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!