random anderson

I Haven't Just Been Lazy

2009-06-18T21:08:00.003-04:00

I've been moving. Packing up and moving.

I've decided to switch blog hosts. This was no easy task. But I'm happy with my new home.

Please follow this link random anderson and update your bookmarks. This page will no longer be updated.

See you next door!

Marlo Approved Banana Nut Muffins

2009-06-12T14:51:00.005-04:00

Two bananas on my counter this morning were walking the plank to the trash can. They were by no means rotting, just heavily freckled, soft and super sweet. In many households they would still be considered edible maybe even ideal, but I detest bananas this way. In fact I've been known to gag eating such bananas. My naners need a little green on top. The peel needs to be flawlessly yellow and crisp, and the flesh just a bit sour. Obviously the aforementioned bananas were way past their prime in my mind so it was either the trash or the oven.

I didn't have enough to make my favorite banana bread, so I thought I'd try this recipe for banana muffins. I was pretty happy with the way they turned out. The muffins were very moist, light and fluffy. They weren't too sweet or too heavy, so I didn't feel like a piggy eating one as my second breakfast.

Marlo liked them, too. I packed up the remaining 11 muffins into paper bags to take to Jeff's office and stupidly left the bags on the coffee table while I packed up Marlo's lunch for the day. I'm such an amateur. Of course Marlo pulled the bags off the table, pulled out a muffin and began shoving fistfuls into her mouth. When I finally noticed, I panicked thinking she was going to either choke on the nuts or have an allergic reaction and suffocate. I fished out all the contents of her mouth, found no nuts, then proceeded to laugh and grab my camera.

Banana Nut Muffins
Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 egg
2 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup toasted, chopped pecans
demerara sugar (sugar in the raw)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a standard muffin tin or line cups with paper liners.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffly. Add egg and mix in completely.
3. Mash bananas in separate bowl and mix in milk and cinnamon.
4. Whisk together flour, baking soda and baking powder in separate bowl.
5. Starting and ending with flour mixture, alternate adding flour and bananas to butter and sugar. Only mix until just incorporated.
6. Fold in pecans.
7. Fill muffin cups with batter and sprinkle tops with demerara sugar.
8. Bake 18-20 minutes.

Burgers with Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Sauce

2009-06-11T10:44:00.004-04:00

"This is quite possibly the best burger I've ever eaten."

No joke. That's what Jeff said to me following the "mmmmm" after his first bite. I'm not going to kid myself, it's not true. It couldn't possibly be the best one he's ever eaten. He's eaten a lot of good quality burgers. Like the burgers at Ted's and Bub's. But they seemed to all be forgotten last night. I would have to agree with him that it was a pretty awesome burger, and that's a good thing because it took more prep work than usual. This wasn't just a slap some ingredients together, mold into a patty, and grill kind of burger. The sauce takes a good half an hour to make. But boy is it worth it!

The original recipe called for blue cheese to be incorporated into the sauce. We've tried blue cheese burgers before and neither of us like them, so I left it out and just sprinkled some Asiago shavings on top. Glad I did. They were seriously perfect, and quite possibly the best burgers we've ever eaten.

Burgers with Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Sauce
Adapted from Closet Cooking

2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme chopped
6 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
salt & pepper
glug of red wine (original recipe calls for brandy - we don't keep brandy in the house)
1/3 cup beef broth

3/4 lb. ground beef
salt & pepper
1 Tbsp. shaved Asiago cheese (optional but necessary all at the same time)

1. Melt the butter in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute at medium heat until caramelized, about 20-30 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and saute until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Be careful here not to burn the onions. I lowered the heat a tad and stirred quite frequently.
5. Add the wine and broth and deglaze the pan (scrape up all the brown delicious bits from the bottom).
6. Simmer until it has reduced and thickened, about 3-6 minutes.

For Burgers:

1. Season ground beef with salt and pepper to your liking. Mix well with hands (seriously get over it and use your hands).
2. Form into two equal patties.
3. Grill over high flame 3-5 minutes each side depending on how well you like your burgers done.
4. Lightly toast sandwich buns on grill.
5. Top toasted buns with burger and spoon sauce over burger.
6. Feel like a million bucks when your family swoons.

Place Your Bets!

2009-06-10T14:08:00.005-04:00

Last week Jeff and I made a bet as to when we think Marlo will take her first steps. I guessed July 24th and he guessed a few weeks earlier. Now I wish I could change my date. Monday morning she woke up with the strength of five bulls. She can now stand for extended periods of time (okay, a minute or so). Here she is standing at her toy chest pulling out random toys and throwing them on the floor.

Riveting, right?

But seriously, out of nowhere, she began maneuvering her dolly stroller around the living room like she was born doing it. It's fun to see how she really understands how to control it and get it to go where she wants it to go. She's also very good at getting herself unstuck.

So, what do you think? How long before she walks (unassisted)?

Three Sweet Years

2009-06-05T20:28:00.003-04:00

Three years ago today Jeff and I were driving back to Chicago following our Cincinnati wedding at Alms Park. The previous day we had said vows, danced, got sunburned (just me) and smiled for pictures. Now we were headed back home to hop on a plane to California. It was the start of a beautiful marriage. After we traveled all of San Francisco by foot, pedaled across the Golden Gate bridge, got drunk for 3 days straight on really awesome wine, and opted out of sleeping at a creepy horror movie house, I'd done a rough tally that we successfully evaded death about 12 times.

I'm not being dramatic. we almost died on our honeymoon. I'll save you some theatrics and just warn you never drive to Eureka no matter what the Chamber of Commerce website says; also, if you want to go to Mendocino, wait until you're 50 - you'll probably enjoy it more and definitely do NOT think it's a good idea to drive Highway 1 down the coastline back to San Francisco.

Please learn from our mistakes. There are portions of Highway 1 that have eroded away and the road just isn't there in one lane anymore. Your lane. They kindly warn you with a single orange cone, but if you miss the cone by chance, you and your lovely will be plummeting Thelma and Louise style into the Pacific. Also, it's not the best road to travel at night. It's dark. There aren't gas stations for miles - tens of miles... twenties of miles. Oh and no cell reception, so don't dare run out of gas. And there are deer. Lots of deer, flying out in front of your car on their way to the beach. Again - Thelma and Louise.

Thankfully, we survived Highway 1 along with a half dozen other flirtations with death and I took this as a great omen that our marriage was built to last.

So far we're doing pretty good. We've smoothly made it through buying an apartment in a Chicago seller's market and then selling it in a buyer's market. We made it through both of us finishing (almost finishing) our educations. We made it through a big move to a new city and a new life. We made it through pregnancy. Childbirth. And 10 months of Marlo.

Doesn't sound like much does it? It isn't. I know. But I have faith we could make it through tougher times if they arrive.

So to celebrate our greatness as a duo, we had our favorite fancy meal last night, Pesto Halibut Kebabs. I was absolutely shocked when I visited the butcher yesterday and saw that the halibut was running only $17.99/lb. Wha?! I'm used to paying about $4 more per pound for the fish. Apparently the recession has really done a number on the demand for fancy fish and the prices have plunged, well, at least at Joe's. So, I reccomend checking out the price of halibut where you live and feasting on it more often this summer. This is a really easy and quick way to prepare the fish. Turns out delicious every single time!

Pesto Halibut Kebabs
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 lb. Halibut skin removed and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
1 large red bell pepper cut into 1-2 inch squares
3 Tbsp. pesto
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
salt & pepper

If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 10-20 minutes so they won't burn in the oven. Preheat broiler.
Combine pesto and vinegar in large bowl. Lightly season fish chunks with salt and pepper. Add fish and pepper squares to pesto mixture and toss to evenly coat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Skewer fish and peppers, alternating so you begin and end with peppers. This amount makes about 4 kebabs with 4-5 pieces of fish per skewer.
Line kebabs in a baking dish coated with cooking spray and place under broiler for 8 minutes.

Serve to husband. See him smile.

See baby daughter look on with jealousy.

Jeff brought me home a bottle of Mumm Champagne (one of our favorite wineries from our honeymoon) and a bottle of Albarino - a wine we mutually love. Having a surprise dessert up my sleeve I opted to pop open the bubbly. I made these delicious Toffee Topped Brownies and dipped strawberries in the leftover ganache. It made for a lovely dessert with our Napa champagne.

Toffee Topped Brownie Bites
Adapted From Annie's Eats

For the brownies:
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the ganache:
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

For topping:
Toffee bits (or coarsely chopped Heath Bars)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the unsweetened chocolate and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat just until melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt, and whisk until combined. Stir in the flour until just incorporated. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until completely set. Allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove brownies from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, heat the whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until it simmers; remove from the heat. Add the bittersweet chocolate to the heated cream, let stand for 30 seconds, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well blended.

Gently dip the top of each brownie in the ganache and then sprinkle with toffee bits. Allow the glaze to set completely before serving.

He also surprised me with a pretty cool new cookbook called Local Flavors. It's all about cooking with goods from farmer's markets, which is just in time for Carmel's Farmer's Market season. Both of us are interested in trying new ingredients. Neither of us have a whole lot of experience with different greens like chard and kale. This book gives a lot of ideas on how to prepare these veggies. I'll be sure to let you know when I stumble upon something fabulous!

Comfort Food

2009-06-03T07:37:00.007-04:00

In great contrast from the previous post, how 'bout some meatloaf and french fries?

Alright, so this is NOT meatloaf and french fries Paula Dean style. I'd like to think these are possibly the healthiest version of both. The meatloaves are made with ground turkey and the muffin tin portions really curb your ability to go back for another slice, and then another slice... I like that. The french fries are delicious and oven baked with olive oil. Not too shabby, eh?

Turkey Mini Meatloaves
Adapted from Cooking Light

This recipe makes about 5 mini loaves. Jeff and I are happy eating just 2 loaves each. I keep the 5th for lunch the next day. But I suppose the 5th could go to someone particularly hungry, or a really good puppy, or a small child...

1/2 cup chopped onion
Rounded 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, or whatever you have on hand)
1 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 lb. ground turkey breast
1 large egg white
4 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup, divided
1/4-1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce (depending on taste)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 5 muffin cups in a regular muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
3. Combine onion, breadcrumbs, and next 7 ingredients (through egg white) in a large bowl. Stir in 2 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup. Fill prepared muffin cups with meat mixture; place muffin tin on baking sheet.
4. Combine remaining ketchup and Tabasco sauce in a small bowl. Brush mixture over meatloaf tops. Bake for 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 165 degrees.

Oven Baked French Fries
Adapted from Joy the Baker

3 or 4 medium sized Russet potatoes, rinsed, scrubbed and dried
2 Tbsp. olive oil plus 1 teaspoon
1 tsp. Herbes de Provence
1/2 - 1 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour 1 teaspoon of oil on baking sheet and spread around with a paper towel, greasing the sheet before you add the potatoes.

Slice cleaned potatoes lengthwise into 1/3″ thick slices, then slice those slices into smaller potato strips. Place on the baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of oil. Toss the potatoes in the oil to coat. Place in oven for 25- 35 minutes, removing the tray every 10 minutes to toss and stir the potatoes, then returning to the oven. Cook until browned.

Remove from the oven and immediatley add salt and Herbes de Provence. Toss and serve.

Asparagus Chickpea Brown Rice

2009-05-30T10:36:00.004-04:00

This might be the most nutritious and healthy dish I've made thus far. I just couldn't resist when I saw the recipe. I love asparagus, chickpeas and tahini, so why not all together all at once.

Aside from the minor prep work needed before you get started, this is a pretty quick little side. Jeff and I both loved it, and it made for pretty good lunch leftovers the next day. The trick with this dish is to season just right with salt and to add in a little more dressing while eating.

Asparagus Chickpea Brown Rice
From 101 Cookbooks

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 14-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch segments
2-3 cups pre-cooked brown rice
1 cup almond slivers, toasted
kosher salt

Tahini Dressing:
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup tahini
zest of one lemon
scant 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons hot water
scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Prepare rice according to package directions

Make the dressing by whisking together the garlic, tahini, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Add the hot water to thin a bit and then the salt. Set aside.

Add olive oil to a big skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the oil around to coat the pan, then add the chickpeas and sprinkling of salt. Let the beans saute for a couple minutes. Add the garlic and onions. Stir for a minute. Stir in the asparagus with another pinch or two of salt, cover with a lid for a minute or two to steam - just until the asparagus brightens and softens up just a bit. Uncover and stir in the rice and almond slivers. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve in a big bowl drizzled with a few tablespoons of the tahini dressing. Serve remaining dressing on the side and let each person add more dressing to their tastes.

Serves 4-6.

Marlo's First Trip to the Park

2009-05-27T17:47:00.002-04:00

I'm kind of embarrassed that Marlo is 9 months old and just now we're taking her to the park. I guess I have the excuse that most of her life thus far has been in winter months. With summer officially here though, we figured it best to introduce her to public grasslands and jungle gyms.

So, last Saturday we headed to Meadowlark Park near downtown Carmel. It's a pretty well maintained park. A lot of open meadow area. A walking trail that leads to the Monon Trail. And a nice small playground equipped with baby swings.

I was really excited to get her in a swing. I was sure she would love it, and I was right.

I attempted to swing as well. It had been many years. The last time I was on a swing I was 20 and at a friend's wedding at a park. Me and a few friends swung for about a half an hour in our cocktail dresses. I think this time I lasted about 30 seconds on the swing before I felt like I was going to throw up. Unfortunately, the feeling stuck with me the rest of the day. I remember a long time ago my dad swinging with me as a child and saying he felt the same way. Does this mean I'm old?

We saw lots of fun things at the park. Like this squirrel who was digging for a nut.

Marlo loves little creatures and absolutely adored the squirrel. We had to sit and watch until he finished eating the nut and ran away.

Marlo sat in the grass for the first time. She hated it.

She found various weeds mildly amusing.

On the way back to the car we saw some tadpoles which is something I haven't seen in probably 10 years. Having spent half of those years living in an urban environment, you don't really encounter too many baby frogs. I call this the organic version of The Miracle of Life (Mr. Rock is playing the part of the egg).

Pork & Sauerkraut

2009-05-22T11:12:00.002-04:00

This is kind of a pork weekend, right? Brats on the grill. Maybe a little pulled pork action.

Speaking of brats. I'm sure you're totally annoyed with the Hillshire Farms commercials ("When I say Hillshire, you say Farms..."). But the one for "with the Miller High Life cooked in" brats got me going a little. I love Miller High Life, so they totally snagged me and duped me into buying them. We had them on Monday night topped with a mountain of sauerkraut. They were delicious, but I have no idea what maniac would be able to actually taste the Miller High Life. I couldn't even taste beer let alone the brand. Regardless, I recommend.

Back to the story here...If you're not planning on having some big cook out this weekend and are looking for a more refined way to satisfy your craving for dogs and kraut, try this out. We really like the flavors of this dish and felt especially German eating it. You could go all out and serve it with a side of potatoes, but this here dish isn't exactly healthy so we opted for some fresh green beans instead. By the way, it's a wonderful idea for all the leftover sauerkraut you end up having from just feeding two people dogs and kraut, because even a mountain of kraut on each dog doesn't use up even half the container. Another tip. If you don't have caraway seeds in the cupboard, I've seen cans of kraut that have caraway seeds in it. Saves you from having to buy the spice.

Have a lovely holiday weekend!

Pork & Sauerkraut
Adapted from The New York Times

2 slices thick bacon
2 pork chops (bone-in or boneless - I used boneless)
1 small onion, sliced
1 can of sauerkraut
1/2 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup beer
Coarse salt to taste

1. In a heavy skillet, fry the bacon until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Brown both sides of the chops in the bacon fat and add the onion. Saute onion for a few minutes until softened. Add the sauerkraut, the bacon, caraway seeds and pepper to the pan. Cover the chops well with the sauerkraut.

2. Add the beer, bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the pork chops are cooked.

3. Serve by stacking bacon on top of chops followed by a generous mound of kraut and onions.

Dancey Dance

2009-05-20T10:45:00.001-04:00

For about a month now, Marlo has pretty much demanded dinner music. She literally goes on a hunger strike if there aren't tunes playing while she's eating. She's not picky. I can just play her little tykes radio, or even just sing her some ridiculous made up song about how much she loves her oatmeal. As soon as the song starts, she hangs her mouth open. Without it, her lips are like an iron fortress.

Lately, though, I can tell she really likes the song if she starts dancing. This girl's got some rhythm, too. Here she is rockin' out to Lykke Li.

Well, La Di Da.

2009-05-20T08:46:00.001-04:00

Fancy cookie time!

After my impulse buy of lavender from the spice aisle at Meijer, I was determined to make a lemon and lavender something. Would it be pound cake? Biscotti? Then I stumbled across the recipe for these cookies.

I wasn't sure if I was worthy of them. Their simplicity ultimately is responsible for their almost obnoxious sophistication. Would I have to get dressed up to eat them, I thought. The answer is no, in case you were wondering the same thing. A cup of tea doesn't hurt though.

Now, you may be like me and may never have tried lavender anything before. Or maybe it's old news and I've been living in a cave the past 20 years. Either way, don't be afraid of it. These cookies are delightful, mild, lemony and addictive. Take my advice and portion yourself out two cookies because one's just plain not enough and three, well you might feel guilty and these aren't the cookies you want to use up that emotion on.

Lemon & Lavender Cookies
Adapted from When Harry Met Salad

¾ c. sugar
2 T. grated lemon zest + 2 T. juice from 1-2 lemons
2 t. dried lavender (optional, but then they’d just be lemon cookies)
1¾ c. flour
¼ t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
12 T. (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
1 egg yolk
½ t. vanilla extract

1) In a food processor (Click here for instructions on how to make the cookies by hand or with a stand mixer), process the sugar, lemon zest and lavender until the sugar looks damp and the zest and lavender are fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then add to the sugar mixture; pulse to combine, about 10 1-second pulses.

2) Scatter the butter pieces over and pulse until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal, about 15 1-second pulses. In a measuring cup, beat together the lemon juice, egg yolk and vanilla. With the machine running, add the juice mixture in a slow stream (should take about 10 seconds) and continue processing until the dough forms into a ball, 10 to 15 seconds longer.

4) Turn the dough and any dry bits onto a clean work surface and gently gather into a ball. Working quickly, roll the dough into a cylinder about 12″ long and 1½” in diameter. Center the dough on a piece of parchment or plastic wrap and wrap tightly, twisting the ends together to seal. Chill the dough until firm and cold, about 45 minutes in the freezer or 2 hours in the refrigerator.

5) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

6) Remove the dough log from its wrapper and use a sharp knife to slice the dough into 3/8″ thick rounds. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1″ apart. Bake until the centers of the cookies just begin to color and the edges are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes (the recipe actually says 14-16 minutes, but 10 minutes was plenty for me and my wonky oven), rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time. Cool on sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yummy Chicken Quesadillas

2009-05-18T09:15:00.006-04:00

Sometimes I wish my mother was Italian and my father was Mexican. Or maybe even the other way around - that might produce a better looking child, but what do I know.

The reasoning behind this is that I love Mexican food. My frequent attempts at making it is always just average at best because apparently I'm way to pasty white to really make it well. I'm not confident handling the flavors or the ingredients and I just constantly feel like a fish outta water in the whole genre. I never know what's missing and what I need to add. This is where a Mexican mother would come in handy because I'm sure that if I had a generations old Mole sauce to make for Jeff, he might love me a little more. Also, I would've inherited, perhaps, a more natural rapport with cilantro instead of being completely repulsed by it.

But even though I don't have any Gomez, Rodriguez or Flores blood running in my veins, these quesadillas tasted pretty awesome. Okay, I understand that quesadillas are probably the whitest of all Mexican food you can make, but cut me some slack, alright? The wet rub on the chicken can really take all the credit for the awesomeness. The flavors are spot on. The addition of the tomatoes really gave the dish a nice fresh flavor, too. Hope you like them! Adios!

Chicken Quesadillas
Adapted from Annie's Eats

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even ½ inch thickness
½ small yellow onion, finely diced
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
4 large tortillas
olive oil, for brushing/or spray olive oil
1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese

For the wet rub:
1 ½ tsp. chili powder
1 ½ tsp. fajita seasoning
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
juice of 1 lime

1. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Whisk wet rub ingredients together in a pie plate. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and juices run clear. Remove from the heat and using 2 forks, shred chicken. Scrape out any black bits from skillet and add diced onion. Sauté, stirring constantly, onions are tender.

Brush one side of a tortilla with olive oil. Flip over and top one half of the tortilla with chicken mixture, diced tomatoes and shredded cheese to taste. Fold the tortilla over and carefully place the folded quesadilla onto the grill pan or skillet. Cook until heated through and cheese has melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas. To keep quesadillas warm while the others are still cooking, place in the oven on a baking sheet or other oven safe dish at 200°. Cut the finished quesadillas into triangles and serve with salsa, sour cream or other toppings of your choice.

Thank GOOP for Jaydiohead

2009-05-15T06:30:00.001-04:00

Marlo isn't really on the cutting edge of the hip music scene. Not coincidentally, neither am I.

Her favorite songs consist mostly of what I call Zoo Jamz from her Fisher Price zoo toy and also Little Tyke's remixes of the classic "ABC" from the Jackson Five and "Allstar" from Smashmouth. Not very current, I know.

There was a point in time where I used to be hip (musically). I branded that as part of my personality. That may be why I have half the male friends that I do. When all else failed in our social evenings, we could always rely on just sitting silently in the car listening to Radiohead at a just-loud-enough-without-being-too-loud volume, which is probably the closest I've come to a religious experience. Usually no words were necessary, and I understood this. Maybe other girls didn't.

I still consider myself a huge Radiohead-head.. or would it be Head-head, I don't know. However, I'm not in the least bit surprised that I just now found this "Jaydiohead" business, thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow. She sends me emails every week or so. We're tight. Don't buy it? Aren't you a wise owl. If you're remotely interested in what Gwyneth Paltrow thinks is cool, you could sign up for her email newsletter GOOP. She will email you on occasion (it's never an annoying frequency) and tell you about recipes, restaurants, general child rearing advice, etiquette, hotels, vacation hot spots, etc. I don't find that it changes my life, but occasionally she'll have some valuable little nugget. Like this Jaydiohead. It's a marriage of Jay-Z and Radiohead. No, they didn't meet together in some London studio and lay some new tracks (the thought of this alone is quite amusing). Some guy who calls himself minty fresh beats merged Jay-Z raps with Radiohead music. I'm not really a huge hip-hop fan (wouldn't it be funny if I was), but I find it easier to swallow if it's layered on top of a Radiohead song. Have a listen and a nice weekend.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-05-14T15:00:00.002-04:00

Sounds good right?

Almost any oatmeal cookie sounds good to me. Especially Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. My favorite cookies in the whole world are Potbelly's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. I might be willing to give my right arm for the recipe. You'd have to catch me on the right day (or wrong day - which is it?) I sent these to work with Jeff when I made them, and apparently they went over well. There was some positive feedback. Personally, I found the flavors really interesting. Nothing about the cookies really shouted "peanut butter!!" or "nutmeg!!" or even "cinnamon!!!" All the flavors just merge and played well together, and make you go "hmmmm" and then "mmmmmm.". Make these this weekend for your kids, or your sig other, or yourself. Everyone will be glad you did.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
As seen on Two Peas and Their Pod. Originally from Dorie Greenspan.

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups store-bought chocolate chips or chunks

Getting Ready: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips.

If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours or for up to one day. (Chilling the dough will give you more evenly shaped cookies.) If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes. The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they'll firm as they cool.

Makes a TON of cookies.

Hi. I'm...

2009-05-12T12:15:00.000-04:00

I love Ira Glass. I love his voice. I love his wit. I love his glasses.

With this in mind, it's a shame I didn't say more about the the live taping of This American Life Jeff and I saw last month in Chicago. A few weekends ago, NPR broadcasted the taping and it reminded me of how funny it was. At times it was more than just funny; it was, for lack of a better word, touching. I laughed until I cried, and sometimes I just plain cried. You see, my emotions were a little less restrained due to a half bottle of wine.

Here is a link to the episode where you can listen to the show through another link for free.

If you listen to the show you may have found yourself doubled over with laughter during the story about the drunk driver accident. The guy telling the story is Mike Birbiglia. Comedian. Funny. As. Hell. Most comedians are kind of assholes. (sorry for all the expletives, I just don't think any other words would seem appropriate) I mean, that's just part of their schtick. They have to have this huge ego. They have to think they're super funny or you definitely won't. Some comedians use this to its full extent. Like Dane Cook. He's not funny, he just cusses a lot. But he is so confident that he is indeed funny, that he's put many people and their money under his spell. Well regardless, Mike Birbiglia isn't Dane Cook. He manages to be hilarious in a non-asshole way. He's really funny in a smart, witty, humble, charming kind of way. Maybe a David Sedaris kind of way.

Moving on, this short animation film was a nice treat they showed the audience during the taping. I think it's an interesting portrayal of how we sometimes treat the people we love. Moral of the story: don't date someone who keeps you in the cupboard. Ta ta!

Quimby The Mouse from This American Life on Vimeo.

Not Just Talkin' the Talk

2009-05-09T20:00:00.001-04:00

She's walkin' the walk my friends. Walkin' the walk. (Assisted by her new dolly stroller.)

Sausage & Lentil Casserole

2009-05-09T15:14:00.004-04:00

My husband doesn't usually vocalize if he doesn't like something I make. Okay, who am I kidding, it's obvious when he doesn't like something because he just leaves it on the plate. Doesn't even try and squeeze it down for the sake of politeness. He'll pick at it, and just leave the rest for the birds. Yes that's right, he'd rather go hungry than eat something that doesn't suit his palate perfectly. And yes, sometimes it's insulting - especially when I'm my biggest critic and I find the meal outrageously delicious.

Like this casserole. I love it. Could eat it everyday. Jeff groans when I tell him it's what's for dinner. Groans. He claims it's the spinach. He doesn't like cooked spinach. Well okay, that's fair enough but the spinach in this casserole is so mild in flavor and texture I think it's all in his head. I'm certain it's all in head. What you taste most in this casserole is the spicy sausage and the sharp cheddar, all the other ingredients just take very important supporting roles. So if you are like my husband and would rather not eat at all then eat cooked spinach, okay, then this casserole may not be for you; however, even if spinach isn't your favorite (like me) but you won't go running for the hills at the mere sight of it (like me) and you just so happen to love sharp cheddar and spicy sausage (like me and everyone else) then I bet you'll like this casserole.

The only tricky thing about this casserole is finding the right ingredients. The ingredients on paper seem pretty straight forward, accessible, and easy. But then when you actually go out and try to find them, it gets a little tough. Please take my advice on a few things here. I've only found 2 brands that actually make a 19 ounce can of lentil soup. Progresso and Muir Glen Organics. I've used both and Muir Glen is much better than Progresso, but Progresso is cheaper and more widely available. Also, IQF spinach is key and also very hard to find. What you're looking for is going to be a bag of spinach that the spinach leaves were frozen separately in chunks. The boxed kind won't work here. I've made it with the boxed kind, having to cook it first then mix it in, and it turns out mushy and gross. I've found IQF spinach at Whole Foods. Haven't really looked too hard anywhere else. Leave a comment if you find another brand of soup or a store that carries IQF spinach.

Sausage & Lentil Casserole

16 ounces hot Italian-style sausage (I use Bob Evans zesty italian sausage)
1 small onion, chopped
1 19-ounce can lentil soup
2 cups individually quick-frozen (IQF) spinach
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup uncooked converted white rice (like Uncle Ben's)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Remove casings from sausage and crumble with a fork. Add sausage and onion to large skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add soup, spinach and oregano; heat through. Add rice and season with pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking dish; cover with foil. Bake until rice is tender, about 35 minutes. Top with Cheddar and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted, a few minutes longer.

Adapted from Eating Well

Pizza and a Movie

2009-05-07T21:08:00.001-04:00

I realize it's been a week.

If you haven't noticed already, I don't post much on the weekend. My husband distracts me. Plus it's hard for me to write sitting next to someone. I get self-conscious. Like they're reading and secretly hating every word I type out. It's paralyzing.

Also, the beginning of the week was spent in Ohio. My friend Savina was home in Findlay from Hawaii for a week. I don't get many opportunities to spend time with Savina anymore, so I jumped at the opportunity to see her. Here is Marlo and Savina taking a break from their deep conversation.

Am I excused?

Will pizza make up for my disappearance? How about pizza and a new Marlo feature presentation.

I made this pizza last week. It's really fun and satisfying to make your own pizza from scratch. While I don't think it necessarily tastes a whole lot better than our favorite pizza shop in town, it feels better. What I mean by that is, it feels good knowing that I know every ingredient and have control over everything so the pizza comes out exactly how I want it.

Tomato & Pesto Pizza

Start off earlier in the afternoon making the dough for the crust. The website I got the recipe from, Brown Eyed Baker, gives directions for making the dough using either a food processor, a stand mixer, or by hand. Please visit the link if you don't have a food processor and need directions for the other two methods. I of course used my beloved new food processor.

Makes enough for 2 medium pizzas.

We find the food processor is the best tool for making pizza dough. However, only a food processor with a capacity of at least 11 cups can handle this much dough. You can also knead this dough by hand or in a standing mixer (see the variations that follow). Unbleached all-purpose flour can be used in a pinch, but the resulting crust will be less crisp. If you want to make pizza dough in the morning and let it rise on the counter all day, decrease the yeast to 1/2 teaspoon and let the covered dough rise at cool room temperature (about 68 degrees) until doubled in size, about 8 hours. You can prolong the rising time even further by refrigerating the covered dough for up to 16 hours and then letting it rise on the counter until doubled in size, which will take 6 to 8 hours.

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 envelope (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (22 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting work surface and hands
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for oiling the bowl

1. Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room-temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

2. Process the flour and salt in a large food processor, pulsing to combine. Continue pulsing while pouring the liquid ingredients (holding back a few tablespoons) through the feed tube. If the dough does not readily form into a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to pulse until a ball forms. Process until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 30 seconds longer.

3. The dough will be a bit tacky, so use a rubber spatula to turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough into a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

I used just half of the dough for this pizza. It was the perfect amount of pizza to stuff both of us. I would use all the dough if you had 4 or so people to feed and double the following recipe to make two pizzas. Otherwise, divide the dough into two equal hunks and freeze the other half if not using.

1/2 of above pizza dough recipe
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. grated Asiago cheese (optional)
3 Tbsp. store -bought or homemade basil pesto
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded fontina
2 ripe plum tomatoes sliced thinly (I used the processor) and let to dry on paper towel
*you can really use whatever tomato you want - I used a hothouse tomato

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out dough to your desired thickness on a well floured surface. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

2. Brush olive oil on the outer rim of dough. Sprinkle Asiago cheese over olive oil.

3. Evenly spread pesto in center of pizza dough. Use more or less according to your taste. Evenly sprinkle cheese over pesto and top cheese with tomato slices.

4. Slide pizza and parchment paper off of baking sheet directly on to the oven rack. Bake 9-12 minutes, rotating half way, until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Adapted from Cuisinart

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now for our feature presentation...

Marlo's doing a handful of cute new things lately.

For the most part she's given up the unbecoming gremlin growl she's had for a good month and traded it in for a nice, feminine "La la", often in a pretty girly voice. "la la la la la" all the live long day here. Occasionally, she'll get fancy and throw in a "buh" and make a few "blah blahs" (these are often accompanied by rather large spit bubbles). The point is: the girl's learning to talk. While I think the only actual word she says associating to an actual object is "dada", I have high hopes that we'll make leaps and bounds the next few months. I'm curious what her first word will be outside of mama and dada. She doesn't have a blanket, nor does she have a bottle, so "baba" is kind of obsolete (unless she means "boob" - which is always possible). I have a feeling it might be some variation of puppy. She loves her puppy dogs.

While she's still working on her words, she's mastering body language. Hilariously, she's learned to shake her head "no". Unfortunately for her, her noggin is so large she about loses her balance when she gets carried away. See for yourself.

Sweet Chili Glazed & Walnut Crusted Tilapia & Grilled Zucchini Orzo

2009-04-30T09:55:00.007-04:00

I haven't been making a whole lot of new things lately, note the lack of recipes in recent posts. I figured I'd better get on it before I lose a reader who reads this just for the food ideas. Maybe that person exists. I decided to go all the way and do something new. Seafood. Jeff and my favorite fish is Halibut, and hooray, it's Halibut season. But guess what, who can afford it right now for a measly Wednesday night dinner? Not us. So I settled for the real chicken of the sea, Tilapia. This is one of our favorite fish recipes. It's sweet, spicy and easy. Tilapia is a very mild and affordable fish that's available year round. The orzo was a successful off-the-cuff creation when I realized I didn't have a concrete side dish plan and just a mish-mash of pantry items.

Sweet Chili Glazed and Walnut Crusted Tilapia

For Glaze:
3 Tablespoons honey
1⁄4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon warm water

For Crust:
1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/3 Cup ground walnuts (I ground them in food processor)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 tilapia fillets
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the honey, chili powder and warm water in a small bowl; mix to combine. Place crumbs, walnuts, salt, chili powder and pepper into a shallow dish; mix to combine. Season both sides of tilapia fillets with pinches of salt and pepper. With a pastry brush, brush honey glaze on both sides of tilapia then press into crumb mix. Continue until all fillets are coated.

2. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When hot place coated tilapia fillets into skillet; cook 2-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and fish flakes easy with a fork. Remove and serve warm.

Note: It's not easy to keep the fish "pretty" while frying them up. You should use your thinnest spatula to flip the fish, and since there isn't an egg wash, the breading doesn't stick all that well. I just thought you should know, and not feel like a failure when a quarter of the crust falls off into the fry pan.

Serves: 2

Recipe adapted from: Picky Palate

Grilled Zucchini Orzo

1 medium-large zucchini quartered length-wise
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

1 cup orzo pasta
1 14.5 oz. can low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup onion finely diced
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 cup grated asiago cheese
zest and juice from half a lemon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Brush olive oil over all sides of the zucchini quarters. Salt and pepper evenly. Place on grill flesh side down over medium-high flame. Grill 3-4 minutes and flip once to the other flesh side, grilling 3-4 more minutes. Remove and let stand a few minutes until it's cool enough to touch. Slice into a large dice. Set aside and keep warm.

2. Pour chicken broth into a medium sauce pan and bring to a soft rolling boil. Add orzo and gently boil for about 5-6 minutes (check package directions). Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in small skillet. Add onions and saute until softened. Once orzo is cooked, drain and return to pot. Add onions, remaining olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, almonds, salt and pepper to orzo. Stir well to combine. Gently mix in zucchini and leave orzo over low heat for a few minutes until warmed.

Serves: 2

The Next Meg White

2009-04-29T07:31:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday, Gramps Brittain predicted that Marlo was going to be a drummer because she's always got her arms moving around. She must have heard him because she has since been pounding on any surface she approaches. Last night she gave us a drum solo on the seat of one of our dining chairs. After watching the video, I promptly cleaned the house.

Not Ready to Go Vegetarian? Me Either.

2009-04-28T11:34:00.003-04:00

The verdict is in. Eating meat is really bad for the environment. The amount of resources that go into producing one pound of meat is astounding, not to mention the pollution and greenhouse gas emissions the livestock industry is responsible for. About a year ago my father handed me his Rolling Stone which was opened to an article about the pork livestock industry and how absolutely horrific it is. I was so grossed out just a quarter of the way though, I accepted the point and quit reading.

I consider myself to be a generally healthy eater. Okay, okay, I do enjoy baked goods, and on occasion I will whip up a high sodium Campbell's can of Cream of whatever casserole and enjoy every bite; but I'm not so much into frying food, I don't drink a whole lot other than water during the day and I enjoy one light beer every evening, I stay away from fattening condiments (yucko mayo), I really avoid anything prepackaged, and I shell out a fortune for olive oil and won't cook with anything else. I'm always interested in upping the ante, though.

A few weeks ago, Dr. Oz was on Oprah discussing how to prolong your life. I never miss a Dr. Oz episode and neither should you. They talked in length during this show about a restricted calorie diet and how people who have maintained this lifestyle for years (like 10 years) have been shown to actually reverse cell deterioration. Meaning - they're bodies are getting YOUNGER. I was fascinated and am bound and determined to go on this diet, how about on my 50th birthday. See, if you couldn't tell already, I really enjoy food. I like talking about it, learning about it, making it and yeah, eating it. But I'm not kidding myself, sooner or later it'll lose its luster for me and I'll be more concerned about staying alive than about some new chicken recipe. You can learn about a restricted calorie diet here.

But for now, I'll just keep on keepin' on with my regular calorie intake, and focus, instead, on what I can do to keep my family healthy. And I find it very interesting that reducing meat intake is not only better for your body but it's significantly better for the environment. I'm not ready to totally give up my carnivorous appetite, though. Can't I meet you half way? Just for now? Apparently, I can. This article on Slate magazine discusses in detail what meats are more environmentally friendly. Turns out, chicken is the way to go and any red meat (beef, bison, lamb, and pork - yes they consider the "other white meat" really red meat) is environmentally devastating. Turns out red meat is pretty bad for your body, too. Just google "red meat cancer" and you'll get the point quickly.

Recycle. Avoid plastic bags. Eat chicken. Feel a little better about yourself.

TV Detox

2009-04-27T14:06:00.002-04:00

I've read about half of about half of these books. Let's just say that reading isn't my forte. I desperately wish otherwise though. My peers are all very well read individuals, and in an effort to avoid having to do the work myself, I have an uncanny ability to absorb every drop of worthwhile knowledge they take away from their books by letting them tell me all about it. Most readers enjoy telling you about the books they read, so it works out very well.

See I grew up in a household somewhat confused about its literacy. My parents watch a lot of TV, well, my mother watches a lot of TV and my father spends most of his free time surfing the internet (which does actually involve a lot of reading, he's not playing poker). Surprisingly, though, there are many books in the house, tucked away on a shelf in a back room or in a cabinet in the kitchen. My mother's book collection involves decorating, cooking and crafts. My father's library includes mostly biographies or historical themed non-fiction. As a child, I'd occasionally see him reading them outside of a bedtime routine. I remember one occasion where he was reading a new book (probably some kind of Who Shot JFK book) and I was impressed that he was already half way through the book after just having started it that day. After commenting on this he said something like, "no I just skip around to the chapters I want to read." Being a kid (and an adult) who is painfully obedient to all the rules of life, including the unstated rule that you have to read chapters 1 & 2 before you dare venture into chapter 3, this completely blew my mind. Skip around?! How do you know what's going on in the story, I thought. This was well before the concept of reading non-fiction for pleasure ever entered my mind. Now non-fiction is really all I can fathom reading for pleasure. My imagination is kind of stale. I pity Marlo the day she asks me to tell her a story.

But, essentially, this all comes down to Marlo. I look at her and I know she's a smart kid already and I want her to use the brains in that big noggin wisely and not rot them in front of the TV. I understand full well that this is only likely to happen if mom and dad surround her in a culture of reading. She has to see mom and dad reading as a normal occurrence for her to have a chance of picking up the habit. She has to see new books as something to get excited about more so than a new episode of The Office.

So this week, Monday through Friday, Jeff and I are having a "No TV Week". We were inspired by the husband of Jeff's colleague who is a principal and does this every year at his school. Not only are we going to do it this week, but we're going to have a No TV Week the last week of every month. Hopefully we'll force ourselves into reading habits instead of the dreadful couch potato TV zombie habits we currently participate in.

Our reading list this week:

Emily: Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English by John McWhorter
and
Numerous research articles for her research paper

Jeff: City of Thieves by David Benioff

It's Beautiful Out. Why Aren't You Grilling?

2009-04-24T11:02:00.004-04:00

By now, you know how I feel about grilling. It's my favorite way to cook-anything. Meat, pizza, vegetables, you name it - I'd rather it on the grill. Not only does food cook better, but it tastes better and there's half the clean up afterwards. Here's a few of my favorite grilling recipes that are easy and delicious.

Grilled Chicken with Pesto

4 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves*
2/3 cup homemade or store-bought basil pesto
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salt and pepper both sides of chicken breasts. Combine pesto and lemon juice in a bowl. Pour over chicken breasts in a shallow dish. Let chicken marinade for about 20 minutes in the fridge. Dampen a cloth or paper towel with olive oil and oil the grill rack, or (with flame off) coat the rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill. Shake off excess pesto and place chicken on the grill over high heat. Grill about 5 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through, turning just once.

*It's a good idea to pound your chicken breasts down to an even thickness. This helps the meat cook more uniformly and quickly.

Adapted from: FineCooking.com

Grilled Asparagus a la Francesca

In Wicker Park, Francesca Forno is probably one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Chicago. A little over a year ago, I ordered a side of their grilled asparagus and thought I'd hit solid gold. I was set to reproduce it at home. Here is my version.

1 Lb. Asparagus, rinsed and tough ends trimmed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/2 of a lemon, or lemon wedges for each diner

Place asparagus in shallow dish and pour olive oil over asparagus. Salt and Pepper asparagus generously and toss to evenly coat each spear with olive oil and seasoning. Over a medium-high flame, line up asparagus on the grill perpendicular to the grates. Grill about 3 minutes and then turn each spear and grill 2-3 more minutes depending on how thick the asparagus is and how done you like your asparagus. I've found that nice sturdy thick spears hold up better to grilling than the delicate pencil thin spears. Obviously then, you will have less spears to individually turn. This can be tedious. Remove asparagus from the grill and place on serving dish. Top with Asiago and squeeze juice from half a lemon over the asparagus, or just serve with lemon wedges. Don't skip the lemon though. Trust me, you need it.

Honey Pecan Pork Chops

2009-04-23T08:39:00.001-04:00

It's annoying when I have no specific plans for the meat sitting in my fridge. It eats at me all day. What's worse is when I decide on some brilliant recipe, but only have half the ingredients and none of the motivation to go to the grocery store (I live across the street from a grocery store, but still, laziness happens). For this reason, I am in love with this recipe. I always have all the ingredients (yeah all 4) in my pantry, and this is a considerably tasty way to make pork chops and the presentation always turns out fancy, too. I can imagine children loving this recipe. It reminds me of the flavor of Chicken McNuggets dipped in honey which I believe I ate as a part of my Happy Meal once a week as a child. But don't let that comparison lower your expectations. You'll be using top of the line pork (right?) and not Grade D chicken "meat". That alone places this dish in a whole other league. Quality ingredients do more than half the work for you. Give 'em a try. Once you see how quick, easy, and delicious they are, I bet you'll make them again (and again, and again...).

Honey Pecan Pork Chops

10 ounces (2 medium) boneless pork loin trimmed and pounded thin (1/4 - 1/2 inch)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans

Salt and pepper both sides of pork loins generously. Add flour and more salt and pepper to a large ziplock bag. Place pork in bag and shake to coat evenly. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat watching carefully so it does not burn. Shake off excess flour from pork and add chops to the skillet. Brown both sides, turning once until the pork is cooked to your liking. Depending on how thick your pork is, this can be anywhere from 4-6 minutes per side. Transfer meat to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Remove pan from burner and lower burner heat to medium-low. Replace pan to heat and add honey and pecans to the pan drippings. Heat through and stir constantly as to not burn the honey. I always add the drippings from the plate the pork was transfered to as well. Spoon or pour the sauce over the cutlets, serve.

What a Weekend!

2009-04-22T08:57:00.005-04:00

The last time we went to Chicago was the first time we returned since we had moved away. That was in the middle of January immediately following a blizzard. We left, cursing the city and relieved we had relocated to have Marlo in a more docile environment. This time, we had a change of heart. Jeff drove me up to Chicago for a long weekend to celebrate my birthday. We stayed with my lovely sister Sara (thanks again for sleeping on your couch for 3 nights), and enjoyed the city in a more gentle climate. After this trip, when we left, we did so with a heavy heart. We really do miss you Chicago.

Here are a few highlights from the fun-filled weekend.

Our friends Mike and Andrea drove in Saturday night to have a delicious Mexican dinner (also my first Margarita since before I was pregnant) with us at Lalo's (mmmmmm). We let Marlo and their drop dead gorgeous little girl, Mira, get acquainted for a while at my sister's apartment before we went to dinner. We're not into blind dates. As you can see, Marlo was a little obsessed with Mira. Mira couldn't understand why she was so excited. I love how around :30, Mira strokes Marlo's face as if she were saying "Calm my child." It all worked out. By the end of the night they were kissing - on the lips. We told them to save it for college.

The big "birthday" night was Sunday. Jeff got us tickets to watch a live recording of NPR's This American Life. The show was hilarious. I was a little drunk (see the bottle of wine below), so everything was a little extra funny! Aunt Sara babysat so Jeff and I could have a nice dinner before the show. The restaurant was my choice, and since the show was at the Chicago Theater in the Loop, I seized the opportunity to eat at a restaurant downtown. We showed up at Bandera on Michigan Ave. for a nice dinner. I love this restaurant. The hotel I worked at was right around the corner so my coworkers and I would go there frequently for lunch or after work cocktails. Let me rave about it here for a moment. The place is perfection. If you're going to Chicago and staying downtown. Go there. It's easily overlooked because it's on the second floor above Citibank, but do yourself a favor and don't miss it. The atmosphere is swanky yet casual. Classy yet cool. You could go all dolled up for the opera or in jeans after a long day of shopping. The food is incredible. They have a variety of foods on the menu, but what they're most known for is rotisserie chicken which you see cooking up right in front of you when you first walk in. However, perhaps what's most memorable about Bandera is the service. I've probably eaten here a dozen times and have consistently been blown away by the service (minus one time when the waitress never remembered to bring my sister a straw). The wait staff is always kind, prompt, and knowledgeable.

This romantic evening brought to you by: Jeff Anderson, my husband - he's taken, back off.

A close up of the chips and queso they managed to make into an elegant appetizer and the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that was super delicious.

Behold the Hacked Chicken Salad. The most perfect salad ever concocted. The first time I ordered this was the day we found out we were having a girl. This salad is possibly, above all, the reason I go to Bandera, and folks, I'm NOT a salad person. I would post the picture of what Jeff ordered, Bangers and Mash, but it looked kind of vulgar and this is a family show, right? Anyway, he always gets it and its always good!

This past weekend may very well be our final farewell to the city we spent years together in. My sister lost her job last week and will be moving away next month, first to live with us (yea!!) transiently before her final move to Brooklyn. I'm excited for her new chapter in life, but we will miss the free room in our old city. I guess we'll have to start visiting the Big Apple!

Careful Not to Wake the Dragon

2009-04-16T14:42:00.002-04:00

Our nights are pretty typical. Marlo goes to sleep around 7:30, and a few hours later, Jeff and I wash up and get ourselves ready for bed (yes, 9:30.. I know. No, we aren't secretly 75 years old). Before we turn the lights out and hit the hay, one of us or both of us will usually take a peek at Marlo. I have to do this because a) I'm paranoid and b) she's a hilarious sleeper. Her most common sleep position is her arms tucked under her belly and her butt sticking straight up in the air. Seeing this right before I go to sleep makes me chuckle and relax a little.

Well, last night, Jeff and I had a classic sitcom moment. We crept into her room together to lovingly take a peek at the the fruit of our loins, when suddenly she grumbled, whined and popped her head up. We immediately and simultaneously dove for cover like a bomb had just exploded in her crib. Jeff, now in her closet, and I, tucked invisibly around a corner, stood motionless and cringing, hoping that she didn't realize we were there. She was in a half asleep stupor, but we were pretty sure she knew I was there. Maybe that was because I couldn't help but pop my head out and watch her. We waited and waited, but it seemed as though she was working more towards staying awake then reverting back to sleep. So, like a Marine, I dropped to floor and army crawled out of the room. My fellow soldier though was stuck. She started laying her head back down, but the floor boards in our apartment are so creaky, he risked being caught with every step. He eventually successfully tiptoed out, and Marlo fell back asleep for the rest of the evening. While this could have had a more somber ending (a wide awake baby right before mom and dad want to go to sleep), it was a close call. Thinking ahead to our next child, I've already asked my parents for a video monitor so we can gaze at our sleeping child from a more "safe" location.

Now for a totally unrelated video, here's Marlo doing her most recent fun thing. She'll sit straight up and lift both arms up for no apparent reason. Now if we could just get her to do the M-C-A part, I'd have something to send in to America's Funniest Home Videos.

Hummus for my Hubby

2009-04-15T15:52:00.003-04:00

Hello Gorgeous! Please don't be jealous. Please don't think I'm spoiled. I patiently waited for the right time to ask for a food processor for years. Other needs always trumped the want for this luxurious appliance. However, this birthday, I didn't need maternity clothes or work clothes or any other personal effect, so my wonderful parents bestowed upon me this beautiful, majestic machine. I've been worshiping it now for a little over a week. I've made mostly just delicious meals for Marlo that she's actually eating (hooray for me). However, yesterday, I was determined to make something new and different that I've never made before. I flipped through the Cuisinart owner's manual and found this recipe for hummus. Jeff loves hummus. I couldn't really care less about it, but selflessly, I thought I'd give it a shot and surprise him with his favorite... dip, spread, condiment - whatever it is. I'm not a hummus aficionado, but it tasted good to me.

Hummus

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
2 strips lemon zest, 1/2 X 2 inches, bitter white scraped off
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 small garlic cloves
2 (15.5 oz.) cans chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and drained again
3 Tbsp. tahini paste
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
5 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Using metal blade, pulse to chop parsley 10-15 times in food processor. Remove parsley and reserve. Add zest and salt to work bowl and pulse 10 times. With the machine running, add garlic through the feed tube, and process 10 seconds. Add the drained chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, water and cumin to the work bowl, process 1 minute to combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the work bowl. Turn the machine on again, and add olive oil through the feed tube in a slow steady stream, and process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add half the chopped parsley; pulse 10-15 times to incorporate. Allow hummus to set for 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to incorporate. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve in shallow serving bowl with pita slices and raw vegetables.

For lunch, using my favorite new appliance, I shredded some vegetables (carrots, cucumbers and red pepper) I had left in the fridge to make a vegetable and hummus pita. It was delicious, but it could have used more hummus..Yummmm.

A Tale of Two Chocolate Cakes

2009-04-14T11:33:00.004-04:00

I love cake. No joke. My favorite part of weddings is the cake, and I'm a fierce critic. I know how much wedding cakes cost, so in my mind, it better be perfect. I honestly don't care what you serve me for dinner, or how awesome your DJ was, your wedding cake makes or breaks the whole shabang in my mind. When Jeff and I got married, I took the cake very seriously. I wanted it to look memorable and interesting, but I wanted the taste to be just as memorable and interesting. I'm quite taken by the look of fondant icing (who isn't) but I loathe the taste. When I met our baker, and she said she can make butter cream look like fondant, I fell in love with her. She wasn't lying and managed to make a gorgeous cake inspired by our invitations. I remember very little from my wedding day, it was all a whirlwind, but I can recall the taste of our cake as if I had just had some for lunch. One layer, my choice, was spice cake with an caramel apple filling, and the second layer, Jeff's choice, was dark chocolate with chocolate fudge filling.

If you couldn't guess, Jeff's favorite cake is chocolate cake, and so is his dad's (at least I heard that somewhere, sorry Scott, if I'm mistaken). When we made plans to eat dinner at the in-laws a few weeks ago, I wanted to bring a dessert, and it absolutely had to be a cake. See, I don't get to satisfy my affinity for cake often. I bake a lot, but usually it's things that last longer than a day or two (most cakes croak in 48 hours) or things that are easily shared, i.e. thrown in a plastic bag and sent to work with Jeff. So, I seized this opportunity and looked for a classic chocolate Bundt cake recipe online. I found what I needed from Martha Stewart.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

I found this cake to be quite nice. In the words of Jamie Oliver, "it's not going to change your life" , but I was very satisfied with the results of my effort. The glaze is really the star, so don't skip or skimp on it. I did not add booze to my chocolate glaze, certainly not because I have anything against that - just that I don't really have a whole lot of hard liquor hanging around. Instead I added instant coffee, and I'm glad I did. By all means, go for the Cognac, but I really recommend the coffee. Also, a note, the recipe asks for a 14 cup Bundt cake pan, I don't have one that large and just used my 10 cup Bundt pan and baked it for 55 minutes. It turned out perfect.

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream (4 ounces)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but I think you should - it made the cake more interesting)

For the glaze:

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Cognac or rum (optional)
OR
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 14-cup Bundt pan. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix milk and sour cream in a small bowl.

Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low, and add flour mixture, alternating with milk mixture, ending with flour. Fold in walnuts, if using. Spoon batter into pan. Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Invert cake. (Cake will keep for up to 1 day.)

Make the glaze: Place chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until simmering, if using coffee - mix into the milk now, then pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add butter and Cognac or rum, if using, and mix until smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Pour glaze over cooled cake.

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Sounds good, you say? What else you got, you say? How about a chocolate cake that is just like eating a wedge of dark chocolate fudge. This cake isn't for the chocolate faint at heart. You feel just so-so about chocolate? Take a pass on this one. Do you have dreams of bathing in a claw foot tub filled to the brim with ganache (ahem, Borislava)? You might consider making this next cake, like right now.

As mentioned in the last entry, my parents and my sister made their way down to Indiana last weekend. My sister has found herself under a lot of stress lately, so I wanted to have a special dessert for her the night of our big dinner. Endless options? Not really. She follows a gluten-free diet so that creates a few obstacles when baking. Her favorite gluten-free dessert when dining out is a flourless chocolate cake. I thought this would be quite an endeavor to find a recipe for, not to mention actually making it. I was wrong. I found this great recipe on Whole Foods Market's website and this cake seriously takes very little equipment and expertise. The result, however, like bathing in a claw foot tub filled to the brim with ganache. Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray, too, then set the pan aside.

Place two-thirds (8 ounces) of the chocolate and 1 cup (2 sticks) of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. (Alternatively, you may use your microwave to melt the butter with the chocolate, if desired). Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake has risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate, removing sides of springform pan. Remove and discard parchment paper and set cake aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Melt remaining 4 ounces chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, then stir in milk, honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.

When cake has cooled, pour glaze onto the center. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, very gently smooth glaze along the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make the cake easier to slice.

Movin' On Up

2009-04-13T14:01:00.005-04:00

My parents and my sister all gathered at our apartment for the Easter weekend. We ate well, played hours of Yahtzee, and gave Marlo more attention than she could ever imagine. She's been getting very strong and out of curiosity, I wanted to see if she could climb stairs. This is her first try. We were all impressed. She liked all the cheers and claps she got.

Breakfast & Dinner Courtesy of Mr. Tub of Ricotta

2009-04-08T11:08:00.006-04:00

One tub of delicious, creamy ricotta cheese = two delicious, memorable meals. I've been making my mother's recipe for stuffed shells for years and for years I always have a half a tub of rotting ricotta in my fridge afterwards. But (trumpets sounding) Giada has (of course!) saved the day with her Lemon Ricotta Biscuits (muffins, my friends).

Chances are, if you're my friend, and if I even just kind of like you, you've eaten these stuffed shells, cooked by either yours truly or yours truly's mother. They're simple but special enough to entertain with and really budget friendly. They're one of my family's favorite meals and just might become one of yours as well. Over the years I've played with the recipe here and there with a sprinkle of this and a sprinkle of that. I encourage you to season the stuffing to suit your taste. It's really basic and takes well to amendments.

Beef & Cheese Stuffed Shells

20-24 jumbo shells pasta
2 jars of your favorite red sauce
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 small onion finely diced
7.5 oz. (1/2 container) of Ricotta cheese
1 generous handful of shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat over to 350. Spread one jar of red sauce on the bottom of a large rectangular baking dish. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool. Add ground beef and onion to large skillet over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Break meat up into very small pieces. When meat is cooked through, pour contents onto a paper towel lined bowl to drain. Once drained, place meat in a medium sized mixing bowl add the ricotta, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, pepper and egg to the bowl and mix well.
Fill pasta shells with meat and cheese mixture to your liking and place in the prepared baking dish. Pour the second jar of red sauce over the shells. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese and place in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and top evenly with Parmesan cheese.

Now for the leftover ricotta:

Lemon & Ricotta Biscuits

2 cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
zest from 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ tsp almond extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together dry ingredients in bowl. With electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add lemon zest. In separate bowl mix ricotta, lemon juice, and egg. Add mixture to butter and sugar. Add dry ingredients in two batches. Fill muffin tin lined with papers or well greased. Top with sliced almonds and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 20 minutes.

Stand and Be Recognized

2009-04-08T10:52:00.004-04:00

Marlo has pulled herself to a stand. Oh the developmental monuments we've covered in the past month. She crawls, she claps, she waves hello/goodbye, she drinks from a straw, and now - she stands. She first accomplished this yesterday after waking from her morning nap. While snatching her from her crib, I found her peering over the side standing flat on her feet. She was so excited when I saw her, she about fell straight back. This morning, my banana peel coaxed her to do it again. Everyone who said it wasn't kidding - they sure grow up fast!

Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls

2009-04-06T16:43:00.002-04:00

This was my first attempt at making bread. I made it the old fashioned way folks. No bread machine. No food processor. Just me and my bulging biceps working it out on the counter top. I was absolutely certain it would be a failure. After kneading the dough for 10 minutes, I left it in my oven (it was off, don't worry - I just heard somewhere that it's a good place to let dough rise) for an hour excited for the big puffy ball of dough that was supposed to be. Well, I could've been crazy - but the dough ball looked exactly the same size an hour later. Whatever, I just continued on with the instructions and they ended up quite wonderful. I can't explain it.

The original recipe came from my mother-in-law and was supposed to make two loaves of bread. It takes me over a week to go through one loaf of bread - so I knew that it would go to waste. So instead, I made 12 dinner rolls. I made soup for dinner the night I baked them, so I set aside 4 rolls for Jeff and I to dip in the soup and froze the rest. They are really delicious, let me tell you. The flavor is really interesting and satisfying. To thaw and heat the frozen rolls. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Honey-Wheat Dinner Rolls

1 & 1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
2 cups bread flour
1 & 2/3 cup wheat flour
1 cocoa
2 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp salt
2 & 1/4 tsp dry active yeast (1 packet)

Combine the flours, cocoa, coffee, salt in large bowl. Make a depression or well in middle of dry mixture. Pour warm water into well then add butter, honey and yeast. Slowly mix the ingredients with a spoon, drawing the dry ingredients to the well. When you can handle the dough, begin to combine it by hand, kneading the dough thoroughly on floured surface for at least ten minutes, until smooth and consistent in color. Set dough to rise in covered bowl and warm place in kitchen for one hour. Punch down dough and split into 12 equal balls about the size of your fist. Place rolls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let rise another hour or more in warm location (cover with towel). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes. Rolls will darken on top when done.

Marlo's First Cookie

2009-04-04T14:55:00.004-04:00

She's been somewhat grabby at meal time lately, reaching for the spoons and bowls. So I thought I'd let her give feeding herself a try. I picked up a few teething biscuits and let her go to town. It wasn't long before I realized what a moron I was by not putting a bib on her and sitting her on the kitchen floor instead of our white carpet.

Our Own Personal Sound Effects Machine

2009-04-01T14:42:00.004-04:00

Marlo is teething. This has caused her to do lots of strange things with her mouth. She gnaws on the edges of tables, sucks on her hands, and yesterday I saw her (to my horror) literally latch on to the kitchen floor and start "nursing". What the old saying? You can't get blood from a turnip? Well, Marlo good luck getting anything worth while from vinyl flooring. A few nights ago she was having a ball sucking on her tongue. We were having a ball watching her.

Bistro Chicken with Peppers

2009-03-30T11:03:00.005-04:00

Jeff and I eat a lot of chicken. The butcher in town gets all natural chicken meat from an Amish farm and it is delicious. I probably buy five pounds of chicken breasts every week. I've decided this is the week Marlo gets to try a little chicken, too. While Jeff and I prefer to eat white chicken meat, all the literature out there suggests feeding your baby the fattiest cuts of meat, so tomorrow I'll be picking up some chicken thighs for my lil' thunder thighs. I'm hoping the homemade process goes well, because I really want to avoid buying jarred pureed chicken. It's really hard for me to eat prepared, shelf-stable foods with meat in them. Or even frozen foods with meat. I love Lean Cuisines, but I would always leave a little pile of "chicken" (in quotations because there's no proof that it's really chicken) behind in the plastic tub. Surprisingly, one thing that makes Jeff and I such a good match is he has the same hang up.

So, you won't find any bags of frozen Tyson chicken nuggets in my freezer, and hopefully you won't find any jars of baby chicken dinners in my cupboard. Interestingly enough, however, you will find cans of chicken meat in there. In my hometown, there's a local farm called Brinkman's and they also run a small market in town where they have a quality butcher and deli display. Well, they sell their cooked chicken, turkey and beef meats canned. Canned meat, weird right? If I saw a can of meat at Meijer (this probably exists and I just don't know about it - on the same note, Brinkman does actually sells their canned meat at the Meijer in Findlay) it would probably send chills up my spine. But for some unexplained reason, I trust Brinkman's. They could can anything for me and I would gobble it up.

Having this trusted resource for canned, cooked, quality meat has been a HUGE shortcut in my family for many recipes. If any recipe calls for something like chopped rotisserie meat, I just sub a can of Brinkman's chunked chicken. My friend (whom I will leave nameless, but you know who you are) once told me she loves Brinkman's meats so much that she eats it right out of the can. Well okay then, that puts her on a different level of loyalty of which I will never reach, but I will shed a tear or two if Brinkman's ever shuts down that cannery. It's been threatened many a times for many a years, but I think it's just a publicity stunt.

Here's a chicken recipe that you won't need a can of chicken for.

The obsession with roasted red peppers continues. I actually made this dinner quite a few weeks ago; so, no, the grill is still out of commission. Looking back, I can say that my past week's worth of ghetto fabulous meals was a tactic to encourage Jeff to go get a new tank of propane. Posting this is also a tactic, to remind him of how delicious dinner can be when I have a grill to cook over.

I got this recipe about 4 years ago out of Cooking Light. It is one of my favorite chicken dishes in my recipe box. They suggested serving it with mashed potatoes, but that seemed a little off to me (not to mention Jeff doesn't like mashed potatoes). So I usually serve it with wild rice and a green vegetable. Enjoy!

Bistro Chicken with Peppers

2 roasted red pepper s sliced into 1 inch strips
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or 1 whole chicken breast cut in half)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. finely chopped shallots (you can sub an onion if you can't find a shallot)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. fennel seeds

Combine salt and garlic on a cutting board; chop until mixture becomes a coarse paste. Rub garlic mixture over both sides of chicken breasts. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until golden, flip. Add shallots to the pan with the chicken, cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add broth, curry, thyme and fennel to the skillet. Stir. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add peppers and cook 2 minutes uncovered or until chicken is done. Serve chicken topped with peppers.

Nothing in Particular...

2009-03-24T16:37:00.005-04:00

There hasn't been much going down here at the Anderson homestead, to say the least. Appropriately, Marlo's newest gig is resting her head on things. She's never really done this before. She was never a snuggler nor was she one to just pass out on mommy or daddy. Now, if I take too long to prepare her lunch, she'll lay her head down on the table and sigh. If she gets a little tuckered out from grazing the living room carpet, she'll just lay her head down on the floor for a few minutes. And the best part, she will now rest her head on my shoulder when she's sleepy, which melts me.

Daddy's been working hard trying to get us into our own home and we miss him a lot. It's Marlo's favorite part of the day when he comes home to play with her.

I haven' t been inspired to do much new cooking this week. I've been scouring food blogs like it's my job, but have no desire to make anything more than my entire repertoire of what I call ghetto meals - or meals that are at least 50% out of a can or a freezer bag. Next week, I'm hoping I'll get my pots and pans out and start making some real food. I'll let you know about it if it happens.

Chatty Cathy Climbs and Bathes

2009-03-20T11:22:00.006-04:00

Marlo can be shy in public, so many people don't believe us when we say she's an extrovert at home. I recorded a few of our conversations this morning. Here she climbed up on her toy basket to get a better view.

Later she took a bath and told me a story about how the dolphin hates the octopus. Don't worry, eventually the octopus got its revenge before bath time was over. The crab was just an innocent bystander.

Almond & Lemon Biscotti

2009-03-19T15:50:00.005-04:00

When paying for my Starbucks coffee long ago, I made a uncharacteristic impulse buy at the counter. A little cellophane wrapped biscotti cookie with some irresistable flavor combination said to me, "if you buy me, you will look super sophisticated." So I snatched it up, unwrapped it, took a bite, and promptly threw it in the trash. Little did my little sophisticated ass know, biscotti's are meant to be dunked. Dunked in coffee, dunked in tea, dunked in hot cocoa, dunked in wine (oh yes!).. whatever the beverage of your choice, the little biscotti's would like a drink, too. Many years passed before biscotti's crossed my mind again. It's possible that you, too, haven't thought of biscotti's for years, before now. But my friends, I am here to introduce you to the perfect afternoon snack.

This biscotti business started for me when Jeff and I gave up coffee for tea. I was initially resistant to this change and continued to brew myself a half pot of coffee every morning and drink the whole thing within hours. Then my stomach started hurting, so I jumped on board with Jeff and went tea full time. The thing about tea is...there's just not much of a buzz. After months of drinking just tea, I still feel in a fog every morning and by the afternoon I'm hurting. So like a proper English Lady, I have myself a spot of tea everyday around 3:30 PM. It's my afternoon ritual. I put Marlo down for a nap, and she cries herself to sleep just in time for my tea to cool down enough for sipping. But something was missing. I was always a bit hungry (ok a lot hungry, I am nursing after all). The English enjoy crumpets with their tea, but what on Earth is a crumpet - right? Then I saw Giada making these lovely sounding biscotti's, and thought they were just what was missing in my life.

You would think they were hard to make, but trust me - they couldn't be easier. You just need a lot of time, but not hands-on time. They just spend about an hour total in the oven, so you can't just whip them up quickly some afternoon - but almost. Another good thing is there aren't many ingredients and the ingredients are far from exotic. You should know by now that I appreciate this. Giada's original recipe calls for the cookies to be dipped in chocolate, but to me, that didn't sound tea-friendly. So instead, I made a lemon glaze to drizzle over them. Remember - dunk. I'm not gonna lie, even these cookies are gross "undunked" so brew up some tea and enjoy the experience!

Almond & Lemon Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)
grated lemon zest from 2-3 lemons
3/4 cup whole almonds coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixture until pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest, almond extract and then the flour, and beat until just blended. (The dough will be sticky). Stir in the almonds. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Divide the dough evenly into 2 equal mounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. With moist hands, space the dough evenly apart and form into 2 (9 by-3-inch) logs. Bake for 35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet. Bake until the cookies are pale golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

To make the glaze, whisk together the lemon juice and confectioners sugar. Drizzle over cookies and let dry before storing cookies in an airtight container.

Biscotti will keep for at least a week.

Clarification-Gymbor-Not For Me!

2009-03-19T14:29:00.003-04:00

My father read the post and mentioned that it was a little mean of me to say that none of the other mothers at the class showered. I think he's right. That's mean, but I must say that the comment was not meant to insult the other mothers, rather to point out that I may have been a little too dolled up/over dressed for the class. In other words, I put my contacts in, and wore earrings and a necklace and I should've just showed up in some comfy lounge clothes and bed-head.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom & Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich

2009-03-18T10:36:00.004-04:00

If it's warm enough to walk outside without shoes or a jacket, I'm grilling dinner. There's nothing better in my opinion than food cooked over a flame. It tastes better and there are no pans to wash afterwards. When we lived in Chicago we were deeply deprived of any private outdoor space in which we could keep a grill. But I made due inside. I had a nice little Cuisinart indoor grill and gas burners, and I used them to their full extent. One thing I absolutely love to cook with is roasted red peppers. In Chicago, I could make them year round by just sitting the little peppers on the gas flame burner to blacken the skin. But here in Indiana, world of the electric range, I've had to retire all my roasted red pepper recipes for the season. I know that you can blacken peppers in the broiler in the oven. I just don't think they turn out as well so I never do it.

So the beautiful night last night got me all excited to cook up something on the grill. I've made these sandwiches twice last summer and really enjoyed them, so I thought it would be a nice change up from all the chicken and pork we've been eating. I started roasting the red pepper on the grill only to discover that my grill ran out of gas about 80% of the way through. Great. I had these beautiful mushrooms marinating and all my other high quality ingredients ready to make these sandwiches and no fire. (**This was just one way my night turned to hell last night. I also knocked over a full Brita pitcher in the fridge and spilled Jeff's beer all over the counter top. Yeah it was a good night. No, I'm not pregnant.)

So, I pulled out my trusty indoor grill, fired it up and made due. The end result was tasty but not as good as I recall it being the last 2 times. I blame this on a not-roasted-enough red pepper and somewhat flavorless mushrooms that would've grilled up beautifully if the Blue Rhino tank would've lasted just one more night. Oh well, trust me, if your grill doesn't betray you half way through, they'll taste great.

And if you've never had portobello mushrooms, you should really try them. Back when I was a loser and wouldn't eat mushrooms, my life was pretty boring. I credit Jeff for opening up my small town Ohio palate. Portobellos have really great flavor and a very nice texture. If my grocery store has them, your grocery store has them.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom & Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich

Preparing the Mushrooms

Buy two portobello mushrooms that do not show any signs of spoiling (no mushy, slimy spots) and have nice, undamaged gills (the produce lady at Meijer taught me this). Remove the stems - they should just pull off. You aren't supposed to rinse your mushrooms under water. Instead take a damp cloth/paper towel and wipe the caps down. Now I have a hard time with the "unknown" of what may be lurking in the dark depths of the underside's gills, so I give the gills quick rinse and dry - so shoot me. I've seen some portobellos prepared with the gills removed. You could do this as well, they are a little weird.

Marinade (adapted from Food Network):

1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp. lemon zest

Place mushrooms gill sides up in a shallow baking dish. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the mushrooms and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, turning once.

While the mushrooms are marinating, roast the red peppers. Place the peppers over high flame turning as each side blackens. Once pepper is completely blackened, remove from grill and immediately place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Steam for 15-20 minutes. Remove from bowl (careful, it's probably really hot!) and strip away the charred outer layer of skin and remove the stem and seeds. Cut into 2 pieces. Set aside.

Pat mushrooms dry and place gill sides up on grill over a medium/medium-low flame. Grill slowly for about 20 minutes. Flip and grill for 5-10 more minutes.

Assembling the Sandwiches

2 hamburger buns
4-6 large basil leaves
fresh mozzarella
roasted red pepper
2 grilled portobellos

Place the grilled mushroom on the bun. Top first with half the roasted red pepper, then with two 1/4 inch slices of fresh mozzarella and finally with basil. I like my sandwiches dry, but I think adding mayo or pesto to the bun would be nice for all you condiment lovers out there.

Gymbor-Not For Me!

2009-03-17T06:51:00.006-04:00

I heard about this Gymboree place from a few other moms, and decided to look at their website and see what it's all about. They offer a free class for you to try it out, so I thought - what the heck, and signed Marlo up for their Learn and Play 2 series for babes 6-10 months. I was really excited about it. All weekend it's all I was looking forward to. Making things even better, Jeff surprised me by taking a half day and going with me. All I can say is that all three of us were fish out of water. Jeff was the only dad there, so I let him just sit aside and be the photographer. I was the only mom there that looked like I had showered that day - which I think immediately put me at a disadvantage. And Marlo... she was curious as usual, but just not all that enthused. We could've been at the grocery store for all she cared.

The class started and ended in song which was the first strike for me. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with singing to your child, in fact I do it quite a bit. For a week there, the only thing that could get Marlo to stop squirming so I could change her diaper was the ABC song. For a few days, it was Mary Had A Little Lamb, but the songs she likes the most are my own classic creations which are literal commentaries on our activities at the exact moment of the song. Usually they include lyrics about stinky poopy diapers, and Marlo really like the one yesterday about her being naked because she just got outta the bath, so don't come in because she's not decent. So, anyway, I'm all for singing songs just not with 12 other moms and babies in a circle. The whole time I was looking over my shoulder waiting for Barney to bust in. Not my style. And believe me, if it had appeared that Marlo was really getting a kick out of it - I would have sucked it up, learned the songs, and sang along. But the apple doesn't fall far from the tree my friends, she couldn't have cared less about singing time.

She wanted to CRAWL.

And the open time we had to explore the equipment was the only time I felt comfortable, because it was essentially just the 3 of us at a playground. However, Marlo really didn't get into all the equipment. She seemed to be enjoying herself the most when she was on flat ground with her new little ball. I don't even think she liked all the other babies. She stared, sort of, for a short time, but didn't exhibit any obvious interest in the other babies. They all liked her though! Maybe because she was the new girl in class. This one little baby, Ethan, was really cool. Very solid kid who just learned to walk, and he was always walking over to us. It was alright though, he wasn't annoying so we hung out. Here's a video of Ethan coming to spend time with the Andersons.

It wasn't only the songs that made me quite squeamish. The whole time I couldn't help but think of all the germs being exchanged. The little boy next to Marlo (the one making the squealing noises in the video) had a nasty cough and kept rubbing his ears (a classic ear infection sign). Then at the end they had this stupid puppet that "kissed" all the little babies goodbye and the only thing I could think is "when is the last time that thing was washed and you just rubbed on my baby's face, thanks."

I gotta get over it, right? I mean, babies get germs. That's fine I guess. But I don't want to pay for my baby to play in a cesspool of foreign germs. I'd rather Marlo share germs with all her cousins. At least I know their mothers wouldn't bring them out to play with an ear infection. Part of the problem with this place is they push you to enroll your kid in a month's worth of these "classes" (we got approached twice while we were there very obviously pressuring us to sign up for a month) that costs $65/mo. So if you've paid that much money, you're likely gonna bring your poor kid to class even if he's sick. Stupid.

I don't want to come off as if I'm too cool for school here. I seriously wish I knew how to be the kind of preschool teacherish mom that could sing songs in a cheesy voice and goo goo ga ga without feeling like a complete fraud. I think Marlo, or any kid for that matter, deserves a mom that is a goof and a ton of fun, I guess I just gotta do it my own way. And the Gymboree way ain't gonna cut it. I think she'll like whatever I come up with. (At least that's what I tell myself so I can sleep at night).

I won't be bringing Marlo back to Gymboree anytime soon. I think it's pointless for her at her age. I saw it as just an opportunity for bored stay-at-home moms to meet other bored stay-at-home moms. I'm not looking to meet any other bored stay-at-home moms, so I'll save my money and play with Marlo at home. When she gets older and has language and could sing along to the songs, I can see bringing her back to see if she likes it then. But for now, we'll spend that money on good food and new toys and keep the germs at bay.

Going Places

2009-03-16T09:58:00.006-04:00

The word's been out that Miss Marlo has taken up crawling. I was able to capture video proof this morning. Despicable. Perhaps all of us who love her need to gather together and arrange an intervention.

Asian Pork Stir Fry

2009-03-13T16:41:00.004-04:00

Ugh. Rachel Ray. I love to hate you, and hate to love some of your recipes. I love this recipe. The sauce has great flavor, and I love it over the fresh fettuccine. The original recipe here, calls for quite a few different vegetables than the ones I routinely use. But that's what's so good about this recipe, you can really use whatever vegetables you want and it will taste just how you like it. You could even use chicken, though I've never done this. Even though there is a lot of prep involved, this makes a good weeknight dinner because it comes together so quickly once you start cooking. Enjoy and break out your chopsticks (if you have some).

Asian Pork Stir Fry

1 rounded tbsp. of sweet hot mustard
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 boneless center cut pork loin, 8 ounces each
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 package of fresh linguine or fettucine (next to ravioli & tortellini at grocery store)
1 generous handful of matchstick carrots
1 large red pepper thinly sliced
1 bunch broccoli cut into small florets
1 large or 2 small zucchini squashs cut in half lengthwise then sliced thinly
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (toast in dry fry pan over medium heat for a few minutes until golden and fragrant)

Put a large pot of water on to boil for pasta.

Place sweet hot mustard in a bowl. Whisk in Tamari sauce. Add stock and sesame oil to the broth and soy. Set aside.

Slice the pork chop very thinly against the grain.

When water for pasta boils, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high to high heat. To the skillet, add 2 tablespoons canola oil. Add crushed pepper flakes to the oil, then the thinly sliced pork. Season pork with salt and pepper. Cook pork untouched for 2 minutes to caramelize the meat, then turn and stir-fry. Add salt to pasta water, then add fresh pasta to boiling water. Add vegetables to the pan with the pork. Toss and stir-fry veggies with pork for 2 minutes. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and add to the pork and veggies. Pour Tamari and broth mixture over the noodles and pork. Toss and allow the noodles to completely soak up the liquids, a minute or so. Remove from heat. Serve large bowls of noodles, pork and veggies with a garnish of toasted sesame seeds.

Quick & Spicy Tomato Soup

2009-03-11T11:50:00.006-04:00

I love soup. To me, there isn't really a soup season. I'll crave hot soup in the dead heat of summer. Poor Jeff, he's good and never complains. This recipe is a Giada Everyday Italian creation and I've been making it for a few years now. I love it because there are a few shortcuts involved, and it comes together in about 20 minutes, but it still feels really special. I serve with a pinch of shredded hard Italian cheese (this time I had Peccorino Romano on hand) and a few dinner rolls.

Might I suggest you try the Alexia brand of rolls and breads. They're available in almost every grocery store's freezer section and they are superb. My favorite flavors are French and Asiago Foccacia. Yummy.

Quick & Spicy Tomato Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Watch Your Back Gene Simmons

2009-03-10T15:27:00.003-04:00

Can't figure out why exactly, but Marlo's been showing us her tongue a lot lately. It is quite impressive.

Spicy Oatmeal Crisps

2009-03-09T15:47:00.005-04:00

I like my food spicy. Desserts do not escape this preference. My all time favorite cookie recipe calls for a 1/4 of a tsp. of cayenne peppers and makes the back of your throat burn. So, when I saw the name of these cookies, I thought they'd be right up my alley. Well, they were certainly tasty, not short in the flavor department at all, but they definitely could have been a little spicier in my opinion - especially if you're going to call them spicy. Nevertheless, I obviously recommend them since I'm posting them here. Keep in mind these are crunchy cookies, so don't bother making them if you like your cookies soft and chewy. Also, make sure you leave plenty of room between the cookies on the cookie sheet when dropping the dough because they spread quite a bit. And be sure to leave them in the oven long enough. I took about half the batch out about a minute or two too soon and ended up with cookies that fell apart while trying to scrape them off the pan. One thing I liked about this recipe is it doesn't make much batter so you don't end up with 30 cookies which means you won't eat 30 cookies. It made about 18 cookies for me. Try it and don't be afraid of the black pepper.

Spicy Oatmeal Crisps

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 cup packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup regular oats (I'd recommend a rounded 1/2 cup)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (flour through pepper) in a medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Stir in flour mixture and oats.

Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until crisp. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.

Source: Cooking Light

Der Kleine Appetit - Part 2: Avocado

2009-03-04T10:19:00.006-05:00

Personally, I'm not a fan of Avocado. To me, the texture is like eating a stick of butter, and the flavor doesn't trump the fact that it's like you're eating a stick of butter. However, I know how good for you avocados are, and just because I don't like a food doesn't mean I don't want to encourage Marlo to eat it. So, I picked one up at Meijer on Monday and we tried it out yesterday. Even though I've never prepared one before, I felt like an avocado prep pro having seen it done on the food network probably once every day. Here's how Marlo's first avocado experience went:

While it may seem like things were going uphill towards the end, Marlo eventually began spitting out mouthfuls of it so we moved on to Squash & Corn which I'm sure tasted like dessert after that nasty avocado. Maybe I just had a bad avocado. It was definitely ripe, but I thought it tasted bitter and sour. We'll save it in the arsenal for later when she can handle some chunks in her food. The only bad thing about it though, is avocados are like bananas - once their peeled they oxidize quickly and therefore don't store well. So, unless she ends up liking them enough to eat a whole avocado, they are potentially very wasteful. We shall see....

Need a Midday Chukkle?

2009-03-03T11:54:00.002-05:00

Or in Jeff's and my case, a good hearty laugh till you cry. My friend Gabe posted this on Facebook and thank goodness because Jeff and I have really needed a pick-me-up. This guy voices over lyrics he wrote that are literal interpretations of music videos, hence the title Literal Video. He has one for Tear For Fears and Billy Idol and they have their moments, but they don't quite measure up to this one for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Under The Bridge: Literal Video Version - watch more funny videos

A Giada Favorite

2009-03-03T06:56:00.007-05:00

I heart Giada De Laurentiis. When she was new on the Food Network many years ago, my dad and I would scoff at her as if she was some pretty little bimbo trying to be our beloved Nigella Lawson. Then I started watching her in secret, all while continuing to pretend that she annoyed me to high heaven. But the thing is - I'm in love with her. Sure sure, she's gorgeous, but I'm not a man. So what I really love about her is that she's the biggest dork and isn't afraid to show it on tv. Oh, and also the fact that her recipes are delicious, easy, and always turn out. Like this one. I make this at least once every couple weeks. It's so simple, quick and super tasty. Here's the original recipe from the Food Network, but I've made some adaptations over the years of making this, and that is what's reflected below. This easily serves 4, or just 2 with lunch leftovers.

Farfalle with Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb. ground Italian sausage removed from casing (I use a tube of Bob Evan's Zesty Italian Sausage)
10 oz. of sliced cremini mushrooms
10 oz. package of frozen peas, partially defrosted
12 oz. dried farfalle pasta
1/2 cup grated hard Italian cheese (I usually use Asiago)
Salt & Pepper

In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil.

In a large saute pan over high heat, add sausage and saute breaking any large lumps until brown. If you're using Turkey Sausage instead of Pork Sausage, add 2 tbsp. of oil to the pan first. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan and heat. Add chopped mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and saute for 4 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the pot of water has come to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and add the meat mixture. Combine thoroughly and gently cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Drizzle in remaining olive oil. If the mixture is dry, do not hesitate to use more olive oil if necessary. Check the seasoning and salt and pepper according to your taste. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese. Stir well and serve in large bowl.

I'm A Lousy Housewife

2009-03-02T07:53:00.004-05:00

Except for keeping good meals on the table, let's face it - I'm a terrible homemaker. Jeff, Marlo and I frequently live in our own filth and disarray. Usually the promise of company is the only thing the kicks my butt into cleaning the bathroom. Unfortunately for Jeff, we only get visitors every few weeks. It's funny though, that after a cleaning spurt, I get motivated to keep it up. However, this motivation usually lasts about 12 hours and then quickly regresses to it's former, dormant state.

Today though, I'm going to try something new. In true Kindergarten teacher fashion, I'm going make a chart and make myself a weekly plan. As if I'm 8 years old, I'll give myself daily chores. Like today, Monday, is grocery getting day and laundry day. I may even plan out the week's dinners on the chart on Sunday night. This may make going to the grocery store on Mondays much easier. I work better in a structured environment anyway - hopefully this will keep me in line and keep the house inhabitable. Wish me luck! (I can hear Jeff laughing all the way from his office).

Marlo Doesn't Like My Cooking

2009-02-28T11:46:00.006-05:00

I've made the mistake of introducing jarred food to Marlo. Don't get me wrong - jarred food is just fine, in fact I secretly love jarred food. It's so fun to shop for. Like my friend Andrea said, you can spend hours in the baby food aisle just staring at all the combinations. But it hurts my feelings that Marlo likes jarred food better than mommy's food. I have a pretty good hunch it's a texture issue, since her mother has major texture standards when it comes to her food - it's really no surprise. The only foods I can get smashed finely enough to even hold a candle next to the smoothness of jarred food are sweet potatoes and bananas. Surely not coincidentally, Marlo doesn't have a problem with these foods when I make them for her. It's the peas and the carrots I can't get her to swallow (literally - she gags). The recent trip to my parents' in Ohio loaded me up with jarred foods, and Marlo has just been havin' a ball gobbling up all the deliciousness that I spoon into her mouth from a little plastic tub, instead of our little ceramic bowls.

Ah well - I refuse to give up, even after several failed attempts at making her new foods. Take last night, I tried making spinach and potatoes for her. Boiled up the potato, and steamed the spinach. Dumped it into the blender and out came a gummy, tar-like green completely unappetizing mush. Apparently, my blender couldn't handle the spinach and all the over mixing brought out the starches from the potato and voila - green paste. So instead Marlo ate Gerber Organic Peas and Carrots and loved every bite. (Wipe away tear)

I'm hoping this situation improves with age, and that when she's 8 or 9 months we can sit together at the dining room table and I can just grind up table scraps from mommy and daddy's plates in a food mill and feed it lovingly to the chunkster (first Jeff and I will actually have to start sitting at the dining room table and not on the couch in front of the tv). Because, there's something about jarred meat that I just can't bring myself to buying and feeding to Marlo. So I'm hoping that before we reach the protein stage, she'll start tolerating more rustic textures. But for now, I'll enjoy shopping my favorite jarred food brands and Marlo will enjoy eating them.

Where Did Last Week Go?

2009-02-26T08:34:00.005-05:00

I can't hardly believe that tomorrow is Friday. Especially when it seems like just yesterday I was in the car with Marlo in the backseat making the three hour drive to Findlay, but that was last Friday. The visit to Ohio was nice. Marlo is starting to get better on long trips and only cried during that last 30 minutes (the whole 30 minutes). But no matter, I'm pretty sure she got me out of a speeding ticket in Indiana, so all is forgiven.

We spent three full days with my parents, which was nice. It appears that Marlo really likes them which is a relief because she doesn't get to see them any more than once a month at best. A lot can change in a baby's life in a month. She's a completely different baby than she was last week! She's an accomplished sitter now, and has even taken to "dancing" while sitting. Grandpa Keith calls it her Stevie Wonder. Here's a taste:

She's also figured out how to get up on all fours and rock back and fourth. This is exciting to watch as I'm waiting for the day she takes off crawling across the room.

I'm working on quite a few food posts so stay tuned!

Have a Bad Day?

2009-02-18T17:28:00.002-05:00

I know I've sent this video to a few of my friends personally a few months ago. But since I love it so much, I thought I'd post it here as well. The little girl, Capucine, has the most incredible imagination to just ad lib this hilarious story about Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, a witch with strawberries and a hippo that's allergic to magic. Even if you don't read the subtitles or care about what the words mean, it's satisfying enough to watch this little darling speak French to you with her little voice and charming expressions. The mother should write a book because I'd love to enable Marlo to have such a wildly creative imagination. I hope watching this video helps this dreary Wednesday melt away.

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.

Got a favorite part?

Mine's at 1:50.

Oh Milk & Honey, How I Miss You...

2009-02-17T11:26:00.003-05:00

When I moved to Chicago in 2004, I scored a pretty awesome job. A new hip Marriott hotel just off Michigan Ave. hired me as their Executive Assistant. I got all the hotel employee perks like free rooms all over the world, free Starbucks coffees, and parties in the Hancock building, but none of the hotel employee crappy hours like nights, weekends, and holidays. I got to dress-up everyday and take the train to work often walking through Nordstrom on my way to and from, it felt pretty glamorous.

However, after a promotion to management almost a year later, I had had enough. I was working often 50 hour weeks on a dreadful salary (dreadful for Chicago, dreadful for Indiana, dreadful for just about anywhere) and trying to manage my full time school on the side. After coming home night after night crying to Jeff, he looked at me and said - why don't you just quit? So I did. Now, any other time in my life that wouldn't have been a catastrophe. Ever since I was 15 I've juggled at least 2 jobs at once. Quitting one was never a big deal, I always had the other. But this resignation would have left me unemployed which was a scary scenario for me.

I think I went 7 days without employment. After eating breakfast at a neighborhood cafe, Milk & Honey, I asked the manager about a help wanted sign in the window, filled out an application, and was hired on the spot. Now, Milk & Honey is pretty special. The next time you go to Chicago, find them and go there for breakfast (and order French Toast) and then again for lunch (and order the Ham Sandwich). Their menu is simple, inexpensive but sophisticated and delectable, and if I was working that day, you'd be munching to Radiohead, the Shins and Camera Obscura.

The work was hard. Very hard. A complete 180 from the hotel though. I wore my crap clothes and lawn-mowing shoes to work. You were on your feet for often 9 hours straight with a wee 15 minute break while you inhaled your delicious free lunch of your choice. But there was just something about working there that I will always miss. I'm not sure but it's probably a combination of the totally rockin' girls I worked with, the fact that I could blast whatever music I wanted to in the cafe, the fact that I learned how to barista, or maybe it's that I made tons of cash and met a lot of really neat and notable neighborhood people who were regulars (like Liam from Plush and the piano player in Wilco).

Anyway, one of the better things about Milk & Honey is their bakery selection. Everyday there were homemade muffins and scones with interesting combinations like blueberry almond and peach cranberry, as well as cookies, cupcakes, tarts, brownies and my all-time favorite - banana bread. Now, I love bananas but I don't really like banana flavored things. I'll eat the banana Runts outta the box, but don't you dare make me eat a banana pancake. However, Milk & Honey's banana bread made all my dreams come true with each bite. I would die for the recipe. I've never asked for fearing straight out laugh-in-my-face rejection. My mom makes a pretty good banana bread, but it's just not the same as M&H's (sorry mom). I stumbled across this recipe on Food Network this past summer after I was sick of staring at rotting bananas on my counter-top. I made some changes and what I came up with is pretty darn close (but still no cigar) to M&H's. I've made this now several times and it is now my go-to recipe for banana bread. Again, simple ingredients...enjoy!

Banana Walnut Bread

1 cup sugar
8 Tbsp. butter softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas
1 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (8 oz.) chopped walnuts

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a loaf pan. Here's a trick that you may not know about. Use the butter wrapper to butter the pan.

Next, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, and the salt. In another bowl, mash the bananas to your desired texture. I hate banana lumps so I pretty much liquified them. You can mash using a fork, but I found this step goes by so much faster with a potato masher. Also, you want to be sure you're using ripe bananas. Some say the browner the better, but I personally have an affliction against rotting fruit, so I just use spotty ones and it works out just fine.

Stir in the milk and the cinnamon to the bananas and set aside. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture. My mom always taught me to crack your eggs in a separate bowl and not directly into your mixture, just incase one's rotten so you won't ruin all your other ingredients. Then add the vanilla. Next add the banana mixture to the mixing bowl and blend until completely incorporated. Finally, in 2 batches with the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until the flour disappears. I've been told time and time again from Giada, Ina and the likes that if you over mix, your bread will be "tough", whatever that means. So don't over mix. Finally add the chopped walnuts and mix for just a few seconds.

Pour the batter into the buttered loaf pan. I sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the batter to sweeten up the "crust". Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. This is important: leave the bread to cool in the loaf pan for 10-20 minutes before removing it to cool completely on a wire rack. I got impatient the first time I made this and waited just about 5 minutes before popping it out of the pan and I got crumbly broken pieces - still delicious though! I store my loaf in a gallon size ziplock bag and keep for a maximum of 3 days.

Our V-Day Dinner at Home

2009-02-16T10:53:00.008-05:00

When you have a baby, especially one who turns in at 7:30 each night, going out to dinner is not an option. The baby doesn't care if it's your birthday or Valentine's Day. Babysitter, you say? Well, the last time Grammy and Gramps drove an hour up to Carmel to babysit so Jeff and I could go on a date, she screamed bloody murder the second we left. We gave up our steakhouse dinner for Chick Fil A and headed home to relieve our exhausted parents.

So rather than risk a repeat date cut short, I cooked up some chicken of my own at home. We dined, put the babe to bed, and sipped Scotch until the wee hour of 10 pm. This was the first night I tried this recipe. I found it on Fine Cooking's website and Jeff and I agree that aside from the chicken being a tiny-bit overcooked (this is normal for me, I have a crippling undercooked chicken phobia) it was a success! I served it with a version of a roasted broccoli recipe that we've been enjoying for a few weeks.

I hope you find that most of my recipes, while they may (hopefully) appear and taste deliciously gourmet, actually consist of pretty everyday ingredients. Over the years of living on my own I've stocked a pretty extensive pantry and spice cabinet, but I still refuse to go out and buy some obscure ingredient that will only be used in one meal. Not my thing. So here it is, enjoy!

Sear-roasted Chicken with Tomato & Red Wine Sauce

For the Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I just used 2 halves or 1 whole breast)
kosher salt & ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil or canola oil (I used olive oil)

For the Sauce
1/2 cup of Red Wine (I'm sure it tastes better if you use table wine, but I always just use the cooking wine you find at the supermarket for any of the wine in my cooking)
14 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes with juices*
2 Tbsp. of chopped fresh oregano (I used 1 tsp. of dried oregano)
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
kosher salt & ground black pepper

*Whenever canned tomatoes take a starring role in a recipe, as they do in this one, I always "splurge" and buy the best canned tomatoes the store has to offer. Now this isn't much of a splurge, it's mostly just the difference between $1.99 and $2.99 for a can. No biggie. I prefer Muir Glen brand. I've found that cheaper tomatoes have too much of a tomatoey taste, not a fresh taste.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Make sure chicken is very dry by blotting with a paper towel. Salt and pepper both sides of the breasts generously. I also pounded down the thicker side of the breast a little so it was more uniform in thickness and would cook more evenly. Heat an oven-proof skillet over medium high heat for one minute. Add the oil and swirl around the pan. Then place the breasts in the pan presentation side down. Leave untouched for 2 minutes. Using tongs, check the chicken to see if it's browned, if not, leave for 1-2 more minutes before flipping to other side. Cook the second side for 1 minute and then transfer pan to the oven and continue to cook the chicken for 5-8 minutes. I had the chicken in the oven for about 9 minutes. Keep in mind I had 2 breasts, and they were just a little dry according to Jeff (I thought they were perfect). If you are cooking 4 breasts, I would suggest around 9-10 minutes, with just 2, perhaps stick to 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and place on a separate plate. Tent with foil to keep warm.

To make the sauce, discard any leftover fat in the pan and heat the pan over high heat. Add the red wine and scrape up any of the brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium high and add the can of tomatoes and the red pepper flakes. If you're using dried oregano, add that now as well, if using fresh, add last. Let the tomato juices reduce for about 3 minutes. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over seared chicken.

Better than the Grammy's

2009-02-14T16:08:00.003-05:00

Last week, Jeff and I happened upon the Grammy awards on television. It wasn't more than 5 minutes into the program that an overwhelming feeling of embarrassment came over me. I was embarrassed that I was watching such nonsense, and embarrassed for the people on stage trying to be musicians. We were determined to stick it out, though, because we knew that Radiohead would be performing. Since they are the best band of my generation, I knew they'd make us wait until the end to see them.
So, we hit the mute button and hit YouTube looking for something that Jeff heard about earlier that day while listening to POTUS. In 2006, the Democracy Now radio program hosted a debate between DePaul Political Science Professor Norman Finkelstein and Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz about the state of Israel. Now, being a small town girl from Ohio, I'm not schooled on the history or even current conditions of Israel. I know enough to get me by in a amateur cocktail party conversation, but I don't know enough to have a fully developed opinion on the situation. The minute Finkelstein opened his mouth, however, I was hooked. If you're in the mood to watch a couple of Jewish guys throw down on public radio, then look no further. While toward the end they get more into policy debates, most of it is Finkelstein attacking Dershowitz's scholarly integrity and outright accusing him of fraud and plagiarism and Dershowitz desperately trying to appear to laugh off Finkelstein and defend himself.

Here's a little background information:

Finkelstein: Son of 2 Holocaust survivors of whom most of extended family members were murdered in WWII concentration camps. Political Science professor at DePaul University until 2007 when he resigned after an uproarious controversy of the University denying him tenure which many argued was due to his negative stance on Israel. Authored The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering for which he received the label of the Anti-Semite Jew.

Dershowitz: Lawyer (adviser for the defense in the OJ Simpson murder trial). Professor at Havard Law. Generally supports current Israeli policy. Authored several books about Israeli policy.

The fun starts about 10 minutes in to Part I.

PART I:

PART II:

I'd be interested in your opinions, comments if you have any.

Der Kleine Appetit - Part 1: Peas

2009-02-13T11:26:00.010-05:00

When I was pregnant and Jeff and I established that I was going to be fortunate enough to stay home with Marlo, I decided I was going to make it as hard as possible for myself. No easy way out. I planned on breastfeeding, using cloth diapers, and making Marlo's food at home. Well, there's no such thing as a diaper service in Indianapolis, and there was no way I was going to scrape, scrub and bleach them myself all the live long day, so that went out the window as soon as it flew in. I'm proud that I was able to and continue to breastfeed Marlo. I felt like giving up in the first few months about 3 dozen times, but I stuck with it and we're doing good. Now that she's 6 months and starting to wean, I've been having fun making food for her. While it's not as easy as opening up a jar, and I have no idea if it's really all that much healthier for her, I feel good about feeding her something I made. I feel the same way when I cook for Jeff. We have lots of options for healthy and affordable take-out, but I find it deeply satisfying to create homemade meals for him. Cooking is by far a labor of love for me. I cook for you because I love you. I should've been born Italian.

Anyway - peas. I've found making baby vegetables a lot easier than making baby fruits. Before the peas yesterday, I attempted to make plums for Marlo. After staining clothes, towels and the countertop with plum juice, I managed to puree a sour, acidic, foamy mush that I could barely swallow let alone dare feed it to Marlo. So, she got a mushed up banana instead - much to her delight. I had much more luck with peas.

Marlo waiting patiently to try her new tasty bowl of mush. (She wasn't that patient.)

Use frozen peas. Canned ones are too salty and not as nutritious, and who are you kidding thinking you're going to shuck that many fresh peas. I just bought a 16 0z. bag of Meijer brand organic petite peas. Pour the peas in a saucepan and cover with water. Once boiling, I simmered the peas for about 8 minutes until they were tender. Drain the peas, reserving some of the cooking liquid to loosen up the puree if necessary.

I used my hand blender to puree in the pan, but you could also use a food processor or a food mill. I ended up adding about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to thin it out to a smoother consistency. This batch yieleded about seven 2 Tbsp. portions of peas, which for Marlo, is a week's worth of vegetables. Not bad for only about 15 minutes worth of work. Always freeze the excess puree. You can use ice cube trays, or special freezing containers called "Baby Cubes". Defrosting is a a cinch. I just plop the frozen cube of food in a small saucepan over low heat and heat through until piping hot. Of course, always cool to luke warm before feeding your baby.

It turns out that the puree was still a little too thick for Marlo. She gagged a little on the first bite, but nothing that mixing it with her cereal didn't fix.

This girl eats anything. She inhaled it. This feeding was a little more difficult than past feedings (note the amount of peas she ended up wearing), which may mean she didn't like the peas all that much, but the bowl was scraped clean, so peas are on the menu for the rest of the week!

For those of you with babies, or with babies on the way, I hope my experiences making baby foods will inspire you to try to do the same for your little one. My mother and my mother-in-law both purchased me Annabel Karmel baby food books for Christmas. They've got great basic instructions and ideas. I recommend First Meals and Top 100 Baby Purees.

A Classic

2009-02-12T19:40:00.015-05:00

I don't intend on this being a food blog, but I spend a lot of my time reading about and watching cooking so I usually have a lot to say about food. Lately, Jeff and I are eating at least 15 meals a week at home, so I'm spending plenty of time in the kitchen trying new recipes and perfecting old ones. This is a recipe that I've been making since Jeff and I first started dating. It's one of my parents' favorites and I like it because I don't have to make a separate trip to the butcher. I believe I originally found it in Cooking Light, but I've been unable to track the original recipe down on the net. It easily serves 4 with leftovers, and even though it takes a little over an hour from start to finish to make, it's pretty low intensity cooking.

Penne with Caramelized Onions & Chicken Sausage

3 large onions sliced

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. d

ried thyme

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Black pepper

12 oz. package of italian chicken sausage links (I used Al Fresco brand)

1 lb. Penne pasta

1/2 cup white wine

1-1 1/2 cup chicken broth

It doesn't matter what kind of onions you use for this. Whatever you prefer. I've tried the recipe with every kind and found I prefer the flavor and appearance of red onions. I didn't have 3 large onions this time, so I used 2 large and 2 small. Slice the onions somewhat thinly.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onions to the saucepan. It will seem like an overwhelming amount of onions in the pan, but they will cook down and reduce in size tremendously. Add the kosher salt, thyme and black pepper to taste. Don't go all low-sodium and skimp on salting the onions, the salt helps the onions release their moisture. Toss the onions well in the oil and seasonings. Cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the onions brown, turn the heat down to medium low. The goal isn't to sear the onions, just soften. Here are the before and after of the onions I cooked tonight.

While the onions cook, slice up the sausage links into 1/2 inch wide chunks and brown in a pan sprayed generously with cooking spray. Once browned, set aside and keep warm. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain. Once the onions have caramelized, increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Let the wine reduce for 2-3 minutes. Lower heat back to medium and add the chicken stock. Reduce for 5-8 minutes until you've reached a desired sauce consistency. The more stock you use and the longer you leave it reduce, the more flavor you will achieve. Finally, toss the onion sauce, the sausages and the pasta together and serve immediately.

This recipe allows for a lot personal variation. I encourage you to experiment. Next time I make this I may use red wine to deglaze the pan and beef broth to make it heartier. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Novice

2009-02-03T16:10:00.004-05:00

Perhaps it's a little self-indulgent to think that anyone would want to read about my daily ventures, especially considering most of them are pretty mundane and often unappealing. I am, however, someone who finds herself alone in new(er) surroundings with a hefty handful of friends and family members elsewhere with (could I entertain) a slight interest in my life, if only for my 6 month old daughter, Marlo. So be it. I plan to fill these pages with, as the title proclaims, random experiences and encounters in my days as a mother and a wife. I have opinions about nearly everything (my father was suspicious that I would be a critic when I grew up) and I have some rather old fashioned domestic hobbies like cooking, baking and sewing. Surely, snippets of these will surface along with musings about the star of my movie, Marlo. I hope you find something interesting along the road.