Babes a la Mode

The Harvest

2011-10-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

I love Fall cooking. I love the flavors and possibilities that come with the harvest. Last night, I tried a new recipe from the cookbook "Vegetarian Meals" published by Good Housekeeping that did just that: mixed together some delicious Fall veggies with some great flavors. Kids even loved it!

Stovetop Chili

1 T olive oil
3 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut
1 medium onion, chopped
1 t sugar
2 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, crushed with garlic press
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz)
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and each cut crosswise in half
1 t salt
2 C water
2 15-oz cans black syobeans (or black beans), rinsed and drained
sour cream (optional)

1. In non-stick 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium eat until hot. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Add tomatoes with their juice, green beans, sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, and water; heat to boiling over medium-high heat, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
3. Add soybeans and heat through, about 2 minutes longer. Serve with sour cream, if you like.

Add a slice of cornbread and you have one heck of a delicious (and healthy!) meal.

MMM

As a side note, I feel I should explain that while I am not strictly vegetarian, I often cook vegetarian meals. I love using spices instead of fat for flavor, and I am always striving to get more fruits and veggies into my family's diet.

Butternut Squash Soup

2011-09-26T20:51:00.001-07:00

Tonight I tried a new recipe that Brit had posted on Facebook. (See the original recipe here.) However, when I discussed my plans with my dad over the weekend, he suggested that I add carrots and apples along with the squash. I also halved the amount of cream cheese that the recipe calls for. You heard me. Cream cheese! I can't wait to eat my leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Here is the recipe as I made it tonight. I highly suggest you make this immediately. It is officially my new favorite soup!

Butternut Squash Soup

6 Tbs. chopped onion

4 Tbs. butter

6 C peeled and cubed butternut squash

1 peeled and diced carrot

1 peeled and diced apple

3 C water

4 cubes chicken bouillon

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil; cook 20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese and use an immersion blender to puree everything (or puree squash and cream cheese in a blender in batches) until smooth. Do not allow to boil.

Apple Crisp

2011-09-15T16:03:00.001-07:00

Nothing says, "Autumn" to me like warm, sweet, cinnamon-y apples. Apple crisp is one of my favorite desserts: it's easy, there are only a handful of ingredients, and you can whip it up in a matter of minutes. Because there's so little preparation, I can even let my helpers lend a hand.

Grandma Pink's Apple Crisp
4 C peeled and sliced apples
1 t cinnamon
1/2 C water
Put apples in 8x8 pan. Pour on water and sprinkle with cinnamon
Bonus: toss in a handful of raspberries, or fresh cranberries.

Crumble together: 1/2 C butter, 1 C sugar, 3/4 C flour and put over the apples
Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
Serve topped with some vanilla ice cream if desired.

It's almost as sweet as my helpers :)

Mmmm....Cookies

2011-07-10T20:37:00.001-07:00

I don't normally associate baking with the summer, but last week it was just the ticket. Meili and I got together and let our munchkins go to town with some good old-fashioned sugar cookies and homemade frosting.

(Della "testing" the dough; notice the splotch of flour above her right eye?)

This cookie recipe came to my family from a friend of my sister's. Though we've lost touch with this particular friend, it seems like she's near whenever we make her cookies. That's one of the things I love best about sharing recipes: it's a way to stay connected to people and remember great times you may have had together.

(Hard at work, making that dino-shaped cookie look "just right")

So break out the cookie cutters and frosting, and enjoy an unexpected summer treat this afternoon!

Lindsay Hunt's Sugar Cookies
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C shortening (I use butter; no offense, Lindsay)
1 egg
1/4 C milk
salt
2 t baking powder
1 t almond (vanilla works too, but almond is the best!)
2 C flour

Cream sugar and shortening. Add egg, milk and almond flavoring. Add dry ingredients. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Grandma Gayzie's Frosting
Beat 2 cubes of butter with 5 tablespoons of milk. Add enough powdered sugar till you reach desired frosting consistency. (it'll be a lot!) And remember, the more obnoxious the color of your frosting, the more fun it is to decorate with it!

(Not surprisingly, this little gal chose pink for her frosting color...)

Honey Dijon Chicken

2011-05-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

I love easy recipes.

Tonight, we're eating Honey Dijon Chicken, a recipe I collected from my awesome sister, Camie.

Melt together equal parts honey, butter and dijon mustard.
Pour over chicken breasts in a baking pan. Bake at 350 until chicken is done.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice and steamed veggies.

EASY and delicious!

Thai Curry Vegetable and Tofu Soup

2011-05-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

This tasty recipe can be found here.

Turkey Parmesan Meatloaf with Pancetta

2011-04-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

My friend Mariani has awesome parents. They grilled brats for us during our junior high summers, making me feel like they really, truly wanted us to invade their swimming pool with our awkward adolescent selves. They cooked chili for our Halloween celebrations, complete with Hitchcock's Psycho, which made me afraid to shower in hotels for years. Now that I think about it, I'm still afraid. Now I present to you Michelle Mariani's turkey parmesan meatloaf with pancetta. A lean, tasty alternative to the traditional beef loaf.

Mix:

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup parmesan or romano cheese

pinch of salt and pepper

Add:

2 eggs

2 Tbs. whole milk or half & half

1 lb. ground turkey

Coat the entire loaf with pieces of pancetta.

Wrap it in parchment paper as if it were a present (because it is). Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Zuppa Toscana

2011-01-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

What could be better on these icy, cold, winter days than a bowl of warm, spicy Italian soup? Thanks to Brooke for the recipe! I can't wait to make this!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

Buon appetito!

More Food!

2010-12-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love good food? And a good blog in which to read about it?

Thanks to Meili for finding this article that can link you to even more culinary delights.

Bon Appetit!

Greek Panzanella

2010-12-20T18:05:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made Greek Panzanella. I saw Ina Garten make it on her Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa, and I just had to try it. I will be tasting the onions all night, but it was so yummy! Don't you want to give it a try? Let's do it! Here's what you need:

Slice a nice loaf of crusty bread into 1 inch cubes. Toss the cubes in extra virgin olive oil (or butter if you run out of olive oil like I did), sprinkle with a little bit of salt, and toast under the broiler for a few minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

In the meantime, chop the following veggies into 1 inch squares and throw them into a large bowl:

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 hot house cucumber (slice lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, then chop)

1/2 red onion (I like to slice the onions into smaller pieces)

cherry tomatoes (halved)

kalamata olives (no need to chop these)

Whisk together these ingredients to make the vinaigrette:

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

This is what it looks like after the first 2 ingredients. Pretty, huh?

Throw the bread cubes and a tub of feta onto the veggies and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Toss it all together. Let it sit for 30 minutes before serving. This is a dish that can be enjoyed at room temperature.

Mmmmmmmm! I think I might have to go sneak a few more bites...

Lemon Curd

2010-12-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

Lemon curd! I made lemon curd! I am preparing a bunch of desserts for my punk's 2nd birthday next week. So far, I've baked and frozen batches of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (a family recipe that my cousin Brooke made for our mothers and daughters gathering in May) and shortbread cookies (which didn't turn out pretty, but they're still tasty). This weekend, I'm going to attempt making pastry puffs which I will then fill with the lemon curd and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Wish me luck!

Lemon Curd

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 stick (6 Tbs) unsalted butter, cut into bits

Whisk together juice, zest, sugar and eggs in double boiler. Stir in butter and cook over medium/low heat. Whisk frequently until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and the first bubble appears on the surface (about 6 minutes according to my recipe, but it took me 12 minutes). Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly, and chill for 1 hour. Lemon curd will keep for up to 1 week.

An Autumn Celebration: October

2010-10-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

Here's what we ate at our October dinner with Vanessa as our host. Recipes coming soon.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

- 1-2 lbs. chicken breasts, boiled and shredded

- 4, 15 oz. cans Northern White Beans, do not drain

- 2, 14oz. cans of chicken broth

- 4, 4oz. can chopped green chilis ( can add or subtract depending on spiciness wishes)

- 1 T dried minced onion

- 2 tsp. garlic powder

- 2 tsp. salt

- 2 tsp. cumin

- 2 tsp. oregano

- 1 tsp. black pepper

- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (if desired)

- 2 cups of sour cream

- 1 cup milk, half and half or whipping cream

Method:

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Bring to a slow boil, add sour cream, and milk ( or half and half or whiping cream). This makes a lot! Usually half of this feeds a family.

Acorn Squash with Cornbread and Cranberry Stuffing

1 whole Acorn Squash, Cut In Half Lengthwise

2 teaspoons Brown Sugar

2 teaspoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ cups Celery, Diced

½ whole Yellow Onion, Diced

1 whole Tart Apple, Peeled, Cored, And Diced

½ teaspoons Dried Thyme

½ teaspoons Curry Powder

¼ teaspoons Cinnamon

2 whole Cornbread Muffins, Cut Into Bite-sized Pieces

¼ cups Dried Cranberries

½ cups Chicken Stock

Salt To Taste

Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

Sprinkle Of Parmesan Cheese (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Scrape seeds and stringy flesh from squash. Place squash in a baking dish, cut sides up. Pour about an inch of water in the bottom of the dish. Put one teaspoon butter and one teaspoon brown sugar in each half.
3. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Baste squash with the butter and sugar mixture after the 15-minute mark to prevent drying. Put back in the oven for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until fork tender.
4. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet and add the celery, onion, apples, thyme, curry, and cinnamon. Cook until softened. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
5. Place cubed cornbread on a baking sheet and set next to the squash in the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden and crunchy.
6. Add cranberries and the toasted cornbread to the skillet mixture and gently stir to combine. While stirring, slowly add the chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Fill the fork-tender squash with cornbread stuffing and place back into oven until heated through.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

- 1 box of spice cake

- 1 can of pumpkin

- 1 bag of chocolate chips

Mix spice cake and pumpkin in a large bowl. This takes a lot of arm muscle, but keep going it does mix together! Add as many chocolate chips as you'd like. usually about 1/2 a bag for me.

Plop several spoonfuls of mixture on a cookie sheet. Cook for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees. enjoy.

Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (2 cups)
1/2 tsp each sugar, chili powder, cinnamon
8 oz dried rigatoni
1/3 C peanut butter
1 3-oz pkg cream cheese, cut up
2 tsp Asian chili sauce (such as Sriraca sauce)
1 T soy sauce
6 green onions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 450. Oil a rimmed baking pan; set aside. Place sweet potato cubes in bowl. Toss with 1 T olive oil, the sugar, chili powder and cinnamon. Spread in prepared pan; bake 20 min or until tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 C pasta water. In saucepan combine peanut butter, cream cheese, chili sauce, and soy sauce; whisk in 3/4 C of the hot pasta water. Stir over medium heat until heated through. If too thick, stir in additional water. Stir in most of the green onions. Serve sauce over pasta with sweet potatoes and remaining onion.

Guacamole

4 soft avocados, peeled and seeded
3 cloves of garlic, chopped (1 tbsp minced)
lime juice from 1 small lime
1/4 Cup of salsa or pico de gallo
1 tsp of sea salt
2-3 tbsp jalapenos, chopped (optional)
cilantro, chopped

Mash avocados, add garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salsa/pico de gallo, and sea salt, mix together.

Roasted Vegetable Minestrone

On The Barbie: August

2010-09-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Cream of Tomato Soup

2010-09-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

It is the ultimate late summer dish. It means that school children across the country are sharpening their pencils and filling their backpacks with new supplies in anticipation of a brand new year. It means the crisp, cool air of fall is just around the corner. It means the mountain behind my house will soon turn brilliant shades of red, gold, orange, and yellow. It means that in a few short weeks, my backyard neighbor will soon be exposing his long, silver chest hair to the chilly winter air while sitting in his hot tub, smoking a cigar, in plain view of my toddler's bedroom window.

It is my dad's cream of tomato soup.

Step 1: Go outside and pick a bunch of luscious, red tomatoes off the vine. After washing them and slicing off their stems, stick them in a blender and puree the living guts out of them. You're shooting for about 3 cups of tomato puree.

Step 2: Start a roux using olive oil and flour, then add 2-3 cups of milk. Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat the tomato puree, along with some dried basil. Bring to a boil for a couple minutes.

Step 3: (the most critical step!) Allow both mixtures to cool slightly. If you add the acidic tomato to the base of milk too early, the whole thing will curdle. Yuck.

Step 4: Whisk the tomato puree into the milk mixture and reheat to a simmer.

Step 5: Add salt and pepper to taste. (Brace yourself. It might be a lot of salt and pepper.)

Step 6: Enjoy with other seasonal favorites, such as peaches or corn on the cob. Happy autumn!

The Simple Things

2010-07-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting older, but I'm finding that in cooking, as in life, sometimes the simplest things are the most delicious. Like this recipe for guacamole:

avacados
diced purple onion
salt
lime juice
(minced garlic if you're feeling adventurous)

Mix those together (being liberal with the salt and lime juice) till it tastes good. Then spend those extra minutes you just saved (by making a simple dish) with the people you love. Those minutes are as delicious as the guac itself.

Bon Appetit!

Summer Rolls

2010-07-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Last night, my little sister and I (Meili) made summer rolls. (That's little sis. Isn't she cute?) They are made with thin rice paper, rice noodles, and all kinds of other yummy fillings. We made two types of roll: a shrimp roll with mint and carrot, and a veggie roll, which included avocado, basil, cucumber and carrot.

The mint and basil came from my backyard garden. Both fragrant herbs threw a flavorful punch!

We also made two dipping sauces: creamy peanut with lime and soy, and spicy hoisin with chili pepper and vinegar.

See that giant roll at the top of the southernmost plate? This is what happens when you try to eat a large roll that was rolled rather loosely:

Dinner Chez Emily

2010-06-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

This is what we ate at Emily's cute house in the Avenues:

Mothers & Daughters

2010-05-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

What could be more fun than Babes a la Mode? Babes AND THEIR MOMS a la mode, of course.

This month, in honor of Mother’s Day, we Babes decided to invited our mothers to join us. Give them a break from planning and preparing the food at all the other functions they attend, and let them sit back and relax.

As hostess, I set the theme around our mothers and asked everyone to bring a dish that was somehow connected to their moms. As we ate our dinner, we shared our recipes and the stories that went along with them.

For the main course, I prepared a delicious pork roast from the Lion House “Entertaining” cookbook. My mother works as an event coordinator at the Lion House (the perfect job for her, as she loves organizing big events). I laughed as I tried my best to prepare this somewhat fancy dish because, in the end, I ended up turning to my mom for help. Had to borrow a roasting pan from her, and then ask her if she thought it was cooked enough. So much for being an adult and trying to do it on my own….

Meili brought a tasty salad with cabbage, Ramen noodles, and homemade dressing. I especially loved the story she shared about how this was the only food item her family had to eat after an especially horrible, long, hot hike at Lake Powell.

Nikki brought a salad her mom makes that the mixes spinach with shell pasta, chicken, and red peppers. Nikki decided to share this with us because often her mom will call her up, tell her she has extra salad, and invite her over to take some of the leftover salad home. Perhaps it’s just a clever ploy by mother to make sure daughter comes home to visit?

Emily brought a tasty fruit salad that her mom often makes for family functions. The sour cream and coconut blended perfectly together with the sweetness of the other fruit.

Brooke brought some delicious dairy-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I loved that this dessert connected Brooke and her mom both by dietary needs and tradition! But, as many daughters feel compelled to do, Brooke tried out a new improvement on her mother’s classic idea. She baked the dough in muffin tins, making sure to just slightly under-bake it. This caused the tops to fall in, which left a perfect divet in which place a large blob of vanilla ice cream. Delish!

I have to say my favorite dish of the evening was not a dish at all, but the drink brought by Ashley. She brought us all Shirley Temples, complete with Grenadine syrup and maraschino cherries. When Ashley was approaching young womanhood, her mother took her out to dinner, ordered her a Shirley Temple, and gave her the talk about the birds and the bees. Forevermore, I will connect that drink to Ashley and her coming of age!

Mother/daughter relationships are an interesting animal. (I know because I’m both a daughter and a mother to daughters.) They have the potential to be the closest, and yet the most volatile of family relationships. How often have you heard a grown woman bemoan the fact that she has “become her mother”? Or how many times have you heard a teenage daughter complain that her mother just doesn’t understand? But the thing here is that, whether a daughter likes to admit it, a mother actually understands pretty well, if not perfectly, as she’s been exactly at that place in her life before. She knows what it’s like to be a teenage girl, to face the pressures of cultural and family expectations for her, and sometimes that experience is viewed by daughters as an “I told you so “ attitude. A mother knows that it takes sacrifice, sometimes undervalued, to raise a strong family. A mother knows that sometimes your life turns out differently than you’d planned, but she also knows there’s beauty and mercy in this. And all these things, daughters could not know unless they make the journey to adulthood and motherhood. So mothers sit patiently by as their daughters dismiss their old-fashioned advice and perceptions, and live their lives, sometimes making the same mistakes they did, sometimes not. And the beauty of it is that often times, daughters make it full circle and end up turning back to their moms for advice (like I did with the pork).

As we sat around our tables with our mothers (and my grandmother), eating, talking, laughing, and enjoying the evening, Meili looked at me and mouthed the words, “I love this.”

And so did all the mothers and daughters in the room.

Brittany's Pork Tenderloin with Baked Apples

Place 5 lb pork tenderloin in roasting pan. Make seasoning by mixing together 1 tsp salt, 1/8 garlic salt, dash black pepper, 1/2 tsp rosemary. Lightly sprinkle seasoning mixture over pork. Cook in preheated oven at 350 for about 30 minutes or until brown, then add 1 C water. Cover with goil and cook for another 90 minutes at 225. Pull out of oven and let sit about 10 min before slicing. To make gravy, drain meat juices into pot. In a bowl, mix together 1/2 C water and 2 T cornstarch until smooth. Slowly add to pork juice, stirring constnatly over medium-low heat. To thicken gravy, add more cornstarch mixture until gravy reaches desired consistency.
To make baked apples, slice 4 Granny Smith apples and lay the slices on greased sheet pan. Sprinkle with 1 C brown sugar, and dribble with 4 T melted butter. Cook in preheated oven at 325 for about 15 min or until brown
Serve pork slices with baked apples and gravy.

Meili's Asian Noodle Salad

1 pkg. Ramen noodles (Oriental flavor)

2 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. sesame seeds

1 head cabbage, shredded

1/4 C vegetable oil

1/2 C sliced almonds or cashews

4 green onions

Mix seasoning packet from soup with sugar and oil. Set aside. Toast almonds, watching carefully. (Once they start to toast, it won't take long for them to burn.) As soon as you see the almonds have started to brown, toss the sesame seeds in the pan with them and toast them together. Mix cabbage and green onions together. Just before serving, combine everything together and toss lightly with crumbled Ramen noodles.

Nikki's Spinach-Pasta Salad w/ Chicken

1-2 cups shell or elbow pasta

1 lb. cooked cut up chicken

1 cup chopped red sweet peppers

1/3 cup bottled creamy caesar dressing

salt and pepper to taste

1 6oz. baby spinach (I didn't use whole bag)

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese (I didn't use this much)

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Combine pasta, chicken an peppers.

Drizzle w/ salad dressing.

Toss to coat. Season w/ salt and pepper.

Before serving add spinach leaves and feta cheese. Add additional dressing if neccessary.

Emily's Fruit Salad
1 small can of mandarin oranges (drained)
1 can of pineapple chunks (drained)
1 cup (more or less if desired) mini marshmallows
chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
1 sliced banana.
8 oz sour cream

Mix together, add banana right before serving. Refrigerate.

Brooke's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
350 degrees 8-9 minutes

1 C Shortening
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t water
2 eggs
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
2 C Oatmeal
1/2 bag chocolate chips

Ashley's Shirley Temples

1/4 cup lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
1 1/2 tablespoons grenadine syrup
1 maraschino cherry

In a highball glass, over ice, combine lemon-lime soda and grenadine. Stir well and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Rocket Salad

2010-05-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

My great friend Becky made a heavenly salad for the baby shower she threw for me two years ago. I gobbled up several helpings that afternoon, and have been making it for myself and my family ever since. It is one of the more flavorful salads you will ever taste, and the easiest to make.

Mix one part lemon juice with two parts olive oil. Add kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Toss this simple dressing with arugula, making sure not to soak the lettuce too much. You want to barely coat the arugula, not drown it. Then sprinkle a generous portion of shaved parmesan over the top and enjoy!

I did this as if to make myself a salad, then added a heaping handful to my smoked turkey wrap. Just turkey, avacado, and this beautiful arugula salad, wrapped in a flour tortilla. The arugula is peppery and fresh. Perfection.

P.S. The name comes from Italy. I was fortunate enough to accompany my grandpa and his new wife to Rome a few years ago, and every meal we ate included, what translated to, "rocket salad." We couldn't figure out what kind of lettuce it was until we came home and discovered it was arugula.

Indian Night

2010-04-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

This is what we ate at Smash's new house with her new man:

The Right Stuff

2010-04-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

I don't bake alot. It's something I find easy and therapeutic and homey and wonderful, but because of the extra calories it inevitably brings into my diet, I just don't do it. Even as a mom, I think that for the past three years you could count on two hands the number of times I've made sweet treats.

That is until this little bottle of happiness was given to me a few weeks ago.

Enter: Vanailla Mexicana
Ever since this bottle of happiness found its way into my life, I can't stop baking. (because, really, where else do you use vanilla??) I've made frosting, maple syrup, french toast, banana bread, and countless batches of cookies. And I can't seem to stop. As a result, I'm going through eggs and butter at a rate I've only ever experienced at my mother's house!

My latest success was a batch of sugar cookies with homemade chocolate frosting. The cookies are in the shapes of little cellos, made with love by yours truly for a party with students last week. (Yes this vanilla has caused me to loose my sanity: I chose to bake 50+ cookies by hand rather than just buy some from the store. Never mind the convenience of store-bought cookies; think of the flavor you sacrifice when you choose them over those containing Vanailla Mexicana!!)

The cookies turned out nicely, but the frosting, oh! the chocolate frosting! The recipe I use doesn't call for any vanilla, but because my little Mexican friend was in the cupboard, I decided to just add a splash, and now I'll never go back. Neither will you.

Bon Appetit

Chocolate Frosting with a Twist
Beat 2 cubes of butter with 5 tablespoons of milk. Add enough powdered sugar till you reach desired frosting consistency. (it'll be a lot!) Toss in a couple spoonfuls of cocoa (more if you're Meili) and a splash of vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
May be stored in freezer for future use.

7 Babes & 7 Appetites

2010-04-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

L-R: Meili. Emily. Brittany. Nikki. Brooke. Vanessa.

Ashley joined us later.

This month, we gathered at my (Meili's) house for a lovely dinner a la Babes. As the host, I declared the theme of the meal to be inspired by The Pioneer Woman and Tasty Kitchen. After all, Ree Drummond and I are BFFs, as evidenced in this photograph taken at her cookbook signing at The King's English Book Shop in SLC in November. Yes, we had a sparkling moment of intimate conversation wherein I told her how I accidentally borrowed her pet name for her kids ("punks") for my own little man, and she commented on the uniqueness of my name.

Anywhoo, the main dish was a scrumptious little ditty I found on Tasty Kitchen. The recipe is called Scallops 'N Pasta, but I used shrimp instead. It was my first time cooking shrimp. EVER! And I must say, it turned out quite tasty.

See that lovely pink beverage? Brooke contributed this tart/sweet grapefruit concoction.

Brittany made these sweet, gooey, cinnamony, yummy apple fritters.

Nikki brought delicious zucchini cakes, which we paired with ranch dressing.

Ashley walked in the door with this tray of salty, peppery, crisp-tender asparagus. It did not last long. I ate about half of these babies myself.

And for dessert, Emily (Ashley's guest and our new friend) presented this yummy strawberry pie with graham cracker crust and hidden chocolate chips!

As we discussed our experiences making these luscious dishes, we discovered that the theme of the night was patting the food dry. I had to pat the shrimp dry in order for it to sear properly. Ashley patted the asparagus dry before grilling it. Nikki squeezed the zucchini juices through a towel. Thanks to the Pioneer Woman, we all learned how to properly pat and squeeze and otherwise remove moisture.

Then, after that thrilling discussion, the real conversation began. I won't go into details because what happens at the Babes' table stays there. And really. You don't want to know.

Pasta and Shrimp

4 ounces pasta [Meili's note: I used bowtie pasta]
Jumbo Shrimp
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 clove Garlic, Finely Diced
1 whole Tomato, Chopped
1 cup Vegetable Stock
1 sprig Parsley, Finely Minced
Just A Bit Of Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Salt And Pepper

Cook the pasta in salted water per the instructions on the box. [Meili's note: do not overcook the pasta like I did.] Drain and set aside.
In the meantime, prep all the ingredients and have them at the ready nearby. For the shrimp, use a couple of layers of paper towels and pat very dry. Move the shrimp to a clean sheet of paper towel and pat dry once more. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat a large frying pan or saute pan over high heat. When hot, swirl in the olive oil. Add the shrimp to the pan, not touching. Give each shrimp ample room so that they can sear properly. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes without touching then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through. Remove to a plate.
Turn the heat to low. Add the butter and the garlic. Saute for just 10 seconds and then add the tomatoes.
Turn the heat to high and add in the vegetable stock. Let it bubble a bit for 30 seconds and use your spatula to scrape up the bits in the pan. Season with salt and pepper (go light on the salt … remember your pasta is lightly salted now), throw in the parsley and then add in your cooked pasta. Stir well to let the sauce coat the pasta. Serve with the shrimp.
[Meili's note: I quadrupled this recipe to serve 8, but only used 2 C veggie stock instead of 4, which was plenty.]

Pink Ladies

24 oz. Cranberry Juice
24 oz. Grapefruit Juice
16 oz. Peach Nectar
Maraschino Cherries (garnish)

Apple Fritters

2 C all purpose flour
1/2 C sugar
3 Tbs sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 whole large eggs
3/4 C whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbs melted butter
2 whole granny smith apples, peeled and diced
powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
glaze (optional)
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 C milk
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then add milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
Gently fold dry and wet ingredients together until just combined (do not overmix.) Fold in apples. Add enough apples to make a very chunky batter. You want the apples to shine though!
Heat a couple of inches of canola oil over medium to medium-low heat. When it gets hot, drop a little drop of batter into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and rises to the top, the oil is ready; if it burns quickly, turn down the heat.
Drop teaspoons of batter into the hot oil, six or eight at a time. Sometimes they’ll flip over by themselves; sometimes you have to flip them. Just watch them and make sure they don’t get too brown, but cook them long enough to make sure the batter’s cooked through, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes total.
Remove and drain on a paper towel. Dust very generously with powdered sugar, or dip fritters in a light doughnut glaze (mix all glaze ingredients together, then dunk warm fritters).
Serve warm!
May be heated up the next day in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes.

Zucchini Cakes

1 whole large zucchini
1 Tbs minced garlic
1/2-3/4 C breadcrumbs
1/2 C 4 cheese Italian blend
2 whole eggs
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
olive oil

Wash and cut the end off of one large zucchini. Shred it using the large holes of a cheese grater. Squeeze the shredded zucchini inside of a clean towel until you've removed as much liquid as possible.

Place shredded zucchini into a medium bowl. Add minced garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese (shredded), eggs, salt, and pepper. Stir with a fork until well mixed.

Heat olive oil (about 1/4 inch deep in bottom of skillet) to a medium heat. When the oil is hot enough, drop a glob of zucchini batter into the skillet and flatten it a bit. After about two minutes, turn the cakes over (they should be golden-brown) and cook on the other side until done (about 2-3 minutes).

Serve with the dipping sauce of your choice and enjoy.

Recipes for the asparagus and the pie coming soon...

Aging and Chocolate Cake

2010-03-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

My grandparents are up from Cedar City for the weekend, and not just for a visit. Both in their early nineties, they have to this point aged very well. They have lived in the house they built together as newlyweds for over sixty years. Grandpa has maintained a beautiful yard and garden, and my grandma has kept her house impeccably neat and tidy. They've traveled, and participated in the community. They have seen weddings and missions and birthdays and holidays of grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. And I am so fortunate to have them still in my life, to have them know my daughters, and to see that beautiful link between generations.

But things don't always stay the same. That's the beauty and the heartache of life. Grandpa had a knee replaced last spring, and just came out of a hip replacement a few weeks ago. And now it's Grandma's turn. She's the one who needs a new hip. So they've come up here to Salt Lake where there is family to support and take care of them. I'm so glad they're here, for so many reasons.

Last night I was out picking up groceries for my family when my lil' bro called and asked me to pick up a walker for Grandma to use, as she was having a hard time getting around the house. No big deal, I thought. I just ran to the nearby Walmart, chose my favorite model of walker and picked it up to carry it to the checkstand. And then I started to cry. The reality of my grandparents' age and mortality hit me like a ton of bricks. Because I tend to be a worrier, my mind started racing ahead to the days of Grandma's upcoming surgery, her recovery, and my eventual life without my grandmother, and my grandfather. I will miss them so much. And though I know I'm fortunate to have had them as part of my life for so long, it does not make it any easier to digest the fact that someday they will not be with me anymore.

My parents are currently out of town, so my siblings and I are taking care of the gparents. And I am doing what I do best: cooking and baking. Tonight we will have a family dinner together. We will have curried chicken with rice, garlic cornbread muffins, and chocolate cake (cake recipe courtesy of Meili's grandma Venna). We will eat together tonight, and laugh, and make messes and memories. And chow down and enjoy our time together.

Life will march on whether you are ready for it or not. People come and go from your life whether you are ready for them to go or not. So make the most of your time with them because it is limited. The key is not to focus on the future without them, but to savor the present with them. So take a few minutes and eat some chocolate cake with the people you love.

Bon Appetit.

Grandma Venna's Chocolate Cake
1 C Water
1/4 C cocoa
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t soda
2 cubes margarine
2 C flour
1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 t salt
1/2 t vanilla

In sauce pan, heat the water, margarine, cocoa together. Stir, mix well. Combine flour, sugar, salt, soda in a separate bowl. In another, whip eggs with fork, add buttermilk and vanilla. Combine all. Pour in a 9x13 dish and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Simple. Perfect. Enchiladas.

2010-03-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

It's no wonder Brittany is one of my best friends. We both made enchiladas on the same night! Hers were chicken, and mine were beef, and they were completely different recipes. But that's the beauty of this blog. You can pick and choose what dishes you like.

The following recipe comes from one of my favorite bloggers, The Pioneer Woman aka Ree Drummond. You can find the step-by-step instructions on her website HERE. I have also pasted them below. I used my (signed!) cookbook, which I highly recommend you acquire immediately. So many great recipes!

When I was growing up, enchiladas meant sticking frozen bean and cheese burritos in the oven, topped with red enchilada sauce. That's about it. Sorry Mom, but these tasty things put the frozen stuff to shame. Shame, I tell you!

Ingredients

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce
2 cups Chicken Broth
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
_____
FOR THE MEAT:
1-½ pound Ground Beef
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
½ teaspoons Salt
_____
FOR THE TORTILLAS:
10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas
½ cups Canola Oil
_____
TO ASSEMBLE:
3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ cups Chopped Black Olives
1 cup Chopped Green Onions
½ cups Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Step #1 – The Sauce

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step #2 – The Meat

Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.

Step #3 – Tortillas

Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step #4 – Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

Enchilada Trick

2010-03-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hey there readers!

I just wanted to pass along an easy, and super-yummy, trick for enchiladas.

In a crock pot, place some chicken, corn, beans, tomatoes, one pkg taco seasoning, etc. You can add whatever else you want (like green or red peppers, green onions, etc). I like to load my enchiladas with veggies; it's a "mom challenge" I give myself.

Cook until the chicken is cooked, and then shred the chicken before filling your enchiladas and placing them in the pan.

Now here comes the trick: open a can of green enchilada sauce and pour it into the crock pot. Stir it around to mix it with the juices from the filling that has just cooked. Now pour that over the top of your enchiladas before baking them.

Seriously, you will never taste better home-made enchiladas.

(not my photo...)

I've Been Baking

2010-02-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, I made these delicious oreo truffles, courtesy of Bakerella. Can you guess the occasion? Yes, they were a hit at the Super Bowl party I attended with friends. (See recipe here.)

Then I made this. It's a chocolate cake from a box (which I usually oppose), and frosting made from shortening (yuck), but I made it for a cake decorating class I'm taking with my friend Shanel. When I first showed up with my unfrosted cake, my fellow students remarked what a cute guitar I had.

After completing the decoration, I think it's a recognizable, although not symmetrical, violin.

Yesterday, my fabulous mother in law made Julia Child's boeuf borguignon for our family Valentine's Day dinner. Wow! I'm still dreaming about it; it was so tasty. This difficult dish filled the house with the aroma of wine and sauteed mushrooms. We ate it over mashed potatoes, paired with a sweet salad with candied pecans and feta, and rolls with homemade raspberry jam. And then... this.

She made this four layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ganache, which she let me drizzle over the top and sides. I may or may not have eaten a couple spoonfuls when no one was looking.

Peace, Love & Chocolate

Breakfast + Lunch= Best Dinner Idea

2010-02-10T13:25:00.001-08:00

Who doesn't love brunch?

At least, that's what was on the mind of our hostess, Brooke, last month as she enlisted our help in creating a yummy brunch-for-dinner menu; and I couldn't agree more. I'm a sucker for all kinds of breakfast foods. I (Brit) am posting about our latest get-together because just one week ago Brooke gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. So we're going to give our most recent hostess a break from blogging to let her enjoy these precious days with her new arrival.

Last month's brunch was full of delicious treats.

Meili brought some food pairings that I never would have thought to try together. Brie and pears teamed up nicely, and the prosciutto and cantaloupe were surprisingly complementary.

I loved the Apleskivers that Tess brought (mostly I loved the pan that she cooked them in).

The piece de resistance, for me at least, was Brooke's quiche. Full of bacon AND ham, it delighted every carnivore there. (I love bacon. I mean, love it. It's kind of an obsession...)

We washed everything down with some of Nikki's Orange Julius.

And ended the evening with my brownies in a crock pot; it's true! It really worked. (ok, the edges were burnt, but the scoops of the chocolatey goodness from the middle of the crock were amazing!)

It was a weird night, though, because Meili left early with the flu (thankfully not passing it on to any of us!) and Smash couldn't make it (hey, the girl's planning a wedding in 17 days!). We missed them! True we had a good time and had plenty of conversation, laughs and good food (well, more of it for those of us there, now that I think about it) but what I found that night is that nothing can replace a good friend's presence. Yes Meili sent her awesome food, but eating it without her just made us miss her more! We wanted to hear about where she'd come up with these ideas, and whether or not she liked the food pairings. And of course Smash's priority was to get things put together for the wedding, but no evening with Babes a la Mode is complete without her wry, blunt sense of humor.

Just as a great dish has many ingredients that may or may not have anything in common, but still come together to complement each other to make it delicious, so it is with friendships. The individual ingredients may be tasty on their own, but it's when they spend time together, blending those things which make them unique with the others around them, that the most delicious of dishes can be created. I'm looking forward to our next casserole.

Bon Appetit

Easiest Soup Ever

2009-12-27T20:09:00.001-08:00

...or at least close to it.

Brown 1 lb Italian sausage with some chopped up onion. Stir in 2 cans chicken broth, 1 cup water, one can spaghetti sauce (I like the Zesty and Spicy variety by Hunt's) and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and toss in some diced carrots & zucchini, and a cup and half of any pasta noodles (no more than that or they soak up the broth and balloon up to three or four times their size, eventually taking over your kitchen and pushing you out on to the street, leaving you homeless).

Simmer.
Buon appetito

Friends Gather Again

2009-11-21T18:15:00.001-08:00

We came together as long term friends again this week for some great food with a bit of an accidental Italian theme going on. You can bet the food was DE-lish! Though two of our members were missed dearly (Brittany and Tess-who we are anxiously awaiting to meet), we quickly realized what a perfect fit our new addition Brooke would be. Oh the laughs....

On the menu were Italian Herb and Cheese Crusted Chicken Rolls, Risotto with Peas and Parmesan, Sugar Coated Pecans, Breadsticks, and Apple Dumplings. Yes, these girls are serious about good eats!!! ;)

I made the chicken. It was actually really easy. I was expecting it to take me a long time and started my prep long before I needed to. The recipe is listed below with brand names omitted...I don't feel a need to advertise ;) Also, I think I would add some fresh minced garlic next time I make it.

Italian Herb and Cheese Crusted Chicken Rolls

Recipe taken from Taste of Home

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend or part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

8 thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds) - I pounded chicken out to thin, however, I don't believe it was absolutely necessary

2 tablespoons olive oil

2/3 cup Italian Bread Crumbs

*In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, cheese and Italian seasoning. Place 2 tablespoons tomato mixture in the center of each slice of chicken. Roll up chicken to enclose filling. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Brush with oil, Coat chicken with crusting blend.

*Place chicken rolls, seam-side down, in a foil-lined shallow baking pan. Discard any remaining crusting blend. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes of until no longer pink.

Meili brought the Risotto...

Risotto with Peas and Parmesan

(aka Rachael Ray's Cheesy Risi e Bisi)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

3-4 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 cup frozen peas

*Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then garlic and onion and saute, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook another minute or so, then add wine and cook until wine is completely absorbed, 30 seconds. (I didn't use the wine, not because I'm opposed to cooking with wine, but because I didn't have any.) Add about 1 cup broth each time liquid becomes completely absorbed, stirring all the while. Use as much broth as is necessary to result in creamy, slightly chewy rice; this should take about 22 minutes. When rice is cooked to desired consistency, remove from heat and stir in cheese, parsley, and peas and stir to combine and to heat peas through.

Brooke brought breadsticks...of the Pillsbury kind. She reportedly had a bad episode with her biscuit attempt, however, the rest of us find it hard to believe they were that disastrous ;)

*Safely and very carefully open package of Pillsbury breadsticks by peeling paper until it pops and scares the living daylights out of you. Place dough 2.57849 inches apart on a thin, low-sided, non-stick, heat withstanding baking sheet... JK hehehe

And dear sweet Brittany sent her side dish to us even though she was unable to attend.

Sugar Coated Pecans

taken from Allrecipes.com

1 egg white 1 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon water 3/4 teaspoon salt

1 pound pecan halves 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease one baking sheet.

*In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

*Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.

*Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Many thanks to Smash for the luscious dessert!

Apple Dumplings

Taken from The Pioneer Woman

2 whole Granny Smith Apples

2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls

2 sticks Butter

1-½ cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Cinnamon, To Taste

1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

*Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

*Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Until next time...enjoy and Bon Appetite!

Guacamole

2009-11-13T13:32:00.000-08:00

This week was my turn to host my monthly Bunco group. Lucky me! Usually, when people say, "lucky me," it comes with a hint of sarcasm, but I mean it. I love hosting parties! Because I had informed the girls that we would be playing in what my man and I lovingly call our "adobe basement" (photo taken on the day we moved in, two months ago),

the girls demanded that the food match the environment. I acquiesced to their request by making chicken tacos. When it comes to southwestern fare, I am a big believer of the importance of delicious toppings: black olives, sour cream, and most deliciously, guacamole! Heavenly, avacadoey guacamole. So, for the first, time in my life, I attempted making guacamole from scratch. (After all, is there any other way?) The following recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman's new cookbook, which I highly recommend.

The Pioneer Woman's Pico de Gallo and Guacamole

First, dice a bunch of roma tomatoes, white onion, and cilantro. PW recommends equal quantities of these three ingredients, but I had just a bit more tomato than the other two. (I diced 10 tomatoes, 2 large onions, and one bunch of cilantro. I had a large group to feed!)

Then add 1-3 diced jalapenos, juice from 1-2 limes, and a bunch of salt. Toss it all together and taste it using a tortilla chip as your utensil.

And the pico de gallo is finished! Next, we tackle the guacamole. Buy an obscene number of avocados (I bought 12).

Peel and pit them...

Add some salt, and mash them with a fork. Feel free to leave some lumps. No one wants smooth guac. Then, just plop a bunch of your pico de gallo in the bowl and stir.

After several tastes atop tortilla chips, I added some more salt and the juice from one more lime. Then I tasted a few more scoops just to be thorough.

Last step: serve to your friends! We ate it with chips and inside our tacos. Yum!

Confession

2009-11-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I don't cook.
That's right, sometimes I enjoy someone else's cooking instead of my own.
gasp!
(um, I hope this confession doesn't jeopardize my membership in BALM)
In fact, going out to eat would be on my list of top five favorite things to do. (the other four change daily, but eating out always remains)
So that's what I did yesterday for lunch; enjoyed someone else's cooking by checking out a Thai restaurant that Nikki had suggested at our last get together.

Thai Spice: 854 Fort Union Blvd in Midvale

It was delicious, fast and totally affordable (average entree is $6!)
Just one word of caution: don't, as I did, overlook words like "hot" and "spicy" on the menu, because they mean it.

Jorja's Chili

2009-11-02T09:13:00.001-08:00

A couple weeks after I had my baby, my Grandpa Art and Grandma Jorja came over to meet the little guy. Jorja brought a pot of the best chili I've ever had. (Don't tell my dad.) So for Halloween this year, I asked her for the recipe so I could make it for my Halloween party.

In honor of one of my favorite bloggers The Pioneer Woman (who is coming to Salt Lake City on Wednesday as part of the book tour for her new cookbook!), I took some photos of each step to share with you.

2 cups pinto or red beans, raw (I used both because I doubled the recipe)

1 quart tomatoes

1 package Schilling chili seasoning mix (I couldn't find this brand, so I used a generic package)

1 cup ketchup

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp cumin

3 tsp chili powder

1 can kidney beans

salt & pepper to taste

1 lb ground beef

1 red or green pepper, chopped (again, I used one of each)

Soak raw beans overnight. Drain the next morning. Add more water and cook for a couple hours until tender.

Cook onion, hamburger and peppers together.

Give your baby pieces of bread and fruit so he will stop clinging to your leg.

Drain some of the cooking water off the beans. Mix the beans, tomatoes, seasonings, ketchup and hamburger mixture together in a crock pot and cook for 4-5 hours.

Add the kidney beans last. Jorja says you may want to add more tomatoes or water depending on the consistency, but I didn't. I did, however, add a bunch of salt and pepper before serving.

Eat with corn bread muffins (or tortilla chips, or rolls, or any delicious carb of your choice).

Enjoy!

Did You Know?

2009-10-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

The temperature of butter is critical to the success of your recipes. Butter that is too soft makes greasy, spread-out cookies. The best way to ready butter for baking is to remove it from the refrigerator, cut it into 1/2 inch pieces, and beat it with a mixer until soft and smooth.

New Beginnings

2009-10-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the first chapter in what will hopefully be a long and delightful story; the kind you return to again and again because its familiarity is comforting and, though you know the ending, it's such a pleasant journey to take to get there that you don't mind the ride. Tonight was the first meeting of the cooking group "Babes a la Mode", a group of gals who are connected in various ways and who want to strengthen those relationships through food and good conversation. Some of us are married, some are not. Some of us are mothers, some are not. Some of us are career-women, some are not. But we're united in our love of all things delicious.

Tonight, I had the pleasure of hosting at my home. Our dinner consisted of a delicious "Nikki's Salad" brought by Nikki, stuffed sweet acorn squash brought Ashley, and cheesecake with peanut crust and chocolate sauce brought by Meili. The main dish, served by yours truly, was an Italian version of Shepherd's Pie, made with pasta as the topping and brought to you by Rachael Ray.

As I looked around the table at our meal, I was quite impressed at the variety of the dishes we had all brought. I was most nervous about the stuffed acorn squash (I knew I'd have no problem downing the cheesecake with chocolate sauce). You see, I don't like squash; never have. And the walnuts with which it was stuffed have never been my favorite; ever. I've always been the kid who picked the nuts out of all the desserts I'd ever been offered. But, in the spirit of trying new things, I said, "dish me up!" and dug in.

What I found surprised me. The squash was tasty; maybe even delicious. The texture was not what I had remembered. The way the sweetness of the apples and sugar combined together with the nuttiness of the walnuts to create a warm, sweet, hearty treat was utterly unexpected. As I ate bite after bite, I kept thinking to myself, "but I don't like squash! I don't like walnuts! I shouldn't like this at all!"

And yet, I did. Liked it so much that I ate it all. And am going to add it to my own recipe box.

Some days I surprise myself. I think I'm so sure of who I am, and what I like, and what I'm going to like, that I fail to take a step out of myself and try something new. I mean, just try it. It's like I'm scared that I won't be myself anymore if I change what I do, if I vary from what I thought was my reality. What I rediscovered tonight was that, though the sum of my past experiences makes me who I am today, they don't necessarily have to dictate who I will be tomorrow; that is up to me.

Bon Appetit