Normally I would write the recipe first, but, as this was a negative experience for my family, I will spare yours.
I was at the grocery store, browsing the produce section, when I saw portabella mushrooms on sale. I love mushrooms, and I thought it would be nice to make a meatless meal during the week so I thought this was a great choice. I have never had portabella mushrooms, but baby bellas are my favorite. On the way home, I was trying to recall TV cooking shows that used these and decided to attempt stuffed portabella mushrooms.
In hind sight, I should have looked up a recipe, but I thought, "It would be so easy!" I preheated the oven to 350 and sliced some tomatoes and got out shredded mozzarella. I take out the portabellas. A voice in my head tells me, "Shane doesn't like mushrooms." Then a memory of Olivia saying, "Yuck! I don't like mushrooms!" when we gave her spaghetti sauce with mushrooms. Hmm. Juliana will try everything, and Gabriella won't try anything, so we're down to me and Juliana. I had bought 5 mushrooms.
"No worries," I tell myself. "I will cover them up with cheese and no one will know what they are eating!" (Yeah, right...) I clean the tops of the mushrooms with a wet paper towel. The gills of the mushroom look so black I decide to run them under some water. (DO NOT DO THIS) I layer mushroom, cheese, tomato, cheese, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and olive oil. I put in the oven.
My stomach is growling and the girls are telling me they are hungry every thirty seconds. Olivia keeps asking me for cantaloupe. After only five minutes I take them out of the oven, before the cheese is melted. I put some more cheese on top (bad idea) and pop them one at a time into the microwave for 30 seconds each. The cheese is still not melted all the way, but the mushrooms are steaming hot. I figure it's good enough, and I cut the mushrooms up into bite size pieces. Shane is working the night shift, so he gets to miss this meal. The rest of us, however, do not. I serve a piece of bread with each stuffed mushroom. Gabriella eats the inside of her bread and asks for another. I eat her crust.
Olivia asks, "What is the black stuff?"
I tell her, "It's a vegetable that's really good for you so eat it."
She says, "It looks yucky."
Juliana says, "Ew, gross!" C'mon Juliana, you were the one I was counting on to eat it!
I say, "It's just tomatoes, cheese and vegetables. You will not get any cantaloupe unless you eat it!"
Then I try mine. As I cut into it, brown water runs out and the tomato separates from the mushroom. I'm assuming due to the shower I gave them. The cheese closest to the mushroom is melted but the cheese on top is still cold. I'm basically eating cold shredded mozzarella with a watery tomato and watery mushroom.
The girls have finished their bread and are now asking for cantaloupe. I say, "At least eat your tomatoes."
Olivia persists, "Can you take all the brown stuff off my plate?"
"Fine," I say. I didn't really expect her to eat it anyway. I am happy to see Juliana has at least taken a bite of her mushroom without complaint.
"Can I be excused?" asks Olivia. I notice she ate her tomato but left the cheese which has been colored brown from the watery mushroom.
"Just one more bite," I say. I spoon some brown cheese into her mouth and release her.
"Can I be excused?" asks Juliana. I see she hasn't eaten a second bite of anything but I let her go after she ate more tomato.
Gabriella just follows her. I don't object.
I finish just enough of my undercooked dinner so that I don't feel guilty for wasting it. Then I have some cookies.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Monday, June 14, 2010
Hawaiian Chicken
Ingredients: 1 pineapple, 2 chicken breasts, 2 tbs spicy honey BBQ sauce
Recipe: Heat grill or grill pan on med-hi. While pre-heating, slice pineapple into rings. Sear pineapple for grill marks and turn down heat. Cook only a few minutes per side. Then turn up heat to med-hi. Coat chicken breasts with BBQ sauce. Then, sear chicken for grill marks and turn down for cooking, about 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken. Plate chicken, add sauce if needed, then pineapple ring. Serve with a side salad with ranch dressing.
I really just made this up. I've had similar items at restaurants and I know that "Hawaiian Chicken" usually involves chicken, pineapple and BBQ sauce. I had those three things so this is what did with them.
I put cartoons on for the kiddos. The baby is napping. Olivia notices I am cutting up a pineapple. "Pineapple! I want some!"
I have just finished cutting around the pineapple and slicing and was now trying to cut the core out to make those perfect circles. Impossible. There are several chunks of pineapple off to the side of the cutting board. "How do you ask nicely?" I reply to her.
"May I please have some pineapple?"
"Me too! Me too!" Juliana shouts as she comes into the kitchen.
"Okay, here's some for both of you to share."
While that occupies them, I preheat the grill, finish the slices, and I cut my chicken through the middle (like a butterfly cut, but all the way through) so it isn't as thick, and I get two breasts out of one.
I am in the middle of grilling when my husband comes home. He asks, "What are we having for dinner?"
"Um, I think I'm going to call it Hawaiian Chicken," I tell him.
"Uh-oh. Are you experimenting again?"
"Well, yes. But it''s going to be good."
He just gives me a hug and kiss on the cheek and look, as if to say, "We'll see."
After I make the girls some nuggets to go with their pineapple and plate the "Hawaiian Chicken" with a side salad of lettuce, tomatoes and ranch, it's time to eat.
I cut my chicken and pineapple and mix it all together to make a "Hawaiian Chicken Salad" and it is delicious. I ask my husband what the thinks.
"It's really good honey," he says.
Four empty dinner plates tells me dinner was a success!
Recipe: Heat grill or grill pan on med-hi. While pre-heating, slice pineapple into rings. Sear pineapple for grill marks and turn down heat. Cook only a few minutes per side. Then turn up heat to med-hi. Coat chicken breasts with BBQ sauce. Then, sear chicken for grill marks and turn down for cooking, about 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken. Plate chicken, add sauce if needed, then pineapple ring. Serve with a side salad with ranch dressing.
I really just made this up. I've had similar items at restaurants and I know that "Hawaiian Chicken" usually involves chicken, pineapple and BBQ sauce. I had those three things so this is what did with them.
I put cartoons on for the kiddos. The baby is napping. Olivia notices I am cutting up a pineapple. "Pineapple! I want some!"
I have just finished cutting around the pineapple and slicing and was now trying to cut the core out to make those perfect circles. Impossible. There are several chunks of pineapple off to the side of the cutting board. "How do you ask nicely?" I reply to her.
"May I please have some pineapple?"
"Me too! Me too!" Juliana shouts as she comes into the kitchen.
"Okay, here's some for both of you to share."
While that occupies them, I preheat the grill, finish the slices, and I cut my chicken through the middle (like a butterfly cut, but all the way through) so it isn't as thick, and I get two breasts out of one.
I am in the middle of grilling when my husband comes home. He asks, "What are we having for dinner?"
"Um, I think I'm going to call it Hawaiian Chicken," I tell him.
"Uh-oh. Are you experimenting again?"
"Well, yes. But it''s going to be good."
He just gives me a hug and kiss on the cheek and look, as if to say, "We'll see."
After I make the girls some nuggets to go with their pineapple and plate the "Hawaiian Chicken" with a side salad of lettuce, tomatoes and ranch, it's time to eat.
I cut my chicken and pineapple and mix it all together to make a "Hawaiian Chicken Salad" and it is delicious. I ask my husband what the thinks.
"It's really good honey," he says.
Four empty dinner plates tells me dinner was a success!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Creative Meatloaf
It's a rainy, cloudy, stormy, lazy Sunday evening. I am not leaving the house. Hmm....dinner. I know I have a lot of ground beef because I had bought one of those 5-pound packs to last a while. I am thinking meatloaf.
Traditional Recipe: 1 pound ground beef, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, ketchup, seasonings. Bake at 350 for an hour.
I have never made meatloaf the same way twice. Instead of breadcrumbs, I have used Saltine crackers, Ritz crackers, oats, cornflakes, or stuffing mix. Instead of ketchup, I have used tomato puree, tomato sauce, or even A-1 sauce (my husband's favorite). I have seasoned with Italian spices, plain old S & P, or onions and garlic.
Tonight, I root through my cabinets and think "Italian Style!" I have some leftover marinara sauce and some dry spaghetti sauce mix in a packet that I have been wanting to get rid of. I originally bought it for a recipe that required an Italian dressing mix and realized it wouldn't work. I get out an egg and breadcrumbs and put the beef in the microwave to defrost.
Meatloaf is incomplete without potatoes, so I peel and dice the best ones I have. (In my cabinet, it seems there's always some sprouting.) I put a pot of water on the stove to boil.
In a large bowl, I start on my meatloaf. I beat the egg and add about a 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce and then I add half of the spaghetti sauce packet. Whoa - it's orange. OK, I will leave the rest out. I add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. (I'm actually not measuring, so don't pay too much attention to what I say about that.) I add the ground beef and mix with my hands. (Wedding ring is off!) I am trying to remember what consistency the meatloaf is supposed to be. I add some more marinara, then some more breadcrumbs and hope for the best. I pour it into my foiled and sprayed loaf pan and into the preheated oven for an hour.
After I boil and mash the potatoes, I give them "Italian" treatment too (in my opinion). I squeeze some garlic through the garlic press and add butter and grated Parmesan cheese and then stir in some milk. I try it and add some salt and pepper. Yum!
After half an hour, the meatloaf smells great, but I manage to hold everyone off until it's ready. I slice it immediately after removing it from the oven because my family is acting like hungry wolves. Some slices stay together, some don't. That is fine though because I have to crumble the girls' up anyway.
That meatloaf was the juiciest meatloaf I've had! Is meatloaf supposed to be juicy? Maybe I should say moist. Anyway, I liked it. My husband didn't say it was the best ever (I think he prefers the A-1) but he had seconds and the girls finished their plates (which never happens!) so I'd say it was a success. I think it was the spaghetti sauce mix after all.
Traditional Recipe: 1 pound ground beef, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, ketchup, seasonings. Bake at 350 for an hour.
I have never made meatloaf the same way twice. Instead of breadcrumbs, I have used Saltine crackers, Ritz crackers, oats, cornflakes, or stuffing mix. Instead of ketchup, I have used tomato puree, tomato sauce, or even A-1 sauce (my husband's favorite). I have seasoned with Italian spices, plain old S & P, or onions and garlic.
Tonight, I root through my cabinets and think "Italian Style!" I have some leftover marinara sauce and some dry spaghetti sauce mix in a packet that I have been wanting to get rid of. I originally bought it for a recipe that required an Italian dressing mix and realized it wouldn't work. I get out an egg and breadcrumbs and put the beef in the microwave to defrost.
Meatloaf is incomplete without potatoes, so I peel and dice the best ones I have. (In my cabinet, it seems there's always some sprouting.) I put a pot of water on the stove to boil.
In a large bowl, I start on my meatloaf. I beat the egg and add about a 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce and then I add half of the spaghetti sauce packet. Whoa - it's orange. OK, I will leave the rest out. I add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. (I'm actually not measuring, so don't pay too much attention to what I say about that.) I add the ground beef and mix with my hands. (Wedding ring is off!) I am trying to remember what consistency the meatloaf is supposed to be. I add some more marinara, then some more breadcrumbs and hope for the best. I pour it into my foiled and sprayed loaf pan and into the preheated oven for an hour.
After I boil and mash the potatoes, I give them "Italian" treatment too (in my opinion). I squeeze some garlic through the garlic press and add butter and grated Parmesan cheese and then stir in some milk. I try it and add some salt and pepper. Yum!
After half an hour, the meatloaf smells great, but I manage to hold everyone off until it's ready. I slice it immediately after removing it from the oven because my family is acting like hungry wolves. Some slices stay together, some don't. That is fine though because I have to crumble the girls' up anyway.
That meatloaf was the juiciest meatloaf I've had! Is meatloaf supposed to be juicy? Maybe I should say moist. Anyway, I liked it. My husband didn't say it was the best ever (I think he prefers the A-1) but he had seconds and the girls finished their plates (which never happens!) so I'd say it was a success. I think it was the spaghetti sauce mix after all.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Spaghetti Night
Recipe: 1/2 box spaghetti noodles, 1/2 lb. ground beef, 1 jar "Ragu Super Chunky Mushroom"
Cook the noodles. Cook and drain meat. Add sauce. Mix all together. Yum.
We leave the park at 5:30. The girls slept through lunch and Olivia ate chicken nuggets and goldfish on the playground, but Juliana wouldn't leave the swings. I'm hoping they will just watch TV.
I'm glad I planned something simple for dinner, because today seemed busy with pre-school and the park. Such a nice day though. I have tried spaghetti several different ways: I vary the sauce or have even made handmade meatballs, but no matter what I do, Shane prefers Ragu. That's fine with me. It's easier and cheaper that way.
I open the fridge and find two puzzles. Olivia must have been making cookies.
Hmm, what was I looking for? Oh, ground beef. It's in the freezer. I stick it in the microwave for 5 mins on 30% power to defrost and heat up the pan and boil a pot of water.
"Mommy, can I have a snack?" Olivia asks.
"No baby, I'm making dinner and don't want you to get full on snacks," I answer.
"What are you making?" she asks.
"Spaghetti."
"I don't like spaghetti. What's spaghetti?"
I show her a picture from the box of noodles.
"Yuck, I don't like that," she responds. "I want macaroni and cheese."
"No. And you do like spaghetti. You've had it before," I say.
She grumbles and leaves the room.
Gabriella (9 mos) is fussing so I pick her up. I put the noodles in the pot and I start browning the beef. I must say, I feel like a super mom cooking dinner with one hand and holding a baby on my hip with the other. Oops, I almost burn her foot. She's bigger than she used to be. I start unloading the dishwasher (still one-handed) while the stuff on the stove cooks.
"Seat." Juliana says, pulling a bar stool towards the kitchen. This is her way of telling me she wants to sit up by the stove to help me stir or cook, like when we're baking.
"No Juli, Mommy doesn't need help cooking right now. Do you want to help be do the dishes?" I ask.
"Alright!" she says. Then she goes to her room.
I drain the ground beef and pour the Ragu sauce into the same pan. I drain the spaghetti and pour that into the pan too.
Juliana comes back into the kitchen, clutching her ballerina dress. Olivia is close behind, holding her princess dress.
"Stuck," Juliana says. This is what she says if she can't get something open or, in this case, on.
I am still one-handed so I tell her I can help her after I make dinner.
I put Gabriella down on the floor, glancing around to make sure there was nothing harmful she could eat. While she cries, I finished loading the dishwasher and mixing the spaghetti, which I leave on warm until we're ready to eat. Juliana comes back, still clutching her ballerina dress.
"Peas Mommy?" she says. Aw, how can resist the magic words? I put it on over her clothes.
Shane comes home while I'm feeding Gabi baby food. Time for dinner! We coral the children to the table and I try unsuccessfully to explain to Juliana she cannot wear her ballerina dress at dinner because she will get it messy. She starts to throw a fit and I give in. I don't care at this point - it's washable.
Dinner is good. Shane has seconds, which is high on the scale. (Low is when he doesn't eat it; medium is finishing what's on his plate; high is when he gets seconds; super is when he agrees to eat leftovers.) Actually, he may have eaten the leftovers if there were any.
And guess what? Olivia liked it too! She even "made it" the next day in her toy kitchen.
Success.
Cook the noodles. Cook and drain meat. Add sauce. Mix all together. Yum.
We leave the park at 5:30. The girls slept through lunch and Olivia ate chicken nuggets and goldfish on the playground, but Juliana wouldn't leave the swings. I'm hoping they will just watch TV.
I'm glad I planned something simple for dinner, because today seemed busy with pre-school and the park. Such a nice day though. I have tried spaghetti several different ways: I vary the sauce or have even made handmade meatballs, but no matter what I do, Shane prefers Ragu. That's fine with me. It's easier and cheaper that way.
I open the fridge and find two puzzles. Olivia must have been making cookies.
Hmm, what was I looking for? Oh, ground beef. It's in the freezer. I stick it in the microwave for 5 mins on 30% power to defrost and heat up the pan and boil a pot of water.
"Mommy, can I have a snack?" Olivia asks.
"No baby, I'm making dinner and don't want you to get full on snacks," I answer.
"What are you making?" she asks.
"Spaghetti."
"I don't like spaghetti. What's spaghetti?"
I show her a picture from the box of noodles.
"Yuck, I don't like that," she responds. "I want macaroni and cheese."
"No. And you do like spaghetti. You've had it before," I say.
She grumbles and leaves the room.
Gabriella (9 mos) is fussing so I pick her up. I put the noodles in the pot and I start browning the beef. I must say, I feel like a super mom cooking dinner with one hand and holding a baby on my hip with the other. Oops, I almost burn her foot. She's bigger than she used to be. I start unloading the dishwasher (still one-handed) while the stuff on the stove cooks.
"Seat." Juliana says, pulling a bar stool towards the kitchen. This is her way of telling me she wants to sit up by the stove to help me stir or cook, like when we're baking.
"No Juli, Mommy doesn't need help cooking right now. Do you want to help be do the dishes?" I ask.
"Alright!" she says. Then she goes to her room.
I drain the ground beef and pour the Ragu sauce into the same pan. I drain the spaghetti and pour that into the pan too.
Juliana comes back into the kitchen, clutching her ballerina dress. Olivia is close behind, holding her princess dress.
"Stuck," Juliana says. This is what she says if she can't get something open or, in this case, on.
I am still one-handed so I tell her I can help her after I make dinner.
I put Gabriella down on the floor, glancing around to make sure there was nothing harmful she could eat. While she cries, I finished loading the dishwasher and mixing the spaghetti, which I leave on warm until we're ready to eat. Juliana comes back, still clutching her ballerina dress.
"Peas Mommy?" she says. Aw, how can resist the magic words? I put it on over her clothes.
Shane comes home while I'm feeding Gabi baby food. Time for dinner! We coral the children to the table and I try unsuccessfully to explain to Juliana she cannot wear her ballerina dress at dinner because she will get it messy. She starts to throw a fit and I give in. I don't care at this point - it's washable.
Dinner is good. Shane has seconds, which is high on the scale. (Low is when he doesn't eat it; medium is finishing what's on his plate; high is when he gets seconds; super is when he agrees to eat leftovers.) Actually, he may have eaten the leftovers if there were any.
And guess what? Olivia liked it too! She even "made it" the next day in her toy kitchen.
Success.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Catalina Cranberry Chicken
Recipe
Ingredients:
4 lbs. bone-in chicken pieces (any assortment)
1 16-oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 bottle Catalina Dressing
1 envelope dried onion soup mix
Preheat oven to 350
Place chicken in 2 baking pans (13x9). Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken. Bake 50 mins or until chicken is 165 degrees.
So easy even I couldn't screw it up!!
I had already fed the girls leftover tacos so they were content watching TV while I cooked. As I got everything out, I was disappointed to learn I had only bought 2 pounds of chicken so I reduced the rest of the ingredients by half - except for the cranberries. I love cranberries.
Besides that, I did everything like the recipe said and the kids stayed out of the kitchen and it was delicious! How boring. But, I had to share the recipe.
I got this recipe from the Kraft Foods magazine, Holiday 2009 edition.
Ingredients:
4 lbs. bone-in chicken pieces (any assortment)
1 16-oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 bottle Catalina Dressing
1 envelope dried onion soup mix
Preheat oven to 350
Place chicken in 2 baking pans (13x9). Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken. Bake 50 mins or until chicken is 165 degrees.
So easy even I couldn't screw it up!!
I had already fed the girls leftover tacos so they were content watching TV while I cooked. As I got everything out, I was disappointed to learn I had only bought 2 pounds of chicken so I reduced the rest of the ingredients by half - except for the cranberries. I love cranberries.
Besides that, I did everything like the recipe said and the kids stayed out of the kitchen and it was delicious! How boring. But, I had to share the recipe.
I got this recipe from the Kraft Foods magazine, Holiday 2009 edition.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
How to Mess up Box Mixes
My daughter just turned 2, and for her birthday, I made a variety of treats. For her pre-school class, I made brownies. Then, for a play date birthday party, I made a cookie cake. At least, I tried to make those things.
Tuesday night, I made the brownies. Couldn't be easier: Pour contents of bag into bowl, add just a couple of ingredients, mix and bake. Olivia helped me pour and stir. The box said to immediately put in the oven. But I had to wait for the oven to finish preheating. The instructions were to bake 25-30 mins for an 8x8 square pan but mine was 9x9. I thought nothing of it. 25 mins later, I am in the middle of giving the girls a bath so my husband takes the brownies out and lays them on the counter to cool. After I read the girls a story and put them to bed, I check on the brownies. Rock hard. Why? How? I cut off the outer edges and try to salvage the inner squares. I put in plastic wrap and hope they will magically soften on their own.
In the morning, the brownie squares are cement statues of their former selves. Why? How? I bring them anyway. I show them off for laughs and a teacher suggests microwaving them in a damp paper towel to add moisture. Great idea! So, right before my daughter's snack time, I try it. Mmmm, now they are warm brownies right from the oven! It worked, but as soon as they cooled, they cooled hard. So I re-microwaved and hurried over to her room.
As luck would have it, another mommy had brought in mini cupcakes so all the kids went straight for the icing. We sang Happy Birthday and I took pictures of Juli with icing on her face and the kids ate the cupcakes AND the brownies. I mean, they are 2, they'll eat anything, right?
The next day was her actual birthday and her play date party. After cleaning the house, I attempt a cookie cake. You know, one of those jumbo cookies the size of a pizza with icing decorations? Again, I pour the mix out of the box and add just a couple of ingredients. I start stirring and think, "Hmm, why is this dough so pale and mushy?" I re-read the box, and underneath the photo of a stick of butter it says "1 tbs butter." So, yes, I used a STICK of butter when it called for only a tablespoon.
In my defense, I usually make cookies from scratch using two sticks of butter so it did not seem odd that a mix would ask for a stick.
OK, don't panic, just laugh. I have to tell somebody, and ask for advice, so I call my friend Angie who is a baking whiz. She bursts out laughing and says, "I don't know. I've left out ingredients before, but I've never added too much of one. Just taste it and see what it needs." I add a bit of flour just to get the consistency right, then I try it. It tastes bland. Like butter. (I always buy unsalted butter.) I try to think back at what cookie dough is supposed to taste like, so I add more sugar. When it starts to resemble regular cookie dough, I spread it on my pizza pan. It looks a lot smaller than I thought it would. I could have used two boxes. Oh well. I do my best to shape it into a circle and bake it.
As my guests arrived, I gave them full disclosure and warned them the cookie cake may taste a bit odd. Looking back, I shouldn't have said a word. It came out just fine.
Tuesday night, I made the brownies. Couldn't be easier: Pour contents of bag into bowl, add just a couple of ingredients, mix and bake. Olivia helped me pour and stir. The box said to immediately put in the oven. But I had to wait for the oven to finish preheating. The instructions were to bake 25-30 mins for an 8x8 square pan but mine was 9x9. I thought nothing of it. 25 mins later, I am in the middle of giving the girls a bath so my husband takes the brownies out and lays them on the counter to cool. After I read the girls a story and put them to bed, I check on the brownies. Rock hard. Why? How? I cut off the outer edges and try to salvage the inner squares. I put in plastic wrap and hope they will magically soften on their own.
In the morning, the brownie squares are cement statues of their former selves. Why? How? I bring them anyway. I show them off for laughs and a teacher suggests microwaving them in a damp paper towel to add moisture. Great idea! So, right before my daughter's snack time, I try it. Mmmm, now they are warm brownies right from the oven! It worked, but as soon as they cooled, they cooled hard. So I re-microwaved and hurried over to her room.
As luck would have it, another mommy had brought in mini cupcakes so all the kids went straight for the icing. We sang Happy Birthday and I took pictures of Juli with icing on her face and the kids ate the cupcakes AND the brownies. I mean, they are 2, they'll eat anything, right?
The next day was her actual birthday and her play date party. After cleaning the house, I attempt a cookie cake. You know, one of those jumbo cookies the size of a pizza with icing decorations? Again, I pour the mix out of the box and add just a couple of ingredients. I start stirring and think, "Hmm, why is this dough so pale and mushy?" I re-read the box, and underneath the photo of a stick of butter it says "1 tbs butter." So, yes, I used a STICK of butter when it called for only a tablespoon.
In my defense, I usually make cookies from scratch using two sticks of butter so it did not seem odd that a mix would ask for a stick.
OK, don't panic, just laugh. I have to tell somebody, and ask for advice, so I call my friend Angie who is a baking whiz. She bursts out laughing and says, "I don't know. I've left out ingredients before, but I've never added too much of one. Just taste it and see what it needs." I add a bit of flour just to get the consistency right, then I try it. It tastes bland. Like butter. (I always buy unsalted butter.) I try to think back at what cookie dough is supposed to taste like, so I add more sugar. When it starts to resemble regular cookie dough, I spread it on my pizza pan. It looks a lot smaller than I thought it would. I could have used two boxes. Oh well. I do my best to shape it into a circle and bake it.
As my guests arrived, I gave them full disclosure and warned them the cookie cake may taste a bit odd. Looking back, I shouldn't have said a word. It came out just fine.
Monday, January 4, 2010
New Year's Eve
It's Jan 4th and I've managed not to use any recipes all year! Nachos, steaks, and restaurants. It may have been New Year's Eve that did me in. I'll post the recipe first then detail my experience.
Lentil Soup with Beef (or, as I tell my husband, Beef Stew with lentils)
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis (from foodnetwork.com)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 (14-ounce) cans beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups (about 11 ounces) lentils, rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Directions
Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oregano to the pot. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Return the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meat is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add the lentils. Cover and continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
I've made this once before and it was great. My husband loved it and even ate the leftovers, which he never does. I originally planned to make this on New Year's day and I was going to make that stuffed veal that I didn't get to make on Christmas Eve, but once again I never made it to the store to buy the ingredients. So, our New Year's Eve feast it is!
The day was doomed from the start since I was expecting a service call. (We're switching from cable to do a bundle thing; we'll see how it works out.) You can never plan around service calls. In particular when they tell you "some time today between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m." I started dinner at 5 pm when I started calling the service provider, but since it was a holiday, they were closed early. For some reason, I kept calling.
I preheat the pot and cut and season the beef. Redial and place beef in pot. Peel and or chop veggies and herbs. Tears from onion, not from service center being closed. Swap beef for veggies. Talk to friends on phone at how ridiculous it is that it's 5:30 and no one is here yet. Keeping hopes up.
By now, all three children are on the kitchen floor playing tea party right under my feet. I return beef to pot and add in broth but forget to add the tomatoes. I had them in my cabinet, I just forgot amidst the commotion.
When it's time to add the lentils, it's 6:30 and I have given up hope on the service call. The worst part is, I have no one to yell at until Saturday because the next day is a holiday. I take out my aggression on the parsley. Finely chopped.
By 7 pm, Shane is home and we take turns griping about our day. I haven't been out of the house all day and felt like a caged bird so I take one of the little ones to the store with me while the soup cools. Before I run out the door, I try the soup and think it tastes a little bland so I pour in some salt and pepper and add the parsley.
When I get back, everyone is calm and we eat. I notice Shane isn't gobbling it up like last time. I have some and notice it is very, very salty.
"It's a little salty, don't you think?" I ask
"Yeah," says Shane.
I am starving so I have seconds but notice Shane instead grabs some yogurt. He tells me he's not that hungry. I save the leftovers anyway. It just figures.
IMPORTANT LESSON: Go easy on the salt because it will ruin even the best dish!
Lentil Soup with Beef (or, as I tell my husband, Beef Stew with lentils)
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis (from foodnetwork.com)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 (14-ounce) cans beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups (about 11 ounces) lentils, rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Directions
Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oregano to the pot. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Return the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meat is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add the lentils. Cover and continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
I've made this once before and it was great. My husband loved it and even ate the leftovers, which he never does. I originally planned to make this on New Year's day and I was going to make that stuffed veal that I didn't get to make on Christmas Eve, but once again I never made it to the store to buy the ingredients. So, our New Year's Eve feast it is!
The day was doomed from the start since I was expecting a service call. (We're switching from cable to do a bundle thing; we'll see how it works out.) You can never plan around service calls. In particular when they tell you "some time today between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m." I started dinner at 5 pm when I started calling the service provider, but since it was a holiday, they were closed early. For some reason, I kept calling.
I preheat the pot and cut and season the beef. Redial and place beef in pot. Peel and or chop veggies and herbs. Tears from onion, not from service center being closed. Swap beef for veggies. Talk to friends on phone at how ridiculous it is that it's 5:30 and no one is here yet. Keeping hopes up.
By now, all three children are on the kitchen floor playing tea party right under my feet. I return beef to pot and add in broth but forget to add the tomatoes. I had them in my cabinet, I just forgot amidst the commotion.
When it's time to add the lentils, it's 6:30 and I have given up hope on the service call. The worst part is, I have no one to yell at until Saturday because the next day is a holiday. I take out my aggression on the parsley. Finely chopped.
By 7 pm, Shane is home and we take turns griping about our day. I haven't been out of the house all day and felt like a caged bird so I take one of the little ones to the store with me while the soup cools. Before I run out the door, I try the soup and think it tastes a little bland so I pour in some salt and pepper and add the parsley.
When I get back, everyone is calm and we eat. I notice Shane isn't gobbling it up like last time. I have some and notice it is very, very salty.
"It's a little salty, don't you think?" I ask
"Yeah," says Shane.
I am starving so I have seconds but notice Shane instead grabs some yogurt. He tells me he's not that hungry. I save the leftovers anyway. It just figures.
IMPORTANT LESSON: Go easy on the salt because it will ruin even the best dish!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Roast Chicken
Roast Chicken is becoming one of my favorite recipes. Which in turn means my husband is getting tired of it. But I'm cooking so I'm making roast chicken! I like it because you can make it a variety of ways - "garlic and onion" or "citrus" or "parsley and lemon" or tonight's "rosemary and sage." It's the same basic recipe: Butter, salt and pepper, whatever flavoring you decided on, and then stick all the leftovers inside the cavity. Bake at 350 for 20 mins per pound. I usually just get a 4 lb. chicken so it's just an hour.
I am trying to time this right. I just got back from the park around 4:30 and "rested" for about an hour. (Rest means Internet surfing while I nurse Gabi.) Shane said he'd be home at 6:30 so now that it's almost 5:30 I am feeling hurried. Normally it wouldn't matter but we are going to try to go to Lowes after dinner so I don't want to have to wait around.
I should have at least 10 minutes while the oven is preheating, so I figure I should have the chicken prepped by then. I start chopping the rosemary. Or rather, attempting to chop it. I have very dull knives. Just as I'm cursing my knife, I remember Shane bought me an electric knife sharpener for Christmas! Isn't he sweet? He told me, "I was tired of hearing you complain about your dull knives every night!" Ah, le amore.
So, I get the item out of the box and plug it in, but I don't see any instructions. I wonder, "Is it so easy it doesn't need instructions?" I look at the item. There are four slots. There is a picture on the back of the box that says "Two-stage sharpening system" and shows the knife going through two slots. Since there are four slots, I assume that is for sharpening two knives. I guide my knife through the first slot, then the second. It sounds like a chainsaw. I hope I don't wake up Gabi. I go back to my rosemary, and it does seem to chop a lot easier. Hooray!
I push the chopped rosemary to a corner of the (plastic) cutting board and get out my chicken. I forget I need to rinse it so I put the package on the cutting board. Olivia comes into the kitchen.
"Can I have some apple juish?" she asks, as she opens the fridge.
I tell her she needs to pronounce it "juice" or else she can't have any. After struggling to cut the plastic off the chicken, liquid goes everywhere. Luckily, the rosemary is still in tact. I swing the chicken to the sink to rinse it off, leaving a trail of liquid across the kitchen.
"What is that? That looks yuck!" Olivia says as she's watching me.
"It's chicken," I respond.
She tells me she doesn't like chicken and runs away. I rinse the chicken, put it in the roasting pan and clean up.
I'm finally ready to start prepping the chicken as the oven dings, telling me it's preheated. I grab a glob of softened butter with one hand, simultaneously drying the chicken with a paper towel with the other hand. (I have learned that buttering a wet chicken does not work.) I smother the chicken with butter and then with the rosemary. I want to add salt, pepper, and dry sage but I need clean hands to touch the containers. I go the sink to wash but the water is cold and instead of rinsing off the butter, I am coating my hands with butter and herbs. I wonder if this is moisturizing or wrinkle reducing. I'll have to look later. I am able to pump some soap before it slips away from me and now I have soapy buttery hands. This is getting annoying. Hot water works to wash or melt off the butter. Success! I happily apply the rest of the ingredients and stick it in the oven.
While it cooks I make some mashed potatoes and microwave some broccoli and cheese. As I get out the pot for the potatoes, I find the instructions to the electric sharpener. (No idea how it got in there, but whatever.) It turns out, stage one uses the first two slots and stage two uses the last two slots. Not bad, I just missed the "fine-honing." Then I read, "Before using knife to slice food, always wipe with a damp cloth to remove any metal filings that may remain from the sharpening process." Oops. I have a vision of my family choking on metal shards, but in reality it should be okay.
Shane gets home right at 6:30 but another thirty minutes is needed to finish roasting. He's too tired to go to Lowes now anyway. The chicken turned out great (according to me) and there were no trips the hospital for metal poisoning. Olivia did not eat any chicken. Oh well, I'm sure we'll have it again next week, so she can try it then.
I am trying to time this right. I just got back from the park around 4:30 and "rested" for about an hour. (Rest means Internet surfing while I nurse Gabi.) Shane said he'd be home at 6:30 so now that it's almost 5:30 I am feeling hurried. Normally it wouldn't matter but we are going to try to go to Lowes after dinner so I don't want to have to wait around.
I should have at least 10 minutes while the oven is preheating, so I figure I should have the chicken prepped by then. I start chopping the rosemary. Or rather, attempting to chop it. I have very dull knives. Just as I'm cursing my knife, I remember Shane bought me an electric knife sharpener for Christmas! Isn't he sweet? He told me, "I was tired of hearing you complain about your dull knives every night!" Ah, le amore.
So, I get the item out of the box and plug it in, but I don't see any instructions. I wonder, "Is it so easy it doesn't need instructions?" I look at the item. There are four slots. There is a picture on the back of the box that says "Two-stage sharpening system" and shows the knife going through two slots. Since there are four slots, I assume that is for sharpening two knives. I guide my knife through the first slot, then the second. It sounds like a chainsaw. I hope I don't wake up Gabi. I go back to my rosemary, and it does seem to chop a lot easier. Hooray!
I push the chopped rosemary to a corner of the (plastic) cutting board and get out my chicken. I forget I need to rinse it so I put the package on the cutting board. Olivia comes into the kitchen.
"Can I have some apple juish?" she asks, as she opens the fridge.
I tell her she needs to pronounce it "juice" or else she can't have any. After struggling to cut the plastic off the chicken, liquid goes everywhere. Luckily, the rosemary is still in tact. I swing the chicken to the sink to rinse it off, leaving a trail of liquid across the kitchen.
"What is that? That looks yuck!" Olivia says as she's watching me.
"It's chicken," I respond.
She tells me she doesn't like chicken and runs away. I rinse the chicken, put it in the roasting pan and clean up.
I'm finally ready to start prepping the chicken as the oven dings, telling me it's preheated. I grab a glob of softened butter with one hand, simultaneously drying the chicken with a paper towel with the other hand. (I have learned that buttering a wet chicken does not work.) I smother the chicken with butter and then with the rosemary. I want to add salt, pepper, and dry sage but I need clean hands to touch the containers. I go the sink to wash but the water is cold and instead of rinsing off the butter, I am coating my hands with butter and herbs. I wonder if this is moisturizing or wrinkle reducing. I'll have to look later. I am able to pump some soap before it slips away from me and now I have soapy buttery hands. This is getting annoying. Hot water works to wash or melt off the butter. Success! I happily apply the rest of the ingredients and stick it in the oven.
While it cooks I make some mashed potatoes and microwave some broccoli and cheese. As I get out the pot for the potatoes, I find the instructions to the electric sharpener. (No idea how it got in there, but whatever.) It turns out, stage one uses the first two slots and stage two uses the last two slots. Not bad, I just missed the "fine-honing." Then I read, "Before using knife to slice food, always wipe with a damp cloth to remove any metal filings that may remain from the sharpening process." Oops. I have a vision of my family choking on metal shards, but in reality it should be okay.
Shane gets home right at 6:30 but another thirty minutes is needed to finish roasting. He's too tired to go to Lowes now anyway. The chicken turned out great (according to me) and there were no trips the hospital for metal poisoning. Olivia did not eat any chicken. Oh well, I'm sure we'll have it again next week, so she can try it then.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Christmas Eve
I am still trying to find a great Christmas Eve tradition for our girls. When I was growing up, after the stores would close and just before dark, we'd get dressed in our best outfits, (my Christmas dress was always picked out well in advance) then we'd visit our family. Luckily, all of my family lived in the same city.
We'd first visit with my mom's side of the family and we'd munch on a cheese ball, and sausage or ham and crackers. I'd play Santa's Elf and hand out the gifts and boss everyone around and feel like the star of a show. We'd take turns opening each present one by one and laughing and making comments on each other's gifts. Christmas Eve was also my grandmother's birthday, so we'd have birthday cake too.
Then, close to 10 pm, we'd head over to my dad's side of the family. My dad has 10 brothers and sisters. Most all of them make it Christmas Eve. And they all have kids. It's quite a fiesta. My dad's side of the family is Mexican and my grandmother makes the best tamales I've ever had. She makes them every Christmas. We'd say the rosary, and eat and visit and sing a song to welcome Jesus. At the stroke of midnight, we'd give kisses and hugs and wish each other Merry Christmas and open our gifts. (My aunt plays Santa's Elf.) It was so crazy and so fun. Then we'd all play with our new toys until about 2 am.
Actually, that was my Christmas tradition all the way up until we moved away. Even the first year we were married, we kept the same routine. We visited with Shane's family Christmas Day. Then he joined the Air Force and we moved to Mississippi. There we had our first little girl and although her first Christmas was in TX continuing my tradition, we wanted our children to have their own traditions. We wanted them to wake up in their own beds, not in a hotel room, with Santa having visited their home.
However, besides going to church Christmas Eve, we haven't quite set any traditions. This year, I was going to do a make-ahead dinner and we were going to go to mass and come home and eat. I was going to attempt "Veal Loin stuffed with Goat Cheese and Roasted Peppers" from Paula Deen. I thought the red and white would look festive. I told Shane it was "Veal Stuffed with Cheese and Peppers" because I don't think he would be thrilled to try goat cheese. I've had it on a steak before and really enjoyed it so I think he would too. But I've come to learn if I want him to try new things, it's best not to tell him what it is.
Christmas Eve day was spent shopping - for ourselves - using any Christmas money we'd received. The girls were good sports but were getting tired and cranky so I didn't have time to go to the store for the ingredients. We definitely needed a break if we wanted good girls at church that night. So, while they napped, I made enchiladas from a box. (That really made me miss my grandmother's tamales. But it felt nice eating Mexican food.) We woke the girls up for dinner and Olivia would have nothing to do with it, but Juliana scarfed it down. Gabriella is still on baby food. I made Olivia a cheese sandwich, and then made another for Juli so they wouldn't fight over it. For the most part, the girls were angels throughout the service. Juliana finished her nap on Daddy and Olivia did eat half of her cheese sandwich. She mutilated the other half with water and her fingers until it was soggy mush that I had to wrap in a paper towel. Gabi is content as long as she held, so she is held all of the time.
We got home and bathed the children and put them to bed. We told them they better stay in their room if they wanted Santa to come, so for once, they didn't come out. Shane and I wrapped their presents, which we kept saying we were going to do every night that week. He had beer, I had wine, and it was a Silent Night - the best kind of night around here.
I don't know if this will be our Christmas Eve tradition every year, but I realized it's not important. It doesn't matter what we do, or who we do it with. For now, the best part of Christmas is being together as a family.
We'd first visit with my mom's side of the family and we'd munch on a cheese ball, and sausage or ham and crackers. I'd play Santa's Elf and hand out the gifts and boss everyone around and feel like the star of a show. We'd take turns opening each present one by one and laughing and making comments on each other's gifts. Christmas Eve was also my grandmother's birthday, so we'd have birthday cake too.
Then, close to 10 pm, we'd head over to my dad's side of the family. My dad has 10 brothers and sisters. Most all of them make it Christmas Eve. And they all have kids. It's quite a fiesta. My dad's side of the family is Mexican and my grandmother makes the best tamales I've ever had. She makes them every Christmas. We'd say the rosary, and eat and visit and sing a song to welcome Jesus. At the stroke of midnight, we'd give kisses and hugs and wish each other Merry Christmas and open our gifts. (My aunt plays Santa's Elf.) It was so crazy and so fun. Then we'd all play with our new toys until about 2 am.
Actually, that was my Christmas tradition all the way up until we moved away. Even the first year we were married, we kept the same routine. We visited with Shane's family Christmas Day. Then he joined the Air Force and we moved to Mississippi. There we had our first little girl and although her first Christmas was in TX continuing my tradition, we wanted our children to have their own traditions. We wanted them to wake up in their own beds, not in a hotel room, with Santa having visited their home.
However, besides going to church Christmas Eve, we haven't quite set any traditions. This year, I was going to do a make-ahead dinner and we were going to go to mass and come home and eat. I was going to attempt "Veal Loin stuffed with Goat Cheese and Roasted Peppers" from Paula Deen. I thought the red and white would look festive. I told Shane it was "Veal Stuffed with Cheese and Peppers" because I don't think he would be thrilled to try goat cheese. I've had it on a steak before and really enjoyed it so I think he would too. But I've come to learn if I want him to try new things, it's best not to tell him what it is.
Christmas Eve day was spent shopping - for ourselves - using any Christmas money we'd received. The girls were good sports but were getting tired and cranky so I didn't have time to go to the store for the ingredients. We definitely needed a break if we wanted good girls at church that night. So, while they napped, I made enchiladas from a box. (That really made me miss my grandmother's tamales. But it felt nice eating Mexican food.) We woke the girls up for dinner and Olivia would have nothing to do with it, but Juliana scarfed it down. Gabriella is still on baby food. I made Olivia a cheese sandwich, and then made another for Juli so they wouldn't fight over it. For the most part, the girls were angels throughout the service. Juliana finished her nap on Daddy and Olivia did eat half of her cheese sandwich. She mutilated the other half with water and her fingers until it was soggy mush that I had to wrap in a paper towel. Gabi is content as long as she held, so she is held all of the time.
We got home and bathed the children and put them to bed. We told them they better stay in their room if they wanted Santa to come, so for once, they didn't come out. Shane and I wrapped their presents, which we kept saying we were going to do every night that week. He had beer, I had wine, and it was a Silent Night - the best kind of night around here.
I don't know if this will be our Christmas Eve tradition every year, but I realized it's not important. It doesn't matter what we do, or who we do it with. For now, the best part of Christmas is being together as a family.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Ghosts of Dinners Past
Tonight we are going to "Nights of Wonder" at Saluda Shoals, which has Christmas lights and crafts and hayrides, so we'll be eating out for dinner along the way. So today, I thought I'd share some past blunders in the kitchen so you can learn from my mistakes.
1) Make sure you keep foil stocked in your kitchen.
Cover your lasagna/enchiladas/other cheese-topped dishes with foil. One time, when making lasagna, I ran out of foil. I thought, "oh well, it's probably not that important," and of course ended up with a dry, burned topping. Turns out, it is that important.
2) It's okay to make chocolate chip cookies with white sugar.
Once when making chocolate chip cookies, I ran out of brown sugar. I had only a portion of what the recipe called for so I substituted with more white sugar. Turns out, they tasted great! They looked white, like sugar cookies with chocolate chips. And they tasted, well, like sugar cookies with chocolate chips. Although next time I made them correctly with brown sugar.
3) Don't try out a new recipe on Christmas Day.
Last year, I had such a great feast planned. I was going to make some sort of beef roast, stuffing, and homemade rosemary bread - for the first time. I had never made bread or seen anyone make bread or anything close to it. I had all my ingredients (for once) and I got up early to start the bread-making.
The first step is to activate the yeast. For only a dollar, I got 3 packets of yeast. (Luckily!) The package says you have to pour warm water to activate yeast. I believe it was like 110-120 degrees. It says if you have it too hot, you will kill the yeast cultures. I definately didn't want to do that. So I microwave some water and it feels warm but not too hot. I pour into yeast powder and...nothing. Try heating up a few more seconds and...nothing. Now I'm worried I overheated it so I get a new packet. Repeat same process and still nothing. I'm on my last packet. This time I grab my children's thermometer, which really shouldn't reach 110-120 degrees (that would be real trouble!). I had only been microwaving my water for about 15 seconds but turns out it took about a minute for the water to pass 110 degrees. So I was way off. Luckily, the third packet bubbled like it was supposed to and I could get on with my bread.
I start kneading and adding flour, and my husband comes in with the girls saying "Merry Christmas" ready to open presents?
I say, "No, I'm kneading. I have to knead for 8 minutes."
He says "But you've had an hour!"
I say, "Well, I couldn't get the yeast to work and now I have to knead for 8 minutes."
He says, "What is more important, Christmas or bread?"
I say, "I ONLY NEED EIGHT MINUTES!" and burst into tears.
My husband takes the girls back into the bedroom to wait for me.
I continue kneading and crying and now it's not looking at all like dough. It's way too sticky. I re-read the recipe and it had said something like "add 1/4 cup flour at a time" and I had missed the "at a time" part so I had nowhere near the flour I was supposed to be using. So I add lots more flour and finally it started to look like dough. About half an hour after I booted my family out of our kitchen, I put the dough in a bowl and covered it to let it rise. I went back to our bedroom and said "Okay, it's time for Christmas!" Take Two.
We had a lovely morning and the bread turned out great and the rest of the day went smoothly and whole meal was enjoyable. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
1) Make sure you keep foil stocked in your kitchen.
Cover your lasagna/enchiladas/other cheese-topped dishes with foil. One time, when making lasagna, I ran out of foil. I thought, "oh well, it's probably not that important," and of course ended up with a dry, burned topping. Turns out, it is that important.
2) It's okay to make chocolate chip cookies with white sugar.
Once when making chocolate chip cookies, I ran out of brown sugar. I had only a portion of what the recipe called for so I substituted with more white sugar. Turns out, they tasted great! They looked white, like sugar cookies with chocolate chips. And they tasted, well, like sugar cookies with chocolate chips. Although next time I made them correctly with brown sugar.
3) Don't try out a new recipe on Christmas Day.
Last year, I had such a great feast planned. I was going to make some sort of beef roast, stuffing, and homemade rosemary bread - for the first time. I had never made bread or seen anyone make bread or anything close to it. I had all my ingredients (for once) and I got up early to start the bread-making.
The first step is to activate the yeast. For only a dollar, I got 3 packets of yeast. (Luckily!) The package says you have to pour warm water to activate yeast. I believe it was like 110-120 degrees. It says if you have it too hot, you will kill the yeast cultures. I definately didn't want to do that. So I microwave some water and it feels warm but not too hot. I pour into yeast powder and...nothing. Try heating up a few more seconds and...nothing. Now I'm worried I overheated it so I get a new packet. Repeat same process and still nothing. I'm on my last packet. This time I grab my children's thermometer, which really shouldn't reach 110-120 degrees (that would be real trouble!). I had only been microwaving my water for about 15 seconds but turns out it took about a minute for the water to pass 110 degrees. So I was way off. Luckily, the third packet bubbled like it was supposed to and I could get on with my bread.
I start kneading and adding flour, and my husband comes in with the girls saying "Merry Christmas" ready to open presents?
I say, "No, I'm kneading. I have to knead for 8 minutes."
He says "But you've had an hour!"
I say, "Well, I couldn't get the yeast to work and now I have to knead for 8 minutes."
He says, "What is more important, Christmas or bread?"
I say, "I ONLY NEED EIGHT MINUTES!" and burst into tears.
My husband takes the girls back into the bedroom to wait for me.
I continue kneading and crying and now it's not looking at all like dough. It's way too sticky. I re-read the recipe and it had said something like "add 1/4 cup flour at a time" and I had missed the "at a time" part so I had nowhere near the flour I was supposed to be using. So I add lots more flour and finally it started to look like dough. About half an hour after I booted my family out of our kitchen, I put the dough in a bowl and covered it to let it rise. I went back to our bedroom and said "Okay, it's time for Christmas!" Take Two.
We had a lovely morning and the bread turned out great and the rest of the day went smoothly and whole meal was enjoyable. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese: Attempt #2
I am just realizing this is my second mac and cheese of the day. Oh well. This is grown up. I've made this once before and it did not come out right. I thought I'd try again because it's one of my husband's favorites when we go out to eat and he's had a rough day. I'll post the recipe first then walk you through what I did....
Recipe Summary:
Smoked Gouda Cheese Macaroni
Recipe from Everyday Is A Party Cookbook, by Emeril Lagasse, with Marcelle Bienvenu and Felicia Willett, published by William Morrow, 1999
Ingredients
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound ditalini or small elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 pound smoked Gouda cheese, grated
Parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the water, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the white pepper and continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove the white sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese melts. Lightly grease a 6 1/2 by 10-inch casserole dish with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter. Combine the cheese sauce and macaroni in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Pour into the prepared casserole and bake until lightly golden on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Garnish with parsley.
The restaurant we get this from uses penne so I am using penne. I am also using only 1/2 pound because last time I felt it wasn't cheesy enough, and it's easier (and cheaper) for me to use less pasta then to add more cheese sauce. It's only 5pm and I have a few hours but Gabi is sleeping now, so I'm cooking now. I shoo everyone else out the kitchen and luckily TV occupies them.
So, I get out my ingredients. I had cooked a pound of penne a few days ago and kept in my fridge so I don't have to cook pasta. Yay! I start grating the cheese and just when my arms start hurting, I'm done. The restaurant also has what I think is pancetta in their mac and cheese but I have not found that any where so I'm using bacon. I didn't add it last time and missed it. I've actually never cooked bacon before, so I stick it on a hot pan and start making the sauce. Here's where I messed up last time. I melt the butter and add flour like they say in the recipe, and I add the milk slowly but I cannot get the sauce to thicken. It's thicker than milk, but not at all like sauce. I am having deja vu. The bacon keeps spitting at my face while I hover over my saucepan. Last time, I thought, "maybe it's supposed to be this way" and added the cheese but this time I am going to get the white sauce (a.k.a. bechamel sauce) right! I get another small pot going with another tbs each of butter and flour, repeating the process and I just add some of the milky sauce I have to the smaller pot and when that is thick I add it back to the original saucepan. Now it looks like sauce! So I remove from heat and add cheese. I add my cooked pasta and chopped up bacon and think it looks cheesier than last time. I add bread crumbs for some extra dazzle. After 20 mins, it's not golden brown. After 25 mins, it's not golden brown but I'm afraid I'll burn it. It cools and I try it. Disappointment! Still not cheesy enough. I now think I just have to add more cheese. (Makes sense, yes?) It's good enough for tonight, but I will have to try again to master this recipe! Feel free to post any tips!
Recipe Summary:
Smoked Gouda Cheese Macaroni
Recipe from Everyday Is A Party Cookbook, by Emeril Lagasse, with Marcelle Bienvenu and Felicia Willett, published by William Morrow, 1999
Ingredients
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound ditalini or small elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 pound smoked Gouda cheese, grated
Parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the water, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the white pepper and continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove the white sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese melts. Lightly grease a 6 1/2 by 10-inch casserole dish with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter. Combine the cheese sauce and macaroni in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Pour into the prepared casserole and bake until lightly golden on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Garnish with parsley.
The restaurant we get this from uses penne so I am using penne. I am also using only 1/2 pound because last time I felt it wasn't cheesy enough, and it's easier (and cheaper) for me to use less pasta then to add more cheese sauce. It's only 5pm and I have a few hours but Gabi is sleeping now, so I'm cooking now. I shoo everyone else out the kitchen and luckily TV occupies them.
So, I get out my ingredients. I had cooked a pound of penne a few days ago and kept in my fridge so I don't have to cook pasta. Yay! I start grating the cheese and just when my arms start hurting, I'm done. The restaurant also has what I think is pancetta in their mac and cheese but I have not found that any where so I'm using bacon. I didn't add it last time and missed it. I've actually never cooked bacon before, so I stick it on a hot pan and start making the sauce. Here's where I messed up last time. I melt the butter and add flour like they say in the recipe, and I add the milk slowly but I cannot get the sauce to thicken. It's thicker than milk, but not at all like sauce. I am having deja vu. The bacon keeps spitting at my face while I hover over my saucepan. Last time, I thought, "maybe it's supposed to be this way" and added the cheese but this time I am going to get the white sauce (a.k.a. bechamel sauce) right! I get another small pot going with another tbs each of butter and flour, repeating the process and I just add some of the milky sauce I have to the smaller pot and when that is thick I add it back to the original saucepan. Now it looks like sauce! So I remove from heat and add cheese. I add my cooked pasta and chopped up bacon and think it looks cheesier than last time. I add bread crumbs for some extra dazzle. After 20 mins, it's not golden brown. After 25 mins, it's not golden brown but I'm afraid I'll burn it. It cools and I try it. Disappointment! Still not cheesy enough. I now think I just have to add more cheese. (Makes sense, yes?) It's good enough for tonight, but I will have to try again to master this recipe! Feel free to post any tips!
Chef Olivia
This afternoon for lunch, I let Olivia (3.5) and Juliana (almost 2) help me make mac & cheese. As I started boiling the water, they dragged the barstools over so they could reach the counter. Olivia poured the milk into the cheese powder and they took turns stirring until the pasta was ready. Then I added the pasta and butter and some peas and carrots (so I could fool myself into thinking I was serving them something healthy).
So, Olivia must have really enjoyed that because while I'm on the phone trying to track down a missing Christmas package, I notice her busy with her toy pots and pans. While on hold, I hear her explaining her steps to Gabriella (7.5 months), "now we stir..." and she's running back and forth from the kitchen. I ask how she's doing and she says "I'm Chef Olivia, and this is Chef Gabi!"
After my phone call, I notice she's now using my 10" skillet and inside are grape tomatoes, water and sliced cheese. And she's stirring with my whisk. I fuss at her for wasting actual food and tell her to use pretend food only. She replies, "But I'm making my delicious blueberry pie!" So, of course, I have no other choice but to laugh and let her play.
Needless to say, there is now a 10" skillet in my fridge "to cook" filled with water, sliced cheese and tomatoes which we will call delicious blueberry pie. But I'm not trying it!! = )
So, Olivia must have really enjoyed that because while I'm on the phone trying to track down a missing Christmas package, I notice her busy with her toy pots and pans. While on hold, I hear her explaining her steps to Gabriella (7.5 months), "now we stir..." and she's running back and forth from the kitchen. I ask how she's doing and she says "I'm Chef Olivia, and this is Chef Gabi!"
After my phone call, I notice she's now using my 10" skillet and inside are grape tomatoes, water and sliced cheese. And she's stirring with my whisk. I fuss at her for wasting actual food and tell her to use pretend food only. She replies, "But I'm making my delicious blueberry pie!" So, of course, I have no other choice but to laugh and let her play.
Needless to say, there is now a 10" skillet in my fridge "to cook" filled with water, sliced cheese and tomatoes which we will call delicious blueberry pie. But I'm not trying it!! = )
Pot Roast
Last night for dinner, I made Pot Roast. Well, technically, yesterday at noon. It's a crock-pot meal. This is truly the easiest recipe on earth and I got it from my lovely mother-in-law. (She is great.) While I can't tell you what cut of meat makes the best roast, I can tell you the word "roast" is in the title. Sirloin, Bottom, Round, Top, who knows, I just buy what's on sale. Then buy a jar or two of brown gravy, depending on how big your roast is. I usually get the smallest I can find since I'm just making it for 2 adults and only need one jar of gravy. Then buy potatoes and veggies - I like carrots and green beans, some also like onions. Frozen bag of mixed veggies works too. At home, season the meat with salt and pepper. If you have time and energy, sear the meat in a pan on med-hi until brown on all sides to "lock-in flavor" (Food Network Tip). Yesterday I had neither time nor energy and the thought of getting another pan dirty was not worth it. There is not a huge difference in taste. So then, I take out the potatoes. At the store, I knew I had just bought a 5-lb bag of potatoes last week so I didn't get any. You may know where this is going. The potatoes were sprouting! Well, I cannot run to the store (when you have three little ones, there's no such thing as "running to the store" - it's a major trip not matter what) and I cannot make anything else for dinner because if I didn't make the roast last night, it would go bad. So I cut off the sprouts and peeled the skins and cut off any brownish bits. They smelled okay, so I tossed them in the pot and covered everything with the gravy. I set the crock pot on low and 5 hours later I added the frozen mixed veggies and a couple of hours later we ate! (7pm) The meat was tougher than I wanted, but it was edible and that's my main goal. The girls ate leftover fettucine alfredo. Usually I will serve them the potatoes and veggies but last night I figured I'd give them a break.
Recipe Summary:
1 Beef Roast (small)
1 Jar of Brown Gravy
6 Medium Potatoes (any kind)
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides. Put in crock pot. Cut potatoes into cubes, add to crock pot. Cover with gravy. Set on low, about 5-6hrs for small roast. A hour before eating, add frozen veggies. (If using raw veggies, add with potatoes.)
Lessons Learned:
1. Before going to the store, check the ingredients you have on hand so you don't buy what you already have and you buy fresh ingredients if what you have is bad.
2. If you have to use sprouted potatoes, cut off the bad bits and they might be ok. (but if you get sick, don't blame me!)
Recipe Summary:
1 Beef Roast (small)
1 Jar of Brown Gravy
6 Medium Potatoes (any kind)
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides. Put in crock pot. Cut potatoes into cubes, add to crock pot. Cover with gravy. Set on low, about 5-6hrs for small roast. A hour before eating, add frozen veggies. (If using raw veggies, add with potatoes.)
Lessons Learned:
1. Before going to the store, check the ingredients you have on hand so you don't buy what you already have and you buy fresh ingredients if what you have is bad.
2. If you have to use sprouted potatoes, cut off the bad bits and they might be ok. (but if you get sick, don't blame me!)
I Created a Blog
I started this blog after reading several good cooking blogs by people that had experience or family recipes or great ideas. I have none of those things, but I am trying to learn. I am sure I am not the only one who had never heard the word "roux" when trying to make beef stew or ran out of ingredients and thought, "well, I'm sure it's not that important" or planned my evening around the allotted "30-minutes to prep" when takes over an hour in real life, including interruptions and the inability to chop as quickly as they do on TV.
Dinner can be messy. Dinner can be comical. Dinner can be a work in progress. It's Okay!
My family is forced to eat whatever I serve, for better or for worse. = )
Dinner can be messy. Dinner can be comical. Dinner can be a work in progress. It's Okay!
My family is forced to eat whatever I serve, for better or for worse. = )
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
