Mmmmmm..... Food...

Gadget Mania!

2010-01-04T03:34:56Z

Christmas gifts from SM From the "Animal House" Collection:

The Hippo Chip Clip (big purple hippo head now keeping the Tostito's nice and fresh)
2 Octopus Dish Scrubbers (Octo heads with bristles as legs.. perfect!... I now have 3)
The Monkey Peeler (Yep - a monkey holding the peeler rod over his head)
Gator Clips (little aligator head clips that stick to the fridge)
The Cheese Grator (while mouse, a little bigger than a computer mouse, with a grator on the bottom)

I love my husband.

Movie: It's Complicated

2010-01-03T04:31:09Z

I really like Meryl Strep. Especially since she did such a fantastic job in Julie and Julia. Today Dark-haired girl and I watched It's Complicated, which was funny and cute, but one of the best parts was that Meryl's character owned a pastry shop.

It was perfect. Open, sunny, filled with pastry goodness. She made/baked/served all kinds of yummy desserts and sugary breakfast items, including chocolate croissants. It was the kind of place that I could see myself opening, owning, running, baking in or all of the above. A model for one of my cooking/baking dreams.

And the movie was cute, too.

THE turkey soup

2009-12-25T22:09:49Z

Turkey left-overs means turkey soup:

For THE best turkey soup: Heat reserved turkey broth in large pot until it boils. Add Reams frozen egg noodles (trust me, get the frozen ones - in the store, frozen isle, right next to the texas toast and frozen pasta... it;s worth it. I promise!). Add noodles and 1/2 bag of frozen veggies (whatever kind you want) and let it boil 30 min (yes, I know, 30 min seems way too long. Try the noodles along the way if you need to. It will take 30 min.) Add any extra turkey you have lying around.

Add seasoning (salt & pepper) to taste. Serve with bread, rolls, crackers, or whatever you've got lying around. And then freeze the extras. If there are any.

Vegas: The Cafe at The Hotel Mandalay Bay

2009-12-08T19:51:48Z

Our hotel was actually called THE hotel at MandalayBay which was a seperate hatel in the opposite corner of "the property" but all connected together. I was very impressed with The hotel itself. Impeccibly clean, very nice staff and fast efficient service. I would definitely stay here again.

There was one major disappointment, though. We went to THE Cafe for breakfast and it was terrible. Any time a couple spends more than 30 bucks on breakfast, it had better be good. It wasn't.

Our waiter was grumpy and innattentive, the food was greasy and big, and the menu was just uninspired. The ONLY great thing about THE Cafe was that there was FUNNEL cake on the menu!! Yes, my friends, I had funnel cake for breakfast at a foofy cafe in Vegas. AND it was cheaper (4$) than at the Idaho Fair ($5).

Recipe deconstruction: Panera 4 Cheese Baked Egg Souffle

2009-11-30T03:12:37Z

I LOVE Panera Bread. I wish we had one here in the TV, but, alas, we don't.

There is one in Seattle, and also one in Coronado, so whenever I can I visit them for the 4 Cheese Baked Egg Souffle (never mind the ridiculous name - what souffle isn't baked or made with egg???). So, I decided this week to re-create my yummy fav breakfast item. I figured there had to be SOMETHING out there somewhere that would give me a clue about how to make it!

I searched the internet high and low, and found relatively little. I started with the Panera site, which does have recipes but not the one for the souffle (still a pretty cool thing for them to do). I did, however, discover a list of ingredients (hooray!) which I can use to work backwards.

Next I looked for copy cat recipes, and I only found this one, repeated several times under different people's blogs and recipe sites (at least give some credit, people!) The recipe looked ok, but not quite right. I liked the idea of the croissant fridge dough (Pillsbury) as a short cut (I knew I wouldn't be making croissants from scratch in my time frame) but the ingredient list didn't match the Panera site, so I kept looking. If I used the Pillsbury dough for the crust, then I really only needed a Souffle recipe that was close enough to match the ingredients from the Panera site. Looking back at it, I noticed baking powder and onion. Hmmm... So I searched for souffle recipes with baking powder and onion and found this one which looked just about right. If I sub the cheeses from the Panera list with the cheese in the recipe, I might just get close. The only thing missing was the oil. So I'll throw some in the batter for kicks.

Time for the test: I set preheated the oven, set up my mini-tart pans, layed in the croissant dough, poured in my souffle batter and cooked them up. And they were YUMMY!! Not perfect, but pretty darn close.

Thanksgiving via crock pot.

2009-11-27T19:40:19Z

So I have always struggled to get all of the Thanksgiving food to the table hot at the same time. I have tried writing out a timeline, I have tried delegating last-minute pieces of the meal, and it just doesn't ever come together. And really, it isn't just Thanksgiving that this happens. Anyone of my friends who has been at our house for a party would tell you that the meal happens in stages... a new part arriving every 20 min or so while I stand in the kitchen and chat with guests while I cook. It's really kind of a progressive meal in one location.

Anyway, I decided this year to try multiple crock pots. This would be my key to success. If everything was bubbling away, hot, I could focus on the turkey and it would all be perfect, right?

I got the turkey going, calculated the time, and announced to SM that dinner would be at 3pm. (Turkey cook time + 30 minute rest + time to carve). Right away I felt that tug of "what if it's not all ready at 3? Should I just say it will be some time this afternoon?" but no, I stuck to it, and got to work.

First I got the potatoes boiling - and the big white slow cooker out for them. Then the dressing - got it all done and into the big red slow cooker I borrowed from dark-haired girl. Then the sweet potatoes went into the little white one, along with the corn into the other little white one. All afternoon I picked off one side item at a time and got them happily warming in their own plug-in pots. By 2:30, the bird was done, the gravy was going on the stove (soon to be transferred into the little black crock pot) and the rolls were sitting in the pan, ready to be warmed in the pre-heated oven. Wow. Magic.

At 3:05, we sat down to eat. I couldn't believe it. (Actually, we picked up our plates, and walked down the counter, dishing up from the "buffet" of crock pots, all in a row.) Great meal, warm food, and all is well. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Coronado. my favorite getaway

2009-11-07T23:56:44Z

5 days with great friends, beautiful ocean, and sun. And some of the best food in the country. Bring it on!

Quizznos broccoli cheese soup in the Boise airport was good, btw

Raspberries!

2009-08-02T19:01:11Z

Gmak. Yati and I picked raspberries and Blackberries today. It was a blast. They were big huge berries so ripe that they just fell off in my hand.

GMAK freezes them in ziplocks and she has at least 20 bags. SM would love this!

Tomorrow, for breakfast, French toast with Raspberry syrup!

Chicken Salad Sandwich

2009-08-01T01:34:01Z

Today at mom's we had chicken salad for lunch. Yum!!

Chicken Salad mix: Shredded chicken, Mayo, diced celery, chopped cashews, all mixed together.

We had this on crossiants, which made a YUMMY sandwich. It is quite refreshing, especially cold on a day where it's 100 degrees here.

Yati suggested cut up red grapes in the mix. I'll be trying that next time.

mmmmm

Wolfgang Puck: Butternut Squash Soup

2009-08-01T01:30:59Z

I had the most amazing bowl of soup I think I've ever eaten, at the Seattle airport of all places.

It was at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant, where I stopped for a glass of wine during a very long layover in Seattle. As far as I can tell, this might be the recipe.

It was creamy and sweet and almost tasted like a dessert. It had the same kind of sweet flavor as carmelized onions. It was amazing. I wanted to lick the bowl.

I'll be trying this soon, for sure!

Meridian, Idaho: Buffalo Wild Wings

2009-07-30T19:50:54Z

So SM and I tried a new restaurant yesterday. Buffalo Wild Wings opened last year, SM spent the football draft morning there, watching the action on 37 huge TVs that hang from every corner of the place.

Last night was my first visit. And it was good. After my initial confusion over what exactly a boneless chicken wing was, (its a chicken nugget, of course) I ordered a flatbread thing and SM got a 12 pack of "wings" that were "spun" in flavors: 6 teriyaki and 6 bbq.

Impressions: This is definitely a guys restaurant. From the 5 million TV's to the cardboard nacho container that the "wings" come in. Fun for every once in a while. Not for very often.

Experiment: Happiness Potatoes on the Grill?

2009-07-14T00:32:40Z

Tonight's cooking experiment: Can I make "Happiness" (not funeral) potatoes on the grill?

Stay tuned.. If this works I may have to eat them every single day.

Ham Ham Ham Ham

2008-12-28T03:31:20Z

Best thing about ham for Christmas dinner: Ham leftovers.

Today: Ham with Au Gratin Potatoes

So very naughty... but tastes soooooooooooooooooo good.

Christmas Dinner

2008-12-25T23:20:03Z

Christmas Dinner Menu:

Rachel Ray's Dr. Pepper Ham (Ham + Dr. Pepper in crock pot... YUM!!)
Idaho mashed potatoes
Maple Glazed Carrots
Spiced Acorn Squash
Corn

For dessert - haven't decided yet.

Made and eaten in PJ's. If I can't have dinner with family, then dinner in pajama's is the way to go!

I miss you, family!

Applesauce

2008-11-23T05:34:25Z

I bought this today. And I love it.

I've had a $50 gift certificate at Bed, Bath & Beyond forever (hoarding again, yes, I know.) I just have been waiting for the right thing, and today I found it. I've been working through the box of apples I bought right before Halloween, and I decided I wanted to try applesauce. After reading a bunch of info online, I found this explanation of applesauce making - including a recipe of sorts - and tried it out this afternoon.

It was great - warm and just a little spicy and wonderful. I just tossed the apple slices (skin and all) into a pot with water and spices (allspice, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, cloves) let it simmer until it started falling apart, and then ran it through the mill into a bowl. Skins, etc. stayed in the mill, and beautiful, perfect applesauce ended up in the bowl. It was so easy!

The funny thing is, I know both my grandmothers probably had one of these contraptions. I just didn't know I needed it until now...

Obama's Chef?

2008-11-12T00:09:32Z

hmmm... what a cool job.

Scary

2008-11-10T15:37:07Z

Cheesecake Factory: Factory Fresh Apple Dumpling - 1230 Calories, 45 grams of fat.

PF Chang's: Banana Spring Rolls - 1860 Calories, 97 grams of fat.

wow.

Maple Bacon Thyme Quiche

2008-11-09T21:29:16Z

Sunday Breakfast: Maple Bacon Thyme Quiche

Yum!

Ok, partial yum.

I used mom's crust recipe but followed the baking directions for the quiche recipe. The crust was flaky and beautiful, but baked way too long and was tough.

The inside was wonderful. The maple syrup was so sweet and yummy and blended perfectly with the sharper thyme taste (from my herb garden on the deck, it's still alive...) The onions looked like pieces of bacon when they were done. I didn't use much bacon at all so it was a bit healthier (although a cup of cream negates any tad of healthy...)

I think I will use the yummy inside as a fritata (quiche without a crust) which will reduce the cooking time and also a bunch of the calories.... Mom's crust deserves pumpkin pie!

Happiness and joy! Meridian: Flatbread Community Oven

2008-11-09T02:30:47Z

About 2 years ago, SM and I ate dinner at a great little place called Flatbread Community Oven. It was everything I had ever imagined as my own restaurant: a big rock firepit oven, great pizza, good wine, exceptional service, and outstanding fresh food without the stuck up people or prices.

Portland Pirate and Squirrel30 introduced us to this amazing place and I raved for at least an hour while we were there and all the way back home (it's walking distance to their house). The only problem is that it is also about 40 min from our house. So we've been a couple times and it was fantastic - just way too far away to eat at very often.

So imagine my utter delight when ANOTHER ONE OPENED IN MERIDIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been driving by and watching as they painted, installed, added furniture and signage, and finally, today, we had dinner. And it was everything I expected. The Roasted Goat Cheese w/ Oven Fired Tomatoes Appetizer was fabulous and our Maple Fennel Sausage Pizza had to be inspired by whatever angel God assigned to foodies.

I LOVE this place: Great atmosphere, Great service, Outstanding food, NO pretentious-ness whatsoever, and a parking spot 6 feet from the front door. We will be regulars!

The BEST restaurant in Meridian!

Pumpkins

2008-10-12T00:39:09Z

So I decided last weekend to try using real pumpkin to make recipes. I've baked/cooked with almost everything else that appeared at the market this summer - so I figured I'd mess around with pumpkins.

It's a bit more difficult than I thought.

Last weekend, I decided this on Sunday. Since there are no farmer's markets open on Sunday, I went to Albertson's. I found no "sugar pumpkins" or "pie pumpkins" so I bought the smallest of the jack-o-lantern variety in the big pile outside the store. I brought 2 home, cooked them up (one steamed... one microwaved) and got very bland, very yellow puree. I tried to make a soup and it tasted like applesauce (basically a lot of fiber with cinnamon and no taste).

So today I bought several different varieties at the market. I bought a couple of Long Island Cheese Pumpkins (really), which I am going to use for soup. And I bought a Pie Pumpkin - which I roasted and pureed and is now sitting on the counter, in a crust, waiting to be baked. I am eagerly awaiting the results...

yum (i hope)

Flannel PJ's for Tomatoes

2008-10-10T01:49:08Z

We had our first frost last night. It is officially cold.

So again tonight, AV8 helped me "tuck in" the tomatoes. They are ripening every day but stay warm under flannel sheets at night. We'll save what we can and let the rest be sacrificed to the gods of winter.

The garden was officially finished today by AV8 and GMAK. All of the beds are built, the rock is in place and the boarders are set. It's been fun pretending to be a farmer.

Good night, tomatoes!

Homemade Pizza Sauce

2008-08-19T03:24:46Z

In my continuing attempt to reduce the amount of old stuff in my pantry, I went searching for something I could use up. I found an old box of pumpkin bread mix next to a quicky-just-add-water-pizza-crust-in-a-bag. Perfect. So I added water and stirred 20 strokes and then added more water because it's 100 degrees here and so dry that the air cracks. I left it to sit for 5 minutes and then thought I'd better find something to put on it.

So I found some motz cheese, and some minced garlic, and half a jar of sun dried tomatoes. I decided that would probably work, but I really needed some pizza sauce.

Hmmm...

A couple of searches on my favorite quick recipe sites and I created my own sauce:

In blender, puree:

1 container grape tomatoes (sitting there lonely in the fridge waiting to contribute to a healthy meal of some type)
1/2 can of tomato sauce (for structure... and because it was in the pantry)
bunch of dried oregano (dried because I didn't water it and some died in the heat today)
bunch of basil
A few TBS of sugar
Some garlic
salt & pepper

It was sweet - and lighter colored than regular pizza sauce. But VERY good. The pizza was good. The toppings were yummy and the crust was decent (for 5-minute crust) And now the sauce is in the fridge for another kind tomorrow. Mmmmmmm

Squirrel30!

2008-08-14T19:20:03Z

Hey Squirrel -

I have a legal question for you!! Could I bug you for some advice?? I don't have your phone number... I think you guys have mine... could you call when you get an extra minute?

It's a public defender type question...

Birthday Cupcakes

2008-08-06T04:38:05Z

Rocky Road Cupcakes for Dashausfrau's Bday:

Flower cupcakes for DK's Bday:

Fireman cupcakes for T's Bday:

Bread: Boule

2008-08-06T04:29:55Z

The bread: Ok. A little mis-shapen (got to practice on the dough shaping). A bit dry. I'll make the next batch with a little less flour. I think I'm going to make it into croutons.

The cupcakes: The White chocolate apricot were VERY good. Sold out of them immediately. The chocolate zucchini were great - surprisingly. No taste of zucchini at all... just a warm, dark, spicy chocolate flavor that had the consistency of brownies. Yum!