"Gravy"

I've found something that appears to be a universal truth.  When someone is cooking tomato sauce from scratch but they call it "gravy," it is likely going to be incredible!

One of my residents (the same from the meatball post)  had a pot of "gravy" on her stove when I saw her today.  The pot was very heavy and looked like it had been with her for years.  Probably because it was, she likely made gravy in it every Sunday for her and her three kids for the years that they were growing up and beyond.  Now she makes it for herself, and sometimes shares with other residents on her floor.

Now, I'm not Italian.  "Gravy" to me is the brown flavorful sauce that one puts on their turkey and mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving.  And only in the last few years have I condemned "canned gravy" in my house, now that I know how easy it is for Brian to make it.  (Yes, I could probably make it too.)  I live in a jarred spaghetti sauce household.  My mom made her own spaghetti sauce for years, which I miss.  Later on we switched to Prego jarred sauce due to time constraint and convenience.  Brian grew up in a Ragu household, with two parents working and four kids to feed.  Neither of us like the other's familial sauce choice so we compromise and buy Newman's Own.  I've said it before....I haven't ever had something bad from the Newman's Own line.  Paul Newman must've been one incredible cook!  I agree, jarred spaghetti sauce gets dinner on the table FAST and isn't terrible.   And honestly in my house, neither kid particularly cares for spaghetti sauce, opting for butter and parmesan cheese instead.  (So, please explain why they'll happily eat pizza??)

But from what I smelled upstairs today, I know that someday I  must make a "gravy" of my own.  One that would make this woman proud.  :)

Meatballs

I've thought about meatballs a lot this past week.  It's kind of a strange subject to spend more than a few minutes thinking about, but I have.

What stemmed it was Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner one night.  The meatballs were frozen, from the grocery store.  I've bought them many times, different brands from time to time and we've been eating them for a few years.  Well, whatever brand these are, they stink.  They don't taste good and I think that they must have a higher fat content than whatever I was buying before (since we've moved I've shopped at different stores, so I have no idea) and I don't feel so good after eating them.  But do I stop eating them?  No. 

After that meal I started to remember how my mother used to make meatballs.  She'd take an afternoon and make enough to freeze.  Then we'd open a ziploc bag of meatballs on spaghetti night and that would be dinner.  When I started cooking for myself and later, my husband, I did it the same way.  And I stopped for the same reasons that she did, it's time consuming.  It's so much easier to buy a bag of frozen meatballs and be done with it. 

Well, today one of my residents brought down a plate of four meatballs, sauce, cheese and fresh italian bread.  I had planned on going out to grab a bite to eat, but was grateful for the plate of food.  (This is one of the nicest things about working in elderly housing, by the way.)  I brought the plate into the community room with a book, and proceeded to eat.  and WHOA!  These meatballs are incredible.  They're obviously homemade, and so was the sauce.  And the bread is so fresh, it must've been bought today.

So that settles it for me.  No more frozen meatballs for this family, at least not as a staple.  Some things are worth making, and meatballs are going on that list.  I'm looking forward to getting some good quality hamburger and cranking out some meatballs for my very own freezer.  Sauce is another story.....someday I'd like to make my own but for now I'm good with jarred Newman's Own.  :)

Deep-Fried Kool Aid?

Every year, an article comes out with the "latest and greatest" deep-fried thing that's being served up at County Fairs across the nation.  Winners from previous years:  twinkies, oreos, even deep-fried mac n cheese.  (Which is delicious, BTW.)  Deep-fried Kool-Aid though?  Sounds intriguing.  I'd go further and call it a Kool-Aid flavored donut.

Check out today's article on MSN:  Deep-Fried Kool-Aid.

Snacks Should Taste Good

At last week's weight center meeting, we talked in depth about snacks. Why snacks are important in the weight loss calculation. (i.e. how they keep you from getting so hungry you'd gnaw off your own arm)  What consists as a snack, and what is just a meal masquerading as a snack.  How much protein/carb/fiber/calories should be in a snack.  Hmmmm....a lot to ponder.

They passed out free samples of these chips that I've seen in the grocery store, "Food Should Taste Good."  They come in several different flavors and have wholesome ingredients like quinoa and whole grains.  I took home two little bags.

The first one was cheddar.  It boasts itself as a chip AND a cracker.  It is certified gluten-free and consists of corn, quinoa, sunflower seeds and cheddar.  Nothing crazy.  I loved them!!!  Will enjoyed them.  And Brian thought they were pretty good too.  All right, something that makes all of us happy!  (and is still better for you than a greasy bag of potato chips.)

The second bag, I ate them while I was impatiently waiting for dinner.  And then immediately poured a glass of water.  No, two sips of milk.  Folks, they're Jalapeno and crushed pepper.  All the same wholesome ingredients, and a whole lotta spice!  I love spicy foods!  This one wasn't blaringly obvious as the chip makes contact with your taste buds.  Rather, the burn builds up so you go from being totally fine to "Holy Hell, what did I just eat!"

Can't wait to try some more different kinds.  This is a snack I could live with.

Budding Chef

Not only does our little Buddy love to eat, he's showing an interest in fending for himself in our kitchen!  Nothing makes Baby happier than an open fridge door.   Here, observe him banging on a container of leftover mashed potatoes to test for freshness.  :)

First Family Dinner

Tonight marks a special event:  it is the first time that the four of us ate dinner together!  Yes, I know, we have all eaten together.  But not the same meal!  Grilled cheese sandwiches for everyone.

Sean loved his first grilled cheese sandwich.  In fact, he loved it so much he had to have a bath right after because he combed melted cheese through his hair from the excitement.  I'm still calling it a success.  :)

When in Doubt, Throw it Out

I've been dieting the past few weeks and I've been doing pretty well.  Snacks of whatever fattening thing I can find have been replaced with ones containing fruit, vegetable and/or protein.  It's been a lot of changes along the way, but I seem to be doing OK.

A common snack for me now is hummus, vegetables and some crackers or my ultimate fave, Stacey's Pita Chips.  I take a paper dessert plate at work, divide it in half and put cucumbers and baby carrots on one side and some pita chips or Triscuits on the other side.  (the days of bringing the bag of pita chips back to my desk are over.  I might as well just strap on a feeding bag like a horse.) 

Know what makes a grumpy day even grumpier?  Covering a cracker with garlic hummus and taking a big bite, then looking at the container and discovering that it's furry.  Mmmmm....mold on my hummus.  that wasn't quite the vegetables I had in mind!  Guess who's turned off from hummus for a while?  This girl. 

Admission is the Key to Everything

Hmmm, maybe if you admit there's a problem, creativity in the kitchen strikes.  Since posting that we're experiencing a rut, we've had some pretty good food.  Stuffed peppers, sweet and sour chicken in the crockpot, and tonight, braised pork medallions in cider.  Sounds like that rut has passed!

Thanks to everyone that sent me suggestions, I look forward to trying them.  :)

Spice and Sass

I think that there's something out there that I haven't tried and that I should....Vietnamese food.

We had "Vietnamese Spiced Pork Chops" the other night from a Cooking Light recipe.  Usually if I'm having seconds it's of the starch, like rice, pasta or potatoes.  But this meat was so good, I had a second piece!  I realize that it's not really "authentic" Vietnamese cooking if it's in Cooking Light.  But I found the spices intriguing enough to want more. 

Then on Friday night, as we were driving home from our friends' wedding, I spied a big new Vietnamese restaurant on the way home.  It's definitely a sign.  :)

Giving it Another Go

I've said this before:  I used to be a big fan of Cooking Light magazine.  I used to bring my copy to work and on my lunch break, I'd circle and star recipes that I was interested in making.  And I'd actually make some of them.  Then, as time went on, the love affair went stale.  Ingredient lists got really long, with expensive things that I would never use again.  I became disenchanted, and declined when it came time to renew.  However, I've held on to my Annual compilations from 2001, 2002 and 2004, and I've cooked the hell out of 'em! 

I got a wake-up call at the doctor this year after my second pregnancy.  I started blood pressure meds and upon getting the prescription filled, I promised myself that I'd start taking better care of myself.  One of those ways is to eat better.  Two things I'm doing to achieve that:  not eat from stress or boredom, and cook healthier meals.  The not-eating-unless-I'm-hungry thing is a bit tricky sometimes but it seems to be getting replaced by a new habit:  knitting!  Nothing soothes a stressful mind than banging out a few rows on your latest creation.  (and I've got the pictures on my Ravelry account to prove it!) Then, I was flipping through a Cooking Light mag at a checkout and discovered something:  the food in the magazine is looking good!  So I took a chance and resubscribed.  I got my first issue a few weeks ago and I've only made one recipe so far.  But the pen is back, with circles and stars intact.  :)

Double Duty

One of the problems with writing a menu is that if you punk out and order pizza because you didn't feel like cooking, you have something defrosted for a meal you didn't plan on having the next day.  I had bought swordfish at the grocery store on Saturday  for that night's dinner.  But when it came time to make them how I had planned (roasted in foil packets with red onion and lemon slices)  I had zero drive to actually prepare it.  So Hawaiian pizza indeed.  However, then last night we were supposed to have chili with leftovers for tonight.  (Brian goes to school for his master's on Monday nights)  So there I am on a Sunday afternoon, throwing together a batch of chili while hurriedly preparing the swordfish packets, along with potato packets for that night's dinner. 

It all came together though, and the fish came out well.....slightly overcooked.  A bit annoying, but what can you do.  However, I discovered a new way to prepare broccoli that's different from the usual "steam and butter" method.  I stir-fried it on the stove, and just as it was getting tender I mixed in a little Three Cheese Italian dressing.  Wow, was that good!!  So now tonight all that has to be done is microwave the chili and rice, and butter the cornbread.  I do love the easy nights!

Mmm Bacon

Besides my vegetarian friends, who doesn't love bacon?  Seems like there's a lot of new bacon ideas out there lately.  Some I'm more excited over than others.  Like the praline bacon that was featured on "Good eats,"....bacon with brown sugar sounds intriguing.  And I already know that an Elvis Burger (burger with just bacon and chunky peanut butter) is out-of-this-world good!  I know, I knocked it and then I tried it and figured out why the husband had been raving about it.  Then I get my Taste of Home magazine the other day.  They have a whole section on bacon recipes.  Cheese and bacon waffles...absolutely!  They sound fantastic, as does bacon scones.  However, I think I draw the line at candy-coated bacon.  I love chocolate, I love bacon.  I'm just not sure the two can go together.  However, I'd be willing to try it just once as an experiment.  :)

A Good Week, Grocery-Wise

Here is the definition of a good week with the groceries:

Two empty crispers
one empty meat/cheese drawer
lots of cans, jars and bottles on the counter, waiting to go out in the recycling

A very successful week, with using up what you have on hand!  What will next week bring?

"Julie and Julia": a Review

Last night my mom came over for dinner (rosemary-orange pork chops) and we watched "Julie and Julia" on DVD.  I had seen the previews over the summer and it had seemed intriguing.

It was so much more than that!  I thought it was a lovely story, with two "movies" in one.  The first "movie" was Julia Child's story, with her getting her start in France in 1949 and the things that she went through to get that cookbook published.  Meryl Streep really had Julia Child down....sounding and looking just like her!  The second "movie" was about a down-on-her-luck writer, trying to make some magic for herself and have something to work on and motivate her while working at a customer-service government job.  With the help of her husband, she decides to cook her way through Julia Child's "The Art of Mastering French Cooking."  This is based on a true story and the results are warm and satisfying. 

Now....as an aside, I have never eaten much French cuisine.  But dare I say....I came out of the movie craving mushroom cream sauce, boeuf borginon and duck pastry.  I saw pounds of butter as sinfully delicious and actually wondered if hollandaise is actually that difficult to make.  Julia Child......you've made me WANT French food!! 

*CRUNCH*

After a dinner of cheesesteaks and tater-tots (Monday night dinners are usually pretty easy in this house) we ventured out to pick up my books at the library and then to Friendly's for ice cream. This was my third attempt in going to the library to get my books, their hours have been cut for budget reasons. Off to Friendly's!!

Will's not crazy about ice cream, which is just foreign to me. But we were at the carry-out window and he said he wanted a chocolate one. I didn't want to get him his own, because I knew he wouldn't eat it. So I asked him to share "his with me" and he readily agreed. I ordered a vanilla and m-n-m Friend-Z, which I didn't really want but hey, Moms are making sacrifices all the time! We brought them back to the house, and I put some in a cup for Will. Yeah, he didn't eat it. He decided that it was more exciting to let it turn to soup. So I started eating....and promptly stopped. I wasn't aware that MnM's freeze in ice cream! Ouch!

Coffee Shop Treats

Today I'm 12 weeks pregnant, and I've made a pivotal turn. The morning sickness has subsided, and I appear to be all about the food!

I had a three hour diabetes test today, and I had to fast from midnight on. Basically, the lab takes your blood when you arrive, and you drink this nasty, thick, sugary orange beverage. Then they take your blood every hour for the next three. You are not allowed to leave the doctor's office during this time, so be sure to bring a book or other entertainment. By the time I left it was lunchtime and I was ravenous! Before heading to work, I treated myself to a Panera lunch. I hadn't been there in a while and it certainly didn't disappoint.

I got the "Pick-Two" special, with summer corn chowder and a smoked turkey sandwich on cheese focciacia. Wow! I've wanted some corn chowder for a while now and this one was delicious. The corn was roasted and there were peppers in the chowder, so it had a Southwestern flavor. But you could still taste the buttery goodness that is essential in corn chowder. And focciacia rocks just by itself; add some smoked turkey, greens and chipotle mayo and it's out of here! I had that happy, warm feeling that you get when you've eaten something really pleasing. I haven't felt that way in a very long time, it made my afternoon before heading to work.

I have always had an aspiration for owning a coffee shop. I worked for a small specialty coffee shop duirng my college days at Salve, and I loved making coffee drinks and fancy sandwiches, baking cinnamon buns and huge chocolate chip cookies and cutting slices of scrumptious baked goods for customers. I also enjoyed the atmosphere with our regulars and tourist customers, experiencing their pleasure over our specials and new bakery items. Yeah, I'm probably viewing it through nostalgia-tinted lenses, but these are the parts that I remember. Maybe someday when Brian and I retire we can make that dream come true. Sitting in Panera today and being so pleased made me revisit those fond days.

Just Like Magic

I love onions, but hate cutting them up. And I really hate the way my hands smell afterwards! It seems that no matter how many times I wash them, I still can smell them. Brian suggested rubbing my hands on the sink while washing them, and though it sounds suspicious it really works! Apparently, there's some sort of chemical reaction between the onion smell and stainless steel that makes the smell go away. Hey, I'll take it!

Flavors of Summer

One of my favorite summer things: a scoop of cookies n cream ice cream over a sliced banana. Mmmm....is there anything better??

Marshmallows roasted over our outdoor fireplace and then squooshed into s'mores.

Grilled barbecue chicken. Sliced peaches. A tall glass of cold iced tea and kicking back after a long, hot day. Chicken caesar salad for dinner because it's too hot to cook. Oh yeah, that's the stuff!

Summer's not here just yet, but what are your favorites?

Retro-Dating

What's retro-dating, you ask? Imagine yourself dating someone, deciding that you aren't right for each other and breaking it off. More like a mutual thing instead of a going-all-crazy, destroying-each-other-in-a-reckless-kind-of-way thing. Later on, your paths cross again, and the idea of dating each other again is kind of like wearing a favorite worn sweatshirt. And even though you know that soon it'll be summer and t-shirt season, it's really comfy and you just can't help yourself. That's retro-dating. I've been there and it's fun while it lasts.

How the heck does this apply to a food blog?? Glad you asked. I had a long affair with Cooking Light magazine. It was a faithful, comfy companion. I loved opening the mailbox and checking out the new edition. I would bring it to work and at lunchtime go through it with a pen, circling all of the recipes that I was interested in. Then the silver started to flake away, as it does in many relationships. The recipes became complicated, with lots of ingredients, many of them expensive and hard to find. Our love became complex, as I didn't want to be left with a bunch of crappy ingredients that I would never use again, and I had no desire to spend hours cooking each night. Cooking Light delved into more adventurous dishes that I just didn't have the taste buds to try. Time spent pondering recipes was with less pen-circling now. After awhile, I broke it off.

Recently I found three of the Annual Review cookbooks that I got sucked into buying (2001, 2002 and 2004; respectively) and BAM! We're retro-dating. Sweet potato pancakes with maple-vanilla syrup, mmm! Strawberry-Lemon Syrup. Barbecued meatloaf, how are you? I know it's not going to last forever, but the memories are priceless. How I've missed you, Cooking Light. We'll live in the past, together, just for a little while.

Ask the Cook, Part II

I haven't done any questions in a while, so here goes:

What are some of your favorite things to make, that you really don't get sick of making? Simple stuff that turns out delicious and like you made a whole lot of effort to pull off. Stuff like roast chicken, pasta dishes and brownies.

What's something you really hate to make? Egg salad. I can't stand the smell of the stuff, nevermind the taste. But it's one of Brian's favorites, so I make it sometimes and call it "My labor of love." :)

What are three things that are always in your fridge: 2% milk, American Cheese and probably two dozen eggs.

What condiment can you not live without? Probably ketcup, it's got so many uses. Or soy sauce. Don't make me choose!

Name a guilty pleasure in your kitchen: ice cream. I've tried to give it up or cut back a few times, but it's the only thing I just can't cut out. (Sweet ice cream....how I love thee)

Lastly, what pantry item do you stock up on the most? I always seem to have a bunch of half-empty boxes of pasta floating around. I've started dating the top of the box with a Sharpie when I open it so I'll use them in order. I think those dates are going to scare me sooner or later!