T-Minus 24 and Counting

One holiday tradition at our house is using an advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas. As soon as our son was old enough to eat chocolates, his Oma sent him the first one setting the trend for years to come. Over the last decade and a half we have accumulated several reusable models that we take for a spin each year.

This countdown calendar has been with Jeff since he was about seven years old. (Yes, that is quite a long time!) It was a gift from his Sunday school teacher. The poem, which is printed on a piece of card stock and glued to a circle of felt, reads:
December first to Christmas is the longest time of the year.
Seems as though old Santa never will appear.
How many days till Christmas?
It's mighty hard to count!
So this little candy ribbon will tell the right amount.
Untie a candy every night when the sandman casts his spell,
And Christmas Eve will be here by the time you reach the bell.
The "ribbon" is a strip of felt with small lengths of yarn knotted through to tie on a piece of candy. Miniature candy canes or anything wrapped (like the taffy we have this year) work well on this calendar which features a little jingle bell at the tip. This seems fairly simple to make and would be an excellent craft for parents or grandparents with young kids around. (I've been toying with reworking the poem and making a semester countdown for the teachers in my department. I haven't come up with the exact wording yet, but the idea seems fun.)

Here's another calendar that comes from a craft project, though this one is quite a bit more complicated. Jeff's mom made this, which combines two of our favorite icons - music and cats - several years ago. It came as one of those preprinted patterns on a bolt in the fabric store. While I've seen many other Christmas crafts on fabric (including some darling aprons, tree skirts, and ornaments), I've never seen another advent calendar like this one. Each day has its own little pocket with its own little musical instrument cut-out that matches the picture of the kitty playing the instrument. There is a large pocket across the bottom to hold the instruments as they are removed from their specific days. This is a favorite holiday decoration that we hang each year.

This calendar was also a gift from Jeff's mom, though not home made. Although it looks like wood, it is actually very heavy gauge cardboard. The drawers reverse to create a snowman scene. So, as the days go by, the numbers go away and create a whole new decoration. In its original state each drawer contained a piece of chocolate. Now, we hang it every year and fill it with myriad items ranging from pieces of candy to state quarters to small toys from the party store. (A bag of pinata goodies works well for this kind of thing.) Of course, the older our son has gotten the more frequently it is filled with his favorite candy - though he'd probably like the money more!



Of course, last but not least, is this year's traditional chocolate countdown. While some of them are pretty sedate (like this one), we've found imported advent calendars at World Market that create new pictures by fastening the opened "door" to the front of the calendar. One even had an outdoor manger scene on the outside and each day slowly morphed the picture to the inner manger scene with baby Jesus finishing the picture on December 24. I have to admit, we haven't seen anything that elaborate in recent years, but when we lived in Las Vegas there seemed to be a wider selection. No matter how plain or fancy, though, advent calendars can be a lot of fun for the young or the young at heart.

Spicy Sweetness

As Thanksgiving weekend draws to a close I have one more tradition to uphold: ginger cookies. Every year I make these wonderful, spicy treats as a kick-off to holiday baking. They fill the house with the luscious aromas of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves which seem to provide a warmth unparalleled by other treats (at least in my mind). As children, my brother and I came home to these scents each year, and now it just isn't Christmas for me until I've eaten a few iced cookies with a glass of cold milk. While the taste remains the same year after year, the decorations frequently vary. Some years I cut the cookies into fruit shapes, brush them with a crystalline lemon glaze, and then outline the designs in bright white royal icing. Other years, the whole family has decorated ornament shapes with star tips and multiple colors of butter cream frosting. This year, simplicity reigns with traditional shapes and a vanilla icing that will harden to a glossy white finish. While these cookies do take some time and effort, the end result is well-worth the trouble. Enjoy!

Pigs are considered good luck in Germany!

Rolled Ginger Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup molasses (for a less spicy cookie, use half molasses and half honey)
2 tablespoons vinegar
5 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons ground ginger (I always put in the whole amount.)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Cream the shortening and sugar. Beat in the egg, molasses, and vinegar. Sift together the dry ingredients and add about a cup at a time with the mixer on low speed until blended. Divide the dough in half and form into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours. (I often make the dough on evening and leave the cutting, baking, and decorating for the next day.)

Roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness on a well-floured surface. (If you have a dough board and rolling pin cover, use them here.) Cut into shapes and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. (They don't spread much, so you can put them pretty close together.) Bake at 375 degrees for 5 or 6 minutes. Leave them on the pan for at least five minutes after removing them from the oven, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. I usually get about four and a half dozen small to medium-sized cookies, plus another half dozen larger gingerbread men.

Cookie Icing (This icing takes awhile to harden, but it finishes up glossy and tasty.)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

Stir all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. The icing will be stiff. If you want thinner icing, just add more milk. One more tablespoon creates a medium consistency, while two more will make the icing thinner but still spreadable. I like it a little thinner since I prefer to taste the spice of the cookie over the sugar of the icing. (You can also put a thin coat of icing on the cookies, allow it to set, and then add details on top by piping on royal icing.)

A Holiday from Cooking

The day after Thanksgiving I am grateful for leftovers. While most of America seems to be standing in line at 3 a.m. on Black Friday, Jeff and I are sound asleep, tucked snugly under our covers, because we don't shop on the biggest shopping day of the year. I know, we're missing all the good sales, but we discovered long ago that we seldom want to buy those door buster items that are only available to the first 50 people who have been camping out for a week. In addition, this year we have been inundated with coupons (paper and electronic) touting great sale prices before and after the big day. (As a matter of fact, one store honored its Black Friday sale price when were picking up our son's gift last Monday evening.)

So, the $64,000 question is if we're not out shopping, why can't I cook on the day after Thanksgiving? As tempting as it might be to go on strike after all the holiday preparations, that's not what happens either. On Black Friday the three of us spring from our beds and begin pulling Christmas decorations galore out of storage. By the time the day is over, it looks like Santa lives here (even though there won't be snow). We have two 7.5 foot Christmas trees crammed with ornaments, multiple wreaths bedecking the front door and several interior doors as well, a large nutcracker collection to put on display, a few centerpieces, more table linens than I'll ever use, three advent calendars, ceramic figurines, and doodads hanging from every handle and light fixture in sight. We even have a couple of holiday projects the boy created in grade school that find a home on our coffee table every Christmas. Of course, once the inside is done, we have to move outdoors as well, stringing lights along the roof line, adding silk poinsettias to baskets on the porch, changing out banners, chair covers, and door mats.  Luckily, as the boy has grown he becomes better at fluffing tree branches and adding lights, garland, and ornaments (especially at the top where I can't reach). This year, he even took on the job of putting up the outside lights on his own, much to Jeff's delight.

You're probably wondering about the excessive amount of glitz that takes over our home. Most people don't believe I'm capable of this kind of over-indulgence until they see it for themselves. ("She's so practical and level headed," my friends often say. "She's just not the type to go overboard.") In truth, the hoopla serves several purposes. First it puts me in the Christmas spirit, even when it's 70 degrees and sunny outside. It also allows my to begin counting the days to our annual trek homeward. Next, it turns the house upside down for awhile making everything seem new again when we put the "normal" decor back out on January first. Most importantly, though, it reminds me of the magical transformation that used to occur at Christmas. When I was a kid, stores didn't play Christmas carols, suspend garland from the ceiling, or put up a single ornament until Thanksgiving. I can remember thinking the entire world became glittery and beautiful over night. This miracle of suddenly having Christmas was just as impressive as Santa's mysterious trip on December 24. Thus, as stores begin hawking their holiday wares long before Halloween, we have made it our tradition to transform our home in one fell swoop the day after Thanksgiving. So, in our little corner of the world tonight, suddenly it's Christmas!

The First Thanksgiving

Holidays are all about tradition. Each of us expects a particular pie, side dish, or stuffing to adorn the table on Thanksgiving. Christmas often means special desserts or cookies, and even Independence Day is associated with family cook outs at the lake. Over the years, these traditions make up the fabric of who we are and how we identify ourselves as do the memories of holiday dinners past and loved ones - nearby and far away, present and departed.

The first Thanksgiving Jeff and I spent together was part of a larger gathering at a school superintendent's home in Kingman, Arizona. It was the second year I'd spent the holiday some 2,000 miles from the mountains of East Tennessee, and the first year Jeff wasn't with his family. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure he would have just hopped into the car and driven the four hours from Kingman to Mesa if I hadn't asked him to accompany me to the boss's dinner. (I guess even then he was my best friend.) I don't remember much about the meal, - I'm sure it was a traditional turkey with all the trimmings - but I do remember the feelings associated with the day.

The night before I had lost a beloved pet to cancer, and I wasn't sure I wanted to see anyone at all. To make matters worse, I showed up with a bottle of wine for the celebration only to learn that my hosts didn't drink. Despite these difficulties, though, Jeff and I had a good time. The table was crowded with family members and a few other teachers who were far from home. The conversation was lively - filled with jokes and laughter, stories of kindness and faith, talk of the traditions we had grown up with.

That Thanksgiving was filled with a spirit of companionship and sharing. Over the years, Jeff and I have had small dinners that barely qualify as a Thanksgiving meal and feasts with dishes of every variety covering the table. No matter where we are or what we eat, though, I am always reminded of our first Thanksgiving together, and I'm truly thankful we found each other. These memories have become part of my tradition, and each year I reflect on how they have made me who I am today.

Decisions, Decisions

Wouldn't it be nice if the toughest choice we ever had to make was what kind of pie to serve? Ahh...dream on. But in the meantime, I do have to make that kind of decision tonight. The guys requested an apple pie for our Thanksgiving feast, and I just can't leave well enough alone. So, here are my two favorite apple pie recipes. Take your pick!

Upside Down Apple Pie

Pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie (Make your own or just pick up a box in the refrigerator section at the grocery.)

Caramel-pecan mixture
3 tablespoons butter softened (use the real stuff here)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves

Pie filling
Most recipes call for one kind or another, but the secret to a great apple pie is mixing the kinds of apples. Choose two firm/tart apples like Granny Smith, two firm/sweet apples like Braeburn or Pink Lady, and two soft/sweet apples like Red Delicious. This variety of textures and flavors will add depth to the pie and ensure that some apples hold their shape while others cook into the syrupy filling.
6 apples peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice (use a fresh one if you have it)
1/4 brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Make the caramel mixture by creaming the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Spread it in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate and arrange the pecan halves in a pretty pattern. (Remember to put them upside down so they'll be right side up when you flip the pie later.)

Put the bottom crust over the caramel-pecan mixture. Combine the apple slices with the remaining ingredients. Mix well to coat the apples evenly. Turn the mixture into the pie shell and pack it down evenly. Add the top layer of crust. Use a little water and a fork to seal the edges well. Cut several vents in the top crust. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil to keep them from burning.

Bake the pie in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 to 35 minutes. (Remove the foil from the crust about 10 minutes before the pie is done.) Allow the pie to cool for about 10 minutes before inverting on a serving plate. (You might want to bake the pie on top of a cookie sheet, just in case it bubbles over around the edges.)

Caramel Apple Pie

Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie
Apple pie filling mixture (from above recipe)
3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping - divided
2 tablespoons flour (in addition to the flour added to the apples)

Place the bottom crust in a 9-inch pie pan. Mix 1/2 cup of caramel topping with two tablespoons flour and spread it evenly across the bottom of the pie crust. Make the apple pie filling as directed above and put it on top of the caramel layer. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel topping over the apple filling. Put on the top crust and seal the edges. Cut several small vents. Bake as directed above.

The Chicken I Didn't Cook

Today while the boy and I were at Fry's he gave me the puppy dog eyes in the deli section and asked if we could take home a rotisserie chicken for dinner. Relenting, I reached for the smaller size and met with a gentle rebuke: "Oh, we can get the smaller one if you want," he said agreeably, "but it's usually gone in three minutes flat." Thus the larger bird found its way to my cart and to my kitchen where Jeff said, "You must be able to read my mind. I was thinking about calling you to see if you could bring home a roasted chicken for dinner." And so my fate was sealed - rotisserie chicken (not my favorite meal) became the main course. I popped a bag of "lightly sauced" pasta and veggies in the microwave and some brown and serve rolls in the oven to round out the meal.

I think the best part of rotisserie chicken is what's leftover. Once everyone has eaten his fill, there's still plenty of chicken to be picked off the bones and shredded for other dishes - like chicken salad (one of my personal favorites). The best chicken salad has shredded chicken (or tuna if you like), a chopped (preferably green) apple, and an equal amount of halved or quartered black or red grapes. Put everything in a bowl and add an appropriate amount of mayonnaise. This could be just enough to keep everything moist or enough to drown the bird -whichever you prefer. Finally, put in plenty of freshly ground black pepper. This offsets the sweetness of the fruit and makes the salad sing. I could sit and eat this from the bowl - forget any need for bread.

Another good use for left over chicken (or turkey since Thanksgiving is on the way) is enchiladas. Make a medium consistency white sauce and season it to taste. Add some chopped green chilies and sauteed onions to the chicken. Soften some corn tortillas in a little oil over medium heat. Finally, put a spoonful of white sauce and chicken mixture inside the tortillas, roll them up tightly, and place them in a large casserole. Pour the remainder of the sauce over the finished rolls and top with a generous amount of grated cheese (cheddar or a casserole mix work well here). Put the dish in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until the cheese is thoroughly melted and everything is bubbly. Allow it to rest a few minutes and top it with some chopped tomatoes and black olives. This is excellent served with avocado slices and a dollop of sour cream. (If you want to take the easy way out, just layer the tortillas and chicken mixture in the casserole dish instead of rolling each one. It tastes just as good and saves a lot of time.)

Of course, left over chicken is always good added into other dishes - like potato soup or vegetable stir fry - for some protein.Whatever route you go, don't pass up the opportunity to use all of that rotisserie chicken you might bring home rather than just some of it. You might find the leftovers are better than the original incarnation.

A Family Day Off

Breakfast with Harry Potter has been a tradition at our house since the first movie of the series was released nine years ago this month, so it isn't surprising that we continued our family fun day this morning with breakfast followed by an early show of The Deathly Hallows Part 1. Part of our ritual for Harry Potter movies is to eat breakfast - one of Jeff's favorite meals - out before heading to the theater. We usually choose some place like Village Inn, Denny's, or Cracker Barrel, but today we found a little mom and pop place called the Apple Dumpling Cafe (www.appledumplingcafe.com).

The restaurant is located in a small strip-mall storefront on the edge of town between Queen Creek and Chandler. The windows are filled with advertisements for daily specials, a couple of outdoor tables with umbrellas flank the door, and a stand-up chalkboard sign greets guests as they step into the shade of the sidewalk. The bright, clean establishment was nearly empty when we arrived around 9:30 this morning, but after enjoying our visit, I'm guessing it's a happening little place at busier times of the day. We were greeted by one of the owners as soon as we walked in the door, who invited us to "Just sit anywhere ya like." Each table was prepped with silverware rolls and a local newspaper for patrons to enjoy while they sip their coffee.

The breakfast menu wasn't vast like some of the large chain restaurants, but it was varied ranging from several omelet plates to crepes and stuffed French toast to a huge "hearty" breakfast with the words "good luck eating it all" printed beneath the list of food. We were amused by the down home quality of the menus and signs, which my son took pleasure in reading to us while we waited for our food. Jeff and I both mulled the fruit crepes and the country fried steak breakfast, so we decided to order one of each and split them both. This was an excellent choice! The crepes were stuffed with the patron's choice of apples, bananas, or strawberries and we opted for one of each. The strawberries were particularly good with a rich flavor that made us think there were some additions like cinnamon or vanilla. The apple was good, too, though not as tasty as the strawberry, and the banana, which featured slices of perfectly ripe fruit, was a strong contender for first place. The crepes themselves were thin and beautiful, perfectly cooked with just a hint of brown around the edges. The country fried steak breakfast included a good deal of wonderfully peppered gravy, sliced home fry potatoes, two fluffy scrambled eggs, and a triangle of watermelon that hit the spot at the end. The chicken fried steak itself was tender, perfectly coated, and crisply browned to perfection. The boy opted for a build-your-own omelet that came with the same potatoes and sourdough toast.

After we practically licked the plates, the owner, who had served us the meal, talked to us a little and we learned that the "fried" elements including the beautifully cooked potatoes and breaded steak were actually made in a commercial convection oven to crisp the food without deep frying in grease. (This fact alone made we want an oven that could this!) In addition, the couple that owns the place has some help from one of their daughters, who makes the crepes for the establishment. As we left, Jeff and I talked about how much we wished there were more little places like this (which opened about three-and-half years ago) around town. The meal was excellent, the service friendly, and the prices fair. We will definitely be going back to the Apple Dumpling Cafe for lunch or to try their homemade custard ice cream some summer afternoon.

Breakfast and a Book

This morning was my first foray into the world of book clubs. The idea is obvious - people who like books get together to talk about one they've read. Of course, at my school this process also involves food. So, this morning Jeff and I embarked for work about 25 minutes early, dropping the boy off on the way, and arriving before the main buildings were unlocked for students (ah, quiet in the hallway). My contribution to breakfast was a lovely frittata I made last night, cut in squares, and wrapped for travel.

Until recent months I had never tried frittatas because I assumed they would be too "eggy" for my taste. Luckily, I was wrong. In reality, a frittata is just a flattened out omelet and can have any number of ingredients, so I just tossed in whatever I had on hand. I started with sauteing some garlic and minced scallops in a little vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet. While that cooked, I put some of the summer's sun dried tomatoes in a little water mixed with blackberry balsamic vinegar in the microwave to plump up a bit. When these were done, I gave them a rough chop and pitched them in the skillet along with the remaining vinegar and water. Since the liquid takes a couple of minutes to sizzle off, I hopped out to the garden to obtain fresh herbs - rosemary, purple basil, and chives - for good measure. Once the aromatics were chopped and stirred into the pan, all looked ready for the eggs. I removed the pan from the heat to allow the flavorful bits to cool a little while I whipped six large eggs with a wire whisk until they were foamy. Then I put the contents of the skillet in with the eggs and added some grated Parmesan cheese for good measure. After putting the pan back on the heat, I gave everything a final stir, poured it in, and walked away. (There's the hard part!) While the eggs cook on the bottom, preheat the broiler on high. Once the eggs were well set around the edges, I put the pan under the broiler to cook the top until it was just brown.

This always comes out of the oven smelling fabulous and looking puffy like a restaurant omelet. Once the frittata hits the plate, it loses a little air, but is easy to cut into pie slices or squares for immediate consumption. I've discovered it is also good at room temperature because the flavors seem to intensify as it cools. This can be a good appetizer as well served in small bites on whole wheat crackers to add some texture. A little fig chutney makes an excellent garnish on this, but don't mix it into the eggs before cooking because it gives them a dark, muddy color that isn't particularly appetizing (though it tastes great). Today's frittata was particularly excellent because the flavors of the herbs and sun dried tomatoes (which created beautiful specks of dark green, purple, and red) permeated the dish as it sat in the fridge overnight. Much to my delight, there were oohs and ahhs with every bite.

A friend of mine brought one of my all-time favorite breakfast dishes - hash brown casserole filled with butter, cheese, and sour cream - along with some garlic cheddar biscuits. Unfortunately, no one else brought food this morning, but we had plenty because attendance was low. (It seems many members weren't crazy about the book we read - Hominids. They didn't finish it and didn't come to the meeting.) In the end, we didn't spend much time talking about the book, but we did have an excellent breakfast.

Slow Cooking for a Fast Meal

A couple times a week we are in a bigger hurry than usual to eat dinner before rushing off to our son's guitar class. On those days I am particularly thankful for the slow cooker my mother-in-law gave me last Christmas. (Actually, I've used it quite a lot!) With this helpful contraption the family can have a lovely, sit down dinner that didn't come from a can or a box and still have time to meet our commitments.

Tonight's masterpiece was a pot roast I purchased a couple of weeks ago on a buy-one-get-one-sale and stashed in the freezer. I've always loved a bargain and subscribed to the idea that clothes, home decor, gadgets, etc. are better when purchased at a thrifty price. I'm beginning to think the same principle applies to food. Somehow it just seems to taste better when I know it was cheap. (I hope I'm not turning into Scrooge, though! Maybe it's just a sign of the times.)

To make the whole process easier, I prepped the ceramic pot insert last night, stashed it in the fridge, and pulled it out to cook this morning when we left for school. In addition, while I peeled shallots and cut up red potatoes and carrots, Jeff tossed in some simple seasonings: salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash. Next he poured chicken broth over everything while I added a little blackberry-ginger vinegar and some vegetable juice for a tomato base. This conglomeration simmered on low all day, which leads me to the best part of crock pot cooking - the aroma. The second we opened the door, Jeff and I were greeted with the scent of tender, luscious pot roast permeating the house. It took only a few minutes to set the table, put the veggies and roast in a dish (though this was bit tricky since it kept falling apart!), and thicken up some gravy. One of the true joys in life has to be the welcoming warmth of a home-cooked meal after a long day of labor (especially if I didn't have to stay home to cook it).

Thus, we all enjoyed a good dinner with time to talk about the day's events. In addition, we had three helpings left to go to school tomorrow for lunch. The extra is for Jeff's mom (who volunteers in his classroom a couple days a week) because we thought she'd enjoy the tasty treat that came from her 11-month old gift that continues to make our lives easier.

Time for Turkey

Watching Food Network can definitely be addictive. Just as I was about to turn off the idiot box (after an hour of HGTV, of course) and head to my office to write this blog, who should appear in front of my wondering eyes but Ina Garten touting a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner. Needless to say, I spent another 30 minutes on the couch enthralled by the prospect of having a holiday meal planned for me.

For the main event she prepared an herb-rubbed turkey breast. (As luck would have I recently purchased one on sale for our own feast.) The secret, she said, was to put half the herb mixture under the skin and half on top before returning it to the refrigerator the night before. Next, she made some basic vegetables like French green beans, roasted carrots, and acorn squash with maple syrup. These seemed easy enough to fix ahead of time and simply reheat. She chose one vegetable dish to be the star creating a puree from celery root and apples. While I'm not sure this dish is one I would choose, the idea of having a single stand-out side dish coupled with one or two basics is great. (I always struggle to make every dish spectacular, when that isn't really necessary.) She also made the gravy ahead of time and added a little brandy to it for some extra flavor.

Perhaps the most interesting dish she made was sausage and apple stuffing. She started by cooking chunks of apple, onion, and celery in butter. Meanwhile she toasted a brioche loaf (which she had cut into cubes) until it was just golden brown. When the bread chunks (They were pretty large, actually.) came out of the oven, she poured the apple mixture over the top and put a mixture of sweet and spicy Italian sausage into the skillet. This was then added to rest of the stuffing along with some seasonings and a cup of chicken stock. Once the whole conglomeration went into a large casserole, it too found its way to the refrigerator for overnight storage. To make matters even more helpful, she added a countdown clock for Thanksgiving day to roast the bird, cook the stuffing, and reheat everything else so it all went on the table at the same time.

I realize it seems strange to make such a big deal out of watching the Barefoot Contessa. (Jeff says I'm the only person he knows who talks back to the cooking show hostess with comments like, "Oh, that has to smell good," or "I never thought of that.") However, I think everyone who cooks worries about making holiday meals special. Some of us slave for hours and days ahead of time to make sure our families and guests experience the best of everything, yet in the end we deny ourselves the same pleasure. So this year, I'm taking a cue (and several recipes) from Ina Garten. I'm going to couple some simple basics like my favorite roasted vegetables and deluxe mashed potatoes with a succulent bird and some fabulous stuffing. I'll probably throw in a caramel apple pie for good measure, but this seems pretty low-key to previous years when I spent so much time and energy planning and preparing the food that I didn't really enjoy it. I think there is a breaking point where so much time is invested that no matter how good the food is, it can't be worth the exhaustion of creating it. This is one lesson I've only recently realized: every return has to be weighed carefully against the investment of time and energy.

Here's the link to the episode and recipe information http://www.foodnetwork.com/barefoot-contessa/thanksgiving-countdown/index.html. While you're on foodnetwork.com, check out the 50 variations on basic stuffing as well http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/50-stuffings/index.html. Happy eating!

Dinner in a Snap

It's funny where dinner inspiration crops up. On the way home from the mall, Jeff and I were deciding what to make for dinner. Option one was a repeat of Friday night's nibble-fest and option two was a lemon pasta dish with shrimp. We batted around the pros and cons of each, but couldn't reach a decision. Finally, Jeff said, "The shrimp sounds good, but I have a hankering for those mini egg rolls, too. Are they mutually exclusive?" Of course not, but since the egg rolls were the central idea, I changed the pasta dish to rice and made stir fry on the fly.

First, the egg rolls went into the oven and the jasmine rice started on the cook top since both of these take about 15 to 18 minutes. Meanwhile, I peeled the shrimp while a tablespoon of garlic, two finely chopped celery ribs, and for diced shallots cooked in some heated sesame oil and a bag of sugar snap peas defrosted in the microwave. The shrimp went into the pan next, along with a healthy dose of black pepper and a little salt. When the shrimp was about half cooked, the drained sugar snap peas went in as well. Finally, about a quarter cup of Panda Express orange sauce was added to the pan along with the cooked rice. Everything received a final stir and went into bowls just as the egg rolls came out of the oven. (I love it when a plan comes together.)

This dinner took about 20 minutes start to finish, but tasted like a million bucks. The jasmine rice and sugar snap peas definitely gave an otherwise ordinary stir fry some interest. (I love the aroma of jasmine rice as well as the slightly sweet flavor and starch consistency. It is excellent in sushi because it sticks together easily.) Best of all is the fact that there are two helpings left for the lunchbox and plenty of egg rolls still in the freezer.

This and That

Lately I've been using coupons on sale items to try some new things. Here are a few of my favorites.


Stevia is an all-natural zero calorie sweetener as opposed to artificial (read chemical) sweeteners like aspartame. In this form it can be used cup-for-cup instead of sugar, and is sold next to similar bags of Splenda at a comparable price. My mom has been extolling the virtues of Stevia for quite some time, but she has been purchasing it in another form and cutting it with equal parts sugar to eliminate the bitter aftertaste. This product, though, has no bitterness. In fact, it is a good deal sweeter than Splenda (or sugar, I think). When I added the same amount of Stevia in the Raw instead of Splenda to a gallon of iced tea, the result was much sweeter. I'm thinking I can use about third less Stevia and achieve the same level of sweetness. So in the long run, this product will actually be cheaper than Splenda.

Here's another product my mom told me about. I have always like Pringles, but the multi-grain version is even better than the traditional one. These chips have a more organic flavor that is reminiscent of an excellent whole wheat cracker, yet they maintain the normal Pringles texture and lightness.

We sampled these little beauties at the grocery today, and I was picking up a box as soon as I took the first bite. (Though, to be honest, Jeff wasn't crazy about this snack.) The crackers are made from ground nuts (almonds in this incarnation, but there were other varieties made from pecans as well.) and rice flower. In the first crunch, the rice is evident, but the nuts come through in the aftertaste. We sampled a cheese flavored version in the store, but I opted for the smokehouse flavor since I love smokehouse almonds.



Jeff and I recently discovered these little meals for lunch. We first purchased them at Big Lots where they are about half the price of the grocery store. Today we picked up a couple at Fry's because they were on sale and we had a coupon. The beauty of these is that they create a nice dish in a jiffy. Under the lid is a small bag of sauce which is removed before cooking. Water is added to the base and the lid is replaced before putting the dish (which contains pasta or rice depending on the variety) into the microwave for several minutes. Once the staple is cooked, the sauce packet is emptied and mixed into the base making a tasty lunch. The advantage is that the pasta or rice is not sticky and heavy from being reheated. While Jeff opted for this Asian chicken flavor, my favorite is a chicken and kidney bean chili with rice.



Being a chip fiend means I am susceptible to the siren call of every flavor that comes along, and this is no exception. I already love Kettle chips for their home style texture and interesting flavors, so it is only natural that I enjoy the flavors of cheddar cheese, garlic, sour cream, and green onion all rolled into one chip. After all, I never met a potato I didn't like.

Weekend Chill

You know you've been married too long when a Friday night without the kids means staying home. Tonight the boy went to a friend's to play guitar while Jeff and I ate hors d'oeuvres and drank martinis. It sounds glamorous until I mention the nibbles were from Target's freezer section, we had pajamas with fuzzy slippers, and we were watching a Star Trek video. (Yes, we are sci fi nerds.) In all honesty, though, the frozen finger foods make a good little meal. We like to buy the larger cartons, which are cheaper by the serving, and cook only a few of each item to create a miniature smorgasbord, saving the rest for another night. Tonight we had mozzarella sticks, tiny chicken egg rolls, mini crab cakes, two-bite cheese souffles, and an assortment of puff pastry filled with artichoke hearts, asiago cheese with spinach, and pesto with sun dried tomatoes. These were lovely little snacks and the perfect accompaniment to a Friday night martini. In honor of the weekend, here are our favorite cocktail recipes. Enjoy!

Jeff's Chocolate Martini
1.5 measures chocolate liqueur
1.5 measures dark cream de cocoa
.5 measure vodka
2.5 measures chocolate milk

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker half full of cracked ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the container becomes frosty. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Jenny's Dirty Martini
1.5 measures potato vodka
(There are several good brands, and the cheaper ones in the $15 to $16 a bottle range are just as good as the more expensive $30 to $35 bottles.)
1.5 measures Bombay Sapphire gin
(This drink is all about the liquor, so use the good stuff here.)
.5 measure dry vermouth
.5 measure olive juice

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker half full of cracked ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the container becomes frosty and ice crystals begin to form in the vodka. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cocktail onion and a garlic stuffed olive. (Olives stuffed with blue cheese or almonds are also excellent.)

Asian Market Munchies

On our extra day off we were nearly at a loss over what to do with ourselves, but one of Jeff's students suggested we go to the Chinese Cultural Center. "There are shops, and restaurants, and gardens," she promised. Now, Jeff and I envisioned some pretty nifty architecture, a museum, lovely contemplation gardens, etc. After all, we've been to similar places in San Diego and San Francisco. Surely, we thought, a city the size of Phoenix will have a comparable facility. Even the boy thought the outing sounded like fun, and we were all reassured by the interstate sign directing from the exit.

Unfortunately, the reality did not meet with our expectations. There were exactly two import shops, three Chinese restaurants sporting menus that looked like every other Chinese place we've ever eaten, and a winding walkway through some statues and reproductions of Chinese monuments. The garden area would have been much nicer if it hadn't fronted on the busy city street filled with traffic noise and fumes. There was one redeeming part of the adventure, though - a large Asian market. The last time we were in a full-scale market of this kind was when we lived in Las Vegas, where there is a large Asian population.

We spent the better part of an hour meandering up and down the aisles, reading labels and trying to figure out some of the more obscure items. Ultimately we brought home a small selection of snacks to try. I'll admit, we shied away from some of the items that seemed to call for an acquired taste, like cuttlefish jerky, freeze dried fish (They looked like minnows!), canned octopus tentacles, and preserved duck eggs. In addition, there were packages of all sorts of dried fruit, but only a few of them were identified in the name, and one had the type of fruit listed in the ingredients. Some had drawings of fruit on the front that were completely unfamiliar to us. The dried fruit was on the expensive side, and since we couldn't figure out what kind we had, we skipped it this time. But, here's what we did buy:


Mochi came in a wide variety of flavors including sesame, green tea, coffee, and seaweed. The food is a gelatinous ball that is filled with each flavor. The ball itself is the texture of raw cinnamon roll dough. The sesame flavor is rolled in seeds on the outside and sports a filling made from ground black sesame seeds. It was interesting, but not particularly good. On the package, the product looks like a candy, but the sesame flavor is definitely on the savory side.



The green tea flavored mochi was better than the sesame variety. It had a little sweetness to it, mostly from a dusting of powdered sugar on the outside. The filling on this one was more of a liquid-paste, but again the doughy consistency interfered with our enjoyment of the product. However, the green tea color and interior made this rather pretty when cut into little bites for sampling.



My son chose these little beauties which are mini (and I do mean teeny-tiny) pillows of a crunchy cookie shell with a dab of vanilla cream filling. These could be addictive and eaten by the handful. There were several flavors at the market including strawberry, chocolate, and hazelnut (which I would have opted for).



These rice crackers come wrapped in pairs and are very pretty with their scalloped edge and lovely pale color. They taste like compressed rice cakes, but better because there is a small amount of icing/glaze drizzled across the top adding a sweetness in juxtaposition to a salty after taste. It's hard to tell if these are supposed to be cookies or crackers, sweet or savory. Either way, I liked these alot and plan to toss them in my lunch box for conversation starters at school.



Being the chip fiend that I am, I could not pass up something as interesting as lentil flavored munchies. Unfortunately, they don't have much flavor at all. The are light and crispy like airy Pringles, but without a strong taste. They are seasoned with sea salt, though, which makes them a good chip snack, and they are healthier than fried potato chips. In the end, I'm sure I'll eat them, but I was disappointed that they didn't have an exotic taste.



These blueberry marshmallows are good and interesting. They are individually wrapped like candy, and each marshmallow is perfect ball, instead of the "normal" (American) cylindrical shape. The marshmallows themselves are plain vanilla, but inside each one is a soft, gummy blueberry center. These also came in a myriad of fruit flavors, which we would live to try.



Our final purchase came from the produce department which was filled with all kinds of greens I couldn't identify along with some vegetables I not normally available at Fry's, but common in some of the European vegetarian cookbooks I own. There was a wide selection of fruit ranging from several kinds of winter melons to baby bananas, papayas and mangoes sold individually and by the case. As soon as Jeff spied these persimmons (at only 99 cents a pound), he knew they'd be going home with us. (His mom makes a fabulous persimmon pudding!)



Not So Old Fashioned T.V. Dinner

In an effort to avoid a McDouble at Mickey D's tonight, I opted for a t.v. dinner. Normally I don't even purchase such things, but a couple of weeks ago Marie Callendar's dinners were on sale and I had a coupon. In recent days the guys have eaten several of these frozen meals, but I have managed to steer clear until tonight. Much to my surprise, though, it was actually good.

Tonight's flavor du jour was turkey with mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli and carrots. The first thing that impressed me about the meal was that the turkey was actually mini-medallions of all white meat, unlike the last Banquet dinner I ate who knows how many years ago. In addition, the potatoes were smooth and buttery with gravy that tasted almost homemade. The side veggies were pretty standard frozen fair, but they didn't seem to matter much after tasting the main course.

I suppose I should know better than to judge t.v. dinners from experiences based on my college days - 25 years ago - but such a history is hard to ignore. In those days, the turkey would have been more akin to middle school mystery meat either lacking enough gravy to make it edible or drowning in so much gravy that the chunks of meat would be lost at sea. As for the veggies, broccoli would not have been on the menu, just starchy, soggy corn. As I recall, the only redeeming quality of ancient t.v. dinners was the desert compartment containing cinnamon apples or some sort of brownie with pie cherries. Luckily for me, these frozen entrees were not lurking inside that Marie Callendar's box.

Having eaten one, I wouldn't opt for a t.v. dinner on a regular basis, but I wouldn't mind keeping a few in the freezer for busy nights. Of course, since these lacked a desert, some frozen cookie dough from the last choir fundraiser fits the bill nicely. At least those are always good!

Back in the Saddle

For a week and a half, I've been a slacker. I know it's hard to fathom that miss jump-out-of-bed-never-waste-a-minute could be that way, but it's true. I haven't cooked, cleaned, or blogged since Halloween weekend when I took mini cream puffs to a friend's party. (By the way, these were super easy! I used frozen puff pastry cut into small rounds and baked. Then I separated them and piped on chocolate pudding (made with chocolate milk) mixed with Cool Whip. Deluxe and beautiful, too.) The dessert was a hit among my teacher friends as we lamented the state of education today and drank ice-cold vodka.

I'm sorry to say the rest of my week was given over to self-pity and annoyance with unsupportive administrators and lazy students. Though I won't belabor the details here, suffice it to say that I've had enough bench time and am ready to get back in the game. Thus, it is time to take stock of the Eat at Home Project in its present form. With nine weeks left to round out a year of trying not to spend a lot of money eating out, we are over our budget by more than $200. However, since the $20 a week we originally planned would add up to only a third of what we spent at restaurants the year before, we're still ahead of the game. The idea that we will end our experiment at about half the money we spent in 2009 seems reasonable and likely. Though, thinking back I'm not sure how we managed to spend so much money on eating out last year. Perhaps the full weight of the economic melt-down hadn't hit us yet. Realistically, too, we've shelled out quite a bit of money for repairs to the house and car this year that we didn't have in '09. Whatever the reason, I don't think we'll be going back to our spendthrift habits even when 52 weeks of tracking is done.

The past week has been an example of what happens when we don't plan ahead. Because I was in a funk, I didn't plan meals, and we ended up eating some frozen dinners which were not particularly tasty or healthy. Since this gets old pretty quickly, we also ate out - twice. This too, though better tasting since we had the $5 value meals at KFC, was not exactly good for our arteries or wallets. So, this week we pulled ourselves back on to the bandwagon and planned some simple food we can eat at home. (That's the name of the project, right?) Yesterday we picked up sirloin tip roasts (which were buy one get one free) and cut a few small steaks for the grill. These - teamed with a green salad and half a baked sweet potato - signaled a return to simplicity and goodness. (While one roast went in to the freezer for crock pot cooking at a later date, I cut the rest of the first one in strips which we'll have in beef strogonoff tonight.) Of course one reason the steaks were good is because Jeff's dad shared the secret for grilling meat. Leave it alone! (Preheat the grill on high, and then turn the heat down to medium low before adding the steaks. Put them on, close the top, and walk away for a few minutes.) Since mastering this technique, Jeff's steaks have been tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked.

I have to admit that having a simple dinner prepared at home last night was the best thing that had happened all week. It gave me the impetus to get with the program - back to the blog, continuing my novel, working on various craft projects, and thinking about cooking something good for dinner. The power of food is amazing.