Okra, Okra, Oh-KRA!

You guys, my okra plants are out of control. Granted, the beds are raised, but each of the 5 plants is taller than my head. I harvest between 5 & 8 pods per day, and the pods are GIGANTIC. We love us some okra in this house, but we've finally grown weary of every-other-day consumption.

okra with purple beans ready to bake

It was time to bring in reinforcements in the form of my colleague/inspiration, Nora. Nora is a fellow massage therapist and an all-around great soul. She has a soothing energy, great hands, an incredible laugh... I could go on all day. She also gardens and has much more experience than I. When I told her about my chronic, shallow over watering issue, she stopped, smiled and said 'you're a caregiver, Rachel. You were just taking care of them.'

When Nora posted recently about pickling some of her okra, my ears pricked up immediately. I adore pickled okra. When I say 'adore', I mean 'I can eat a jar in one sitting'. My tummy might hurt afterward, but that will not stop me from doing it in the first place.

This week, the okra harvest reached the level of 'ridiculous', so Lily Ruth and I wandered over to Miss Nora's house to see her chickens and get her recipe. I also had a chance to sample some of her already made okra pickles, and I almost melted into the floor with delight.

I am completely jumping the gun here because my batch is barely out of it's boiling water bath, but I'm going to post the recipe anyway knowing that even if I managed to personally mess it up (which I won't know until it's time to open a jar), the recipe itself is good :-P

Nonna's Pickled Okra
    courtesy of Nora Pullin

For 3 pint jars:

2 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp canning salt

1 1/2 Lbs fresh okra
3 dried red chili peppers
3 tsp dried dill
3/8 tsp Pickle Crisp granules (Calcium Chloride)
** I also added 1 whole garlic clove and 1/2 tsp whole dried corriander seeds to each jar**

First, boil your jars, lids and bands for 10 minutes to sterilize them. Take them out of the water & set them aside (do NOT wipe them off with a dirty kitchen towel :-P). Keep the water hot - you'll need it again in a minute.

Combine the water, vinegar and canning salt in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil

To each jar, add 1 dried chili, 1 tsp dill and 1/8 tsp Pickle Crisp (and garlic & corriander if you're feeling saucy). Divide the okra between the jars. Add the brine (a.k.a: water, vinegar & salt) then tighten the lids onto the jars.

Return the jars to the water bath, and boil for 10 minutes. CAREFULLY remove jars and set aside to cool completely (approx 6-8 hours).

Pickles are ready to eat as soon as the jars are cool, but will get spicier as they cure... if they last that long...

Refrigerate after opening.

Notes:
1) This recipe easily doubles, triples, etc. I made 6 wide-mouth pint jars using just my large pasta pot and a medium saucepan.
2) Canning lids (the round, flat disk with the rubber gasket) can only be used ONCE, but the jars & the bands for the lids can be reused.
3) Ball jars do not automatically come with labeling stickers - I am bummed, but I guess this just gives me an opportunity to make something fun...
4) My daughter is especially patient today. I gave her some soap and free rein at the bathroom sink. This kept her occupied for most of the writing of this post...

*edit: DANG, these pickles are guuuuuuuuud! I managed to wait approximately 7 hours after removing them from their water bath before opening the first jar, and I am hooked! SO tasty! So crunchy! The garlic and corriander are permanent additions to my version of the recipe! I also ended up with enough okra to make a second batch of 7 jars just one week later! The okra is out of control!!!!*

Veggie Fever

It's official - the weather is GORGEOUS here! Cool all morning, up to 80 or so after noon and beautiful evenings. I want to live outside. This will change soon...

Thursday, we went to the zoo. Not our usual visit. We had much more quiet time:

We even caused a feeding frenzy:

After petting giant goldfish for a loooooong time (yep - you heard me! The big ones move slow and their eyes are set so far apart that they can't see you coming in until it's too late :-P), we went home and opened up the house. The dog days of summer approacheth, but for now, it's too lovely to miss out on.

Friday, my outdoor lust continued as Fertile Garden Supply delivered 3.5 cubic yards of Light Garden Mix. In case you're wondering, here's what $122 (+ a giant delivery fee :-/) of dirt looks like:

Over the weekend, we finished assembling the beds and added the soil (and other good stuff). The air wafting over my desk smells of promise and hard work to come...

This gardening madness and an overdose of fresh air has left me with a sharp, almost painful yearning to cook with fresh foods. To that end, I am revisiting my Warm Weather Lasagne! This go-round, it is yellow and green - just like spring!

Today's Warm Weather Lasagne
fills one 9" X 13" baking dish
*most measurements are approximated - just go for it!*
olive oil
1/2 head of garlic - coarsely chopped
1 pkg fresh ricotta (mine was approx 14 oz)
1 bunch fresh basil - thinly sliced
3 links Italian sausage - casings removed (I used mild today)
1/2 Lb crimini mushrooms - sliced
1 bunch Swiss chard - coarsely chopped
1 pkg Lasagne noodles
6 fresh mozzarella 'knots'
1/2 Lb broccoli - chopped
1 med. zucchini - chopped
1 med yellow squash - chopped
1 pkg yellow tomatoes - quartered
1 pkg Panela cheese
Parmesan cheese

Combine the olive oil and the garlic (you want LOTS of both) - set aside and let them mingle. I left mine alone for 2 hours before starting to cook. You can also chop all of the other stuff now, or you can scramble around like a headless chicken and try to do it all while stuff cooks - guess which method I usually employ...

Combine the ricotta and the basil. Add a little of the garlic (leave the oil in the dish).

In a large skillet, cook the sausage then set it aside to drain. Drain the grease, then use the same skillet to saute the mushrooms - use a teaspoon (or more) of the garlic and olive oil. When the mushrooms are almost done, add the chard, turn off the heat, and cover. Once the chard is wilted, you're ready to start layering!

Slick up the bottom of your baking dish with some of the garlic-y oil. Cover the bottom of the pan with noodles - I don't boil them first, and I use the flat kind. Carefully (so as not to move the noodles, evenly distribute the sausage and mushrooms. Sprinkle the chopped mozzarella on, then cover the whole layer with the chard:

Add another layer of noodles. Using the same skillet (or a different one if you feel like washing more dishes...), lightly cook the zucchini and squash with some more of the garlic- I also added a tiny bit of water, so mine was actually braised if you wanna be all specific. When the squash are just barely cooked, add the broccoli and cover & cook until it turns bright green. Layer it in:

Cover that layer with the ricotta mixture. Cover that with the tomatoes and any garlic and olive oil that you might have left over:

Add another layer of noodles, and top the whole thing with the Panela cheese. I used Panela because it has a different texture and slightly saltier taste than mozzarella - you could use mozzarella. Cover the pan with foil.

Bake at 400 for 45 minutes to 1 hour - when it's hot all of the way through, it's done. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Eat as soon as it's cool enough. This was so good that it was surreal. You should make it now.

NOTE: The noodles need moisture in order to cook, so add in all of the liquids that you encounter in the cooking process - whey from the ricotta, water in the skillet from sauteing and braising, innards from the tomatoes, etc. I also threw in the liquid from the container of fresh mozzarella (approx 1 cup). If it doesn't seem moist enough to you, add in some water or broth. You can also add liquid as it cooks if it seems too dry. If there isn't any condensation on the inside of the foil as it bakes, it's toooooo dang dry!

Happy eating, friends!

Finally Halloween and Some Yum...

I almost forgot to post Halloween pictures! Sheesh!

You've already seen Lily Ruth as Cowgirl Jesse. When she chose her costume, she announced that Daddy was going to be Woody, and Mama was going to be Buzz Lightyear :-/ Not that I would mind being Buzz Lightyear, but it would have been a bit labor-intensive. After constructing Lily Ruth's costume and hand-stitching cow print to an existing vest for Sheriff Woody, I was drained. Daddy came to my rescue and bought a pair of cat ears for me while he was out searching for the perfect hat. Then all I had to do is run up a quick tail from black felt, and shove myself into some slim black clothes - voila, cat!

- as an aside, Lily Ruth was almost Cat Jesse. When I drew on my black eyeliner cat nose and whiskers, she delightedly demanded a set of her own. I gleefully complied. There was a moment of almost catastrophe when Daddy tried to wipe it off without her permission (Boys! What was he THINKING!?), but in the end, she asked to have it removed before we left because the nose was distracting.

So, here you go! First up, a party on the Saturday before Halloween. Jesse was pretty much attached to the leg of Sheriff Woody - it was a noisy party, and she was NOT convinced that she wanted to be there:

So Daddy picked her up and gave her a cuddle:

and I squeezed in for a quick pic:

Amazingly, those are the only pictures of us from the party...

Here are the only pictures of us from Halloween night -

Slightly fuzzy:

 Even fuzzier:

 ... I need to either be a bit more forceful about getting the camera out and taking pictures / asking others to take pictures of us OR I need to stop feeling disappointed when I end up with 5 mediocre pictures. *sigh*

Pictures aside, we had a WONDERFUL time dressing up as a family. It was even more fun to do it twice :-) Lily Ruth was positively giddy. She referred to Don as 'Woody' constantly - we're talking every sentence she uttered to him - and giggled every time that she called me 'Cat'. She also yodeled on command 'Yodel-ay-he-WHO'. It was hilarious.

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On to the food!!!!

I made burgers based loosely on a recipe from Deceptively Delicious :-) They were possibly the best burgers I've ever made. Wait, you know what, they WERE the best burgers I've ever made. Yum.

Rachel's Veggie Loaded Burgers

1 Lb ground meat (I used sirloin, but you could use any beef or even turkey)
1/4 cup pureed steamed carrot
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 Lb baby bella mushrooms cleaned and finely chopped
1 zucchini finely chopped
garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste

1) Mix all that stuff together then shape it into patties. 2) Cook those suckers. 3) Top with cheese - I used Havarti. 4) Whimper softly as you take the first bite because it's THAT GOOD.

I have no idea what sent those from possibly good into amazing, but they were... Lily Ruth was not as thrilled as I was. Next time I'll chop the mushrooms and zucchini into much smaller pieces so that she can't see them ;-)

You're welcome. :-P

Make Some Stuff, Eat Some Stuff

Today's recipes: Baked Chicken Bites and Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches (mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...)

My burst of energy continues! I have interviewed for a job, have lined up a 'discussion' regarding another position, and have gone in to work at my current (on-call) job all in the last week! I have also made something and purchased (most of) the supplies to make a few more things. Oh, and I've been cooking. WHEW!

Let's talk crafts first. I (finally) finished Lily Ruth's blanket. I bought new needles for my sewing machine, and adjusted the bobbin tension yet again (I had tinkered with it when I was shirring, and hadn't been able to get it back to regular :-/), and now it sews like new again! Here's Lily Ruth's Daddy modeling how the blanket works:

And here is a very subdued Lily Ruth with her Lucy and her 'FOG BANKET!'

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Jess at Craftiness Is Not Optional shared a tutorial link that I am soooo excited to try. It's a flower petal pillow that may or may not change my life. Alright, fine. Pillows don't change your life, but wrapping your brain around a tutorial then completing a project sure is good for the soul... if you're me... if you're you, you should probably find your own bliss. Since I happen to be me (and not you), I purchased supplies to make said pillow and change my life refresh my couch. The red and pink are for the flowers (duh). The beige is an indoor-outdoor fabric that I hope will hold up well as a pillow. The circle templates are 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 inches. Once the circles are cut out, you cut them in half, and voila - petals.

Now I just have to find time to cut out 50 felt circles and start sewing... Wait, I bought enough stuff for TWO pillows. That means 100 felt circles! Gack. I'll pay you ten bucks to come over and cut out circles for me. *edit: I buckled down and started cutting circles. It went super-duper fast!*

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While I was waiting in line for the cutting counter at JoAnn, I got sucked into buying more stuff. I'm pretty sure that's their plan. Those ladies move like they're wading through molasses, and if the line starts to move too fast, several of them will stop assisting customers and wander off to restock shelves or bundle up remnants. *sigh* SO, during my 45 minute wait (!!!), I found 2 new pieces of flannel to make into pillow cases for Lily Ruth. I also found coordinating trim and thread.

I love her pillow cases. She seems to, too. I think that having special Just For Lily Ruth pillows helped with the transition from crib to mattress-on-the-floor. I am hoping that their familiarity will also help with the transition from mattress-on-the-floor to Big Girl Bed.

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That's kind-of it for the crafting. Let's talk food!

I stumbled across a recipe on the back of a Progresso bread crumbs can, and actually loved it. Since I used all of those crumbs and didn't remember to copy it down, I no longer have the recipe. Sad story, right? Well, don't start crying into your soup just yet. There was a similar recipe on the back of my new can, and I just modified it to suit my needs - big surprise. These little bites are tastier than any chicken nugget I've ever had. My friend June says that they're 'like butter' and she couldn't stop eating them. Our kids thought they were 'o.k.', and will like the next batch better as I will cut back on the amount of seasoning. Crummy kids and their kid palates. :-P

Baked Chicken Bites

2 Lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (use white meat if you prefer)
1 cup bread crumbs (I used garlic and herb - not a hit with the kids)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesean cheese
3 Tbsp melted butter

Remove any excess fat from the chicken, and cut into tiny (1 inch or so) pieces.

Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese in a  shallow bowl or dish. Mix in the butter.

Dredge the chicken in the breadcrumb/cheese/butter mixture, then place the coated pieces on a baking sheet. I foil-line my (cheap) baking sheets then spray the foil with cooking spray. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Bites should be golden brown and cooked completely through.

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This next recipe is simmering away in my crockpot as we speak. Emily at My Pajama Days was a high school classmate of mine. We weren't close friends, but I always liked her open, adorable smile and all-inclusive nature. She was always sweet to me. Being shy by nature, this was a big deal. I even have a wallet-sized copy of her senior picture in my scrap book - goofy high school inscription from her and all.

When she blogs about mothering a pre-teen and a newly-teen, I hyperventilate. I am 98% certain that I will not handle myself with her wisdom when presented with the same situations. Hopefully, she'll open a Parent of Teen Girls hotline and allow me to call frequently.

At any rate, her version of this sandwich was up on her blog yesterday, and being a lover of Buffalo wing sauce, I decided to try it out. The original is here. My version follows...

Slow Cooker Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

1 pkg boneless, skinless chicken thighs (my package was 1.75 Lbs)
1 bottle Buffalo wing sauce (my favorite is Frank's) - divided
1 pkg ranch dressing seasonings
sour cream
bleu cheese
whole grain rolls
Muenster cheese

Mix 1/2 of the bottle of wing sauce with 1/2 of the pkg of ranch seasoning. Pour into the bottom of your crockpot. Lay the chicken over the sauce, and pour 1/4 of the bottle of wing sauce over the top (you now have 1/4 of the bottle left... in case you're math challenged...). Cover and cook on 'low' for 6-7 hours. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the crockpot and place it in a shallow dish. Shred the meat, and gradually mix in the remaining wing sauce - tasting as you go - until you have the right amount of 'kick' for you.

Mix the remaining 1/2 packet of ranch seasoning with sour cream. I have approx. 2 Tbsp left, so I'm using 8 oz of sour cream. Use the resulting concoction as a sandwich spread or veggie/chip dip. My plan is to serve raw carrots with dinner and trick Lily Ruth into eating them 'like a bunny'. Maybe the dip will help. *edit: it did not. She ate exactly one bit of 'cway-ot' then pronounced it 'yucky'.*

If you go in for this sort of thing, you can mix bleu cheese into your meat before piling it onto the rolls. My husband adores bleu cheese. I loathe it. Whatever floats your boat. I'm not here to judge... except that I really don't like bleu cheese, so I may judge a little bit...

**By the by, we just finished dinner, and these sammies were WONDERFUL. Definitely part of my rotation from now on!**

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That's all for today, folks! Remember - always surround yourself with things that make you smile (like giant flower pillows and soft, cuddly blankets) and eat things that make your tummy smile (like spicy chicken and NOT bleu cheese). Love you!

Brain Clearance ... and a RECIPE!

It has been a while since I posted a recipe. I still have an unpublished post that contains three of them, but it's so mind-numbingly boring that I am going to have to trash the whole post and start over. For now, you may either read through the detritus of my head, or skip to the recipe. It's a good one - Borracho Beans!

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For her entire life, if Lily Ruth is tired or even just really relaxed, she flexes one set of toes and points the other. Usually, she flexes her left toes and points her right toes. Not her whole foot, just her toes.

Remember when I was worried that putting her into 'big girl shoes' would mean losing all of the silly things that she does with her feet? Like most of my trivial motherhood concerns, it was baseless. She still does all kinds of things with her feet. If she's sucking her thumb, she reaches for either her daddy or I with her feet to make sure we're still close and/or to draw us in closer. When she's asleep in our bed, she periodically checks our locations with her toes without even waking up. While rinsing her hair in the bathtub, she wraps her feet around my neck like a baby monkey. I love it.

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I know that parenting is hard. It's not a secret. But right now, I feel like a truly bad parent. I have allowed my personal stuff to seriously get in the way of my patience. As a result, my darling daughter and I have been butting heads BIG TIME for close to two weeks now. Instead of backing off from my anger and suggesting acceptable compromises or even just backing down on things that mean nothing (yet are currently irritating me), I've been stubborn and ill-tempered. So has Lily Ruth... if you've ever needed proof that kids are little sponges who model their behavior on that of their parents, just come on over here. It's been awful.

I'm trying to step back and separate out my own emotional struggle and grown up crap from my day-to-day, moment-to-moment life with Lily Ruth. I'm making a conscious effort to make her laugh as many times as humanly possible each day. I'm working on my level of frustration and (once again) battling the urge to shut activities down because they're not going the way that I planned or they're too noisy or too messy.

A blog friend uses the phrase 'Don't kill the Joy'. I'm borrowing it and interpreting it to mean 'Don't act like an asshole just because you can. Let the moment play out - you might enjoy the result.'

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I've decided not to attend any of the formal events surrounding my 20th (!!!) high school reunion. As soon as I made my decision, I felt lighter... so I know I made the right choice. The dang thing is still a month and a half off, and the 'ya'll need to get your money in NOW' and catty remarks about the supposedly 'anti-reunion' party that a good friend and I threw last time (and are repeating this time) just finally got to me. This has been an incredibly hard year for me. I don't need to PAY for and extra helping of drama. I'll just sit back and deal with what I've already got on my plate, thankyouverymuch.

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I tried to get all crafty today, but my lack of actual knowledge about my sewing machine means that the thread tension is all out of whack, and my (never once replaced since I got the dang thing) needle is so dull that I have dropped stitches and pulls in the fabric. *sigh* Time to haul out some of that extra patience (HA!), and learn how to properly maintain my machine. Whatever. I'll pay you ten bucks cash to come take care of this for me. I'll even throw in a massage. Just make it happen.

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SO! On to the recipe. This one comes from my housekeeper. She is a wonderful lady who works her butt off every day cleaning for rich white ladies (and me). Then she goes home and takes care of her large extended family. Then she uses all of her (unpaid) vacation time to take things like donated clothing and household goods back to friends and family in Mexico. Also, she is an incredible cook. For years, she has made these beans for us any time we ask. My grandmother finally followed her around one day recently and transcribed the recipe so that we could quit bugging her and make them ourselves.

I need to tell you that these beans are so good that even my bean-hating husband loves them and requested them for his birthday. They're that good.

Janie's Borracho Beans

2 Cups dried pinto beans
1 1/2 onions
10 slices raw bacon
4 large garlic cloves
1 fresh jalapeno pepper
1/2 of a green bell pepper
3 small tomatoes
1/2 of a cilantro bunch
1/2 of a beer (optional)

As with any dried bean, pick through them and discard and shriveled/discolored beans and/or rocks (I have no idea why they're in there, but they are). You're going to need hot water soon, so here's what I did. I put the beans in a pot and covered them with water. Then I poured that water off into a smaller pot - that way I knew that I had enough - and set the small pot on a back burner over medium-high heat. Then I covered the beans again, and put them on to boil. Once the beans boil, pour off that water, and add the hot water from the other pot. This step is what gives you gas-free beans, people, skip it at your own peril.

While the beans are coming back to a boil, chop the garlic cloves and the bacon and add them to the pot. Cut the ends off and remove the outer skin of the whole onion. Push it into the middle of the beans. Cook at a low simmer until the beans are done. I kept them covered. You can leave them uncovered, but you'll have to watch the water level. Too little water will cause your beans to burn/stick/go horribly wrong...

When the beans are almost done, chop then saute the 1/2 onion, peppers, and tomatoes. Add a small amount of beans and juices to the saute pan near the end. Remove the whole onion from the bean pot. Add the saute mixture into the beans.

If you would like to add beer, do so now (I used Shiner Bock), but be sure to continue cook it long enough to burn off the alcohol.

Add chopped cilantro when you take the beans off the heat.

By the By, if you make this a day ahead and allow it to mingle in the fridge overnight, it's even better. You're welcome. ;-)

Let the Planting Begin!

My mom and I finally made it out to start planting our little patch of earth. You may remember that mama had already turned the whole thing over with her pick and we spread all of our additives over the top. Well, that was intended to be day one in a two or three day gardening blitz that would immediately result in a planted and germinating garden. What actually happened was that life had other plans. We ended up taking an unintentional week (or so) off, but now we're ready to hit the ground running!

It was time to spade over the entire patch (my mom and dad did that part), then rake it all relatively smooth (that was our contribution - Lily Ruth has her own rake!).

Since we had already plotted out the basics of our planting plan, we were ready to start planting tiny seeds!

My grandmother had noticed that the local bird population was VERY interested in all activities related to the raised beds. This set my mama to thinking... and worrying. Since she's already half convinced that none of our seeds will sprout (silly mama!) she set about devising some sort of covering to protect our tiny seeds from greedy bird beaks and scratchy bird toes. She and her friend Diane decided that cheesecloth was a good plan. It would let light and water in while allowing plenty of evaporation and discouraging avian foraging. After we planted our seeds, we cut the cheesecloth into strips - which is a lot like cutting nylon pantyhose (don't ask), and I wouldn't recommend it as a recreation activity - and covered each row. I think it's working!!!

The seedlings are from Diane's garden. There are lots of pepper plants and two white Italian eggplants. As far as seeds go, under the cheesecloth there are cucumbers (bottom row), two kinds of zucchini (next 2 rows), three kinds of bush beans (left side), two kinds of radishes (above the peppers), and two kinds of watermelons along the top. The plan is that the vines will begin to grow, and we will train them over the edge of the beds so that the melons will grow outside the bed and not hog all of the room :-P

My dad also knocked together another raised bed for the beautiful tomato seedlings that Diane gave us:

Ya'll we're going to have SO MUCH YUMMY STUFF!!! Even if only half of what we planted makes it, we're going to be overrun (in a very good way) with beautiful fresh food!

Speaking of beautiful fresh food, my mom made an incredible cold salad over the weekend. I want to share it with you, but it's not much of a recipe, it's more of a concept. Since I didn't make it myself, I don't have quantities. I'm not convinced that my mama would remember the quantities she used, because she cooks by feel rather than by cup. It drives my grandmother crazy. Grandmother cooks by the recipe - period. I fall somewhere in the middle, but more toward mama's end. If she remembers the quantities, I'll update the post. If she doesn't, I'll make it again later and post quantities then :-) I just want to jot this down before I forget because it was so yummy!

Linda's Quinoa Summer Salad

salad:
cooked quinoa
chopped radishes
chopped cucumber
thinly sliced green onions
petite peas
cubed avocado
dressing:
orange and lemon zest
orange and lemon juice
olive oil
honey
dijon mustard
vinegar

Mix all salad ingredients - reserving avocado until just before serving. Whisk together dressing ingredients and mix into salad. Chill. Just before serving, cube and add avocado. Voila!

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The rest of the weekend was similarly productive. We got both cars washed. Lily Ruth played with her water table and babbled happily. She thought it was a hoot to be in the front yard with her toys :-)

Daddy Don also mowed the grass. Lily Ruth is over the moon about the lush quality of the front and back yards! In her eyes, Daddy is even more of a hero for providing such a great playground just for her. He also put extensive amounts of time into the pool. It may even be ready for swimming by next weekend! Now I just need to get my buns in gear and clean up the landscaping around said pool so that we can navigate the perimeter. Right now, it's a bit of a jungle. Perfect for curious cats and dogs playing wilderness explorer, but not so great for toddlers or bare feet. I'm hoping that writing it down will be the impetus that I need to actually get it done... wish me luck :-P

I Just *May* Have a Green Thumb

Or I may not. Only time will tell. Actually, time has told that I have green thumb intentions, and no patience or follow through (surprise, surprise). Perhaps I can turn that around this year. I've done extensive work on both my patience and follow through since becoming a parent. Maybe that can carry over into gardening... we'll see...

In addition to my stellar work watering the baby grass, I've volunteered Lily Ruth and myself to work in the garden with Nanny. For someone with good intentions but no practical knowledge on the subject, I think that helping someone else is a great first step into gardening.

Yesterday, my Mama turned over the garden bed with a pick and pulled out any weeds. Then we spread potting soil, compost, peat moss and growin' green garden food. Then we planned out the placement in our garden. Mama has 3 kinds of bush beans, 2 kinds of peppers and chard. Lily Ruth and I have decided to add watermelons, radishes and cucumbers. We have to procure our seeds and seedlings today. Very exciting!

I want to make markers to show what's in each row. I have an idea of how I want to do it, but I'm not sharing until it's a reality. That way there can be pictures as well...

Next we have to decide if we're going to add an irrigation system or if we're going to trust ourselves to water the entire thing by hand.

Lily Ruth is going to have to learn not to strip Nanny's orange tree bare. It will be an uphill battle. She really loves those tiny, sour oranges:

Oh, and I have to tell you about my new favorite recipe. It was fed to my Mama recently by a vegetarian acquaintance. She immediately added it to her lunch time repertoire. She shared it with me last week, and I am in love. Welcome to the awesomeness of Mock Tuna Salad! Ignore the fact that it sounds weird. Just try it. You will be soooooo glad that you did!

Mock Tuna Salad

1 can cannelloni beans
mayonaise
mustard (your favorite kind)
pickle relish (dill or - lord forbid - sweet)
1 chopped hard boiled egg

Drain the beans, and roughly mash in a bowl - you don't want them to be smooth. Mix in mayo, mustard and relish to your preference. If you don't know how much you like, start small. You can always add more :-P Add the egg, and serve just like you would tuna salad - on bread or tortillas, with crackers or chips OR just eat it out of the bowl with a spoon... or your fingers (you know you want to).

We've Gotta Eat

I haven't posted any recipes in a while. I think I'm in a rut. Well, if I'm being more fair to myself, there has been a lot going on. Perhaps I'm allowed to be in a rut... I've made lots of yummy food, but it's pretty pedestrian in nature. Not much to tell.

There are a few things to mention. I want to jot down my split pea soup recipe because it was so deliciously awesome. And tell you about the endless quesadillas that I've made. And gush about the pork sausage that my man brought home (he can bring home the bacon... fry it up in a pan...).

So here goes. The first part of the split pea soup recipe is to have your dad smoke a giant ham. Then everybody has to eat the ham. Then your mom should put the ham bone and some tiny remnant bits of ham into a bag in the freezer. Then she should forget about it until she realizes that it needs to be used before freezer burn sets in. Then she should give it to you so that you can make soup like this:

Split Pea Soup in the Crockpot

1 ham bone (or a package of cooked bacon)
1 bag (16 oz) of dried peas
1 diced onion
2-3 diced carrots
1-2 diced medium potatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
salt & pepper to taste

note: if you are using a wonderfully flavorful smoked ham bone, you could just use water instead of broth and still have plenty of flavor OR you can stick with the broth and have really really richly flavored soup :-)

Dump all of the ingredients (except the salt & pepper) into the crockpot, put the lid on, and cook on low for at least 4 hours. Everything will just fall apart and become a tasty, thick delicious soup, so it does not matter how coarsely or finely you chop the veggies. Taste before serving and season if necessary. Done and done.

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The next bit is not so much a recipe as something that happens almost every day around here. Miss Lily Ruth is now a full-blown toddler, and as such, she is pretending to be a picky eater since intake of food is one of the few things that she has control over. One thing that she never turns her nose up at is quesadillas. At home we use multigrain tortillas from Central Market. If we're out, she ADORES hand made flour tortillas from any of our favorite Mexican restaurants ;-)

Lily's Lunch Quesadilla

1 Tbsp refried beans
Shredded or sliced cheese (any flavor)
2 slices Hormel Naturals deli meat - sliced (optional)
1 tortilla

Spread the beans over 1/2 of the tortilla, if using meat, sprinkle it on now. Top with cheese. fold the tortilla in half. Warm in a skillet until golden and toasty. Cut into toddler-sized pieces and watch the Doyen of Nyet become the First Lady of MORE! Then make some for yourself and melt into a pool of mama happiness due to gooey cheese.

---------------------------

Recently, Daddy Don went on his company's annual hunting expedition. He's not much of a hunter in real life, but he loves that trip. They have a fantastic time at a beautiful ranch. Their every whim is indulged. Food, drink, pool tables, card games, skeet shooting... oh, and at some point they wander out and shoot at animals :-(

This year, he shot a hog. The photo is horrific, yet my husband looks so handsome. I am tempted to crop the pig out and keep his smile. The company that processed the meat made sausage from most of it and chops from the rest. The sausage is unbelievably good! Seasoned beautifully and portioned into 1 1/2 Lb packages. We've made multiple batches of spaghetti sauce, chili and just cooked it up plain... and we still have a metric ton of it in the freezer. Tonight, I'm going to roll it into meatballs to add to pasta and sauce.

I wish that I was more inspired, but I have two lungs full of mucus and a giant headache. Pasta is the best I can do today.

My House Smells Guuuuuuuuud

Today's Recipe: 40 Garlic Crockpot Chicken

Ya'll know how I love my crockpot, right? Well, yesterday I filled it to the brim and cooked up some 'Aweshum' :-)

As you may or may not know, I love garlic even more than I love my crockpot. That is why 40 Garlic Chicken is one of my favorite things ever. My mama and I used to make it all of the time. I haven't made it in a while because I don't enjoy dealing with whole chickens. Out of the blue, Mama decided to not only make 40 Garlic Chicken for our family Christmas gathering, but to make it in a crockpot. That's when I found out that many, many other people have done this before. There are multitudes of recipes on the interwebs for 40 Garlic Crockpot Chicken, but this one is MINE :-)

If you are not currently in love with a crockpot of your very own, you may not know this but crockpot recipes are even more forgiving than soup recipes. You can basically throw things in at random, and dinner will still be tasty! So go crazy, make stuff up and eat, eat, eat :-)

40 Garlic Crockpot Chicken

olive oil
1 bag carrots - unpeeled and vaguely chopped
1 large yellow onion - sliced
4-6 Lbs chicken - whole or parts (I used thighs and drumsticks)
2-3 heads garlic - remove outer paper & separate cloves (no need to peel each clove)
Rosemary, Thyme, Sage (and Parsley if you like it - I don't)
Salt
1 cup white wine or chicken broth (I used wine)

Pour a small slick of olive oil into the crockpot (approx 1 Tbsp). Throw in the carrots and onion. Lay in the chicken - I removed most of the skin, but was not really careful. Tuck the garlic cloves in around the edges and between the pieces (or in the cavity if you're using a whole chicken). Scatter any stragglers over the top. Season generously - salt sparingly. You can use fresh or dried herbs. I used approx 1 Tbsp each of dried spices. Pour wine or broth over the top. Cook on 'high' for 3-4 hours or 'low' for longer. I turned the top pieces about 1 1/2 hours into cooking so that more of the spices were incorporated into the 'broth'. That's it! Easy, peasy! The meat fell off of the bones as we took it out of the cooker.

I served the chicken in one giant bowl, the garlic in another bowl, and the onions and carrots in a third bowl. If the meat hadn't fallen apart, I might have served it all together, but I was a bit concerned that we would end up eating a homogenous mush, so I kept it all separate. I strongly advise serving a large loaf of fresh bread with this meal because you are going to want to squeeze the garlic cloves out of their papery skins and onto the bread for immediate consumption :-)

Ready to Eat?

Today's Recipes: Dragon's Breath Sauce and Light & Lively Chicken Soup

Since I've been all Lily Ruth-centric and light on the crafting and recipes lately, I've decided to double up. That's right - 2 easy-peasy recipes that I adore for different reasons :-)

The first originally comes from The Wine Lover's Cookbook (by Sid Goldstein). Of course, because I'm me, I make it slightly differently. Also, this is one of my mama's favorite things in the whole world, and she renamed it :-) It's a very very (very very) spicy sauce that we like to serve with shrimp... or chicken... or beef... and/or noodles... but mainly shrimp. You can very easily double this - it's just as good ;-) *edit - I just went back and read the recipe again... I really just make it the same way he does...

Dragon's Breath Sauce

1/4 c hot chili oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (or regular sesame oil)
1/2 tsp Thai chili paste (or WAY more)
2 1/2 Tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
2 Tbsp chopped pickled ginger
2 Tbsp juice from chopped pickled ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 c chopped cilantro leaves

Mix it all up and pour it over stuff you like to eat. Be forewarned, it is SPICY! We usually grill unseasoned, shell-on shrimp and boil some noodles. Then we peel shrimp, pour sauce over them and the noodles and eat until we cry. You will totally have dragon breath when you are done... hence the name...

------------------------------------------

My next recipe came to me in a vision last week. It was cool but not cold, and I wanted soup but I didn't want a hearty stew (unusual...) so I started thinking about the yummy Caldo de Pollo that you can get in so many Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants around here. What came of all that ruminating was a light, fresh tasting soup that I loved and will make again.

Light & Lively Chicken Soup


1 pkg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin
4-6 dashes Chipotle Tabasco
2-3 peeled carrots - cut into coins
1/4 - 1/2 Lb crimini mushrooms - chopped
4-5 garlic cloves - minced
8 cups chicken broth (homemade is best - duh - but I use Pacific Foods a LOT)
3/4 c uncooked Fideo (or any fine/small pasta)
2 zucchini - chopped
1 bag fresh spinach - chopped or torn
1 container cherry or grape tomatoes - quartered
1/2 c (or more) fresh cilantro leaves

In a big pasta or soup pot, brown the chicken thighs in a small amount of olive oil. Season with cumin and Chipotle Tabasco (use however much you like, I'm totally guessing at how much I actually used) as they cook. After you turn the chicken the first time, add the carrots and the mushrooms. Just before the chicken is done, add the garlic. When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot and scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom to loosen them - leave them in the pot along with the carrots, mushrooms and garlic. Add the broth (also only an estimate, the more chicken/pasta/vegetables that you add, the more broth you'll need) and bring to a boil. While the broth is heating, chop the chicken and return it to the pot. Once the soup is boiling, add the pasta & reduce the heat to a simmer. 4 or 5 minutes before the pasta is done, add the zucchini. When the pasta is done, add the spinach, tomatoes and cilantro. Serve immediately :-)
Makes 4 or 5 servings... or more...

** Notes on making soup: Soup is very forgiving, and very 'fluid' (HA!) - this is why I am so bad about measuring what I use when I'm making it. Taste after each major addition, and adjust your seasoning accordingly.

Oh MAN, now I'm hungry again!

Have YOU made anything lately that I need to know about?

Another Mama Moment

Today's recipe: Dracula's Revenge (Baked Penne with Sausage and Garlic)

Today is a bittersweet mothering day. Both Lily Ruth and I are congested to the gills. She has not wanted to do ANYTHING that doesn't involve me. I have just wanted to crawl under a rock (by myself) and hang out there until my head clears.

We've settled for cranky nursing

And restless napping

I'm venting, not complaining. How could I resent someone who loves me so intensely that all she wants when she feels crummy is me? I can't. I don't. I just REALLY wish that I had a staff so that somebody else could go start dinner while my baby snores green bubbles and reaches for me...

Oh, and it's going to be a GREAT dinner :-) One of my favorite recipes of all time! Dracula's Revenge came into my life from Cooking Light. I would swear that my mom has been making this since I lived at home, but Cooking Light swears that it appeared in October of 2000... potato, po-tah-to... it's still great. Tonight, I will be halving the pasta and the sauce, but keeping the garlic and sausage at their original levels... it's just that I don't have 6 cups of milk, and I'm NOT leaving the house for more (also, I don't actually need 10 servings - 5 will be more than enough ;-) ) Oh, and all of the reviews suggest upping the flour to 1/2 cup in order to make the sauce thicker/richer. Since I always thought that it should be thicker, I am thrilled to make the adjustment.

Dracula's Revenge (Baked Penne with Sausage and Garlic)
Yield:  10 servings

2 whole garlic heads
1 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups hot cooked penne (about 1 pound uncooked tube-shaped pasta) or rigatoni
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove white papery skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap each head separately in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Set garlic aside.

Increase oven temperature to 400°.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Place sausage in a large bowl; stir in sage and rosemary.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add the flour to melted butter, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the milk; cook until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk (about 10 minutes). Stir in roasted garlic, cheeses, salt, and pepper. Remove mixture from heat. Add 5 1/2 cups cheese sauce and cooked pasta to sausage, stirring to coat. Spoon pasta mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining sauce. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated

CALORIES 434 (30% from fat); FAT 14.4g (sat 7.2g,mono 4.5g,poly 2g); IRON 3mg; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 425mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.7g; SODIUM 700mg; PROTEIN 26.3g; FIBER 1.4g 

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2000

Happy Halloween!

I really enjoyed our weekend! It started on Friday with Lily Ruth's 'party' at Parent's Day Out. The kiddos wore costumes and parents brought treats and the caregivers made special lunches in the classrooms. Adorable... well, adorable except for what the program director refers to as 'The Annual Torturing of the Children' - also known as picture time:

I only got a few shots before all 3 mamas gave up and got into the picture. Now I just have to remember to ask for copies...

I made a new favorite recipe - Lollipop Cakes! They actually come together very easily, and the recipe multiplies out very easily and tastily. Since I am NOT a great baker, and I needed to make way more of these than the original recipe allows for, both of those things are important. Alright, I'm going to give you the original recipe, then the modified / multiplied version that I have now made twice :-)

The original recipe comes from the 'Bean Appetit' cookbook by Shannon Payette Seip and Kelly Parthen with Carisa Dixon that I acquired on our (AWESOME) trip to Madison Wisconsin. You can see more about them on their Bean Sprouts Cafe website.

Bear with me, This is actually 3 recipes - the Bean Appetit Flour Blend, the Sweet 'Meat' Filling (a.k.a. chocolate cake), and the directions for assembling the Lollipop Cakes.

Bean Appetit Flour Blend

3 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups wheat germ
1/2 cup flax meal

combine and store in an airtight container

Sweet 'Meat' Filling

1/4 cup Bean Appetit Flour Blend
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp water
2 tsp milk
1 Tbsp chocolate chips

- preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- combine the flour blend, cocoa powder, brown sugar and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Then add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, water and milk and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- spray a mini muffin pan and pour in the cake batter. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean.

Lollipop Cakes

Serves 4

1 recipe Sweet 'Meat' Filling
3-4 Tbsp milk
4 lollipop sticks
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
sprinkles

- When your cake is cooled, mash it up into little pieces in a bowl. Add the milk until the cake becomes sticky.
- form 1-inch-diameter balls using the sticky cake. Carefully slide a lollipop stick into each ball. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes or until the cake hardens.
- dip each ball into the melted chocolate and decorate it with the sprinkles. Set the cake balls on parchment paper and let them cool for 10 minutes or until the chocolate hardens.

SOOOOOOOOOOOO, here is the expanded version. Remember, I've made it TWICE, so I'm fairly certain that it's not a fluke that it worked... but it might be... bake at your own risk :-P

Makes 24 - 26 Lollipop Cakes:

1 1/2 cup Bean Appetit Flour Blend
6 tsp cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
6 Tbsp olive oil
6 tsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1/3 (+ a little bit extra) cup chocolate chips (I used 60%+ dark chocolate morsels)

Modifications to the process:

- Mix the cake in the same order as before. use a full size muffin/cupcake tray (I filled a 12 portion tray). bake approx 25 minutes - start checking for done-ness at 20 minutes.
- Once the cake has cooled, mash and mix in milk in small amounts. you want sticky, but still manageable, not sloppy or runny. I used 9 Tbsp milk.
- Roll the cake mixture into balls, insert the lollipop sticks and freeze (40+ minutes worked best for me)
- I may be skewered by real bakers, but I melted the remainder of the bag of chocolate morsels in the microwave (in a pyrex dish) for 1 minute.
- While the chocolate begins it's melting, bring a small pan of water to boil on the stove (small enough that the dish will sit in it w/o becoming submerged). As soon as boiling begins, turn the heat off, and place the dish of chocolate into the pan. The residual heat from the water will keep the chocolate at the right consistency. If the chocolate becomes too hard, turn the heat on 'low' for a minute or two.
- Sprinkle each lollipop as soon as it has been dipped. If you wait too long, said sprinkles will not stick :-(
- By the way, I tried using 'white chocolate' on a few from the first batch - not fantastic...

So there you have it! Yummmmmmmmm. I know - I love you, too.

Mama Cooks

Today's Recipe: Linda's Sunday Night Pasta 'Bake'

I get my love of cooking good food from my family. My Grandmother doesn't cook as much as she used to - I think it's just not her turn any more - but my Mama is still KILLING it in the kitchen. For last night's dinner, she winged it using a couple of recipes that she'd seen while going through old issues of Cooking Light (a favorite pastime in our group). It was so good, that I have to include it here even though we didn't take any pictures...

Sunday Night Pasta

1 bag/box/package of pasta - use your favorite
1 Lb fresh Ricotta cheese
1 Lb fresh Mozarella cheese - sliced
olive oil
1 Lb mushrooms - cleaned and cubed/quartered
1 large onion (red yellow or white) - chopped
2 bunches Swiss Chard - washed, ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped
Kosher salt
4 or 5 garlic cloves
1 jar GOOD marinara sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

boil pasta according to directions - you'll want it to be al dente. line a baking sheet or two with foil and coat with olive oil. loosely arrange the mushrooms and onion - do not crowd them. bake at 350 until nicely done - set aside. in a large skillet, heat a dollop of olive oil. add the chard and a bit of Kosher salt, and stir. as it begins to soften, press the garlic cloves over the chard and mix. when the chard is just cooked, add in the mushroom/onion mix and the pasta sauce and heat until just warmed. cover the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish with the ricotta cheese. layer in the pasta then the basil then the sauce/chard/mushroom mix. top with the Mozarella. slide the dish under your oven's broiler until the cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. eat way too much :-)

Just as a point of reference, this is my beautiful Mama with Lily Ruth when she was just a tiny newborn :-)

Recipe Catch Up

Today's Recipes: Zucchini & Bacon Pasta, Spinach, Pea & Ricotta Fritters, Lovely Lavender Cake

Wait, before I talk about food I have to show you my new haircut! I luuuuuuuuv it! I haven't had a cut since the end of February because (due to a lack of communication and an abundance of distractions) she cut it waaaaayyyyyy too short, and I was afraid to go back. Well, the hair situation had gotten a bit pathetic, so I freaked out, calmed down, then made an appointment. Same hairdresser, much different result :-)


I've been doing quite a bit of cooking lately, but not all of it was worth discussing. Some of it was, so I'll share it with you here :-)

Zuccini & Bacon Pasta
I threw this together on a weekday night when I couldn't bear to go to the grocery store. It turned out so well that I have to document it :-)

2 zucchini - sliced
1/4 Lb crimini mushrooms - sliced
1 Anaheim pepper - sliced
4 (or more) slices bacon - cooked and chopped
your favorite cheese - shredded (or a few frozen cubes of cheese sauce)
your favorite pasta - cooked

Sautee the mushrooms and peppers. Add the zucchini and a small amount of water. Simmer until the zucchini is tender & the water is gone. Add in the bacon and warm.



Combine with pasta and cheese/sauce & ENJOY!

- this next recipe is from my new favorite cookbook - it's a 'cooking with and for your toddler' book, and it is doing a fantastic job of inspiring me!

Spinach, Pea & Ricotta Fritters
(from Yummy Baby by Jane Clarke)

9 oz (1 bag) fresh baby leaf spinach - washed and well drained (I also sliced it)
4 1/2 oz fresh or frozen (thawed) peas
2 large eggs - beaten
5 Tbsp plain flour - sifted
2 Tbsp porridge oats (I used oatmeal that I chopped in the coffee grinder)
9 oz Ricotta cheese
freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil

Heat large frying pan and add spinach, tossing the leaves until they wilt. If using fresh peas, add them now and cook for another two minutes. Drain the spinach and peas well, squeezing to remove any excess water. If you're using frozen (thawed) peas, add them now. Place the spinach and the peas in a mixing bowl and add mix in the eggs then the flour and the oats and finally the ricotta. Mix well & season with plenty of black pepper.

Heat a little vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan. Drop large spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until set and beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven. Chop into small pieces until necessary.

--- I've found that I like more spice than just the pepper. I also add finely chopped or pressed fresh garlic and shredded fresh basil. Also (true story), DO NOT use cottage cheese if you run short on ricotta - even if you drain it first.

Lily Ruth's Birthday Cake


It turned out pretty, but only so-so for quality. Here's what I think happened - ready? - I... am not... a good... baker. There. I said it. It really seems to be true. In addition to the anniversary cake debacle, I've made several cookie recipes lately, and they were as lackluster as the cake. I'm pretty sure that the problem lies in my patience and my 'devil may care' approach to following recipes. I'm fairly certain that successful baking requires patience and accurate measurements :-/

At any rate, I got the recipe here, and I made the 'Lovely Lavender Cake'. I may try it again, and this time I'll 1) beat the egg mixture longer - I'm not convinced that I had achieved 'glossy and thick' and 2) I'm going to start checking for done-ness at 25 minutes. The recipe says to bake it for ONE HOUR... and I fell for it. I didn't check it until 35 minutes in. As you may have deduced (if you're a good baker), my cake was tasty but was too dense, and a bit overdone/dry. I used basic cream cheese frosting to cover the cake and for the writing and that part was supremely tasty. Another lesson here - do not add additional liquid because you think that your frosting is too thick as it begins to come together. It will soften as you go. Additional liquid will leave you will a thinned-out mess that has to be chilled before application. *le sigh*

O.k., I've been trying to pretend that I'm not sick anymore, but I am. I really, really am. The mastitis is not gone (it never really left), and seems to have re-manifested itself in the form of swollen, painful lymph nodes in both armpits and extreme mucus production. If you managed to get the license plate of the truck that ran me over, please let me know... I will be going back to the doctor this week :-(

I can't remember any of the other recipes that I wanted to talk about, so I guess I'll just go lay in bed with my head propped up to facilitate drainage - yes, I know, GLAMOUR GIRL! - and not sleep because I can't breathe. Pooooooor me :-{ (that's me with a quivery bottom lip as I hold back my pity party tears).

I took a few cute Lily Ruth pics today, and I will fabricate a reason to post them soon. Sleep well, Dahlings. Dulce sueños!

Summer Yum

Today's recipes: Lavender Marinade, Linguine with Tomatoes and Basil, Fruit Salad Combos

I'm feeling a bit better this week! Enough better that i want to cook!!! Oh, and I want to share!

I bought culinary lavender at the farmer's market, and got a great marinade recipe with it. I have (of course) tweaked it a bit...

Lavender Marinade

- works for pork or lamb, chops, roasts or tenderloins
1 Tbsp culinary lavender
1 Tbsp herbs de Provance blend (optional... but yummy)
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic - crushed or pressed
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil

combine all ingredients in whatever container you are going to marinate your meat in. use enough olive oil to liberally coat the meat. let meat sit in mixture for at least 2 hours. cook & enjoy :-)

- I served Lavender Pork Tenderloin with rice and steamed broccoli... sooooooo nice :-)

This next recipe was given to me at Central Market a few years ago, and I LOOOOOOOOOVE it! Of course, it needed tweaking... my modifications are in parenthesis:

Linguine with Tomatoes and Basil

4 ripe large tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I use roma, cherry or grape tomatoes - whatever looks better)
1 Lb Brie cheese, rind removed, cut/torn into 1 inch cubes - really cold brie is easier to handle
1 cup cleaned fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced (I use WAY more garlic, and I slice it thinly)
Olive Oil - the recipe calls for 1 cup, I never use more than 1/2 cup
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 Lbs fresh linguine
freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

combine tomatoes, brie, basil, garlic, salt & pepper & oil (here's where I gauge the amount of oil needed - the mixture should be plenty 'gooshy', but does not need to swim in oil). cover and let sit @ room temperature for at least 2 hours

cook linguine, drain & toss w/ the tomato mixture. add parmesan if desired. serve immediately

makes 4-6 portions

- this time around, I'm serving this pasta with Parmesean Chicken Sausage from Central Market


and mango & avocado salad...


I usually just serve it with bread and wine ;-)

I also used the LONGEST PASTA I'VE EVER SEEN! It looks like Ramen, only longer and spiral - Lily Ruth LOOOOOOVED it :-)


oh, I remembered that I wanted to share my current favorite fruit salad combos with you!

peach & blackberry with a tiny bit of lavender sugar
mango & avocado with lime and chili powder
watermelon and white grape with no adornment :-)

Welcome to Summer dining!!!! I'm feeling inspired!

Oh, Did I mention...

Today's Recipes: Chocolate Cake

... that it's our anniversary :-) 14 years, folks. I made this cake. I halved the recipe (yet forget and added all 4 eggs... oops... I'll let you know how it tastes), but instead of the frosting they made, I topped it with a half bag of melted Andes Creme de Menthe chips. mmmmmmm.


Oh, and also, OUR DAUGHTER CAN WALK!!!!!! I now have video proof.



:-0 best. anniversary present. ever.

Quite a bit different from last year... (please ignore the lack of hair product...)



yet no less wonderful.

Happy Anniversary, Husband! I love you.

*** Doyle family edit: Here's how my evening ended - um, we ate 1/4 to 1/3 of the cake... it was a bit dense and possibly 'eggy' (as if we could truly say what that is), yet still tasty. Now the hubby is asleep facing away from me (snoring issues), and the baby daughter is sprawled out taking up more than 1/3 of the bed. I am watching a 'Psych' rerun. Still mucho better than last year. No offense mom - I REALLY love our time at the ranch, but snoring bed-hogs beats out ridicu-preggo and lonely-sweaty-hot any day :-)

My Very First Mother's Day by Rachel

Today's Recipe: Electric Flapjacks

Today just keeps bringing me around the amazing women in my life.

I woke up to my amazing Lily Ruth's smile.


We took a walk. I found a kitten. Not a metaphor - a real, tiny, freaked out kitten... who looks almost EXACTLY like Bing did at that size. If, when I return to that location later today without my dog and my infant, said kitten is still there, I will take him/her in until a home can be found that is NOT OURS :-) My Mama's best friend (since they were 3 & 4) has rescued animals my whole life.

**EDIT - Ya'll already knew I was going to end up bringing that kitten home, right?...


He's too cute for words - I just know that somebody is missing him terribly. I will find them! Craig's List and Kinko's, here I come...

I made Electric Flapjacks for brunch. This is a great recipe from my childhood. Here it is in it's original format:


I could also hear my Mama and my Grandmother in my head while I cooked - 'the pan is ready when water droplets dance on it's surface' and 'pancakes are ready to flip when tiny bubbles pop through the top'.

I used the hand mixer passed on to me by my friend Crystal when she got an awesome stand mixer so she could make Monster Cookies in a more efficient manner.

I made tiny, baby-sized pancakes and even an 'L' for Lily just like my Mama used to for us.


I listened to the Spice Girls and 'shook it' in honor of my Kittyn.

I made tiny fridge magnet toys using Samster Mommy's idea


It's been pretty great :-)

Did I mention how awesome my husband is?


Well, he is. He and Lily Ruth bought me tiny speakers and a 'desk' for my laptop. He claims to be feeding my internet addiction. Enabler.

I AM LOVING MY LIFE, YA'LL! Feeling pretty thankful.