantry where i can store away everything i need to preform the ultimate magic trick. a trick i swear my mother can do anytime and anywhere....that's to make a meal out of seemingly nothing. she has always amazed me with this ability. i can open a cabinet and think we're doomed for dinner. give mom 15 minutes and she'll whip up something you couldn't have even dreamed of!

-MAKE A LIST and plan your weeks meals in advance. i feel like giving yourself 7 days worth of dinner options is sort of liberating. i know that no matter what, i have the ingredients i need to make something...and one of those meals will always sound good to me on any given day.

-visit the cookbook section of your local library. we're lucky to have a pretty good selection of cookbooks to choose from...but nothing's better than discovering a new recipe! it's free. use your library!  of course the interwebs are also teeming with awesome ideas and suggestions.



so here's this weeks recipes:

big batch vegetable soup with grilled cheese on homemade rye bread-
true to it's name, this recipe made a ton of soup. we had enough to freeze, to give away to a neighbor and still have plenty for ourselves. i still had some rye dough leftover from last week and it's flavor complimented this soup well.


homemade pizza & and bibb salad with red cabbage and green goddess dressing-
janel and anna joined me saturday night for some yummy homemade pizza....as i have mentioned before, the recipe for the dough comes from this book. i love this book. word to the wise on the dressing...it makes an obscene amount, so if it's just two of you or you don't want to have leftovers for 2 weeks...halve it!

curried cod with rice & red cabbage slaw
this was quite interesting...a quick and simple dish that seemed really versatile.  this particular evening we were starving of course, so it didn't leave me much time to tie it all together.  however, i did find that the slaw was a nice addition.  i'm still working on the recipe for that one, but i will tell you it involves using that leftover green goddess dressing and that it is DELICIOUS.  oh, and that it will be a recipe created by yours truly.

*serves 6- so cut it in half for 2!

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup curry powder
2 pounds cod fillets cut into 2 inch strips
1/2 cup butter
chopped parsley

mix the flour and curry powder and dip the fillets into the mixture.  heat the butter in a skillet over moderate heat and brown the fish on both sides.  serve with chopped parsley.

this week we also painted and rearranged the living room, so we weren't as on top of things as we should have been.  i have a few more new recipes to try that i'll definitely share with you guys.  aaaaaaand, once i get those measurements all right on my red cabbage slaw ya'll can enjoy that as well.

one other thing i wanted to mention was a recipe i tried for a work meeting on wednesday.  i had offered to whip up a snack for a meeting that was to take place basically during dinner time and  i felt like it was important to skip the sweet stuff (cookies, etc) and feed us something with substance.  enter the greek style chickpea salad!  i found this one through google reader and thought it was a perfect candidate.  i served it with some warm pita points as well as a curry dip with carrots and cucumbers.  it was a recipe i had wanted to try but hadn't really had an excuse until then.  it was pretty easy to assemble and a big hit at the meeting.

oh, but one more thing!  while checking out the artisan bread website this week, i found a recipe for breakfast pizza
YUMMMMMMMM!  another quick, easy and f'ing delicious treat from zoe and jeff!!

black dog syndrome

if there's one thing you probably know about me, it's that i love animals.  i love animals of any kind really, domestic, wild, large or small.  the critters of the world never cease to completely fascinate me.  i mean just look at this. 

anyway, i was hanging with dotty and sita on monday and got to meet sita's two wonderful dogs, one of which is a black dog named sam.  sita adopted sam just before he was to be sent to the black dog rescue.  having never heard of this organization, i was surprised to find there is actually a rescue service specifically for black dogs.  why you ask?  well, apparently there's a stigma put on them just because they're black.  it's like some bizarre form of racism...who knew? 

apparently:
-black dogs, particularly black labs or lab mixes, are euthanized at a horrifying rate at many pounds & shelters because people pass them up for lighter colored dogs.

-black dogs are often the last to adopt out, for whatever the reason, whether it's because they don't photograph as well, or people think they look meaner, etc.

i mean really?!  just like people, color shouldn't matter.  it's the personality that potential adopters should be considering.  and sam, sam is possibly the sweetest dog i have ever met.  i mean really, we met and like five minutes later he was resting his head on my bosom.  MY BOSOM! just look at that face!! 

and rocco the wonder newf...another one of my favorite big black dogs!

09/03/09 Steely Dan in Chicago

chris, bart and i have been waiting for this show for weeks.  we left for chicago thursday about 1:30 pm and got there just in time to be lost for a little while, find a parking garage and grab a bite to eat.  at the suggestion of one of the chicago theaters staff, we ate at elephant and castle.  now i know it's a chain, but if you know anything about me at all, it's that i LOVE elephants.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!  i couldn't help but be sold just on the name alone and it certainly did not disappoint.  we had the classic fish (halibut) and chips and it was incredibly delicious!  i can honestly say it was the best piece of fried fish i have ever had...and while you might not think there's much to it, believe me, there is.  anyway, the service, the location, the food...all excellent.

yes! 

we also got really lucky, as larry carlton joined the band for a limited number of shows and ours was one of them....
from the interwebs-
Carlton played some of the most famous guitar solos and parts in Steely Dan's classic oeuvre — including the legendary solo on “Kid Charlemagne”, which made Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

He has gained distinction for his unmistakably original and often-imitated guitar sound, with a career spanning more than 3,000 sessions, 200 hits, 100 gold albums and 33 solo recording projects, while earning three Ad Lib awards, 18 Grammy nominations, 3 Grammy wins and Guitar Player’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Carlton has performed as a highly valued sideman with some of the biggest names in almost every genre of music.

then there were the back up singers...and they made no mistake by putting catherine russell on the end there...all the girls were great, but she had the extra little bit of attitude that i love in back up singers...
more from the interwebs-
Catherine Russell is a one of a kind vocalist. She has toured the world, performing and recording with David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Carrie Smith, and Rosanne Cash, among others.

they played 'the royal scam' in it's entirety...then played the following:

-hey 19
-dirty work
-black friday
-spanish dancing?  i have never heard this song and couldn't find any lyrics to match, but that's what the guy sitting next to me said the title was.
-aja
-parkers band
-peg
-third world man
-josie
-old school

and and encore of:
-reelin in the years

the show was amazing...perfect sound, a killer band and a beautiful theater.  an expensive ticket, but totally worth it!

week 3- $50 a week grocery challenge...and this time the stakes are high!

i met week three with a bit of trepidation...i had become increasingly aware that i was gonna need to step up my game in order to keep this interesting.  so i pulled out all the cookbooks and set out to explore.

of course, first order of business...muffins. 

pear walnut and cinnamon muffins-
this week i chose pear, walnut and cinammon.  i also went for the lowfat option i mentioned in my first weeks recipe.  i have to say by adding the applesauce they came out quite moist.  the pears did lack the flavor of last weeks cranberry walnut, so next time i try this combo i think i'll add more cinammon...or maybe i'll try almonds.

garlic fettucine alfredo with shrimp-
last friday we attended a cooking demo at inner chef where we got to try a delicious mushroom pasta with asparagus and walnuts.  while we definitely enjoyed that flavor, we decided to try out their garlic fettucine.  Rossi Pasta makes some interesting noodles, many of which are available at inner chef!

to serve 2, i purchased a 1/2 lb fresh shrimp at the local grocery.  it was a lot cheaper than buying frozen, a whopping $2.39....and a lot better if you ask me.  of course, you don't need to buy the fancy garlic pasta to make this delicious dish, although i do recommend you check out inner chef for all kinds of super cool kitchen gadgets and food stuffs!  anyway, on to the recipe!

1/2 lb shrimp
fettucine (this recipe took only 1/3 of the bag of rossi pasta and was the perfect amount for 2!)
1/2 cup melted or softened sweet butter plus 1 tbs for cooking shrimp
1 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for sprinklin'
1/4 cup heavy cream
freshly ground pepper
salt if you like

cook pasta according to directions.  while pasta is boiling, cook shrimp in 1 tbs. butter until skin turns white.  when pasta is done, add butter, cheese and cream a little at a time, tossing gently after each addition.  season with freshly ground pepper to taste.  sprinkle with more cheese!!

instant tamale pie-
this was a new recipe for us.  i found it during my search in the moosewood restaurants - "new classics" cookbook .  i've never had the chance to try this place out firsthand, but looking through the book, i have a strong feeling i would like it. 
the recipe description included the sentence, "we need food, pronto!" which definitely grabbed my attention.  i have realized that part of our excessive eating out can be attributed to 3 things: my hearty appetite and the fact that once i reach a certain point, my bloodsugar starts dropping and literally becomes a ticking timebomb, and of course convenience.  on this particular evening, i was working until 6:30 and i knew from the rumble in my belly that it needed food....and quickly.  so with a prep time of oh, like 6 minutes this was the perfect choice.

1 15 oz can pinto beans with juice
1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup tomato salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
12 ounces prepared polenta
2-3 tbs. chopped cilantro*
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

preheat oven to 350.  lightly oil a 10 inch cast iron skillet (my choice!) or an 11 inch baking dish.  empty the beans and their juices into a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.  add the corn, salsa, cumin, oregano, and salt and mix thoroughly.  set aside.

slice 12 oz of the packaged polenta roll into 1/4 inch thick rounds.  arrange the rounds in the prepared skillet or dish.  spoon the bean mixture evenly over the polenta, sprinkle on the cilantro and top with cheese.

cover and bake for 15 minutes, and then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes, until the beans are bubbling and hot.  for a crisp, golden topping (hell yeah) place under broiler for 2-3 minutes.  let sit 10 minutes before serving. 

*i didn't have cilantro because i both refuse to grow or purchase it unless i know i'll use it all.  inevitably it always goes bad. so, instead we used some ground coriander which seemed just fine to me.

i topped this off with fresh chopped onions and sour cream.  i threw some chips on the side and called it done.  of course ideally, i could have served this with a nice little salad...but come on!  WE SO DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH THAT.  when the belly screams, you must abide!

roasted halibut* with spicy sofrito- served on tortillas with red cabbage and avocado
we've made this dish once before, with rave reviews from bart.  i wasn't a huge fan, but was willing to give it another try.  i found it to be too mushy and voted that next go round, we throw some chopped red cabbage and avocados on top to counter the softness of the fish and veggies.  so this time we added the aforementioned ingredients as toppings and i was way happier with the outcome.  be warned dear readers, this is one sassy dish...i held up like a champ...only a few sniffles here and there, but bart...poor bart was sweating and tearing up, turning red as a beet with bloodshot eyes to match.  yet this still does not stop him from professing his undying love for sofrito.  through all of this he still ends the meal with the look of a satisfied man, demanding i look up the origins of this sinus clearing and delicious mystery that is sofrito.

*only frozen and overpriced halibut was available, so i used cod...another firm whitefish

carribean stew- another moosewood cookbook recipe
well this one's got just as much attitude as the recipe listed above...which was quite surprising.  it contains 1/4 of the peppers and although i didn't remove the seeds i STILL didn't see this one coming.  they suggested serving it over brown rice, which i'm sure would have been wonderful, had i not been yammering away on the phone with shauna and realized mine was slowly burning to the point of no return.  this fed us once for dinner and once for lunch...a perfect amount!

fried green tomato sandwiches!
this is one of my all time favorite sandwiches,  it's super easy and if you're growing a garden...super cheap too!

serves: 2
meaning: it makes enough for two sandwiches and then a few extra slices for immediate enjoyment :)

2 firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 egg
2 rolls or buns...i prefer a sweet roll
veg. oil

optional toppings:
spicy mayo- recipe below
sliced avocado
chopped raw red cabbage
red onions

slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick.  heat oil on med-high heat in a pan (i usually use about 3-4 tbs.) beat egg in bowl, set aside.  mix cornmeal and seasoning salt.  dip sliced tomatoes in egg, then in cornmeal mixture. once oil is hot, place battered tomatoes in pan and fry till crispy on both sides (about 7-8 minutes).
once removed, place on paper towel or newspaper to drain off excess oil.  make your sandwiches with any of the delicious toppings mentioned above and enjoy!!

spicy mayo- mix 2 tbs. mayo and 1 tbs hot sauce of your choice.  my personal favorite is the jalapeno tabasco!

365 days

last year farris forwarded me an interesting link.  some guy somewhere in the world photgraphed himself every day for an entire year.  i just googled 365 days of self portraits and found that there are many other people that tried this experiment...and of course i couldn't find that original link, but found some very interesting sites.

anyway, we are quickly approaching the anniversary of my 29th year on this planet and i was thinking, what better time to try this than the last year of my twenties?

thoughts??

Week 2- The $50 a week grocery challenge!

well we were so proud of ourselves for such a successful first week that we went out last friday for dinner.  but then it was back to the drawing board for this weeks meals. 

one thing that i mentioned in last weeks blog was that i make a batch of muffins at the beginning of the week.  however, i don't think i gave away my other secret of making a batch of dough as well.  i've already given credit to artisan bread in five minutes a day, but this has sort of been key to making this work.  the dough can be made into any number of things, pizza, calzones and assorted breads.  this week i tried out their rye bread recipe and it was delicious!  so here's the rundown...

cranberry and walnut muffins-
using the recipe listed last week i just substituted the blueberries with dried cranberries and walnuts...they came out a little dry so next time i think i'll add a bit more milk.

pizza and greek kale salad-
i used the basic pizza dough recipe from the artisan bread in five minutes a day cookbook and threw on whatever we had for toppings...a perfect match with the kale salad! this fed us once for dinner and twice for lunch.

tuna melts w/ swiss cheese on rye
yummmmmmm....

creamy asparagus soup- crock pot recipe
as i said last week, soup is so cheap!  freeze leftovers or eat it for a few days...this fed us quite a few times this week. janel joined us for this meal and brought some delicious rosemary potato bread!  as you can tell, we love our bread!

1 lb fresh asparagus
2 onions finely diced
2 potatoes peeled & diced small
2 ribs celery, diced small with tops included
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 tsp. granulated veggie bouillion (or your own broth if you have it)
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup fresh parsley or 1 tbs. dried
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1/4 cup fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/4 cup conrstarch
2 cups half and half (or heavy cream if you want to really make it creamy)

break off and discard the tough end of each asparagus spear.  chop spears in 1/4 inch slices and add to crock pot along with all ingredients down to white pepper.  add water within 1 inch of the top of pot.  cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours.  about two hours before serving, remove bay leaf and using a slotted spoon, remove most of the veggies and puree in blender.  add back to the soup.  repeat once or twice.  add 1 cup half and half to soup.  add cornstarch to the remaining half and half in the carton and shake vigorously.  add mix to soup.  cook on high for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

bean burritos- this is another one of those standby meals for us.  this year, we canned salsa and jalapenos, making it even easier to throw something like this together.  if you aren't a canner, i highly recommend stocking up on items when they're on sale...butter can be frozen and canned goods keep for quite a while...keep that in mind when shopping.  anyway, it's a bean burrito, nothing special...so i'm not bothering with a recipe. 

sicilian lentil soup with pasta-
i chose to make this because i knew we would have leftover veggies from the other soup i made.  and i still have ditalini pasta leftover from the last time i made it. 
this is another favorite of mine...my only complaint is that because it contains pasta, it sucks up liquid like a dry mop...so always add a little more water when reheating.

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup each finely chopped onion, celery and carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
3 cloves garlic
1 1lb can chopped tomatoes, undrained
4 cups veggie broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup lentils, uncooked
1 bay leaf
1 tsp each dried oregano & basil
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup ditalini pasta, uncooked
grated parmesan cheese

heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  add onion, celery, carrots, celery leaves and garlic.  cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.  add remaining ingredients except pasta and cheese. bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.  reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer 40 minutes or until veggies are tender.  stir in pasta and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.  remove bay leaf.  top each serving with parmesan cheese.

she's a two timer

i recently got this double kitchen timer from anthropologie...i would have never anticipated the need for one of these, but within 24 hours of bringing it home i had already used it twice.  although i do not support products made in china and generally refrain from purchasing them, this little baby won my heart and while i was shopping elsewhere, bart went back and picked it up for me

cupcake day!

we mixed whole lotta butter and eggs

a week or so ago, janel and i drove down to vincennes to see one of our favorite lady's (and one of the best cooks we know) to make these cupcakes i had seen in an old issue of martha stewart.  martha was killin me with her all of her icing flowers....sweet peas, roses, chrysanthymums, pansies...they were so pretty!  so, i called elizabeth up after seeing this article and low and behold...weezie went to her shelf of backstocked martha mags and within minutes was staring at the same cupcake i was.  we made plans, she assembled the ingredients and off we went!  we literally spent ALL DAY making these and eating all kinds of delicious food weezie had made for our big cupcake day.  this was where i tried the goat cheese and tomato tart, as well as the green goddess dressing.  i can't forget to mention the corn chowder as well as the peach tart she also made.  it was a day of eating, more eating, sugar rushes and cupcake excitement!

the $50.00 a week grocery challenge

well the gas is back on and i've been cooking more than ever. one thing we have come to realize however, is that we eat out WAY too much for two people that love to cook. bloomington has some amazing local and ethnic restaurants though, who can really blame us?

so, in an effort to save money and stop eating out so frequently, i proclaimed a 2 week spending freeze. and to go with it, a $50 a week grocery challenge. spend $50 bucks at the grocery and have enough food to feed 2 people for 7 days. now keep in mind that this definitely requires a well stocked kitchen. spices, flour etc. can most be costly...especially when you're looking at purchasing a $6.00 container of spices that you need for just one meal. so that was something that i tried to remember when planning for our first week. of course it also makes a big difference to prepare meals that you know you'll have plenty of leftovers from OR ones you can turn into something else. i personally find the latter to be more difficult...we're a mostly vegetarian household...you can cook a whole chicken and do SO much with it. chicken salad, soup stock, etc. while that doesn't apply to us, you might keep it in mind if you ever find yourself wanting to make some changes.

anyway, i wanted to share my first weeks meals with you as well as some recipes. here's what our first week looked like:

blueberry muffins- oh muffins, we had a brief love affair many years ago and i have recently rediscovered the joy of these little yummies. these are great for breakfast or just a snack. replace the blueberries with ANYTHING. i've done apple cinnamon, pear walnut, cranberry walnut...i basically open the cupboard and combine what sounds good.

1/2 cup butter- softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 to 2 cups blueberries

grease or place paper baking cups in a 24 muffin pan. preheat oven to 375 degrees. mix butter and sugar until fluffy. add eggs one at a time and mix. combine dry ingredients. combine milk and vanilla. alternately mix dry and wet ingredients. slowly fold in berries. spoon into cups and bake for 30 minutes.
NOTE: to make low fat- use 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter and add 1/4 applesauce

chickpea ratatouille w/ couscous and garlic naan-
i LOVE this recipe and have been making it religiously for years. it makes a huge casserole dish worth and is excellent alone or with couscous. we ate this for dinner twice and even had enough for us to each have leftovers for lunch once.

goat cheese and tomato tart w/ sauteed asparagus and a salad with green goddess dressing-

my friend elizabeth made this for janel and i last week and oh my goodness it is smack yo momma delicious! it was surprisingly easy to make and again, makes a whole lot of it. we ate this for dinner once and lunch twice....and we still have leftovers.

cream of white bean soup w/ jalapeno cornbread muffins- i wasn't that fond of this particular recipe, but i can't stress enough the economical sense that soup makes. we ate this several times for lunch and once for dinner. we froze some for later use AND i made extra beans to make my super easy pasta and bean dinner for later in the week. the jalapeno cornbread muffins are easy, i use a box of jiffy mix and add either fresh corn cut off the cob or 1 can. add 2-3 fresh or canned jalapenos.

ray ray's pasta and beans-cheap and easy...just the way i like it

2 cups rotini pasta
1 can or 2 cups cooked white beans (chickpeas work ok too)- drained and rinsed
2 tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbs. olive oil

cook pasta according to directions. in a separate pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. add garlic and beans. salt and pepper to taste. once pasta's done, mix the beans and pasta together. that's it. this is so quick and always a good fallback meal when i just don't know what to cook. it's also a nice make ahead lunch.

we also purchased some fruit for snacking at work, as well as oatmeal and eggs for breakfast. we still have dressing and salad stuff leftover and the celery i bought for the soup is also being used for this weeks new batch of meals, which i will probably post tomorrow.

the nightmare life without fuel

well it's been a while since i've written. almost one month to be exact. surprising seeing as how i've got pictures of a tiny frog i found while fishing, a shot of lucy (our cat) wearing a bandana and many other delightful things to share with you. but those will have to wait...

if any of you have read asimov's 'the nightmare life without fuel' you might think i'm exaggerating my current situation by using that title today. however, i am in no way attempting to compare my current situation with that. i didn't even know the book existed until yesterday, but i thought it was a nice way to describe what i've been feeling lately.

on july 22nd, vectren energy paid me a visit to shut my gas off at the meter. to be honest, i had forgotten to pay the bill. but even if i had remembered, i wouldn't have had enough to cover it. the hot water lasted another day, but more importantly, my stove is powered by gas, and that left me unable to cook.

it only took about 48 hours for me to completely break down.

i hadn't taken the time to realize that i was in a full summer stride with the kitchen. fresh produce is abundant. i had just started canning, making preserves from a friends blackberries and jalapenos from a neighbor. walking out to the garden almost daily and picking fresh vegetables. my kale is still producing at a rapid pace and i had just recently discovered a greek kale salad recipe that had been a BIG hit with everyone that got a taste. ironically, i planted the garden to save money on fresh produce throughout the summer. but now, i am unable to cook most of it.

taking the ability to cook away from me left me feeling, well...totally helpless. and then there's the other catch. so if you don't have the money to pay your gas bill, you probably don't have money to eat out right? here's a breakdown of what customers are expected to pay:

$231.00 deposit- supposedly refundable after 9 MONTHS
$60.00 reconnect fee- not refundable.
$145.66 ACTUAL BILL, obviously, this varies customer to customer

$436.66 that's the total i would have to pay to have my service reconnected.

and this is when i got to thinking...i'm NOT the worst case scenario here. there are families with children, the elderly, etc. that can't even imagine coming up with the $60.00 reconnect fee, let alone the $231.00 deposit they're expecting. needless to say, i got pretty upset about this reality. vectren offers no sort of sliding scale for their low income customers. they send you to your township trustee...did anyone see the news on sunday? well, the headline was something like "community flocks to township trustees for assistance." people are asking for assistance in record numbers. not everyone is eligible, not everyone will qualify even if they are eligible. the trustee's gonna run outta money and then what? then they send you to another assistance program...and it just so happens that they don't offer energy assistance until october.

so i did the only thing i knew to do. i sent 11 letters to the CEO's and board members of vectren. obviously addressing my own situation, but making more of a point to addess those less fortunate than myself. as utitlity customers, we are ALL subjected to the monopoly that is this industry. pay it or suffer seems to be the best way to describe it. at the time i'm writing this, the letters are making their way to the people responsible for deciding these rates and the ones that are able to change them. we'll see what kind of response i receive...

in the meantime, i'm taking stock of alternative cooking methods. i still have a microwave, a crockpot, a rice cooker and a griddle.

hot water i can live without, but no cooking? THAT was the straw that broke this camels back.

the 3rd of july

night blooming cereus

a lot of you have seen the plant that has taken over my kitchen window. i've had this night blooming cereus for at least 5 years. it grows and grows, but has never flowered. about a week ago, 2 buds popped up. i was convinced they would pop any night, but we waited. and waited. the buds fattened and every day i said "oh my god, it's totally gonna happen tonight."

well last night my monster plant finally blossomed. if i could insert a smell in this blog, you bet your ass i would. it was similar to a jasmine, but much more fragrant and filled the house with an amazing scent. it's been pretty incredible to watch these little babies grow, if you would like a cutting, please let me know. it may take years for the big payoff, but it's definitely worth it.