My mom is great at finding the best recipes and food websites around. She often sends me links and posts good sites to her Facebook account for all to share. Here are some of her latest finds. Thanks, Mom, for all the good food and good ideas you send my way. (And you didn't think I was paying attention.)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oatmeal-Peanut-Butter-Cookies-III/Detail.aspx
Think Girl Scout sandwich cookies.
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2010/09/chocolate-chip-cookies-bacon-grease.html
We recently had a big discussion about bacon grease when we discovered it was used to create Cracker Barrel's fried apples. After tasting the rich, fattiness of that, I wouldn't dispute its use in cookies.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Black-Bean-Veggie-Burgers/Detail.aspx
Mom says these are much better than store bought and cheaper, too! I can't wait to try these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1zf0GSLiyw
This is a hoot! The woman made Double Bubble flavored vodka! (Personally, I'm not in favor of ruining perfectly good vodka with bubble gum, but to each his own.)
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate-tres-leches-cake-109914.aspx
Anything with sweetened condensed milk and chocolate can't be bad!
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Easy-Tiramisu-2
This looks good for a quick dessert or single servings. Since Jeff doesn't like coffee, Tiramisu isn't his favorite dessert; however, the boy and I could probably eat our weight in it.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Classic-Onion-Soup-Mix
This is a money saver since even the generic onion soup mix isn't cheap. Not to mention the fact that I would use it more often if I had a jar on hand. I think it is good in a variety of casseroles.
http://www.copycat-recipes.net/
This site has recipes for dishes that taste like they come from Cracker Barrel, Benihana, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Brennan's, Boston Market, California Pizza Kitchen, and many more.
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/cuisines/aroundtheworldin80dishes/philippineslumpiavideo
Here's a recipe and video for making spring rolls from the Philippines. (I told you she finds interesting stuff.)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cindys-Jambalaya/Detail.aspx
This one's best on cold, blustery winter days. Of course since I live in Southern Arizona, I barely remember what those are like. Heck, I'm still waiting for fall to arrive!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Let Them Eat Cake!
Tonight we attended my son's first high school choir concert. He has always been a little hesitant to join choir since his dad is such a choir nerd, but this year he decided (much to our delight and ultimately his own) to give it a try. Last week his group won an excellent rating at a local festival, so we knew we were in for a treat when we attended the performance. The centerpiece of his choir's performance was a medley from Les Miserables, which he had been talking about for weeks. Since we knew he was the most proud of this number, when it came time to plan a post-concert dessert, cake seemed the most fitting. After all, Les Mis is set in the milieu of the French Revolution when Marie Antoinette uttered her infamous line, "Let them eat cake!" in response to the news that millions of peasants were starving. (Though, for clarity sake, this quote actually predates the revolutionary period by twenty years, and may be completedly contrived by a biographer of the time.)
Thus, after his choir received a standing ovation for their performance, we whisked him home to enjoy a large slice of freshly baked red velvet cake (his favorite). Now, I'd like to take credit for a masterpiece of baking, but I cannot. The cake came from a mix before being enfolded in a package-and-a-half of Betty Crocker cream cheese icing. Yes, it was all store bought; but it's the thought that counts, right? Of course, the main idea was to have something to celebrate his hard work throughout the quarter. Luckily, Jeff's parents were able to attend the concert and join us for cake and coffee afterwards, where we showered praises upon our rising star, who (in turn) treated us to several songs on his guitar after shedding the tux shirt, bow tie, and cummerbund almost the moment he walked through the door.
Thus, after his choir received a standing ovation for their performance, we whisked him home to enjoy a large slice of freshly baked red velvet cake (his favorite). Now, I'd like to take credit for a masterpiece of baking, but I cannot. The cake came from a mix before being enfolded in a package-and-a-half of Betty Crocker cream cheese icing. Yes, it was all store bought; but it's the thought that counts, right? Of course, the main idea was to have something to celebrate his hard work throughout the quarter. Luckily, Jeff's parents were able to attend the concert and join us for cake and coffee afterwards, where we showered praises upon our rising star, who (in turn) treated us to several songs on his guitar after shedding the tux shirt, bow tie, and cummerbund almost the moment he walked through the door.
Filled with applause ringing in his ears and delicious cake in his stomach, our son hit the hay early to dream of stardom. All in all, it was a night to remember.
 |
| Like father, like son |
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Home is Where the Apple Is
Sunday evening one of Jeff's college friends and his wife of one year came for dinner. Since Jeff only recently reconnected with his buddy (who has been traveling all over the world as a singer for a good many years), we had to pull out all the stops for an unique dinner. I wracked my brain for a theme that was interesting, but homey, since I knew I couldn't compete with the food he'd eaten elsewhere. After considering multiple ideas including Greek, Italian, and Spanish, I opted for tried and true American food.
"What says September to you?" I enquired on Jeff only two days before the event.
"Apples," he responded definitively.
"Me, too."
So, even though the temperature has been back up in the high 90's and fall is nowhere in sight, I decided it was time to pull it along at our house. To assemble the menu, I perused several cookbooks and websites, but ultimately found everything I wanted at the Washington Apple Commission (http://www.bestapples.com/recipes/index.shtml). Here's what I found:
"What says September to you?" I enquired on Jeff only two days before the event.
"Apples," he responded definitively.
"Me, too."
So, even though the temperature has been back up in the high 90's and fall is nowhere in sight, I decided it was time to pull it along at our house. To assemble the menu, I perused several cookbooks and websites, but ultimately found everything I wanted at the Washington Apple Commission (http://www.bestapples.com/recipes/index.shtml). Here's what I found:
Apple Cheese Spread
Speedy Squash Soup
Cheese Tortellini with Smoked Chicken and Apple-Rosemary Sauce
Apple Ratatouille on Crostini
Golden Apple Stuffed Fillets
Apple Chess Pie
The cheese spread - consisting of sauteed onion and apple mixed with cream cheese and shredded cheddar - was good, but definitely needed to sit in the fridge for several hours. (It rested all day so the flavors melded, but the leftovers were even better Monday evening.) In addition, I added some black pepper since it didn't have any seasonings. I would make this again, but I'd probably add some spunk with salsa or a couple of shots of chipotle sauce. To simplify things, I put this out with some good crackers about half an hour before our guests were due. This allowed it to soften up a bit and gave everyone some nibbles while we opened the wine and toured the house.
Once seated, I dished up the squash soup (which I made earlier in the day and tossed in the microwave while we talked). This was delicious and very easy since it used frozen winter squash, an onion, and a couple of tart apples. Since I didn't have any sage (go figure), I used a little basil from the garden. That coupled with the fresh ginger gave it a little punch and made it interesting. While I followed the directions and pureed the soup, the guys and I would be just as happy to eat it a little chunky which would save time on a weeknight meal. This tasty morsel is on the menu for tomorrow's lunch. (One of the best parts of cooking multiple courses is taking the leftovers to school!)
Next up was the cheese tortellini with chicken and apple-rosemary sauce. This was rather disappointing to me and to Jeff, though our guests commented several times how much they liked it. It had a lengthy list of ingredients that ultimately made a vegetable stock which gets strained to remove all the lovely pieces of apple, shallot, carrot, garlic, and mushrooms. I couldn't bring myself to discard these (though I could have put them in the fridge and used them in something else, I suppose), so I put everything in the blender and pureed it. The color was not particularly appetizing, but the aroma was excellent both the first time around and when I was reheating it. The taste was fine, but not spectacular, which is only annoying because it took quite a while to make. To serve the dish, piping hot sauce is ladled in the bottom of a bowl; tortellini and strips of smoked chicken are then arranged on top. At the grocery, the tortellini was twice as expensive as the small ravioli, so I purchased the pillows instead. I also purchased a small package of smoked chicken breast in the lunch meat section, which I simply heated before divvying up among the bowls. Ultimately, I'm not sorry I made this, but I won't be making it again.
On the other hand, the apple ratatouille was wonderful. This mixture of apples, celery, red onions, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and walnuts made a fabulous topping for the freshly-baked rosemary bread from the deli. I sliced the bread, brushed it with olive oil, and put it under the broiler to brown. Once done, I topped each slice with the ratatouille which I had left at room temperature to blend. Though this did require some chopping, it was simple to make and I had plenty left, which I think would be excellent as a sandwich with a little cream cheese or butter on the bread. The only adjustments I made on this recipe were swapping sesame oil for walnut oil (since I didn't have any but still wanted an interesting flavor) and adding a handful of crumbled feta to the final mixture. Yum!
The last, and probably best dish of the evening, was the stuffed fillets. This was also probably the easiest plate of the night since it required the least amount of prep. Basically, I grated an apple and a couple of small carrots into a bowl, added some lemon juice and seasonings, and rolled the mixture up inside tilapia fillets. My fillets were small, so I just encircled the stuffing and used toothpicks to hold them closed. The fish is then put into a baking dish with a little chicken broth, covered with foil, and baked for about 13 minutes. By time these came out of the oven, the fish was tender and flaky while the insides were steamed and moist. Jeff and I both liked this dish quite a bit, and I'll be making it again. As a matter of fact, it has made me consider what else I might wrap up inside the tilapia fillets (which I bought in a big package on sale). I'm thinking some cornbread stuffing with chopped mushrooms would be excellent with a some white wine in the bottom of the pan instead of broth. Though Jeff isn't a fan of asparagus, I suspect some baby greens seasoned with lemon pepper would be excellent wrapped up in the fish, as well.
We finished the meal with apple chess pie, which everyone snarfed right down. It is basic chess pie with the addition of chopped apples, a few pecans, and some sour cream. Deluxe! The only thing I would change about this is the kind of apples used. The recipe calls for two Golden Delicious apples, but next time around I would use one tart apple (like a Granny Smith) with one crispy sweet apple (like a Fuji or Pink Lady). But even with the mundane fruit choice, this pie was excellent, and we've polished it off quickly.
In the end, I'm sure the meal couldn't compare with the bistros and specialty houses of Europe, but it did taste like home.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Savory Pie
Today's lunch was a mish-mosh of items on hand that turned out pretty well. I started with several small Japanese eggplants from my garden (Now that the heat is abating, they seem to be recovering and bearing fruit. Hooray!) along with the last of the tomatoes (I think). To these I added half an onion and a bell pepper from the crisper. All of this was chopped and sauteed in olive oil until tender. While it was cooking, I tossed in some black pepper and garlic for good measure, and then some ginger balsamic vinegar mixed with a little flour for thickening. Finally, a couple of handfuls of feta cheese added a creamy saltiness to the pan. The result was a lovely blend of fresh vegetables ready for ... what?
I wasn't exactly sure. My first thought was to toss it with some pasta and stringy cheese, but we just had a similar dish a few nights ago. As I scanned the fridge for inspiration, my eyes came across a box of ready-made pie crust. Hmmm.... I decided two large "pies" would be unwieldy, so I cut the crusts in half, added the filling and sealed the edges with a little water and a fork. Next, all four pastries received a quick egg wash on top and a couple of slits to allow the steam to escape before they went into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. The result was a savory vegetable pie - somewhere between a pot pie (which has a good deal more sauce) and a stuffed sandwich (which is generally drier and cheesier). Even the boy liked this take on simmered veggies, so it must have been good.
As an added bonus, there was a fairly large bowl of left overs. I'm contemplating put the mixture through the food processor and eating it as a dip with crackers, which is one of my favorite ways to eat eggplant (along with frying, of course). Pureed dips are also easy to freeze, and judging by the number of baby fruits and blooms in my garden, I'm going to have quite a bit to use.
I wasn't exactly sure. My first thought was to toss it with some pasta and stringy cheese, but we just had a similar dish a few nights ago. As I scanned the fridge for inspiration, my eyes came across a box of ready-made pie crust. Hmmm.... I decided two large "pies" would be unwieldy, so I cut the crusts in half, added the filling and sealed the edges with a little water and a fork. Next, all four pastries received a quick egg wash on top and a couple of slits to allow the steam to escape before they went into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. The result was a savory vegetable pie - somewhere between a pot pie (which has a good deal more sauce) and a stuffed sandwich (which is generally drier and cheesier). Even the boy liked this take on simmered veggies, so it must have been good.
As an added bonus, there was a fairly large bowl of left overs. I'm contemplating put the mixture through the food processor and eating it as a dip with crackers, which is one of my favorite ways to eat eggplant (along with frying, of course). Pureed dips are also easy to freeze, and judging by the number of baby fruits and blooms in my garden, I'm going to have quite a bit to use.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Salad du Jour
Today I was the fortunate recipient of a lovely salad. This may sound rather mundane; however, let me assure you it was not. Even as I write, I am wondering why I didn't have the foresight to take a picture of the masterpiece that found its way to my desk. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
A student I had as a sophomore and who has been in choir with Jeff for the last three years has an avid interest in the culinary arts. As a matter of fact, she would like to be a chef. (Though her parents are discouraging the idea because they don't think there's a future in it; instead, they are urging her to become a music teacher. Go figure.) During this, her senior year, she has enrolled in a foods class as an elective and today they made salads. Mind you, this is not an ordinary, run-of-the-mill job with roughly chopped veggies atop greens that have been liberally sprinkled with dressing. This was much more beautiful and delicious. Upon completion of her masterpiece, she presented it to Jeff who knew I would be an appreciative audience as well, and thus brought it to me during lunch.
The salad consisted of paper-thin cucumber slices surrounding a blend of finely chopped bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and jicama all of which had been tossed with a fruity olive oil mixed with red wine vinegar and seasoned with salt, pepper, and just a touch of sugar. The light hand on the seasonings and the good quality of the oil coupled to bring out the freshness of the vegetables which were all precisely the same size and shape. Perhaps the best part of the entire dish, though, was the presentation. The cucumber slices had been overlapped within a steel ring and then the salad was firmly packed into the center before being chilled. When the ring was removed (with a flourish, I might add), the cucumbers remained upright encircling the snappy colors of the salad. Actually, the thing was so pretty that I couldn't bring myself to eat it at first. I set it on my desk where many students admired it before I broke down and tasted it.
This dish inspired me to purchase some ring molds of my own for future dinner parties. The salad was easily put together, I think, but extremely impressive on the plate. Just my style!
A student I had as a sophomore and who has been in choir with Jeff for the last three years has an avid interest in the culinary arts. As a matter of fact, she would like to be a chef. (Though her parents are discouraging the idea because they don't think there's a future in it; instead, they are urging her to become a music teacher. Go figure.) During this, her senior year, she has enrolled in a foods class as an elective and today they made salads. Mind you, this is not an ordinary, run-of-the-mill job with roughly chopped veggies atop greens that have been liberally sprinkled with dressing. This was much more beautiful and delicious. Upon completion of her masterpiece, she presented it to Jeff who knew I would be an appreciative audience as well, and thus brought it to me during lunch.
The salad consisted of paper-thin cucumber slices surrounding a blend of finely chopped bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and jicama all of which had been tossed with a fruity olive oil mixed with red wine vinegar and seasoned with salt, pepper, and just a touch of sugar. The light hand on the seasonings and the good quality of the oil coupled to bring out the freshness of the vegetables which were all precisely the same size and shape. Perhaps the best part of the entire dish, though, was the presentation. The cucumber slices had been overlapped within a steel ring and then the salad was firmly packed into the center before being chilled. When the ring was removed (with a flourish, I might add), the cucumbers remained upright encircling the snappy colors of the salad. Actually, the thing was so pretty that I couldn't bring myself to eat it at first. I set it on my desk where many students admired it before I broke down and tasted it.
This dish inspired me to purchase some ring molds of my own for future dinner parties. The salad was easily put together, I think, but extremely impressive on the plate. Just my style!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
That's Italian
"Jenny, remember it's just a job."
"How can you be so nonchalant? I know you care about what happens around here."
"Of course I care, but nearly dieing puts a lot of things into perspective. You need to come here and do your best, but then you need to go home and let it go. It will still be here tomorrow."
This conversation occurred before first hour Tuesday morning with a friend of mine who was in a terrible car accident over the summer. He was in intensive care for awhile and a regular hospital room for some weeks after that. Even now he is showing residual effects in the form of walking with a cane. After thinking about his words, I decided being grumpy isn't really an option, and in an effort to adjust my attitude I took a mental health day (aka ERP - emergency rest period) today. Much to my delight, Jeff decided to join me. Not long after the arrangements were made, we decided our son needed a day off as well. So, this morning when we rose, dressed, and left for school on time, instead of turning left at the end of our street, we turned right. Immediately the boy said, "Why are we going this way?" When Jeff replied that we were going to the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, a whoop of joy issued from the backseat and hands came forward to hug me around the chair before quickly texting his friends that he was being "kidnapped" for a much needed family respite. The ensuring drive was filled with loud choruses of Weird Al songs and funny comments about everything we passed on the road.
After several hours of walking in the late September sun (which has been unseasonably warm this year). We were all ready for something tasty and opted for the Macaroni Grill where Jeff ordered chicken parmigiana (a perennial favorite), the boy opted for honey balsamic grilled chicken, and I had pasta milano. Both of the guys' chicken dishes were excellent, but I thought my choice the best. It was bowtie pasta tossed with thinly sliced roasted chicken, sun dried tomatoes, crimini mushrooms, and a creamy garlic sauce with fresh Parmesan cheese on top. The flavors melded beautifully in this rich pasta bowl. I am planning to try it at home, though I think I will add some chunks of broccoli for both color and texture. Everything was smooth, so a little crunchy vegetable might be a nice contrast. Peas and carrots would also add some lovely color without affecting the texture, if you don't like crispy with your pasta. Being sated with our meals (not to mention the crusty bread we were served at the beginning) we opted out of dessert.
When our luncheon was over, no one was ready for the outing to end, so we headed off to the mall - ostensibly to walk off the food, but (of course) shopping was in order. Shoes, jeans, and a wallet later he decided it was time to head home, but not until we hit McDonald's for milkshakes to sooth our worn out bodies. These, coupled with our favorite tunes on the stereo, made the drive go faster. Now that the day is over, we're all tired but happy to have spent the time together building our happy memories for future tough days.
"How can you be so nonchalant? I know you care about what happens around here."
"Of course I care, but nearly dieing puts a lot of things into perspective. You need to come here and do your best, but then you need to go home and let it go. It will still be here tomorrow."
This conversation occurred before first hour Tuesday morning with a friend of mine who was in a terrible car accident over the summer. He was in intensive care for awhile and a regular hospital room for some weeks after that. Even now he is showing residual effects in the form of walking with a cane. After thinking about his words, I decided being grumpy isn't really an option, and in an effort to adjust my attitude I took a mental health day (aka ERP - emergency rest period) today. Much to my delight, Jeff decided to join me. Not long after the arrangements were made, we decided our son needed a day off as well. So, this morning when we rose, dressed, and left for school on time, instead of turning left at the end of our street, we turned right. Immediately the boy said, "Why are we going this way?" When Jeff replied that we were going to the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, a whoop of joy issued from the backseat and hands came forward to hug me around the chair before quickly texting his friends that he was being "kidnapped" for a much needed family respite. The ensuring drive was filled with loud choruses of Weird Al songs and funny comments about everything we passed on the road.
After several hours of walking in the late September sun (which has been unseasonably warm this year). We were all ready for something tasty and opted for the Macaroni Grill where Jeff ordered chicken parmigiana (a perennial favorite), the boy opted for honey balsamic grilled chicken, and I had pasta milano. Both of the guys' chicken dishes were excellent, but I thought my choice the best. It was bowtie pasta tossed with thinly sliced roasted chicken, sun dried tomatoes, crimini mushrooms, and a creamy garlic sauce with fresh Parmesan cheese on top. The flavors melded beautifully in this rich pasta bowl. I am planning to try it at home, though I think I will add some chunks of broccoli for both color and texture. Everything was smooth, so a little crunchy vegetable might be a nice contrast. Peas and carrots would also add some lovely color without affecting the texture, if you don't like crispy with your pasta. Being sated with our meals (not to mention the crusty bread we were served at the beginning) we opted out of dessert.
When our luncheon was over, no one was ready for the outing to end, so we headed off to the mall - ostensibly to walk off the food, but (of course) shopping was in order. Shoes, jeans, and a wallet later he decided it was time to head home, but not until we hit McDonald's for milkshakes to sooth our worn out bodies. These, coupled with our favorite tunes on the stereo, made the drive go faster. Now that the day is over, we're all tired but happy to have spent the time together building our happy memories for future tough days.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Homemade at Last
Sometimes we get in a rut of tossing frozen meals in the oven or microwave and rushing to our offices to do paperwork. This has been our world lately, but not tonight. Tonight I declared a moratorium on job related activities and cooked something. (Hard to believe, right?) It wasn't fancy or difficult, but it was homemade, which made it better than anything else we could have chosen.
In an effort to save the time of considering what to make (i.e. stand in front of fridge with door open; stand in front of freezer with door open; stand in front of pantry with door open), I opted for a family favorite of pasta with roasted veggies. This is an excellent way to use up the vegetables I ambitiously purchased at the grocery but still haven't made anything from. Since they might go a little soft soon, I thought it prudent to dice them up, toss them with olive oil and Italian seasoning, and throw them in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes. (After all, I didn't want them to go the way of a potato I cleaned out of the pantry a couple of days ago. Let's just say that the only liquid form of spuds I care to indulge in is potato vodka.)
While the veggies cooked, I boiled some penne pasta which I mixed with a jar of sundried tomato and basil sauce before adding the roasted bits of bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and yellow squash. Finally, I stirred some stringy Mozzarella cheese for good measure. Even after everyone had a heaping bowl, there was plenty left over for tomorrow's lunch boxes, which is a decidedly good thing since I've been eating a hodge-podge of whatever Jeff finds in the fridge the last couple of days.
The only other homemade dish we've eaten in the last few days was a rip-off version of Cracker Barrel's fried apples that my mom posted on Facebook. (Here's the link: http://www.copycat-recipes.net/.) This site contains many favorites from national chain restaurants, and I highly recommend the fried apples. My mom tried to work out this recipe before finding it here without complete success. The apples were always good, but didn't quite taste like Cracker Barrel's. The obvious ingredients of lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg just didn't meld correctly. It turns out the secret is to cook the apples in bacon grease (who knew?) instead of butter, although perhaps not as much (1/4 cup) as the recipe calls for. She and I both used only a small amount of the grease in a non-stick skillet, and we upped the sugar a little to make plenty of sauce. These apples are deluxe and make a wonderful side dish, snack, or topping for ice cream.
Needless to say, the consumption of an actual home cooked meal did wonders for my outlook this evening. I skipped the paperwork altogether and started watching an HBO mini-series about John Adams. Ahhh....
In an effort to save the time of considering what to make (i.e. stand in front of fridge with door open; stand in front of freezer with door open; stand in front of pantry with door open), I opted for a family favorite of pasta with roasted veggies. This is an excellent way to use up the vegetables I ambitiously purchased at the grocery but still haven't made anything from. Since they might go a little soft soon, I thought it prudent to dice them up, toss them with olive oil and Italian seasoning, and throw them in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes. (After all, I didn't want them to go the way of a potato I cleaned out of the pantry a couple of days ago. Let's just say that the only liquid form of spuds I care to indulge in is potato vodka.)
While the veggies cooked, I boiled some penne pasta which I mixed with a jar of sundried tomato and basil sauce before adding the roasted bits of bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and yellow squash. Finally, I stirred some stringy Mozzarella cheese for good measure. Even after everyone had a heaping bowl, there was plenty left over for tomorrow's lunch boxes, which is a decidedly good thing since I've been eating a hodge-podge of whatever Jeff finds in the fridge the last couple of days.
The only other homemade dish we've eaten in the last few days was a rip-off version of Cracker Barrel's fried apples that my mom posted on Facebook. (Here's the link: http://www.copycat-recipes.net/.) This site contains many favorites from national chain restaurants, and I highly recommend the fried apples. My mom tried to work out this recipe before finding it here without complete success. The apples were always good, but didn't quite taste like Cracker Barrel's. The obvious ingredients of lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg just didn't meld correctly. It turns out the secret is to cook the apples in bacon grease (who knew?) instead of butter, although perhaps not as much (1/4 cup) as the recipe calls for. She and I both used only a small amount of the grease in a non-stick skillet, and we upped the sugar a little to make plenty of sauce. These apples are deluxe and make a wonderful side dish, snack, or topping for ice cream.
Needless to say, the consumption of an actual home cooked meal did wonders for my outlook this evening. I skipped the paperwork altogether and started watching an HBO mini-series about John Adams. Ahhh....
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Salty Senorita
Yesterday's outing with my son landed us at the Salty Senorita for lunch. Jeff and I had been in the place only once several years ago to have cocktails at a promotion party, but I have long wanted to stop in for a bite to eat and finally got the chance.
Upon pulling into the parking lot, patrons are greeted with an outdoor eating area decorated like a Mexican beach shack. The entrance to the building is flanked with mermaids and glossy surfboards in neon colors. Inside, the theme continues with capiz shell chandeliers, driftwood flooring, and columns adorned in blue mosaic tiles. A fresco of painted fish and coral runs around the base of the ceiling and cartoon-y posters of salty characters hang at the end of each booth. Ours displayed Jose (a rank-smelling fisherman) and his pet mouse, Cuervo. Opposite our table was a tourist named Rico and his dog, Suave; and a few seats over was Margarita.
Apparently, all this cheesiness costs a lot of money, because lunch for the my son and I set us back $32 including tax and tip (and we didn't even order anything fancy). The boy had a two-enchilada plate (shredded beef and cheese) that came with black beans and rice. I had the house nachos, which were delicious. They appeared to be layered: the bottom stack of chips had black beans and melted cheddar cheese; the center stack had diced onions and a spunky "fundido" sauce; the top layer had fresh tomatoes, sour cream, and two liberal scoops of guacamole. It was more than I could eat, which is probably good since 6'3" was eyeing my plate greedily as he finished off his own. In addition to these goodies, we each had a drink (one soda and one iced tea). The quality of the food was excellent, but perhaps not so good as to warrant the price tag.
However, I did walk away with a couple of lessons. First, next time I make nachos I plan to layer the ingredients to create the kind of stack I received. Next, I scanned the menu for interesting items to try at home. Since Jeff didn't get to spend the day with us, I tried to find something he would like that we could reconstruct for dinner. This turned out to be a successful tactic since I spied shrimp and mango quesadillas. While mangoes were not available at the store last night, I did pick up some of my favorite mango salsa (which has large chunks of the fruit). Jeff put the dish together while I was on the computer, by sauteing some defrosted shrimp in chili oil (for a little kick), and then adding the shrimp, mango salsa, and cheese to large flour tortillas. (He added just a tiny bit of oil in the bottom of the pan to help the tortillas crisp up.) The result was easy and delicious. We used pre-packed mixed cheese, but I think the flavor might be better served with a mild white cheese like Swiss or mozzarella. In addition, some chopped onions and bell pepper sauteed with the shrimp might be nice.
While I don't think we'll be eating at the Salty Senorita again soon, the boy and I enjoyed our meal together and left sated. (As a matter of fact, we just had to go to the mall to walk off lunch.)
Upon pulling into the parking lot, patrons are greeted with an outdoor eating area decorated like a Mexican beach shack. The entrance to the building is flanked with mermaids and glossy surfboards in neon colors. Inside, the theme continues with capiz shell chandeliers, driftwood flooring, and columns adorned in blue mosaic tiles. A fresco of painted fish and coral runs around the base of the ceiling and cartoon-y posters of salty characters hang at the end of each booth. Ours displayed Jose (a rank-smelling fisherman) and his pet mouse, Cuervo. Opposite our table was a tourist named Rico and his dog, Suave; and a few seats over was Margarita.
Apparently, all this cheesiness costs a lot of money, because lunch for the my son and I set us back $32 including tax and tip (and we didn't even order anything fancy). The boy had a two-enchilada plate (shredded beef and cheese) that came with black beans and rice. I had the house nachos, which were delicious. They appeared to be layered: the bottom stack of chips had black beans and melted cheddar cheese; the center stack had diced onions and a spunky "fundido" sauce; the top layer had fresh tomatoes, sour cream, and two liberal scoops of guacamole. It was more than I could eat, which is probably good since 6'3" was eyeing my plate greedily as he finished off his own. In addition to these goodies, we each had a drink (one soda and one iced tea). The quality of the food was excellent, but perhaps not so good as to warrant the price tag.
However, I did walk away with a couple of lessons. First, next time I make nachos I plan to layer the ingredients to create the kind of stack I received. Next, I scanned the menu for interesting items to try at home. Since Jeff didn't get to spend the day with us, I tried to find something he would like that we could reconstruct for dinner. This turned out to be a successful tactic since I spied shrimp and mango quesadillas. While mangoes were not available at the store last night, I did pick up some of my favorite mango salsa (which has large chunks of the fruit). Jeff put the dish together while I was on the computer, by sauteing some defrosted shrimp in chili oil (for a little kick), and then adding the shrimp, mango salsa, and cheese to large flour tortillas. (He added just a tiny bit of oil in the bottom of the pan to help the tortillas crisp up.) The result was easy and delicious. We used pre-packed mixed cheese, but I think the flavor might be better served with a mild white cheese like Swiss or mozzarella. In addition, some chopped onions and bell pepper sauteed with the shrimp might be nice.
While I don't think we'll be eating at the Salty Senorita again soon, the boy and I enjoyed our meal together and left sated. (As a matter of fact, we just had to go to the mall to walk off lunch.)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Dinner Rocks
Traditionally, when Jeff has to work on Saturdays (festivals, workshops, meetings, etc.) the boy and I spend the day together at a park, museum, or zoo. The last couple of years this mother-son time has slipped a bit since friends have become more prolific and homework obligations take more time. But, today we rekindled the tradition and spent some time at the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. The place was rather small, but definitely cool filled with minerals and rocks of every shape, size, and color - even those you wouldn't expect to find in a rock.
The best part of time spent with my son is hearing his philosophical musings and daydreams. As we peered through the glass at spectacular displays of crystalline structures in fiery oranges and reds we pondered what it must have been like to discover such things so long ago.
"Our next frontier isn't space, you know," he said nonchalantly. "It's the bottom of the sea. Just wait until they make manned submarines that go all the way to the darkest depths where they're sending robots now."
"You're probably right," I agreed. "I'd like to the creatures at the bottom of the ocean as much as the creatures of space."
"Me, too." Then, after a heartbeat or two of silence, "I think I was born too late. I would like to have been the one to explore the world and see what it holds. I'm sure there are mysteries left on earth, but they're much harder to come by these days."
"That's true, but I don't think we've found everything yet." I said hoping to soothe this restless spirit of a man-child towering over me.
"No, but all the glamour is gone. In ancient times everything about the world was mysterious. You could believe in magic and goddesses and sprites and woodland spirits. Nowadays, not only do we know how nature works, any kid in third grade science class can explain it. Where's the joy in that?"
While he did have a point about how much we know, we went on to discuss all the places he could still see and explore. "Just because someone has been there before you doesn't mean it won't be new to you," I said. The wisdom of this struck him and he mentioned the great pyramids, the Vatican, and other wonders left to be personally experienced. This - coupled with a couple of humorous displays about mining - lifted his mood. We wrapped up the tour with a look at phosphorescent rocks which are pretty mundane in normal light but sparkle in day-glo highlighter colors under a black light. Our final look at the world of minerals was a display of rocks shaped like food, which reminded us we were hungry and it was time for lunch!
Here are some of the yummy rocks we sampled with our eyes.
pancake stack - sandstone
bacon - quartz (agate)
Canadian bacon - rhyolite
eggs over easy - quartz (chalcedony agate)
coffee - garnet sand
whole wheat bread - granite
butter - sulfur
jelly - glass (man made)
banana - limestone
nectarines - chert milling balls
kiwi - fossil coral
plum - quartz
peach - sandstone
pineapple - calcite
lemon meringue pie - travertine
hamburger - quartz (jasper)
hamburger bun - quartzite
Swiss cheese - siltstone
onion slice - quartz (agate)
pickles - quartz (chert / brown) and granite (green)
olives - obsidian (aka "Apache tears")
french fries - splinters of rhyolite
steak - quartz (jasper)
peas - gastropod opercula (snail "trap doors) dyed
corn on the cob - limonite concretion
mushrooms - calcite and bentorsite balls
carrots - stalactite tips
The best part of time spent with my son is hearing his philosophical musings and daydreams. As we peered through the glass at spectacular displays of crystalline structures in fiery oranges and reds we pondered what it must have been like to discover such things so long ago.
"Our next frontier isn't space, you know," he said nonchalantly. "It's the bottom of the sea. Just wait until they make manned submarines that go all the way to the darkest depths where they're sending robots now."
"You're probably right," I agreed. "I'd like to the creatures at the bottom of the ocean as much as the creatures of space."
"Me, too." Then, after a heartbeat or two of silence, "I think I was born too late. I would like to have been the one to explore the world and see what it holds. I'm sure there are mysteries left on earth, but they're much harder to come by these days."
"That's true, but I don't think we've found everything yet." I said hoping to soothe this restless spirit of a man-child towering over me.
"No, but all the glamour is gone. In ancient times everything about the world was mysterious. You could believe in magic and goddesses and sprites and woodland spirits. Nowadays, not only do we know how nature works, any kid in third grade science class can explain it. Where's the joy in that?"
While he did have a point about how much we know, we went on to discuss all the places he could still see and explore. "Just because someone has been there before you doesn't mean it won't be new to you," I said. The wisdom of this struck him and he mentioned the great pyramids, the Vatican, and other wonders left to be personally experienced. This - coupled with a couple of humorous displays about mining - lifted his mood. We wrapped up the tour with a look at phosphorescent rocks which are pretty mundane in normal light but sparkle in day-glo highlighter colors under a black light. Our final look at the world of minerals was a display of rocks shaped like food, which reminded us we were hungry and it was time for lunch!
Here are some of the yummy rocks we sampled with our eyes.
bacon - quartz (agate)
Canadian bacon - rhyolite
eggs over easy - quartz (chalcedony agate)
coffee - garnet sand
whole wheat bread - granite
butter - sulfur
jelly - glass (man made)
nectarines - chert milling balls
kiwi - fossil coral
plum - quartz
peach - sandstone
pineapple - calcite
hamburger bun - quartzite
Swiss cheese - siltstone
onion slice - quartz (agate)
pickles - quartz (chert / brown) and granite (green)
olives - obsidian (aka "Apache tears")
french fries - splinters of rhyolite
peas - gastropod opercula (snail "trap doors) dyed
corn on the cob - limonite concretion
mushrooms - calcite and bentorsite balls
carrots - stalactite tips
Friday, September 17, 2010
Date Night
Tonight our son spent the evening at a friend's house, so Jeff and I found ourselves alone after school for the second week in a row. (This is becoming a habit, it seems.) We decided dinner and a movie would be a good way to end the long work week, and did a quick search for shows in the area. We found a matinee-priced showing of The Town starting within 15 minutes at a nearby theater. So, although we were both a little peckish, we opted for the movie first. I have to say, it was sort of strange hitting a theater on Friday afternoon without tall, dark, and hungry. We walked in just as the previews began, so we decided to forego any drinks or snacks (which saved us a bundle).
Following the movie (which, though it wasn't really what we expected was quite good), we decided dinner was in order. Now, I don't know about you, but loud restaurants on Friday nights are not really our thing. Still we were willing to continue with the date night theme and pick up some food. We plopped ourselves on a bench outside the theater and fired up the phones looking for nearby eateries, but (much to our chagrin) came up with very little of interest. Everything seems to be a standard-fare chain store. After about ten minutes of debate, we did the unthinkable. We came home.
Once here, we tossed some bread sticks in the oven, boiled some pasta and opened a jar of sauce. In reality, the dinner was probably far better than anything we could have eaten for a reasonable price (though I must admit I was tempted by the thought of fish tacos which aren't Jeff's favorite). Thus, even when we have the opportunity to spend the evening out on the town, we wind up at our own table enjoying the calm quiet of home. I guess we've been married too long (or maybe not).
Following the movie (which, though it wasn't really what we expected was quite good), we decided dinner was in order. Now, I don't know about you, but loud restaurants on Friday nights are not really our thing. Still we were willing to continue with the date night theme and pick up some food. We plopped ourselves on a bench outside the theater and fired up the phones looking for nearby eateries, but (much to our chagrin) came up with very little of interest. Everything seems to be a standard-fare chain store. After about ten minutes of debate, we did the unthinkable. We came home.
Once here, we tossed some bread sticks in the oven, boiled some pasta and opened a jar of sauce. In reality, the dinner was probably far better than anything we could have eaten for a reasonable price (though I must admit I was tempted by the thought of fish tacos which aren't Jeff's favorite). Thus, even when we have the opportunity to spend the evening out on the town, we wind up at our own table enjoying the calm quiet of home. I guess we've been married too long (or maybe not).
Thursday, September 16, 2010
A Reputation By Any Other Name
Having a reputation can be a double-edged sword. This is evident in my job. Since I'm known for being demanding and loud, I don't have too many problems with kids acting inappropriately. Most of the students walk a step or two out of my way and don't even consider crossing me. This makes my life a good deal easier because I don't have to deal with many behavior problems. On the other hand, this same reputation often means kids who don't know me well assume I'm mean and share this idea with their parents who believe every word their cherubs utter. Of course, once the parents actually speak to me, this perception is dispelled and all is well. This kind of reputation is built partially from the students and partially from careful construction of an image.
Lately, I find my husband has been carefully constructing an image of me as well, only this one deals with my prowess in the kitchen. Recently he came back into contact with a friend from college who has been touring and performing all over the world for many years. The friend recently married and moved back to the valley with his new wife to start a business and settle into family life. When this said friend came to visit the school and conduct a workshop with the kids, Jeff promptly invited him to dinner and began bragging about my culinary skills.
While I'm flattered that my husband likes the food I prepare, this too presents a dilemma. Do I make a straightforward meal that we pass around the table, or do I fix something extraordinary? This may not seem like a big deal, but because the hubby has extolled my virtues, I feel obliged to live up to the reputation. I don't think I can take the easy way out, lest our company feels disappointed by the menu. After all, Jeff told him about choosing a theme and building dinner around it, finding a wine pairing for each dish, and serving just a few bites each of six or seven courses. To compound the situation, Jeff's friend also knows another couple who were frequent guests at our table before a job took them out of state. These people have also built up the mythology of our dinner parties and our home to hopelessly high levels. Thus, with a week to go I'm already pondering a theme that is sure to impress; however, I can't help but wonder if something in the pressure cooker might be more appropriate.
Lately, I find my husband has been carefully constructing an image of me as well, only this one deals with my prowess in the kitchen. Recently he came back into contact with a friend from college who has been touring and performing all over the world for many years. The friend recently married and moved back to the valley with his new wife to start a business and settle into family life. When this said friend came to visit the school and conduct a workshop with the kids, Jeff promptly invited him to dinner and began bragging about my culinary skills.
While I'm flattered that my husband likes the food I prepare, this too presents a dilemma. Do I make a straightforward meal that we pass around the table, or do I fix something extraordinary? This may not seem like a big deal, but because the hubby has extolled my virtues, I feel obliged to live up to the reputation. I don't think I can take the easy way out, lest our company feels disappointed by the menu. After all, Jeff told him about choosing a theme and building dinner around it, finding a wine pairing for each dish, and serving just a few bites each of six or seven courses. To compound the situation, Jeff's friend also knows another couple who were frequent guests at our table before a job took them out of state. These people have also built up the mythology of our dinner parties and our home to hopelessly high levels. Thus, with a week to go I'm already pondering a theme that is sure to impress; however, I can't help but wonder if something in the pressure cooker might be more appropriate.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Peanut Butter and What?
Recently my mom posted a link on Facebook to allrecipes.com where you could find directions for peanut butter and bacon cupcakes. (Yes, there are pieces of real bacon, and the recipe calls for bacon grease instead of cooking oil.) When I mentioned this at school today, it sparked an entire discussion of what people eat with peanut butter. Some of the usual culprits were mentioned: celery, cucumbers, pickles. However, one of my colleagues said she like peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches (on white bread, of course) along with peanut butter and tortilla chips. While I'm a fan of peanutty goodness, I can't feature eating these combos, but tonight while surfing the web I found a whole slew of interesting couplings for peanut butter.
- Garlic bread topped with peanut butter (and spaghetti on another site)
- Peanut butter and Cool Ranch Doritos sandwich
- Peanut butter and ham sandwich
- Raw pasta dipped in peanut butter
- Peanut butter on a grilled cheese (Apparently sharp cheddar is best.)
- Peanut butter and blue cheese dressing sandwich
- Peanut butter and fried chicken
- Ritz crackers topped with peanut butter, a bread and butter pickle slice, and a vidalia onion bite
- Peanut butter stuffed green olives (Take out the pimento; insert the peanut butter. Another site suggested this technique with Nutella instead of peanut butter.)
- Fried egg and peanut butter on toast
- Peanut butter in chili
- Peanut butter and tomato sandwich
- Peanut butter and salad sandwich
- Vegemite and peanut butter on toast (Another twist adds some cream cheese to this combo.)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Just a Quickie
Around here Sunday dinner is usually composed of something time consuming, but not today. While my son chauffeured me through some errands, Jeff stayed home to work. When we returned with a connector he needed, he stopped his school preparations and began installing the new dishwasher. Unfortunately, as soon as he began he realized he needed another part that did not appear on the "you will need" list provided by the manufacturer. It was none other than a three-prong plug to connect the electricity. (Now, one might imagine that a cord and plug would come with an electrical appliance, but apparently this is an incorrect assumption.) So, he and the boy drove back to Home Depot (because, of course, the small locally owned hardware store that is only five minutes from our house is closed on Sunday). Once they returned, Jeff again began to install the dishwasher; however, fate was not kind to him. It seems the elbow piece I bought earlier in the day (mind you, the exact piece pictured and described in the instruction booklet) didn't work. I was the wrong kind of coupler since Jeff needed one that had threads on the inside, not the outside. So...(you guessed it) back to Home Depot he went for the correct coupler.
In the meantime, I was getting hungry and my kitchen was littered with dishwasher parts. In an effort to make something quick (while Jeff was gone), I rummaged through the pantry emerging with 8 ounces of corkscrew pasta and a can of cream of broccoli soup. While the pasta water boiled, I found a bag of frozen assorted veggies (broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms) and a wedge of Romano cheese. Aha! Dinner was in the bag. After adding just a little milk to the soup to smooth it out, I put it on the stove to heat. When it began to bubble, I tossed in the grated Romano and stirred to melt it down. Just before the pasta was finished cooking, I added the veggies to the boiling water. Once drained, everything combined for a quick and delicious supper. The soup gave the whole thing excellent flavor which was accented nicely by the saltiness of the cheese. The veggies were an added bonus providing some vitamins and texture. The aroma filled the house and even my son appeared wanting to know what I had made. I guess sometimes, impromptu is pretty good. Now, keep your fingers crossed that the dishwasher works so I can clean up the plates.
In the meantime, I was getting hungry and my kitchen was littered with dishwasher parts. In an effort to make something quick (while Jeff was gone), I rummaged through the pantry emerging with 8 ounces of corkscrew pasta and a can of cream of broccoli soup. While the pasta water boiled, I found a bag of frozen assorted veggies (broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms) and a wedge of Romano cheese. Aha! Dinner was in the bag. After adding just a little milk to the soup to smooth it out, I put it on the stove to heat. When it began to bubble, I tossed in the grated Romano and stirred to melt it down. Just before the pasta was finished cooking, I added the veggies to the boiling water. Once drained, everything combined for a quick and delicious supper. The soup gave the whole thing excellent flavor which was accented nicely by the saltiness of the cheese. The veggies were an added bonus providing some vitamins and texture. The aroma filled the house and even my son appeared wanting to know what I had made. I guess sometimes, impromptu is pretty good. Now, keep your fingers crossed that the dishwasher works so I can clean up the plates.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Mission Accomplished
Sometimes we don't get what we want because we're supposed to get something better - case in point: one china cabinet with great structure ready to be refurbished.
Today Jeff had a lunch meeting with several other music directors to plan the regional band, choir, and orchestra festival in the spring. As he rolled out of Native New Yorker's parking lot, he was stuck in construction traffic and began peering around until his eyes rested upon an unobtrusive little sign announcing the opening of a consignment shop on the corner. "Huh," he thought, "next time we're over this way I should take Jen there to look at fixer upper furniture." As this idea fleeted through his mind he inched along in traffic and it began to nag at him. It nagged him so much that he made a series of right turns through a nearby neighborhood circumnavigating an entire block to get back to that little store where he found not one, but four nice china cabinets on display.
Waiting at home for the replacement dishwasher delivery (which is a whole story unto itself) and swimming in papers in need of grading, my phone began buzzing with photographs of these cabinets. After several volleys of texting, I dialed Jeff to discuss price and possibilities. Luckily, we both liked the least expensive piece which was marked $395 (yep, a hundred bucks less than we were willing to bid on last night's cabinet). Then, when Jeff spoke to the sales lady, she knocked another hundred off to seal the deal quickly. This piece of furniture is solid wood (no veneer here) 1970's era Thomasville (the label is still on the inside) with four lovely arched glass doors atop three large drawers and a storage cabinet on either side. The hardware is a little dated and there are some scratches around the bottom of the base, but otherwise it is in perfect condition. There are some interesting modified cross/star designs on the bottom portion that date it, but we think we could fill those with some wood putty before sanding and painting the piece. However, I know now that the upper doors will remain just as they are. Each door - with its arched glass front - has a smooth, light wood finish with a second piece of wood inset around the glass. The inset piece has the grain running crosswise, giving the impression of a faint stripe or mock tiger oak. This distinctive feature will surely look great with a two-tone base and outer cabinet finish in cream.
I am so excited about the piece, I wanted to put it directly in the garage for immediate work; however, Jeff pointed out that I should practice on my little desk first, so we moved it inside to provide housing for the family china, which looks fabulous inside already. I'll be sure to take some before and after photos of this project to share as I go along. I just can't wait to get started!
Today Jeff had a lunch meeting with several other music directors to plan the regional band, choir, and orchestra festival in the spring. As he rolled out of Native New Yorker's parking lot, he was stuck in construction traffic and began peering around until his eyes rested upon an unobtrusive little sign announcing the opening of a consignment shop on the corner. "Huh," he thought, "next time we're over this way I should take Jen there to look at fixer upper furniture." As this idea fleeted through his mind he inched along in traffic and it began to nag at him. It nagged him so much that he made a series of right turns through a nearby neighborhood circumnavigating an entire block to get back to that little store where he found not one, but four nice china cabinets on display.
Waiting at home for the replacement dishwasher delivery (which is a whole story unto itself) and swimming in papers in need of grading, my phone began buzzing with photographs of these cabinets. After several volleys of texting, I dialed Jeff to discuss price and possibilities. Luckily, we both liked the least expensive piece which was marked $395 (yep, a hundred bucks less than we were willing to bid on last night's cabinet). Then, when Jeff spoke to the sales lady, she knocked another hundred off to seal the deal quickly. This piece of furniture is solid wood (no veneer here) 1970's era Thomasville (the label is still on the inside) with four lovely arched glass doors atop three large drawers and a storage cabinet on either side. The hardware is a little dated and there are some scratches around the bottom of the base, but otherwise it is in perfect condition. There are some interesting modified cross/star designs on the bottom portion that date it, but we think we could fill those with some wood putty before sanding and painting the piece. However, I know now that the upper doors will remain just as they are. Each door - with its arched glass front - has a smooth, light wood finish with a second piece of wood inset around the glass. The inset piece has the grain running crosswise, giving the impression of a faint stripe or mock tiger oak. This distinctive feature will surely look great with a two-tone base and outer cabinet finish in cream.
I am so excited about the piece, I wanted to put it directly in the garage for immediate work; however, Jeff pointed out that I should practice on my little desk first, so we moved it inside to provide housing for the family china, which looks fabulous inside already. I'll be sure to take some before and after photos of this project to share as I go along. I just can't wait to get started!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Going, Going, Gone
Tonight Jeff and I attended an auction. The only thing this activity has to do with food is the fact that we were hungry the entire time. It started at 6:30 and we rolled in at 6:35 unaware of the order, rooms, and protocol associated with such an event. Being late wasn't a problem, but because we grew up in the era that being early means you're on time, we felt we didn't have time to eat anything before the auction, especially since we dropped our son off at a friend's house and made a pit-stop at the bank along the way. (The auction house requires a cash deposit to get a bidding paddle.)
Our adventure began when we arrived to the sound of an auctioneer buzzing along with the stereotypical jabber of yesteryear. This is particularly interesting because when I see auctions on television shows like Cash in the Attic, the people in charge never sound this way. The loudspeaker also supplied us with the auctioneer's explanation of the rules of the game. "Be careful," he cautioned the crowd. "This is the only place you could fan yourself and wind up paying for it." In reality, the bidding wasn't that touchy. It required a definitive hand signal or raising of the bidding paddle.
However, bidding is thrilling - even when the item is old and cheap with a price to match. I should know because I bought a French provincial desk for $10. Of course, a 10 percent buyer's fee is added along with sales tax, so I actually spent $11 and change. The desk is the same style furniture I always loved as a child. I always associate fairy princesses with this kind of furniture complete with billowing canopies made from pink chiffon parading over the bed like cotton candy clouds. Never mind the fact that this particular examples needs to have a few screws tightened and some wood glue applied to one side. Why, you may ask, would I buy such a thing. Honestly, it has potential. I plan to take my hand sander to it, prime it, paint it, decorate it, and make it into something interesting while experimenting with what I might do to my kitchen cabinets. This cheapy little desk represents the fun of the auction - seeing what something could be and figuring how much (or how little) to pay for it. (We saw a solid-wood queen-sized bedroom set - headboard, bed frame, chest of drawers, night stand, and dresser go for $250.)
While I only came home with my little treasure desk, we went to the auction to bid on a china cabinet. Unfortunately, the one I fell in love with was part of a set with a table and chairs. Jeff and I examined all the pieces and decided we could pay up to $500 just to get the china cabinet, but as an added bonus we could refinish the eight wooden chairs as well. (We thought we might just ask them to resell the table for the few dollars we'd probably get off of it.) The trouble is, the auction runs in "rooms" which means they have items sorted by value in four different areas with the china cabinet in the most expensive of these. We weren't worried we couldn't afford it, but it did take quite a while to get to the item we wanted - nearly three hours, to be exact. By the time the action reached the dining furniture, I was tired, hungry, and not nearly as enamored with the bidding process. In addition, I had my heart set on that cabinet and eight chairs, so I was taken aback when the auctioneer called the set as a china cabinet, table, and four chairs. "Aren't there eight chairs?" I asked - apparently breaking some unwritten rule that bidders aren't allowed to speak to the auctioneer since everyone stared at me in disbelief. "Yes," came the rather snarky reply, "but we're selling the set with four." Now, this thoroughly ticked me off. I had already decided (in my mind) that those chairs belonged to me - all eight of them. My discomfiture at this set back kept me from bidding at all, even though we could have won the day with a bid of $500, since the set went for $475. I just couldn't bring myself to bid on four chairs when I had expected eight. In retrospect, we should have bid the $500 and had the auction house resell the table with the four chairs on another day. (By the way, the other chairs were sold separately. Go figure.) Alas, indecision cost me the cabinet. I was crestfallen, so we paid for our Charlie Brown desk and headed home.
All in all, we learned a lot about auctions and timing. Though we didn't bring home the object of my affections, I shouldn't complain. I do have a nostalgic 1970's desk with curvy lines and girly flourishes sitting in my garage waiting to be polished up and given a new home. My mind is already picturing the possibilities and convincing itself that all those papers in my briefcase don't actually have to be graded this weekend.
Our adventure began when we arrived to the sound of an auctioneer buzzing along with the stereotypical jabber of yesteryear. This is particularly interesting because when I see auctions on television shows like Cash in the Attic, the people in charge never sound this way. The loudspeaker also supplied us with the auctioneer's explanation of the rules of the game. "Be careful," he cautioned the crowd. "This is the only place you could fan yourself and wind up paying for it." In reality, the bidding wasn't that touchy. It required a definitive hand signal or raising of the bidding paddle.
However, bidding is thrilling - even when the item is old and cheap with a price to match. I should know because I bought a French provincial desk for $10. Of course, a 10 percent buyer's fee is added along with sales tax, so I actually spent $11 and change. The desk is the same style furniture I always loved as a child. I always associate fairy princesses with this kind of furniture complete with billowing canopies made from pink chiffon parading over the bed like cotton candy clouds. Never mind the fact that this particular examples needs to have a few screws tightened and some wood glue applied to one side. Why, you may ask, would I buy such a thing. Honestly, it has potential. I plan to take my hand sander to it, prime it, paint it, decorate it, and make it into something interesting while experimenting with what I might do to my kitchen cabinets. This cheapy little desk represents the fun of the auction - seeing what something could be and figuring how much (or how little) to pay for it. (We saw a solid-wood queen-sized bedroom set - headboard, bed frame, chest of drawers, night stand, and dresser go for $250.)
While I only came home with my little treasure desk, we went to the auction to bid on a china cabinet. Unfortunately, the one I fell in love with was part of a set with a table and chairs. Jeff and I examined all the pieces and decided we could pay up to $500 just to get the china cabinet, but as an added bonus we could refinish the eight wooden chairs as well. (We thought we might just ask them to resell the table for the few dollars we'd probably get off of it.) The trouble is, the auction runs in "rooms" which means they have items sorted by value in four different areas with the china cabinet in the most expensive of these. We weren't worried we couldn't afford it, but it did take quite a while to get to the item we wanted - nearly three hours, to be exact. By the time the action reached the dining furniture, I was tired, hungry, and not nearly as enamored with the bidding process. In addition, I had my heart set on that cabinet and eight chairs, so I was taken aback when the auctioneer called the set as a china cabinet, table, and four chairs. "Aren't there eight chairs?" I asked - apparently breaking some unwritten rule that bidders aren't allowed to speak to the auctioneer since everyone stared at me in disbelief. "Yes," came the rather snarky reply, "but we're selling the set with four." Now, this thoroughly ticked me off. I had already decided (in my mind) that those chairs belonged to me - all eight of them. My discomfiture at this set back kept me from bidding at all, even though we could have won the day with a bid of $500, since the set went for $475. I just couldn't bring myself to bid on four chairs when I had expected eight. In retrospect, we should have bid the $500 and had the auction house resell the table with the four chairs on another day. (By the way, the other chairs were sold separately. Go figure.) Alas, indecision cost me the cabinet. I was crestfallen, so we paid for our Charlie Brown desk and headed home.
All in all, we learned a lot about auctions and timing. Though we didn't bring home the object of my affections, I shouldn't complain. I do have a nostalgic 1970's desk with curvy lines and girly flourishes sitting in my garage waiting to be polished up and given a new home. My mind is already picturing the possibilities and convincing itself that all those papers in my briefcase don't actually have to be graded this weekend.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Temptation Averted
Every now and then we manage to win a battle in our on-going struggle with eating out. Today is one of those days. After spending an entire day dealing with kids whining because they didn't turn in their homework and now they have a bad grade, I had the privilege of going to district office for an hour-long meeting about test scores, the newly adopted state curriculum, and changes to AIMS. Following that, I went back to school to pick up the hubby before heading toward home. (Notice I did not say going home, but merely heading that direction.) Needing a cashier's check or money order to renew my fingerprint card tomorrow (Yes, teachers must pay the state to re-fingerprint them every few years in order to keep their jobs.), we zipped into the bank parking lot two minutes after it closed. Luckily, Walmart sells money orders, so that was our next stop.
By that time the clock said 5:20 and my stomach was telling me to pick up something for dinner. As Jeff and I stood in line at the service desk, we debated what we should have.
"How about pizza?" I ask.
"No, I definitely don't want that," he replies. "What about something from the deli?"
"I don't think I want anything greasy and fried," I say. "What do they have besides fried chicken?"
"We could walk over and look," he offers as I finish paying for the money order.
"Well," I say, "by the time we walk through all of it, debate the choices, wait for service, and check out we could just go home and make grilled cheese sandwiches."
"You're right," he agrees. "Let's just do that." And we did.
By the time the sweet potato fries were ready to come out of the oven, each of us had a toasty treat straight from the sandwich maker which we took to the basement to eat while watching a couple of episodes of NCIS on DVD. Of course, I really should have skipped the television time and graded more papers. After all, the sky might fall on my little urchins if they don't receive instant credit for their latest essay which (they hope) will mitigate the damage of laziness on a day-to-day basis. On the other hand, maybe I deserve a little laziness of my own.
By that time the clock said 5:20 and my stomach was telling me to pick up something for dinner. As Jeff and I stood in line at the service desk, we debated what we should have.
"How about pizza?" I ask.
"No, I definitely don't want that," he replies. "What about something from the deli?"
"I don't think I want anything greasy and fried," I say. "What do they have besides fried chicken?"
"We could walk over and look," he offers as I finish paying for the money order.
"Well," I say, "by the time we walk through all of it, debate the choices, wait for service, and check out we could just go home and make grilled cheese sandwiches."
"You're right," he agrees. "Let's just do that." And we did.
By the time the sweet potato fries were ready to come out of the oven, each of us had a toasty treat straight from the sandwich maker which we took to the basement to eat while watching a couple of episodes of NCIS on DVD. Of course, I really should have skipped the television time and graded more papers. After all, the sky might fall on my little urchins if they don't receive instant credit for their latest essay which (they hope) will mitigate the damage of laziness on a day-to-day basis. On the other hand, maybe I deserve a little laziness of my own.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Taco Smell
Tonight we made a fast food run to Long John Silver's/Taco Bell. I'm always a little intrigued by the way the parent companies mesh two divergent restaurants. This particular place has the bell by the door ("Ring if we treated you well!") and fiesta style decor. We've been other mish-mosh places including a KFC combined with an A&W. The frosty mug goodness goes pretty well with everything, so that combo seems alright. But we seem to have a lot of the LJS/TB around here. It seems to me that if the company is going to combine the stores, they should come up with a few interesting menu items that epitomize the place. You might imagine that fish tacos are available here, but they're not. Perhaps some spicy seasoning for the fish is in order - nope.
While the idea of the two places seems a good one on the surface, the problem comes from sharing equipment that shouldn't be shared. Case in point: a deep fryer. One of my favorite Taco Bell items is the caramel apple empanada, which Jeff and I both ordered this evening. Unfortunately, we think they were fried in the same contraption used to cook the fish. The taste wasn't overpowering, just lingering. Jeff's fries also had the subtle suggestion of fish (which I suppose is alright if you're eating the fish, which he was.) However, the boy and I were eating Taco Bell goodies. His favorite way to order these days is to have a hodge-podge of items from the 99 cent menu. Tonight he had a bean burrito, a five-layer beef burrito, a cheese roll up, some nachos, and two crunchy tacos. His assortment looked pretty good except for the nachos which looked the cheese almost missed them all together. I had the aforementioned caramel empanada and a taco salad, which wasn't bad but looked a little sad in its shell. Once upon a time, the shell was brimming with ingredients (though often it was a lot of shredded lettuce). These days, they apparently don't even try to make you think it is full. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty to eat; however I do wish they had shrunk the size of the shell rather than the amount of ingredients. It would just look better.
Although we have come to expect mediocrity from our local fast food establishments, I'm ever hopeful that we'll be pleasantly surprised some day. Until then, I suppose we'll continue to eat the convenience foods on nights destined for loads of paperwork and take care to pop a few Tums before we start.
While the idea of the two places seems a good one on the surface, the problem comes from sharing equipment that shouldn't be shared. Case in point: a deep fryer. One of my favorite Taco Bell items is the caramel apple empanada, which Jeff and I both ordered this evening. Unfortunately, we think they were fried in the same contraption used to cook the fish. The taste wasn't overpowering, just lingering. Jeff's fries also had the subtle suggestion of fish (which I suppose is alright if you're eating the fish, which he was.) However, the boy and I were eating Taco Bell goodies. His favorite way to order these days is to have a hodge-podge of items from the 99 cent menu. Tonight he had a bean burrito, a five-layer beef burrito, a cheese roll up, some nachos, and two crunchy tacos. His assortment looked pretty good except for the nachos which looked the cheese almost missed them all together. I had the aforementioned caramel empanada and a taco salad, which wasn't bad but looked a little sad in its shell. Once upon a time, the shell was brimming with ingredients (though often it was a lot of shredded lettuce). These days, they apparently don't even try to make you think it is full. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty to eat; however I do wish they had shrunk the size of the shell rather than the amount of ingredients. It would just look better.
Although we have come to expect mediocrity from our local fast food establishments, I'm ever hopeful that we'll be pleasantly surprised some day. Until then, I suppose we'll continue to eat the convenience foods on nights destined for loads of paperwork and take care to pop a few Tums before we start.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Celebration at Home
Tonight we had a second celebration in honor of Jeff's parents' anniversary. At least, that's my excuse for breaking out the good china and cooking something totally fabulous. Here's the menu: stuffed mushrooms (appetizer), pork chops in ginger pear sauce (main course), broccoli with cheese sauce (side dish), glazed carrots (side dish), Hawaiian rolls with butter (bread), and cheese cake (dessert). It was all deluxe.
Stuffed mushrooms is one of my favorite starters because they're versatile and easy. Tonight I chopped the stems and mixed them with butter and Italian breadcrumbs in a large glass bowl which I put in the microwave for about four minutes, stirring halfway through. When it came out, I added some Italian seasoning, pepper, and feta cheese to the mixture which I spooned into the mushroom caps. These went into a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes to melt the cheese and get nice and hot. The feta turned creamy and the mushrooms were tender and juicy - perfect with the wine my in-laws brought along.While the side dishes were pretty standard, the carrots were particularly good to us because they came from our garden. Since the soil is a little rocky in the new section, they grew with a few crooks and twists you won't find on carrots in the grocery, but I always enjoy something fresh from the garden more than something I bought. I also have to confess that I cheated on the broccoli and cheese sauce, using some frozen bags I purchased at Sam's Club on our last tasting foray. (These spend about five minutes in the microwave and taste like homemade cheese sauce.)
The recipe for the excellent main course came from the 1994 Eating Well Cookbook. This is one of my favorite books because it has many beautiful photographs along with interesting foods. Basically, the pork chops are cooked in a little oil in a non-stick skillet and then removed to a warming platter while the sauce comes together. Here's the sauce recipe for a pound of boneless center cut pork chops:
3 tablespoons cider vinegar (I used cinnamon-ginger balsamic instead)
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup chicken stock
1 firm, ripe pear peeled and cored, cut lengthwise into eighths (I used a red pear and didn't peel it so it would hold together better.)
1 2"-long piece of ginger root, peeled and julienned (I used crushed ginger from a jar.)
6 scallions, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch lengths
2 teaspoons cornstarch
After pulling the pork chops out of the pan add the vinegar and sugar, stirring to dissolve. Cook for about one minute, and then add the wine and chicken stock to help dissolve the caramel. Add the pears and ginger and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Add the scallions and cook several minutes more. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of water and quickly stir it into the pear sauce. (It will thicken almost immediately; just keep stirring to distribute the thickener evenly. Return the pork chops and any juices to the skillet and cook for another minute or two until the pork is heated through.
This sauce had just the right amount of fruitiness from the pears with the spiciness of the ginger. It would be just as good over chicken or fish as it was over the pork.
The ending wasn't too shabby, either. I made an old favorite - sour cream cheese cake. I like the sour cream in my cheesecake because it keeps it from being too dense and heavy. In addition, I generally use some sort of cookie (instead of graham crackers) for the crust. Today, I used vanilla wafers with some finely ground walnuts, butter and cinnamon. Any kind of crunchy packaged cookie will do, though. Oreos are particularly good, and so are the el-cheap-o-deluxe iced oatmeal cookies. The generic lemon cookies work well, too, especially if you put some grated lemon zest in the cheesecake. While my son prefers his cheesecake plain, the rest of us put some blackberry pie filling on top of ours for an extra burst of goodness.
We rounded out the evening with an after dinner card game (which the girls won - twice), and a few more cups of coffee. All in all, it was a great way to spend a Sunday evening.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Panda Excess
During my last trip to the grocery, I came across Panda Express brand cooking sauces (on the Asian food aisle). Since we love the orange chicken but detest the cost of eating there, I decided the $4 price tag was worth a try. We were not disappointed.
Today I made the simplest lunch ever by tossing some frozen chicken poppers in the oven and some Minute rice in the microwave. When the chicken came out, I just drizzled the sauce over the top and stirred to coat. It tasted like we were eating at the restaurant, only it was a good deal cheaper. Especially since there is plenty of sauce left to coat two or three more bags of the chicken poppers. (A bag more than feeds all three of us - even the 15-year-old bottomless pit. The sauce is spicy and sweet, just like eating out. I think this would also be good over shrimp poppers or as a glaze for shrimp kabobs - especially with some onions, peppers, and pineapple chunks. I'm also considering pouring a bottle over a baked ham at Christmas.
At the same time I picked up the orange sauce, I bought a bottle of Panda Express mandarin chicken sauce. This is another restaurant favorite because the guys love the tender bits of chicken in the dark, rich, slightly sweet sauce. I can't wait to try this one, too. Not only will it be good with chicken breast strips, but I think it would also go well with fish. Awhile back we picked up some salmon "burgers" at Sam's Club which we have enjoyed quite a bit. I'm thinking the mandarin sauce might be good with those - either as a basting sauce during cooking or slathered on a toasted bun as a sandwich.
While I know Panda Express has offered frozen versions of some of its entrees for several years, I had not previously noticed the sauces. I'm guessing they've been out for quite awhile, but may just be showing up on our local retail shelves. Whatever the case may be, I'm happy to have discovered them since my son often wants to eat at Panda Express, but Jeff and I feel it is a little pricey. (I think last time the three of us ate there it ran about $28, which is a good deal more than most fast food places.) In addition, our local restaurant is not known for its service or food quality. So, now, I can make orange chicken at home for less than a third of the cost and in less time than it takes to get it from the actual restaurant. This is indeed good fortune,
Today I made the simplest lunch ever by tossing some frozen chicken poppers in the oven and some Minute rice in the microwave. When the chicken came out, I just drizzled the sauce over the top and stirred to coat. It tasted like we were eating at the restaurant, only it was a good deal cheaper. Especially since there is plenty of sauce left to coat two or three more bags of the chicken poppers. (A bag more than feeds all three of us - even the 15-year-old bottomless pit. The sauce is spicy and sweet, just like eating out. I think this would also be good over shrimp poppers or as a glaze for shrimp kabobs - especially with some onions, peppers, and pineapple chunks. I'm also considering pouring a bottle over a baked ham at Christmas.
At the same time I picked up the orange sauce, I bought a bottle of Panda Express mandarin chicken sauce. This is another restaurant favorite because the guys love the tender bits of chicken in the dark, rich, slightly sweet sauce. I can't wait to try this one, too. Not only will it be good with chicken breast strips, but I think it would also go well with fish. Awhile back we picked up some salmon "burgers" at Sam's Club which we have enjoyed quite a bit. I'm thinking the mandarin sauce might be good with those - either as a basting sauce during cooking or slathered on a toasted bun as a sandwich.
While I know Panda Express has offered frozen versions of some of its entrees for several years, I had not previously noticed the sauces. I'm guessing they've been out for quite awhile, but may just be showing up on our local retail shelves. Whatever the case may be, I'm happy to have discovered them since my son often wants to eat at Panda Express, but Jeff and I feel it is a little pricey. (I think last time the three of us ate there it ran about $28, which is a good deal more than most fast food places.) In addition, our local restaurant is not known for its service or food quality. So, now, I can make orange chicken at home for less than a third of the cost and in less time than it takes to get it from the actual restaurant. This is indeed good fortune,
Friday, September 3, 2010
That's Italian
Tonight the family had the good fortune to dine at Carraba's Italian Grill with Jeff's parents. They were celebrating 47 years of marriage and invited us to join them for dinner, and what a great meal it was.
When we arrived, the parental units were happily ensconced at a table already laden with appetizers begging to be eaten. Fresh bread with olive oil and vinegar dipping sauce adorned one side of the spread while Caprese salad comprised of skewers filled with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and strips of basil rested at the other end next to a bowl of beautiful (and tasty) pesto. Soon after our arrival, a plate of meat balls accompanied by dollops of ricotta cheese floating in a simmered-for-hours sauce and crusty bread strips appeared as well.
While nibbling all these goodies, beverages (including a lovely vodka martini with blue cheese stuffed olives) arrived and orders for the main course were taken including shrimp scampi, chicken marsala, manicotti, penne pasta, and chicken trio (a house specialty). Jeff had the trio which consisted of chicken marsala in a glaze that fairly glistened under the lights; some kind of chicken with ricotta cheese dolloped on top and finished with a lemony sauce; and a final piece of chicken in a mushroom basil sauce. The penne pasta I ordered was coated in olive oil and tossed with marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, strips of sun-dried tomatoes, and sauteed mushrooms; then topped with grated mozzarella. It was decadent. (Add to these soups and salads and you can imagine how stuffed each of us felt!)
Of course the best part of dinner is the conversation. We talked about work, school, upcoming events, etc. and had a great time. As a matter of fact, we had such a good time that the in-laws are coming for dinner Sunday evening. While I'm thinking we'll break out the china and have something yummy, the food is probably secondary to the wine they're bringing. Jeff's favorite is Gewurztraminer, and his parents have happened across a new brand they like even better than the one Jeff turned them on to. Thus, the reason for a good dinner is born. Do we really need any other?
When we arrived, the parental units were happily ensconced at a table already laden with appetizers begging to be eaten. Fresh bread with olive oil and vinegar dipping sauce adorned one side of the spread while Caprese salad comprised of skewers filled with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and strips of basil rested at the other end next to a bowl of beautiful (and tasty) pesto. Soon after our arrival, a plate of meat balls accompanied by dollops of ricotta cheese floating in a simmered-for-hours sauce and crusty bread strips appeared as well.
While nibbling all these goodies, beverages (including a lovely vodka martini with blue cheese stuffed olives) arrived and orders for the main course were taken including shrimp scampi, chicken marsala, manicotti, penne pasta, and chicken trio (a house specialty). Jeff had the trio which consisted of chicken marsala in a glaze that fairly glistened under the lights; some kind of chicken with ricotta cheese dolloped on top and finished with a lemony sauce; and a final piece of chicken in a mushroom basil sauce. The penne pasta I ordered was coated in olive oil and tossed with marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, strips of sun-dried tomatoes, and sauteed mushrooms; then topped with grated mozzarella. It was decadent. (Add to these soups and salads and you can imagine how stuffed each of us felt!)
Of course the best part of dinner is the conversation. We talked about work, school, upcoming events, etc. and had a great time. As a matter of fact, we had such a good time that the in-laws are coming for dinner Sunday evening. While I'm thinking we'll break out the china and have something yummy, the food is probably secondary to the wine they're bringing. Jeff's favorite is Gewurztraminer, and his parents have happened across a new brand they like even better than the one Jeff turned them on to. Thus, the reason for a good dinner is born. Do we really need any other?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Cereal Killer
I've had a love affair with cereal since I was kid. My favorite sugary-sweet choice in the late sixties and early seventies was Quisp - which I happened to see on the shelf today at Target. While this generally tastes like Cap'n Crunch, the saucer shape makes it more fun to eat. When I was kid, I'd suck all the milk off the saucers and they'd sort of collapse on my tongue with a satisfyingly soft semi-crunching noise. In addition, the silly alien on the box was just more fun than the old guy on Cap'n Crunch. Of course, my brother - who would contradict me no matter what I said - liked the captain better, or at least said he did. This caused a row between us because we were then forced to take turns choosing the cereal we would polish off for the next seven mornings.
Today, I'm a fan of cereals with a lower kitch factor like Raisin Bran Crunch, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Almond Crisp. Of course, the one trait these all share is crunchiness. I don't go for cereals like Rice Crispies or corn flakes because they just get soggy too quickly. I want something substantial enough to hold up to the milk and have a little kick when I get to the bottom of the bowl.
Some cereals actually make better snacks than they do breakfast food. For example Fruit Loops are great to munch while watching television, and Frosted Mini Wheats - especially strawberry and vanilla - are a good choice for munching satisfaction since they take awhile to chew and give your jaw a workout. Coco Puffs and Reece's cereal are good options for a chocolate fix.
Jeff's favorite way to eat cereal is in bar form. Rice Crispies treats are at the top of his snacking list. Of course, you can make these with just about any cereal. Coco and Fruity Pebbles are both good since they're really just flavored Rice Crispies, but all manner of Cheerios also make excellent after school munching. Honestly, when you add melted butter and marshmallows, even dull cereals perk up the palate.
While Jeff will eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast every now and then, I think my son has inherited the cereal killer gene. He can whip through a couple boxes a week without even trying. We've taken to buying the stuff in the large, generic bags to make sure the supply lasts until the next grocery shopping expedition. Cereal for breakfast is fine with him, but he says the best time to eat it is after school. There's something comforting about a bowl of Crunch Berries bobbing around in ice cold milk. It's enough to make even the most jaded of us feel like a kid again.
Today, I'm a fan of cereals with a lower kitch factor like Raisin Bran Crunch, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Almond Crisp. Of course, the one trait these all share is crunchiness. I don't go for cereals like Rice Crispies or corn flakes because they just get soggy too quickly. I want something substantial enough to hold up to the milk and have a little kick when I get to the bottom of the bowl.
Some cereals actually make better snacks than they do breakfast food. For example Fruit Loops are great to munch while watching television, and Frosted Mini Wheats - especially strawberry and vanilla - are a good choice for munching satisfaction since they take awhile to chew and give your jaw a workout. Coco Puffs and Reece's cereal are good options for a chocolate fix.
Jeff's favorite way to eat cereal is in bar form. Rice Crispies treats are at the top of his snacking list. Of course, you can make these with just about any cereal. Coco and Fruity Pebbles are both good since they're really just flavored Rice Crispies, but all manner of Cheerios also make excellent after school munching. Honestly, when you add melted butter and marshmallows, even dull cereals perk up the palate.
While Jeff will eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast every now and then, I think my son has inherited the cereal killer gene. He can whip through a couple boxes a week without even trying. We've taken to buying the stuff in the large, generic bags to make sure the supply lasts until the next grocery shopping expedition. Cereal for breakfast is fine with him, but he says the best time to eat it is after school. There's something comforting about a bowl of Crunch Berries bobbing around in ice cold milk. It's enough to make even the most jaded of us feel like a kid again.
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