View from the Stove

Testing

2011-01-23T08:34:00.001-05:00

Just seeing if this works from my droid

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

2010-12-10T18:35:00.000-05:00

Just made homemade Chocolate syrup. I'm filling up my old container with this! It doesn't have more chocolate flavor than the brand name, but that's not a bad thing!. :)

Chocolate Syrup
from Amy Dacyczyn’s The Complete Tightwad Gazette.

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the cocoa powder and the water in a saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve the cocoa. Add the sugar, and stir to dissolve. Boil for 3 minutes over medium heat. Be careful not to let it get too hot and boil over! Add the salt and the vanilla. Let cool. Pour into a clean glass jar, and store in the refrigerator. Keeps for several months, but trust me it will be gone before then. Yields two cups.

What to do with cabbage?

2010-08-20T15:09:00.000-05:00

When I visited my mom a few weeks ago, she sent me home with 2 head of cabbage from her garden (along with some tomatoes). YUM! Homegrown organic veggies! I already have a head of cabbage in my fridge. I love coleslaw (besides hummus it's one of the things I use my food processor the most for!) and use it for steaming Chinese dumplings instead of wax paper (get extra veggies in!)

But tonight, I've decided to fix something I haven't had for a while: Kaluski. Now, it goes by different names/spellings but it's basically cabbage and noodles. Sometimes I can find kaluski noodles- but you can use any size egg noodles that you want to. I've even made the switch to whole wheat egg noodles and it's been fine. One thing I like to do that this recipe doesn't is actually brown the cabbage. It's also good made using grilled cabbage (wrap a wedge of raw cabbage in foil with a pat of butter and grill until the package is squeezable soft). Some serve it with cottage cheese, sour cream, sausage or beef. But we like it just as it is. You can also use margarine or olive oil if you want.

June Meyer's Authentic Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles (Haluska)

Fresh Green Cabbage, that most versatile vegetable. Easy to keep for a long time in the bottom of the vegetable drawer or root cellar. Cheap and available all year long.

The farmers would bring in wagons loaded high with heads of green cabbage. They knew that their lives would depend on their putting enough cabbage away for the winter. Large crocks would be filled with shredded cabbage and salt to make sour kraut, and heads would be buried in straw bins in the root cellar.

Hungarians prepare cabbage in more different ways than any other ethnic cuisine. Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw, in the various refreshing cold slaws, eaten in summer or winter. It is preserved and pickled with salt as sour kraut and made into many distinctive regional dishes. It is most delicate when sliced and sautéed with butter. The worst thing you can do to it, is boil it.

This dish exemplifies the delicacy of sautéed cabbage. It comes out nutty and buttery.

Regards, June Meyer.

1 stick of butter
1 large onion peeled and cut in strips
1 small head of cabbage OR 1/2 large head of cabbage, cut into strips
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 box or bag of large egg noodles, cooked and drained
1 pint of sour cream

Melt the butter in a large pan or pot, large enough to hold the chopped cabbage.
Sauté the cabbage and the onion in the butter until glossy and tender.
Now add the salt, pepper. Cover and let the cabbage mixture cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.
Add cooked drained egg noodles and mix.
Serve with bowl of sour cream. add salt to taste.

Note: There is a variation that I make often.
* 1 lb. of cooked ground beef OR 1 lb. of thinly sliced smoked Hungarian sausage.
This can be placed on top of the noodles and the cabbage.

Serves 4 to 6.

Linguine in Lemon Cream Sauce

2010-08-18T20:08:00.000-05:00

This was dinner tonight, and it was good. I ended up using a whole lemon for the juice since I used whole wheat pasta and it needed a bit more than regular pasta probably would. I served it with garlic bread, and if I had the greens I would have fixed a salad too.

Linguine in Lemon Cream Sauce
The Italian version of this dish calls for heavy cream, which we've replaced with equally rich-tasting light cream cheese
Serves 4

8 oz dry linguine
1/2 cup light cream cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced and 1 Tbsp zest grated
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Cook linguine according to package directions in a pot of boiling salted water.

Warm cream cheese, oil and 2 Tbsp lemon juice in saucepan over low heat.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Stir reserved cooked water into cream cheese mixture. Add pasta, lemon zest and parsley; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Per 1 cup serving: 343 cal; 11 g prot; 14 g total fat (5 g sat fat); 45 g carb; 21 mg chol; 294 sod; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars
Vegetarian Times September 2010

Dinner Last night: Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Taco Soup)

2010-08-13T06:43:00.000-05:00

This is thanks to my sister. She makes this for her family (putting stuff out separately as add-ins for the kids). I added a can of beans and used rotisserie chicken last night since I didn't have a lot of time (got home around 8 pm). It was great! We even decided we don't even need the chicken, the beans were good enough. :)

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Taco Soup)
Makes 8 (1 cup) servings
From: "Preventing Diabetes" by Prevention
190 cal, 22 g carb, 3.5 g fat, 2 g fib

15 oz diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 jalapeños, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
4 oz reduced fat tortilla chips, crushed

In food processor, combine tomatoes with juice, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper. Process to smooth thick consistency and set aside.

Warm oil in large pot over medium high. When hot, cook chicken, onion, jalapeño, and garlic, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is softened. Reduce heat to low, add tomato mixture and broth and simmer, uncovered 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in small bowl, whisk flour and water until smooth paste forms. Add to soup and raise temperature if necessary to keep soup barely boiling. Simmer 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add sour cream and stir until well blended. Stir in cilantro and garnish with tortilla. Serve.

Can you help the non-profit I work for?

2010-06-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you've heard, but Chase bank is giving away over $5,000,000 to 200 LOCAL charities (with under $1mm in operating costs) based on voting on Facebook. If ...you are a Facebook user (or have a family member who is) please consider lending your support to Project Perry by going to either ...www.projectperry.com and click on "Support Us" or http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/200755481-project-perry?src=charity-details-wall-post-friend&ref=mf. Follow the instructions on the site to vote.A $20,000 donation (we are not aspiring to be in first place, just the top 195) in this economy would go a long way to help is in caring for the 135+ permanent residents we have at the sanctuary.A couple of notes on voting. You are allowed up to 20 votes (but only 1 per charity), so please consider us for one of your votes. Also, please make sure your vote counted. If the green "vote" button changed to "Share with friends" then your vote counted.

A few recipes to try

2010-02-19T13:12:00.000-05:00

Around here, the fresh herbs in little plastic packages found in the grocery stores are what I would consider local. They are from Shenandoah Growers out of Harrisonburg, VA. I keep forgetting that I now live on the other side of the "Valley" but that's ok. :) They work for when I either don't grow that herb, it's bolted (cilantro) or it's under snow (Rosemary).

They have a few recipes on their site, but this one wasn't and it caught my eye when I emptied out the package of Rosemary. I love scones, and it's a savory one to boot!

Found this in the rosemary package and it looks good!
Cornmeal Rosemary Scones and Sage Butter
from Shenandoah Growers (freshherbs.com)
Makes 10-16 (see instructions)

2 cups flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 Tablespoons fresh rosemary -- chopped
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter -- chilled
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons cream
Herb Butter:
1 stick butter, softened
2 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together. Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and blend well. Place dough on a cornmeal dusted board and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut scones into 10 wedges or with a 2-inch cookie cuter, cut into 16 shapes. Brush tops of each with cream. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with herb butter.

For Herb Butter: Blend butter with herbs.

Here is a Red Beans and Rice I've also got on my to try list: http://www.freshherbs.com/recipes_and_tips/recipes/red_beans.shtml

And this Bay Pork gives me something else to do with a pork butt besides my normal Pork BBQ.
http://www.freshherbs.com/recipes_and_tips/recipes/bay_pork.shtml

Living with Quakers

2009-12-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

We are alive here at Chez JJ. We are also eating. I am hoping to get back to menu and recipe posting after the new year. Hubby's work schedule has changed so he's working some days until 7:30 or 9:00 pm (he starts at 9 am with his normal end time of 6 pm). This has made dinners a bit more challenging since I usually tried to have them ready for him when he walked in the door, now I'm usually asleep when he walks in the door. :( We aren't sure how long the overtime will continue, but we aren't complaining.

Since Ralph the Quaker has joined the family (and when I was bird sitting 3 cockatiels for a friend) we've learned these essential rules (I didn't write them and I don't know who did):

Parrot Rules: It is MINE!

If I like it, it's MINE!
If I can reach it, it's MINE!
If I have it in my beak, it's MINE!
If I can take it away from you, it's MINE!
If I had it a while ago, it's MINE!
If I destroyed it, all the pieces are MINE!
If it looks as if it was mine, it's MINE!
If I saw it first, it's mine!
If you have it and put it down, it's automatically MINE!
If it is YOURS, and you think it's good, than give it immediately to me, because then it's MINE!

At the moment I've also got Cricket (another Quaker) here. I'm hoping that he'll (she'll??) help me to get Ralph into the bird room. You see, Ralph has taken to hubby totally. John is "HIS" and he only likes me now if I have food. Any other time he attacks me. The way he is I won't be able to go into the bird room at all, so Ralph spends his time in his cage in the living room or if I let him out, I spend my time holed up in the bird room. I am hoping that at least with another Quaker I can move Ralph back and remove the focus away from me a bit (or buy a pith helmet). :)

I will say that the week of Thanksgiving I made Ellie Krieger recipes (and I've picked up her new cookbook So Easy) and they were all really good! I'll have to use some of her recipes more often!

I hope to update soon!

Veg Time's Curried Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

2009-09-28T07:52:00.000-05:00

This was dinner last night, and it was great. I decided to use Toor Dal (at least that what they were marked as at the ethnic market where I bought them (they are little yellow lentils) and they turned out nice. They also didn't take as long to cook (although the red lentils I buy there also don't take that long either). This ends up looking more like the color of a pea soup, even in the picture in the magazine, just to warn you. I also sauteed the veggies first, then put in the spices (I always read to "open" the curry spices in oil when using them) and then added the lentils and liquid. I had rinsed the lentils well and there was very little foam. All told it took about 30 mins of simmering before they were cooked. It will be interesting to see how it tastes today. :)

I can't wait to make this for lunch while at work for Matt and A!

Curried Red Lentil Soup with Lemon
Serves 6/Vegan/Gluten Free
This deliciously easy soup became an immediate favorite among VT staffers. It's even better the second day, after the spices have had more time to mingle.
From "Vegetarian Times" Oct 2009

2 cups red lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 qt. low-sodium vegetable broth
1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
4 celery stalks, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 large carrots, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. lemon juice

1. Bring lentils, vegetable broth, and 4 cups water to a simmer in a large pot. Skim away foam that rises to top. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Add cilantro, curry powder, and cumin, and cook 20 minutes more, or until lentils are soft. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and stir in lemon juice.

Per 1 1/2 cup serving: 283 cal, 19g prot, 2g total fat (<1 g sat fat); 50g carb, 0mg chol; 146mg sod, 13g fiber, 7g sugar

Life keeps on going...

2009-09-21T13:15:00.003-05:00

We are still alive here at Chez JJ. We have added a new addition here- Ralph is finally here. He's settled in, and is now glaring at me from his cage. Normally when I am home he is out, but today he wants to bite- so most of his day has been spent getting put back into the cage. Actually, he's now falling asleep on his perch, maybe he was just grumpy because he needed more sleep. *shrug* I'll just call him Kelly. (my sister who gets puts on quite the pair of crankypants when she doesn't get enough sleep). He also deserves the nickname of Q-Tip, he loves to clean our ears. Hubby and I aren't quite sure why he thinks our ears are so dirty, we wash them, we swear! He is interested in Miko, more from the "why are you paying attention to her instead of me?" and doesn't really pay any attention to my cockatiels. And he loves hubby more than me now. I'm only good enough for when hubby isn't around.

Yesterday hubby was mowing the lawn and Ralph did not like it. Everytime he went by the front window (where Ralph's cage is, although Ralph was out) he gave his warning screech. It set the cockatiels off and their cage was open so they flew out. I couldn't find Buster for 45 mins! He wouldn't answer any of my calls or anything! I was searching everywhere and behind everything! I finally found him under the kitchen table hiding under the tablecloth.

Work at Project Perry is going well. I'm still loving it, and it's been keeping me busy. I've stayed a few times overnight too, when needed (yes, it's been needed). We're planning to start a pet sitting business, as in we go to the owners homes to take care of their birds (and any other animals they may have) along with mail, plants, etc. The cost of doing such will be split between Project Perry and the person doing the pet sitting (I'll be one of the people doing such). So hopefully once we get it up and running it will be a way for me to get a little money coming in for me and some money coming in for PP also. It's hard to find a place for people who own birds to leave their birds so we're hoping that the word will spread.

I am cooking at work occasionally- my boss, Matt, is vegetarian, and about once a week or so that's what I cook. Unfortunately, I'm still trying to get used to my schedule (or lack of one) that hubby and I are doing a lot of freezer eating. I've also been using Saving Dinner Menus a lot also. I need to sit down and plan out some easy and freezer meals that are WW friendly since I'm about out of ideas and tired of what we've used/had, not to mention the season is changing.

Snakes in a Car!

2009-08-03T06:12:00.003-05:00

Well, I did end up volunteering at Project Perry on Friday, and got to meet some new folks in the process. That's always a nice thing, meeting other volunteers. We got the new half sunshade hung up on the African Grey Aviary and Matt said that it drops the temp in there by about 5-10 degrees or so. That is a big help, especially since a lot of it was reflected heat. Matt found another black snake in the Grey Aviary, and we once more threw it into a kitchen trash bag and I headed home with it, except this time I looked down while driving home to find it looking back at me from between my feet. I will admit that I was cursing Matt for not closing the bag's top very tightly, but somehow either there was a small hole in the bottom (middle of the bottom) that the snake widened or it made it itself. It crawled around behind my seat and I saw it again on the passenger's side floor exploring my backpack (I will admit that I let out another high pitched squeak when I saw it). I was speeding, hoping that there would be a police officer like there sometimes is along my path home, but no luck. I was hoping that the place where I get my car fixed was still open, and they were. They weren't real happy to help get a snake out, am I'm sure the fact that I was the one that actually put it in there in the first place didn't help matters. But they did help me get it out, and they threw it in a box and took it elsewhere on their property. I offered to bake them whatever cookies they wanted and was politely declined. I still want to make them something but not sure what. When I got home I told Matt that I wasn't sure I would be moving snakes anymore.

I also ended up going in on Sunday too, since he didn't have anyone else to help him. I told Matt he had to double my pay, but double nothing still isn't much. ;) I'm glad that I'm close enough to help and didn't have anything else planned this weekend. I got the chance to clean the top of Murphy's cage AND scrub the sunroom's floor. At least I got to spend some quality time with Ralph, and entertain Cricket while cleaning the floor too. :) We got a few new Quakers in, but I didn't meet them since I worked in the sunroom. The person that dropped them off has had a few unexplained deaths and we don't want to introduce anything into our healthy ones yet. I was exhausted when I got home and slept for a few hours. Hubby mowed most of the lawn (it rained for a few hours here, but not at Proj. P), and got Papa John's for dinner.

The big thing that's been going on this weekend is that Miko's not doing very well. She's got a doc appointment this afternoon to find out what's going on. She's been pacing around at night, so much so that she doesn't sleep with us anymore. :( She's also started to go stand in corners. Her tail isn't up a lot of times and she's also panting a lot more, even if it's not that warm. It's not really looking like a good thing, I'm hoping that it's something simple and not as bad as I know that it could be.

All this to say, I hope to find the time to make a menu plan today- but we'll see how it turns out. I may just have to go day to day instead. I do know enough to at least have an idea of a dinner (I have a small paperback of Saving Dinner in the side pocket of my car incase I need it).

We really are alive around here, I swear!

2009-07-30T19:02:00.002-05:00

I know that I haven't written in ages (has it really been over a month??), and for that I'm sorry. I'm getting used to working and managing my time I guess. Getting back to being a "normal person" I guess you could say. :) I've gone from volunteering one day a week to three. And this week I've volunteered Saturday, Monday, Tues, Wed and Thurs. Add to it that it's finally starting to feel like July with the humidity most of this week and I've been a bit beat. We are still eating around here. I've been alternating between quick meals (spaghetti with saucefromajar [as one of my blog friends calls it] and Saving Dinner [books, Menu Mailers and Freezer Supplies - I recommend them all, I often use "It's Leanne's." when hubby asks and he knows exactly who I mean].

Tomorrow I'm going to go through my SD (Saving Dinner) stuff and figure out what we're going to be having. We've had to put out $1,500 for our cars this month for them to pass inspection (both of them were due this month) and we've got our car insurance due at the beginning of Aug (which starts tomorrow I think!!). I went to FoodLion today to pick up a few things (including hot dogs and fish sticks incase things get REALLY screwy next week), vegetables (for sides and salads), frozen raw shrimp and lunch stuff for hubby. I have chicken thighs, a whole chicken, frozen mixed seafood and cuts of beef in the freezer along with pasta and beans in the pantry. I'm sure I can come up with meals, just got to figure out what they'll be. :)

The decluttering is moving along. Both John and I are doing pretty good, although actually being home helps (we've been gone a few weekends) and both of us have been busy so sometimes we are both exhausted at night and don't get much done but dishes and clothes. I have a whole bunch of fabric that I need to figure out what to do with. I know I can do freecycle thing, but I'd like to give it to someone that can use it for something good. I've also got a bunch of patterns that I'm not sure what to do with. I'm hoping to never be able to fit into them again, so there's no reason to keep them.

So far I'm off tomorrow, although I have offered my services to Matt since he's not feeling so hot (it seems like he's caught what I think of as con-crud from the thing he went to this weekend). He probably won't take me up on the offer, but it's ok if he does. Anyway, I'm going to relax for a bit and then head to bed.

A Plan, no really!

2009-06-22T15:35:00.001-05:00

Since I had a doctor's appointment today, I didn't have time to also go to Project Perry today. I will be going Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Because of that I've had time today to figure out my menu for this week though. For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/06/menu-plan-monday-june-22nd-giveaway.html

Monday: steak, baked potatoes, broccoli
Tuesday: Turkey Cutlets with Orzo-Spinach Salad and Butter-Braised Squash
Wednesday: chili with oven fries (leftover chili with oven-baked homemade fries)
Thursday: Salmon with Garlic Aioli and Lemon Couscous
Friday: Italian Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs

Grilled Steak
Serves 4 to 6.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (optional)

Combine soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and oil; pour over steak. Marinate at least 8 hours in refrigerator. Turn steak frequently to keep coated with marinade.

Remove steak from marinade; grill, turning to cook both sides, over medium coals to desired doneness. Slice thinly across grain to serve.

The Baked Potato
If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Serves: 1 potato per person

1 large russet potato (If it looks like Mr. Potato Head(r), you've got the right one.)
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees and position racks in top and bottom thirds. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.

Bake 1 hour or until skin feels crisp but flesh beneath feels soft. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

Turkey Cutlets with Orzo-Spinach Salad and Butter-Braised Squash
http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/

Turkey Cutlets:
1 pkg (16 oz.) Turkey Cutlets
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. Olive Oil (for Cooking)
Orzo Spinach Salad:
1/2 package Orzo pasta, cooked al dente and drained
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 large mushrooms (2 cups) sliced
9 oz. spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter Braised Squash:
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut in strips
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Turkey Cutlets:
Preheat oven to 150 degrees.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet with 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.

Mix salt, pepper and flour together on a serving plate or shallow baking dish. Flour each turkey cutlet lightly on both sides, shaking off any excess flour. Cook in batches in skillet for approximately 2 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Place on baking sheet in warm oven while cooking remaining turkey.

Turkey can sit in warm oven for up to 20 minutes before serving.

Orzo Spinach Salad:
Heat olive oil in a large, high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms begin to smell earthy and are a deep color. Add spinach in handfuls, stirring constantly to wilt leaves evenly. Add more as the volume in the skillet becomes manageable.

Add garlic and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add cooked orzo and stir to combine. Add tomatoes and toss gently. Taste for seasoning.

Serve hot with a bit of grated Romano cheese if desired.

Butter Braised Squash:
Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add squash and cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften. Add bell pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until squash is translucent and soft, but not mushy. Season and serve immediately.

Wendy's-Style Chili
Makes about 12 servings.
Wendys Chili Tidbits:
For spicier chili, add 1/2 teaspoon more black pepper.
For much spicier chili, add 1 teaspoon black pepper and a tablespoon cayenne pepper.
And for a real stomach stinger, add 5 or 6 sliced jalapeno peppers to the pot.
I use diced canned tomatoes with chilies in place of the green chili and chopped tomatoes and if you want thicker chili use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce. (Original recipe also called for 2 cups water but it was way too watery). You can also make this in the crockpot - this makes A LOT!

2 pounds ground beef
One 29-ounce can tomato sauce
One 29-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)
One 29-ounce can pinto beans (with liquid)
1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
1/2 cup diced green chili (2 chilies)
1/4 cup diced celery (1 stalk)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1-3 tablespoons chili powder (depends on how hot your chili powder is)
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat. Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.

Wendy's Chili Seasoning
Recipe By: Gloria Pitzer

2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon seasoned salt
1 Tablespoon dry minced onions, crushed very fine
1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes, rubbed to dust
1 teaspoon granulated garlic, crushed to dust
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix

Stir all ingredients well together and store in a bottle with tight cap. Keep at room temp and use within 6 months.

Classic Oven Fries
Lemony Oven Fries: Prepare Classic Oven Fries and mix 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, and 1 large garlic clove, crushed with press, with salt, pepper, and oil in bowl. Add potatoes and toss to coat and continue with recipe.
Spicy Oven Fries: Prepare Classic Oven Fries mix 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) with salt, pepper, and oil in bowl. Add potatoes and toss to coat and continue with recipe.
Makes 6 servings
Serving Size: 10 fries

Non-stick cooking spray
4 medium baking potatoes or sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
seasonings (optional) (Try one or several of these seasonings: salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika)

Preheat oven to 475° F.

Lightly spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Wash potatoes thoroughly and dry with a paper towel.

Cut potatoes into long strips about 1/2 inch thick.

Put oil in a plastic bag (I just put into a large bowl). Add potatoes and toss to evenly coat with oil. You may add seasoning to the bag. Spread strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in preheated oven.

Bake at 475° F for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take sheet out of oven and turn potato strips over. Immediately return sheet to oven and bake at 475° F for 15 more minutes.

Nutrition information Per Serving
SWEET POTATO OVEN FRIES: 130 calories, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Protein 1 g, Total Carbohydrate 21 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Sodium 10 mg, Excellent Source of Vitamin A, Excellent Source of Vitamin C
OVEN FRIES: 170 calories, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Protein, 3 g, Total Carbohydrate 29 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Sodium 10 mg, Excellent Source of Vitamin C

Salmon with Garlic Aioli and Lemon Couscous

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup plain dry couscous
1 lemon grated and juiced
4 (6-ounce) Atlantic salmon fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 (8.5 ounce) jar Benedicta Gourmet Creamy Garlic Aioli Sauce
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley

In medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil; add couscous, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Stir to combine; cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Rinse salmon; pat dry with paper towels.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Add oil to the skillet; swirl to coat. Add salmon, skin side up; sear for 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until salmon just flakes with a fork (4-6 minutes).

Transfer salmon to a serving platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Add shallots and sauté until translucent (about 2 minutes). Remove skillet from heat, deglaze skillet with wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in Benedicta Aioli.

Pour sauce over salmon. Add parsley to couscous, fluff with a fork to combine. Serve couscous with salmon.

Amount:4 servings

Italian Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs
From http://www.momadvice.com
Serve meal with a tossed garden salad.
Breadcrumbs Recipe: Making your own breadcrumbs can be easy and inexpensive. The flavor of fresh breadcrumbs versus the store bought variety is not even comparable. Store your breadcrumbs in your freezer and you will always have fresh breadcrumbs on hand. I keep mine in a freezer-safe container and when I get low, I simply make another batch. Breadcrumbs can be made out of loaf ends, stale bread, hot dog rolls, & hamburger buns- whatever you have on hand! Keep a bread bag with all of your bread in it and store it in the freezer. Once the bag is filled, it is time to make some breadcrumbs! Set your oven to broil and then lay all of the bread out on cookie sheets. You only need to broil the bread a couple of minutes (keep one eye on it because it can burn quickly). This helps just to dry the bread out and make it easier to handle. Once the bread is toasted, put this bread into my food processor. You can just have only the bread in there, or if you like the Italian seasonings type of breadcrumbs add your own seasonings (I add garlic salt, and an Italian seasonings dry blend of herbs to mine for that variety). Run the food processor until the bread crumbs are of a fine consistency. Then put these crumbs into a freezer-safe container.

1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons paste
1 egg
3 tablespoons of beef broth
Handful of parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl mix together turkey, bread crumbs, tomato paste, egg, beef broth, handful of cheese, and salt and pepper. Shape into meatballs (any size, just make sure they are all the same size for even cooking) and bake the meatballs for fifteen to twenty minutes or until cooked thoroughly. Carefully remove meatballs from the baking sheet and add them to the sauce. Or in a large skillet, cook meatballs in two tablespoons hot oil over medium-high heat seven minutes or until browned; remove from skillet and drain.

To make sauce, saute onion and garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer one hour and thirty minutes. Stir in tomato paste basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and meatballs and simmer thirty more minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve over spaghetti.

Look! An update! Ohh...a squirrel...

2009-06-18T15:00:00.008-05:00

Things are going well around here, just not really enough to warrant a post, I feel. That's one of the pluses to Twitter, they are mini-posts for me. They aren't all that exciting I'm sure, and there are those who would be bored to tears by my Twitters, but I don't really care. Just like my blog, my twits are really just me. I don't do them to make money, to promote anything, or to gain more readers. It's really just a brain dump I guess - just to let anyone who cares to know what is on my mind. It's the best thing for someone with ADD, huh? ;) I'd probably twitter more if I didn't get distracted so much. LOL!

I'm still loving the birds and all that it entails. I got bit by Charlie the other day, possibly because Andrea was there beside me (Charlie's "girlfriend" in his mind). It wasn't horrible, but it's still a bit sore. I had to throw a towel over him to get him back into his cage whereas the day before he let me pet him and pick him up and put him in his cage. They had to move Ralph to the sunroom because the other birds started to pick on him really badly. He was so happy to see me, he wouldn't let Chicken or Cricket near me on Monday, which didn't make them happy one bit. Cricket already wasn't happy because she had to wear an e-collar because she's been picking her feathers. Cricket was even mad enough to nip my ear (while Ralph was scrambling over to get her off of me from the other shoulder) when I stood too close to her. It took me 5 tries before I was finally able to get out of the room fast enough before he landed back on me before I was able to close the door. On Tuesday Ralph actually flew out of the sunroom to me (he's been flying to the French doors when he sees me thinking I'm coming in). Andrea was going in first and he landed on Dolly's cage that was outside of it (she's a new bird that might be coming in). I had him step up onto my finger (I was worried that he might bite it like he does when I try to get him off my shoulder so I can leave, but he didn't) and placed him on my shoulder. He rode there most of the time I was in there. Once Cricket realized I was changing the papers on the floor she got excited and started going after my fingers again. I had forgotten to put my tennis shoes on, and I just set them down and she started going after the shoelaces instead, thank goodness. I was able to at least get the papers up before she grew tired of that. I put my tennis shoes on and we played a bit of cat and mouse for a bit when I put the papers down, but I think Ralph pretty much intimidated her. It once more took me a couple of tries before Ralph let me leave. Tuesday was cleaning the Cockatiel Aviary and once more cleaning the African Grey aviary. I tell you, I'm getting a workout!

Meals haven't been that impressive this week. I'm still trying to figure out summer meals here, and what I feel like cooking/eating. Thanks to paperbackswap, I got Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen in the mail last Friday. So this weekend I cooked up a batch (a double batch actually) of his Classic Mexican "Pot" Beans (Frioles de la Olla) and used some of those to make Classic Mexican fried beans with onions and garlic (refried beans - I did the Frijoles Chinitos version). And then with those I made the Rustic Red-sauced Eggs on Corn Tortillas (Huevos Rusticos), and I've been eating bean soft tacos for lunch. Food lion had 5lb bags of Vidalias on sale so I also made Caramelized onions in the crockpot too. So I made French Onion Soup one night too. I used some of the beans to make Beans and cornbread. Used the rest of the onions to make Mujuddarrah (it's spelled plenty of ways) or rice and lentils with caramelized onions. This time I cooked brown rice and lentils at the same time in the rice cooker. It was so easy and turned out great! Tonight I'm using the last of the beans and making Wendy's-style chili. I haven't typed up the recipes from Rick Bayless yet, but I hope to soon.

Has anyone else made a switch over to summer cooking?

Bird Brains?

2009-06-10T09:09:00.001-05:00

Things here are going well. The heat and humidity have moved into Virginia - but it hasn't reached the 100's yet (they were talking on the news about "remember how last year it was already reaching the 100's at this point last year"). Because of the heat during the day, we've also had scattered showers with thunderstorms in the evenings. Since we're on well water out here, I'm not complaining one bit. A few years ago 3 people in our neighborhood actually had to re-drill their wells because of the drought. We have a crick (it's not large enough to be called a creek *GRIN*) out back that is from a spring and we can tell how the water table is when it disappears.

My thighs are a bit sore- as we were discussing yesterday while I was at what I'm going to start to call work even thought I'm volunteering (Project Perry).- you definately get a workout. I'm not lifting 50 lb dogs and such, but I'm doing a lot of squatting and stuff like that. I don't mind at all though. Chicken and Cricket left my fingers alone yesterday- I think it's only when I put down newspapers that they bother me. Cricket on the other hand wouldn't get off the food dish for me to to refill it, and then when I brought it back, she couldn't wait for me to put it down. I was worried I'd crush her feet and then when she did move her feet off the rack she helped me to set the the container down - apparently I wasn't putting it down fast enough for her. :) Andrea couldn't get the water dish out of the other Conure room and asked if I could get it for her (one of the Conures wouldn't get out of the food dish for her [sound familiar?] and she couldn't grab it). I went in to get it and PJ and one of the other Quakers wouldn't get off my shoulder. I had to wait for her to return with the food dish. She told me they would get off when I headed into the double doors but I had to show her that they would ride in with me. She just laughed. I found out the other Quaker had lost his mate last week. :( I went back to finish cleaning and she told me later that the Quaker was giving her his feathers while she was picking up feathers from the floor (we save fallen feathers). After I finished with the sun-room conures I went to wash my hands and I looked out at the African Grey aviary and noticed Matt who looked like he was on his cell phone and I noticed that the phone was ringing. I went to check it out and the number listed looked like his. Andrea had told me last week that she doesn't normally answer the phone, and at that point the phone stopped ringing. I went to check to see if the number listed was the same one that he had listed on the front door. It was, so I headed down to the aviary to see what was up. He had locked himself in! :) Andrea had told me it had happened when they were first building it, the outside door is basically just a screen door and they hadn't put the metal screen up, so they broke through the screen and got out that way. He had since put up the metal screen and the yarn that he had linked to the handle had gotten hooked under the handle and wouldn't lift it up. He said he had been calling for 20 minutes, Andrea had her cell phone in her car, he didn't have my cell phone number, and I had been in the sun room with Chicken and Cricket and couldn't hear the phone since they were talking to me.

Once Andrea and I were done with the inside birds we headed down to the African Grey Aviary to help clean their feeding platform. I love being whistled at, even if it is by a bird. ;) My job was to pick up the nut shells around the platform - hence the sqats and sore thighs. Andrea scrubbed the platform that the feeder sits on. She got quite a workout too. Before doing that though, she had to go get a drill so the feeder could be dismantled. I sat out in the flight part of the aviary, and waited. It was funny - one of the greys was interested in me and I watched him walk up behind me (I was sitting in a folding chair) and around me, watch me for a bit and then walk away. They really are curious things - they watched everything we did, and some will fly right up to watch and others will hang back, just like humans. There is one really old one, she's at least 50 years old, Pearl. She likes to hang out at the food and she's arthritic too- when you think of a crotchedy old woman, think of Pearl. :D She tells you exactly what she thinks when you get too close and she doesn't want to go anywhere. So yeah, getting her to move to clean the feeding platform was fun. And she wasn't happy and glared at us the whole time. Matt had built a little perch on the platform just for her too. A few weeks ago Matt had found a snake skin, and he caught the snake today too. It was a smaller black snake, and I brought it home and released it here. I took it to the end of my neighborhood and it slithered off into the woods. Believe me, it will be a lot happier here than there. I actually miss the birds when I'm not there. I come home exhausted, but that's a good feeling though.

Do you miss my cooking posts? (All 5 of the people who read my blog?)

Tapas Party!!!

2009-06-03T12:16:00.002-05:00

Jennifer and I were planning to go to the Va Renaissance Faire this year (we've wanted to go, and never realized that the other wanted to also). But since we're both a bit short on money we decided to wait. I've wanted to have a Tapas party for a while, so I decided to stop by Grayhaven Winery and see about picking up some of their wine for their sangria. When Jennifer and I decided to start learning about wine years ago, we went to the Powhatan Festival of the Grape. One of the things we fell in love with was their Sangria, and then we found out that it was made right up the street from me. They didn't have the wine used in the one we liked, but the person there suggested their Touriga wine (she said if they had Pinotage you could use that too). I bought that and while it was good, it was a bit stronger than we liked. Luckily I had a cheap bottle of sweet champagne in the fridge (from our anniversary that I didn't use). I added that and it helped it a lot. For the wrapped figs I used proscuitto instead of ham, and they were wonderful. And they are good out of the fridge the next day too. The Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies were actually dinner. I served Tapas for lunch and Jennifer and Mike were still here for dinner. When I asked if they wanted anything for dinner (we had plenty still let from lunch), Mike asked for cookies - so I made these, I added a bunch of things to them: chocolate chips, Heath chips, mini Reeses cups, butterscotch chips, and peacans. The recipes that are listed are ones that I've made for dinners (the only one still left to make is the stuffed mushrooms. I figured I may-as-well make tapas for dinners and continue to use the same ingredients. It's worked out well- and I'm serving them with the leftover sides.

Rendezvous Red Sangria
From Grayhaven Winery (www.grayhavenwinery.com)

3 bottles of Rendezvous wine (Claret style red)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
3 oranges
Juice of 1 lime

Combine sugar and water in sauce pan, add cinnamon sticks and bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Slice orange in bite-size pieces that will fit into a wine glass. In a large pitcher, combine wine, oranges, and lime juice. Add sugar syrup 1/2 cup at a time until the sangria is as sweet as you like it - add cinnamon sticks. Store sangria in fridge overnight, serve chilled.

Remove cinnamon sticks after 24 hours. Makes about 1 gallon.

Assorted olives: POINTS value per serving (10 small or 6 large): 1 (I had pimiento and garlic stuffed)
Spanish semi-soft cheese, such as Manchego: POINTS value per serving (1 inch cube): 3 (I had Manchego and Iberico)
Warm crusty bread: POINTS value per serving (1-ounce slice): 2
Marinated mushrooms (from deli or jar)
Grape tomatoes, halved and drizzled with low-fat vinaigrette
Marinated Artichokes
Membrillo paste (quince paste)
Fig and almond cake (from Whole Foods- basically dried figs with whole Spanish almonds)

Spicy Red Peppers
Not just for tapas, these savory strips are fabulous layered in a sandwich, and they make any salad special. Roast a double batch when red peppers are on sale; they'll last up to a week in the refrigerator and up to a month in the freezer. For best flavor, omit the lemon rind when preparing the peppers for freezing, then add it to the thawed peppers just before serving. To freeze the peppers, place them in a zip-close freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. This recipe makes wise use of the juices created by roasting peppers - a clever idea anytime. Roasted pepper juices add wonderful flavor and body to salad dressings and are also tasty in poultry or vegetable marinades.
Serves 6 POINTS 0

4 red bell peppers
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Arrange peppers on the baking sheet and roast, 15 minutes. Turn the peppers an roast until they are softened and blistered, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes, to allow the peppers to steam. Peel, core, and seed the peppers, reserving the remaining juice in the bowl, and cut them into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add the pepper strips, crushed red pepper and salt; cook 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved pepper juice and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated lemon rind. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving (1/3 cup): 22 cal, 1 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 4 mg chol, 98 mg sod, 4 g carb, 1 g fib, 1 g prot, 6 mg calc

Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
This tapas classic can be found on the menu of almost any Spanish restaurant, here and abroad. The key to this dish is a quick saute over fairly high heat. The addition of fresh parsley at the end helps mellow the garlic. This dish is even more flavorful when made in advance. Cook the shrimp through, then refrigerate until chilled, at least one hour or up to a day ahead. Bring to room temperature, then toss with the parsley and serve.
Serves 6 POINTS 1

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon dry sherry
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion and garlic begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the shrimp, paprika, cumin, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, just until the shrimp are opaque, about 4 minutes. Add the sherry and lemon juice, and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Serve warm or a room temperature.

Per serving (1/2 cup): 70 cal, 2g fat, 0 g sat fat, 81mg chol, 290 mg sod, 3 g carb, 1g fib, 9g prot, 29 mg calc

Figs Wrapped in Ham
This classic dish, which combines the sweet, soft figs with the salty bite of ham, condenses the best of a tapas bar into a single bite. In Spain, this dish is traditionally made with jamon serrano. This is a great do-ahead dish, too: Prepare the figs to the point of baking, then cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours overnight. When ready to use, simply uncover and bake as directed. For a nuttier flavor, heat the almonds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about one minute, before stuffing the figs.
Serves 6 POINTS 3

18 dried figs
1 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
18 whole almonds, blanched
2 ounces deli-sliced boiled ham, cut lengthwise into 18 (3/4-inch-wide) strips

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Combine the figs, orange juice, and vinegar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let stand until the figs are softened, 10 minutes. Drain, discarding any remaining liquid, and let cool 5 minutes.

With the tip of a sharp knife, make a 3/4-inch incision in each fig. lace one almond into each fig. Working one at a time, roll a ham strip around a fig and place seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining figs. Bake until the ham begins to brown slightly and the figs are hot, 10-12 minutes. Serve immediate or at room temperature.

Per serving (3 figs): 201 cal, 3g fat, 1 g sat fat, 6 mg chol, 149 mg sod, 42g carb, 6 g fib, 5 g prot, 95mg calc.

Spanish Potato Tortilla
Though Americans think of the tortilla (literally, "little cakes") as the wrapper for a taco or a burrito, Spaniards use the term to refer to flavorful omelets like this one. Serve it hot or make it up to a day ahead (wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate), then serve at room temperature. For a striking presentation, garnish with habanero peppers (but don't eat them). This recipe also makes a wonderful main dish for four on it's own; serve it with a green salad or a side of crisp cooked green beans dressed with vinaigrette.
Makes 6 servings. 4 POINTS

1 3/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
4 large eggs
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Place the potato slices in a large pot and add enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and let cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Swirl in 1 teaspoon of the oil, then add the onion. Saute until softened but not browned, 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Whisk the eggs, egg whites, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the warm potatoes and onion, mixing well to coat; let stand 15 minutes.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Swirl in the remaining 3 teaspoons oil, then add the potato-egg mixture, patting with a spatula to form a disk. Cook undisturbed 3 minutes; reduce the heat to medium and cook until the tortilla is golden on the bottom, about 8 minutes longer. Invert a large plate over the skillet and flip the skillet over to drop the tortilla onto the plate. Return the skillet to the heat and slide the tortilla back into the pan, uncooked side down. Cook until the bottom is golden, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the plate in hot, soapy water (to prevent bacterial contamination from the raw eggs).

Invert the plate over the skillet again and flip the skillet over to drop the tortilla onto the plate. Slide the tortilla back into the pan and cook about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Per serving (1/6 of tortilla): 200 cal, 7 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 142 mg chol, 473 mg sod, 27g carb, 3 g fib, 9g prot, 33 mg calc.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Yield: 4 dozen.

1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
2 eggs
3 cups Quaker® Oats (any variety, uncooked)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Heat oven to 350°F. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and

salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Nutrition Information (1 cookie): Calories 100; Fat 4 g; Sodium 75 mg; Dietary Fibr 1 g

Variations:
-Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts.
-Substitute 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces or candy coated chocolate pieces for raisins; omit cinnamon.
-Substitute 1 cup diced dried mixed fruit for raisins.
Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies: Spread softened ice cream on bottom side of one cookie; top with second cookie. Wrap securely; freeze.
For bar cookies bake 30-35 min in ungreased 9x13 baking pan.

Chorizo-Stuffed Mushrooms
WWM Nov/Dec 2006 Serves 8 Points 2

40 fresh cremini mushrooms
1 (3 1/2 oz) chorizo sausage, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop finely; set aside. Put the caps, stem sides up on the sheet.

To make the filling, heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, occasionally, until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Add the mushroom stems, onion, garlic, and thyme; cook, stirring until the vegetables just begin to brown, 6-7 minutes. Add the apple and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, 2-3 minuets. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Stuff each mushroom cap, mounding the filling in the center. Bake until the filling in the center. Bake until the caps are browned and sizzling, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Per serving (5 stuffed mushrooms): 104 cal, 5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 11 mg chol, 264 mg sod, 9 g carb, 2 g fib, 7g prot, 15 mg calc.

Savory Potato and Ham Chunks
WW Simply Delicious 4 Points Serves 4
The combination of paprika, tomato paste, and vinegar in this sweet-and-tangy dish is a typical sauce used in many classic Spanish tapas recipes. Crunchy carrot spears provide a nice contrast to this savory mix. Paprika is a powdered blend of sweet red peppers that can range in favor from mild to hot. Most varieties sold in supermarkets that are simply labeled “paprika” are mildly spicy. If you can find it, use smoked paprika for extra flavor. Or, to bring out the flavor of a mild paprika, roast it in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, then cool before using.

4 oz thickly-sliced lean ham, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Spray a very large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the ham to a large bowl.

Heat the same skillet. Swirl the 2 teaspoons of the oil, then add the potatoes and cook, stirring often, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the broth and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover an cook until any remaining liquid evaporates. Transfer the potatoes to the bowl with the ham.

Swirl the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the same skillet, then add the flour and paprika and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup chicken broth, and the vinegar, stirring to keep the mixture smooth. Add the tomato paste and cayenne. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is smooth and thickened, 6-8 minutes.

Return the ham and potatoes to the skillet and stir gently until evenly coated with sauce. Serve hot.

Per serving (1 cup): 241 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 15 chol, 413 mg sod, 37 g tot carb, 4g fib, 11g prot, 24 mg calc

Sauteed Clams and Chorizo
If you're following the Core plan, substitute Canadian bacon for the chorizo and use reduced-sodium chicken broth instead of white wine.
Serves 4 Points: 3

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium red onions (3/4 pound), finely chopped
1 ounce chorizo sausage, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry white wine or reduce-sodium chicken broth
2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the red onions, chorizo, bay leaf, and salt; cook; stirring, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes, add the wine or broth and bring to a boil.

Stir in the clams and cook, covered, shaking the pan occasionally, until they open, about 4 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and any clams that do not open. Stir in the cilantro. Serve at once.

Per serving (6 clams): 144 cal, 6g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 g Trans fat, 36 mg chol, 210mg sod, 8 g carb, 1 g fib, 13 g prot, 55mg calc.

I am alive, really!

2009-06-03T09:35:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the silence, it's been a bit busy for me and I'm afraid the blog was put on the back burner. I guess you could call it a vacation?

The dog sitting for my sister went really well, and the dogs got along really well. And Daisy did so well, that my sister is dropping them off for another week long stay at the ComfortHound Spa as we've been calling it. :) We had no aggression problems (when she's sleeping and you pet her or try to pick her up to move her she will try to nip at you) and they let us sleep until 8:30-9:00 am on the weekends (we were already getting up around 6-6:30 their normal times during the weekday.

Yesterday I went to the doctor, and yes, I broke my toe. That did put a bit of a crimp in my plans for walking them and getting more exercise while they were here. But it turned out that Daisy was more than happy to lay on the couch beside me and Lilly was more than happy to look out the front door or sit on the chair and do the same. She also told me not to wear my tennis shoes but to wear my Croc-style shoes since they have a wider toe base and won't squeeze my toe so much. It's going to be odd to wear them out in public since I rarely wear them like that. I do sometimes walk Miko in them, but only for short distances. They are my gardening shoes - not public shoes.

I am also volunteering at Project Perry (www.projectperry.com/ )So far I've done it twice now and I'm loving it. Charlie is a Scarlet Macaw (his story with some pictures is here: http://www.projectperry.com/Charlie.html ) He is becoming interested in me - and this is a good thing. He's pretty picky about who he likes so it will be good to have someone else he can interact with. Right now he likes Sheryl well enough to let her pick him up and everything. And he loves Andrea's feet. :) Those are the two that I've "worked" with and will mostly be seeing on the days I'll be volunteering there. On Monday while Sheryl, Matt and I were rinsing the Coconut litter outside, with Charlie out there with us (he's arthritic and can't fly away), I would talk with him and he'd sidle over to me and chatter with me and then go back to Sheryl the whole time. As Sheryl said, "You keep two timing me." :D
And then yesterday after feeding and cleaning his cage (I worked with Andrea) he came out and would do the same thing, come up to me and chatter a bit and then go back. So I'll just let him keep doing that until he's comfortable enough to "step up" onto my arm. It was pretty funny, I was laying on my belly in front of his cage and he was underneath it. He crawled on his belly up to me, looked at me, clicked, rolled his "r's" and crawled back under (we were rolling our "r's" together earlier). Another time I was sitting on the couch that is near his cage. I couldn't see what he was doing but Andrea was watching him across from me. He slowly came out from under the cage and crept up to me and peeked around the corner to see what I was doing and to see if I was watching him. When he saw me looking at him he went back under his cage. He's quite the character.

PJ is pictured on the sponsored page (http://www.projectperry.com/sponsorships.html he's the third one down). He's a big lovebug - so much so that he doesn't want you to leave, much less want to leave your shoulder. On Monday he rode around on my shoulder while I walked around picking up broken bird toys and pieces of food on the floor. He yelled at me when I ran into the hanging perches (because if I ran into them it meant he did too). I had to keep apologizing because I was more focused on the floor than him. I think I should train him to help me scan for obstacles instead of yelling at me when I've hit them. :) On Tuesday he did allow a Quaker to to land on my other shoulder, while on Monday he wouldn't let one of the Sun Conures do such. On Tuesday he was even nuzzling and nibbling on my ears. Trying to get him off my shoulder both days wasn't easy. He goes after my finger because he knows what I'm trying to do, and you have to move fast to the door (It's a double door, so that you won't have an escapee). It takes a couple of tries. On Tuesday I was able to get a bit of help from the Quaker, it distracted PJ and I was able to get through the door in time. But not before he bit me a few times while trying to get him onto the perch before hand. I'm thinking most of my bites will be from him, but luckily they are more nips than anything.

My other bites? Probably from Chicken and Cricket, Conure and Quaker. It's not a bad thing really, it's just the way they are. Birds use their beaks and tongues just like we use our hands - so you can't really fault them for it. Cricket is the Quaker (http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12735995 ) She loves toes and fingers. She also loves men. When I went to visit Project Perry before deciding to volunteer there was a family visiting also, and Cricket and Chicken were all over the son, loving and nibbling on him. She likes to go after my shoelaces, and loves my short socks (she nibbles on the tops of them. I could imagine if I wore those shocks with a pompom ball on the back that she would go crazy! I was trying to replace the papers on the floor and both of them were ganging up on me, going after my fingers, all I could do was laugh, especially when Chicken started to hide under the papers. Chicken is the Conure (http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13789479 ). When I get there, he loves to hang on the French doors that separate their room from the rest of the room and watch what I'm doing. He is very nosy and loves to be right where you are, watching what you're doing. While we were putting down the papers (before he and Cricket ganged up on me (not Andrea btw) he threw an orange piece right in the middle of the paper we just put down, I think to make sure we paid attention to him.

Andrea took me into the newly finished African Grey building (http://www.projectperry.com/africangreys.html ). It's outside and it's beautiful! Think of a large greenhouse, but instead of plastic it has metal mesh. About half of it does have plastic, but it's hard plastic, so when winter comes it can be heated and protected from the elements, but the other half is the metal mesh (and the bottom is mesh so that other animals can't get in and the birds can't dig out) There are plants in there that they can eat (like figs) or perch on. It has the fans on one end to help regulate the temperature along with a misting system. It is quite amazing. They are hoping to raise enough money to build a similar building for the macaws eventually too. Right now the Cockatiels have a smaller, similar building, and that was the test building. I can imagine that the Conure/Quakers would be the fourth ones to get the same once the money was raised too. It takes a lot of money, not to mention time though.

I'm sure I'll be posting more about the birds as I get to know them and they get to know me. I'll post about the tapas party next, with recipes. :)

Party Planning

2009-05-26T12:27:00.001-05:00

I live smack dab in the middle of Virginia (what is known as Central Virginia). I am not sure if I am blessed or cursed with the fact that we are also a great state for wine making. Where I am located is also pretty much smack dab like the Napa Valley of Virginia in essence. As a matter of fact, a winery is technically one road up from me. It's actually easier for me to walk than to drive to it - luckily it's topographically illogical to do that (not to mention WW-wise illogical to do that too).

The Virginia Renaissance Fair has moved closer (it's now in the same county we live in) and Jennifer and I were hoping to go to that for the first time with our hubbies. But with our current finances, we decided to hold off for now. Instead we're going to get together, probably play the Wii, and I'm going to do something I've wanted to do for awhile - a Tapas party. When Jennifer and I first started to learn about wine together, we went to a Wine Festival in Powahatan that showcased a bunch of state wineries. We fell in love with a sangria that ended up being made by the winery right up the street from me (see why I say cursed?).

I am searching my WW stuff for recipes. I really wish there was an easier way to search my WW magazines. Just in case anyone else is going to search for them - here's a few I found in what I own, including a few that I thought sounded good. Not all are what I'm going to make either. The WW site does have two that come up when you put Tapas in the search bar, but that's it. [all typos mine *wink*] This is just a quick check of a few I knew would have something.

WWM June 2004: Flavors of Spain
Shrimp in Garlic Sauce p 164
Sauteed Clams and Chorizo p 165
Dining Tapas Style additions: [not recipes]
assorted olives
cubes of good quality lean smoked ham
cubes of Spanish semi-soft cheese, such as manchego
roasted peppers drizzled w/ sherry vinegar
warm crusty bread

WWM M/J 2004 Tapas for Two:
Garlic Shrimp p 101
Pipirrana (Pepper, Tomato, and Cucumber Salsa) p 132
Marinated Mushrooms p 133

WWM Nov/Dec 2006 p 136
Chorizo-Stuffed Mushrooms

WWM M/J 2001 A Little Taste of Spain p 99-103
Spicy Red Peppers p 99
White Bean Salad p 100
Seville Artichoke Salad p 100
Shrimp in Garlic Sauce p 101
Spanish Roasted Potato Salad p 101
Figs Wrapped in Ham p 102
Spanish Potato Tortilla p 102
Cerveza-Marinated Chicken Skewers p 103
Minute Tapas Ideas:
Thin slices of jamon serrano, prosciutto, or high quality deli ham wrapped around precut chunks of ripe melon and held together with a toothpick
Roasted red peppers (from the deli or a jar)
Bean salad: one (15 oz) can cannellini (white kidney) beans, tossed with one can drained, olive-oil packed solid white tuna
Marinated mushrooms (from deli or jar)
Grape tomatoes, halved and drizzled with low-fat vinaigrette
Canned smoked oysters or mussels
Stuffed green olives (try anchovy- or tuna-stuffed, available at Latino and gourmet grocery stores).

WWM Mar/Apr 2002
Romesco (Red Pepper) Dip p 109

WWM July/Aug 2003
White Gazpacho with Green Grapes p 82

WW Simply Delicious Cookbook
Spicy Garlic Shrimp p 26
Savory Potato and Ham Chunks p 27
Hogazas with Sausage and Peppers p 29
Chunky Balsamic Mushrooms p 30

Technical Difficulties, please standby - in a darkend room ;)

2009-05-11T20:36:00.000-05:00

I am afraid that this will be a short post, the combination of the weather, pollen and my hormones have given me a horrible migraine today. I will post my menu and weekend doings tomorrow I hope. This rainy weather has really been killing me when it comes to my migraines.

I am really glad that I planned ahead and we're having Sauerbraten tonight though. I threw it in to marinate while we were gone for the weekend and threw it into the CP while I was gone to get my permanent crown later this afternoon.

I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day weekend.

JJ

Menu Plan Monday - Hubby's Off

2009-05-04T13:13:00.003-05:00

Yes, hubby is on vacation this week. We aren't going anywhere and from the weather report, most of its going to be rainy. Great vacation for him, huh? Actually it is, just not for me. He's more of a homebody so he'll love it.

Here's the planned dinners for this week with the recipes to follow. For more menu ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/05/mpm-may-4th-my-top-10-list-for-selecting-recipes.html

Monday: Au Gratin Potatoes (From Weight Watchers)
Tuesday: Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes (from Cooking Light)
Wednesday: Herbed Baked Tilapia, Lemony Rice Pilaf and Steamed Broccoli (from MomAdvice: http://www.momadvice.com/aldi/index.php/main-dishes/herb-baked-tilapia/ )
Thursday: Southern Slowcoooked Chicken & Grits with greens (From Weight Watchers)
Friday: Homemade Pizza

Au Gratin Potatoes
Our cheesy potato dish is the perfect crowd pleaser—rich enough for your spouse and kids, yet light enough to keep your waistline slim.
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 8

1 spray cooking spray
1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free skim milk
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 2-quart covered baking dish with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; add milk slowly, stirring. Add potatoes and stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and level out surface. Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. Cover and bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes more.

Change oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle remaining cheese over potatoes. Broil 6 inches from the heating element until the cheese is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Total cost: $9.33/Cost per serving: $1.17. This dish uses dark meat chicken parts, which are cheaper and more flavorful than breast meat. Purchase leg quarters, if available, and split them into drumstick and thigh portions before cooking to save even more.
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken leg or thigh and 3/4 cup bean mixture)
1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1), divided
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1 1/4 pounds)
4 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 5)
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges (optional)

Sort and wash chickpeas; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above chickpeas; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain chickpeas.

Place 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup onion, garlic, and bay leaf in pan; bring to a boil. (Reserve leftover chickpeas for another use.) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain chickpea mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set chickpea mixture aside.

Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Add remaining 1/2 cup onion to pan. Sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.

Add 2 cups tomato, Chicken Stock, and reserved cooking liquid to pan. Add chickpea mixture, and bring to a boil. Place chicken on top of chickpeas, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until chicken is done and chickpeas are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

CALORIES 261 (34% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.3g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 36mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.8g; SODIUM 244mg; PROTEIN 27.7g; FIBER 3.2g

Herb Baked Tilapia (or “Fish with Sprinkles”)

4 (4 to 6 ounce) tilapia fillets
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (I prefer the Italian breadcrumbs & I skip the dried seasonings)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place tilapia on nonstick foil. In a small bowl, combine cheese and mayonnaise. Spread evenly over fish. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.Sprinkle over fish. Coat fish lightly with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Serve with steamed broccoli and rice.

Lemony Rice Pilaf
Courtesy of Recipezaar
This reheats very well so you can make a double batch for another night, if you like!

1 teaspoon vegetable oil, preferably canola oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 grated lemon, rind of
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
fresh ground pepper

In a heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in rice, then stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover; let simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley; taste and add pepper if you wish.

Southern Slow Cooker Chicken and Grits

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 4
Works with Simply Filling
Like cooking short-cuts? Cut back on prep time and add a spicy, smoked flavor to this recipe by using one (14.5-ounce) can of drained, diced, roasted tomatoes with chiles in place of the fresh tomatoes. This dish will be soupy so serve in bowls.

1 3/4 cups fat-free chicken broth
6 tbsp uncooked corn grits
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (do not touch seeds with bare hands)
1 medium sweet red pepper, or yellow pepper, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks

Place broth in a 3- to 5-quart slow cooker. Slowly add grits, stirring constantly, to avoid lumps; set slow cooker aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, jalapeno and red pepper; sauté, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add vegetables to slow cooker. Place tomatoes, cumin, salt and black pepper in slow cooker; stir to mix. Add chicken thighs; cover and cook at medium setting for 5 to 6 hours. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Last night's dinner - Pad Thai Chicken Noodle Soup.

2009-04-30T06:52:00.003-05:00

I did vary a bit from my menu plan last night. The weather broke last yesterday, going from the 90's to 60's. I made chicken broth yesterday in the crockpot, and used some of it for this soup. I saw it while skimming through the 2009 Weight Watchers Annual Recipes. We didn't care much for the peanuts, they were kind of out of place in the soup itself (I know they are scattered on top of the dish itself usually) since they were little crunchy-ish bits in the soup. I would rather stir in a bit of peanut butter if I wanted the taste. I did stir in vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and chili garlic sauce though, because that's what I use when I make pad thai and it gave it a bit more of a normal flavor for me. It was pretty darn tasty, and easy.

Pad Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
From Weight Watchers 2009 Annual Recipes
POINTS: 5
Yield 4 servings. Serving Size: About 1 1/3 cups soup, 1 Tablespoon peanuts, 1 Tablespoon cilantro, and 1 Tablespoon green onions.

Peanuts, cilantro, and green onions add crunch, color and extra flavor to each serving.

2 ounces uncooked rice stick noodles (such as Hokan)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken stock
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 Tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Soak rice noodles in warm water to cover according to package directions. Drain.

Bring noodles and next 4 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls; top with peanuts, cilantro, and green onions.

Per Serving: Cal 211 (40% from fat); fat 9.3g (sat 2g); Pro 15.9g; carb 17.2g; fib 1.7g; chol 31mg; iron 1.1mg; sod 619mg; calc 21mg

A Homebody Weekend

2009-04-27T11:09:00.002-05:00

This weekend was spent at home, and it was nice to be a homebody for the weekend.. We had Mike and Jennifer over for dinner on Saturday night. Jennifer had requested Chicken Enchiladas that I had made for her birthday last year so along with those I just bought a bag of nachos and some salsa and cheese dip. I would have made homemade chips and cheese sauce but with it being 90 degrees (or more, I didn't actually check to see what it ended up being) I really didn't want the oven on for longer that it had to be. We didn't have the A/C on that night, just used fans, but on Sunday with Miko we finally relented and turned it on. I feel horrible about having the A/C on in April but she just wasn't herself on Sunday. Since she's a smushed-face breed we really need to watch the temp in the house. And now that she's getting older too, we're getting more worried about her too I guess.

John and I were watching Mr. Ed yesterday and we laughed at how the old shows had the couples sleeping in separate beds. At that point the wife, frustrated with the husband informed him that he would be sleeping on the couch if he kept his antics up. We then discussed that it wasn't much of a threat since they're already in separate beds, much less, he's got that great stable for Ed too. We also got to watch some of the Magnificent Seven. Neither of us have yet to see all of it. *sigh* It's that way for a lot of older movies for me, I've seen parts of them, and not always in the correct order, but usually not the whole thing.

I've started the Walk-It Challenge that Weight Watchers has put out on Monday. Actually Miko and I have both started it. I got reprimanded by the vet because she had gained 4 lbs since we were last there 6 months ago. I missed walking on Saturday because of the heat (I didn't think about it when planning my day since I usually walk later in the day and with Mike and Jennifer coming over it changed my timeline too). I'll have to change to my early morning/late evening walks (when it's cooler) that I do during summer instead of the early evening (when it's warmer) that I do during winter. I now have a reflective vest that I can wear when it gets dark so I feel a bit safer while walking too. We don't live on a busy street, but the fact that it's a country road with no street lights makes it really dark. I think I might also change their suggested rest days to be off on the weekend totally too, it's just easier for me to get my walks in during the weekday than the weekend since we're usually doing something and I don't always know my schedule during the weekend.

Here's my menu for the week, not sure how well I'm going to stick with it- It was already planned out for me (by me) but I don't feel like hitting a grocery store for some of the things I'll need. I'll either change the menu or improvise (with improvise being the thing I'll more likely do). For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/04/menu-plan-monday-april-27th.html

Monday: Spanish Tortilla with Spinach
Tuesday: Caramelized Onion and Bacon Pierogies
Wednesday: Carolina Baked Beans & Pork Chops
Thursday: Southern Slow Cooker Chicken and Grits
Friday: Fontina, Prosciutto and Caramelized Onion Pizzas
Saturday: Corn Casserole
Sunday: Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Leftover Roast Chicken Soup

Spanish tortilla with spinach
Serves 4
A popular tapa served in bars and cafes across Spain, tortilla is a versatile treat that is served warm or at room temperature, for lunch or with drinks. The traditional recipe calls for potatoes fried in olive oil and combined with eggs (and sometimes onion), all cooked into a thick omelet. Like Italian frittata, which it most resembles, there are many variations. Here, spinach is added to the egg-potato batter before the tortilla is cooked. Flipping the tortilla is the only tricky part. Slide it onto a plate, top it with another plate, and invert them together. Then slide the tortilla back into the pan to finish cooking. After making one, you'll want to do it again quickly and have tortilla on hand, just like every Spanish home does.

Salt and pepper, to taste
4 1/2 ounces (4 packed cups) baby spinach leaves
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 small Yukon Gold potatoes (10 ounces total), peeled and diced
1 leek (white part only) finely sliced
5 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water, and with your hands, squeeze out all the excess water. Chop the spinach finely; set aside.

In an 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add the potatoes and leek. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the skillet.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and pepper. Add the spinach, potato mixture, chives, and cumin.

In the skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add the egg mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, without stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes or until the top is still slightly runny but the bottom is set.

Run a knife or rubber spatula around the edges of the tortilla and slide it onto a plate. Cover it with another plate. Hold the plates tightly and invert them. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Slide the tortilla back onto the skillet. Cook for 5 or 6 more minutes or until the bottom is set. Cut in wedges or into smaller pieces as finger food. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Pierogies

Rich and sinful tasting, it combines pierogies, caramelized onions, bacon, and peas. Simple and delightful. 7 WW Points per serving.

One box of frozen pierogies
8 slices bacon
2 large onions, sliced
1 tsp raw sugar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
reduced fat sour cream

Place pierogies in a microwave safe casserole, cover with hot water, and cook on high for 6 minutes. Let stand in microwave, while you do the rest. Cook bacon, drain all but a few tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Add onions, thyme, and sugar and saute until onions are caramelized. Add peas and cook for one minute. Add pierogies, tossing to combine all ingredients. Serve 3 pierogies with 1 TB of low or no fat sour cream.

Carolina Baked Beans & Pork Chops
Makes 6 servings

2 cans (16 ounces each) pork and beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup French's® Classic Yellow® Mustard
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons French's® Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Frank’s® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
6 boneless pork chops (1 inch thick)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all ingredients except pork chops in 3-quart shallow baking dish; mix well. Arrange chops on top, turning once to coat with sauce.

Bake, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in center. Stir beans around chops once during baking. Serve with green beans or mashed potatoes, if desired.

Southern Slow Cooker Chicken and Grits
Works with Simply Filling
Like cooking short-cuts? Cut back on prep time and add a spicy, smoked flavor to this recipe by using one (14.5-ounce) can of drained, diced, roasted tomatoes with chiles in place of the fresh tomatoes.
main meals
POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 4 Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving. (Note: This dish will be soupy so serve in bowls.)

1 3/4 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
6 tbsp uncooked corn grits
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion(s), diced
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 cup(s) mushroom(s), sliced
1 small jalapeno pepper(s), seeded and minced (do not touch seeds with bare hands)
1 medium sweet red pepper(s), or yellow pepper, chopped
2 medium tomato(es), cored and chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound(s) boneless, skinless chicken thigh(s), cut into 1-inch chunks

Place broth in a 3- to 5-quart slow cooker. Slowly add grits, stirring constantly, to avoid lumps; set slow cooker aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, jalapeno and red pepper; sauté, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add vegetables to slow cooker. Place tomatoes, cumin, salt and black pepper in slow cooker; stir to mix. Add chicken thighs; cover and cook at medium setting for 5 to 6 hours.

Fontina, Prosciutto and Caramelized Onion Pizzas
Recipe by Cliff Crooks and Betty Fraser
For their delectably crusty and chewy pizzas, contestants Betty Fraser and Cliff Crooks adapted a bread recipe from star chef Jamie Oliver—a recipe Fraser had memorized—then covered it with slices of nutty Fontina cheese, prosciutto and sautéed onions.

DOUGH
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon salt
About 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
TOPPINGS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds white onions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound Italian Fontina cheese, sliced
8 thin slices of prosciutto
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 apple—peeled, cored and cut into matchsticks
4 ounces arugula (6 cups)

MAKE THE DOUGH: In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the water and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, thyme and salt. Add 2 cups of the flour and stir until a very soft, wet dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, working in about 1/3 cup more flour, until the dough is soft and silky. Shape into a ball and put in a large, oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

MAKE THE TOPPINGS: Preheat the oven to 450°. Oil 2 large baking sheets. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and stir to coat with the oil. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook the onions over high heat until golden brown, about 8 minutes longer. If the onions dry out, add a few tablespoons of water. Season the onions with salt and pepper, transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece out to a 9-by-3-inch rectangle and arrange on the prepared baking sheets. Top the dough with the Fontina, sautéed onions and prosciutto. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

In a large bowl, whisk the grapeseed oil, truffle oil and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the apple and arugula and toss. Top the hot pizzas with the salad and serve immediately.

Corn Casserole
Magazine reader Kathie asked for a renovation for the corn casserole she makes at family BBQs. We upped the veggies and dropped the butter to help lighten it up.
side dishes. To remove the corn kernels from the cobs, cut off the ends of each cob. Stand the cob on its end, holding it near the top. Hold a knife parallel to the cob and cut off the kernels using a sawing motion.
We renovated Corn Casserole by:
Increasing the amount of vegetables.
Omitting the butter and relying on cooking spray to cook the bacon and vegetables.
Decreasing the total amount of fattening bacon and finely dicing it to help sprinkle it throughout the casserole.
Was POINTS® Value: 5
Now POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 8

2 spray(s) cooking spray, divided
1 slice(s) bacon, uncooked, finely diced
2/3 cup(s) onion(s), diced
2/3 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), diced
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
14 3/4 oz canned cream-style white corn
3 medium corn on the cob, kernels removed* (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/4 cup(s) fat-free egg substitute
3/4 cup(s) low-fat Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
3/4 cup(s) seasoned croutons, whole-grain, coarsely crushed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick spray.

Cook bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour off and discard drippings from skillet.

Add onion to skillet. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

Transfer vegetables to a large bowl and let cool 5 minutes. Stir in bacon, canned corn, fresh corn, egg substitute, cheese, salt and ground pepper. Spread corn mixture in baking dish. Top evenly with croutons and lightly spray croutons with cooking spray. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden and center is set, about 15 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Serves 2

1/3 cup finely chopped mix of shallot, red onion, white onion, sweet onion, and leek (pale green and white part only)
3 Tablespoons chopped scallion
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
4 slices (each 1/2-inch thick) country bread, halved crosswise
3/4 pound aged Cheddar, coarsely grated
4 Tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Heat a large griddle over medium-low heat until hot.

In a bowl, combine the onion mixture, scallion, and garlic. Make 4 sandwiches with bread, cheese (pack it on), and onion mixture. Butter both sides of the sandwiches.

Set the sandwiches on the griddle and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, turning once, until the bread is golden and the cheese melts. Adapted from Gourmet

Leftover Roast Chicken Soup
Many people buy a whole roast chicken from the grocery store on the way home (see left). Once the chicken is picked over, the remaining carcass can be the beginning of a simple and rich soup. Add kitchen staples such as carrots, onions, celery, and mushrooms, season the pot with paprika and cayenne pepper, and this versatile supper extends the life of a simple bird. The soup is made in two parts: the chicken carcass simmers in water while the vegetables saute for about half an hour. The stock on its own can be the base of other soups, or use it as the broth for risotto. The recipe calls for a single leftover chicken, but you can also use two carcasses without altering the remaining ingredients. Food dollars need to do double duty these days. Why not have your chicken and eat it too?
Serves 8

BROTH
1 leftover roast chicken carcass (skin, bones, and any meat)
4 quarts water
VEGETABLES
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 ounces button mushrooms, thinly sliced
7 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (for serving)

In a soup pot, combine the chicken carcass and water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the mixture for 1 hour.

Place a colander or strainer over a large bowl. Tip the contents of the pot into it. Let the mixture cool. Pour the strained broth back into the soup pot.

Pick through the bones and remove any meat; discard skin and bones. Add the meat to the broth; set aside.

In a large flameproof casserole, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the butter and when it melts, add the onions. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes or until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the mushrooms, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and parsley. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes more or until the carrots and celery are almost softened.

Add the vegetable mixture to the broth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and black pepper, if you like. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan.

I'm back to my version of normal

2009-04-24T08:02:00.002-05:00

It was a pretty busy few days for me once we got back. On Tuesday I had my Weight Watchers meeting (I lost 2.2 lbs!) and then my yearly eye check appointment. And on Wednesday I had the appointment for my temporary crown (at the dentist, not as a queen *sigh*). I had to get my eyes dilated while at the eye doctor so I had already planned to stay at MiL's (we were having dinner with her) instead of driving home. Neither of us really thought of the fact that I couldn't read. It wasn't funny at the time, but I do laugh now. I couldn't get into her house using the keypad, I couldn't text her or read any texts and I had to wait for her to call me since I don't know her cell phone number because I always use my contacts list. I'm glad I didn't have to wait too long.

My dentist appointment went well. I think the fact that I had my root canal last year actually helped, the tooth is just a bit sensitive around it. I was really worried more about my TMJ - after my root canal my jaw was worse than the tooth after having to hold my mouth open for so long. The dentist used a bite block and let me have breaks when he could. It helped a lot and I'm not sore at all, just a bit tender. :) I go back in a few weeks for my perm. crown. The whole reason I have to get the crown is because it turns out that the dentist that did the root canal put in a temporary filling it seems. :( I must admit, I like this dentist a lot better.

Cooking-wise it hasn't been a great week. MiL fixed us for dinner some crab-stuffed salmon at Costco that hubby has informed me we need to buy next time we go. The pea soup was moved to Wednesday instead. And last night we had Chinese steamed dumplings (not homemade, I buy them at the Chinese grocery store in their freezer section). I have made homemade ones before, but it's nice to keep a few on hand for easy meals, and this way I can even have different flavored ones too. :) Dinner tonight is going to be Papa John's pizza. Hubby has a gift card to use up, so we'll have that instead of homemade pizza tonight.

I've been having a tasty breakfast lately. I got the idea from WW Annual Recipes for Success 2009. From their 7 day Menu Planner Week 2- Bacon Tomato Grits (Stir 1 cooked and crumbled turkey bacon slice, 1/4 cup chopped tomato, and 2 Tbsp reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese into 1 cup hot cooked grits - POINTS 4)
On the WW boards a bit ago someone had mentioned a way to make single serving-size portions of polenta and I've done that instead. I've got some finely ground cornmeal from the Mennonite Relief Sale last year that I'm using and it doesn't take as long and I like a bit more water so you may have to change the amounts and directions to suit your tastes, ingredients and microwave. I did not write who I got it from though. :(

Single Serve Microwave Polenta

3/4 cup water or stock
1/4 cup polenta or cornmeal
1/4 tsp salt

Place all in a 2-3 cup microwaveable container. Mix well. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes. Stir. Cook on HIGH 2 minutes.

When I make the Bacon Tomato Grits I make the polenta as above then add 1 Tbsp of Reduced fat real bacon bits (I buy a big bag of them at Costco but you can find them at the grocery store too, 1 Tbsp is equal to 1 slice), and the rest of the ingredients are the same. I've eaten it two days in a row. I'm thinking it would be great also served with an egg too.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-04-20T10:37:00.002-05:00

This week is a bit odd, only because I'm not sure how I'm going to feel. Tuesday I have an eye appointment with my eyes getting dilated. I don't remember how long it's going to take before I can see so I'm going with a crockpot meal. I'm going to have a cap put on a tooth I got a root canal on last year, so on Wednesday I've the first part of that. That means for 1 1/2 hours I'll have my mouth open, and my TMJ means that I will probably have a migraine and my jaw will be sore for a few days too. Not sure that I'm going to feel like eating or cooking. I'm going to go with canned ravioli that night but we'll have to see how I feel for the rest of the week. I do have Mike and Jennifer coming for dinner on Saturday with a request. So I will make dinner and hopefully my jaw will feel better by then.

Monday: still trying to figure out what I want to do with chicken breasts
Tuesday: Split Pea Soup
Wednesday: canned ravioli
Thursday: TBA
Friday: Homemade pizzas
Saturday: Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Weekend Update with JJ

2009-04-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

Had a great weekend this week. I had my fraternity reunion - otherwise known as Banquet. I have to admit I haven't been in YEARS, so I was a little nervous about who/what I could remember. The fact that the house wasn't even the same one was a bit weird (and sad) too. I surprised my big brother. :D It was sooooo great to see him again and we got to talk quite a lot and catch up. When they assigned him to me, they didn't realize that he grew up in the same small town that I did, and he actually graduated in the same class as my next door neighbor, so we always got along really well. Another odd thing, one of the other brothers that lived in the dorm across from me ended up teaching at my old HS after he graduated. Hubby and I (actually I !!!) drove down on Friday night after hubby got off work. We got there a bit after 10:30 pm. The husbands and Miko stayed at Beth's (my BFF from college and shes a TD little sis) since they were tired and we headed out to the new (to me) house. I must admit, it's so nice to finally be able to drink the water at the house straight from the tap. Let's just say that the road the old house was on is Yellow Sulpher and it fits. Beth and I got home at 2:30 am and were up around 5:30 or 6.

Once the guys were up we headed to Little Anthony's for breakfast. Hubby was in heaven. :) I had a bit of a dilemma, I really wanted to get the oatmeal with some sauteed apples and some bacon but they were all sides and would have costed more than my other choice - one of the breakfast specials of half plate sausage and gravy biscuit with bacon (1 biscuit instead of 2). I chose the special because it really was WAY different in price. *SIGH* I was good though. After that John, Beth, Miko and I were off to the TD softball game. This was the first time I was able to make it to the game. While in school I was a night monitor - the dorms with girls (either single sex or co-ed) had their doors locked (you could always get out but not in) at 11 pm and we were stationed there over night until 6 or 7 am the next morning (I can't remember when). We had to check ID's to make sure that that people lived there, and do rounds to make sure that no one had propped open doors (that happened quite often). Anyway, I worked Friday nights, so I was usually sleeping Saturday mornings. It was nice and Miko loved the attention. We got burned, I didn't even think about taking sunburn lotion (I don't tan, no use taking sunTAN lotion with me). After that we headed back to see if Beth's husband was back from picking up a Hokie bobble head from the lacrosse game - he had been back but was gone again. Miko was dropped off and we headed to Mike's Grill for lunch without him. Mike's Grill was my fave place while at Tech. We didn't go often (poor students and all), and since the burgers are huge (1/2 pound) we didn't eat lunch and went for an early dinner and still didn't finish them. I don't know why I love it so much, but maybe it's just because it's "our" place. Beth, Jen and I would go there, plan it out and just have fun. Course we always had fun. :) Beth got the french fries and I got the onion rings and we shared, the onion rings are great!

After lunch we headed off to find Mosaic. After the shooting at Tech a few years ago, I wanted to do something and the yarn store there offered to sew together squares that were knitted into blankets to give to the victims and their families. So I knitted an orange and maroon VT square and sent it off to them. I wanted to see the store since it wasn't there when I was on campus. John was even nice enough to let me buy some Claudia's Handpainted fingering weight wool yarn (for socks) in the colorway Hokies (maroon and orange). They have a very nice selection of yarns and I had a great time touching, and it was hard not to want to buy more.

We headed back to Beth's and her husband was there. He told us that Miko scared him. We're sleeping on the sofa bed, and she had apparently been sleeping under it while we were gone (we brought one of her beds with us but she didn't sleep in it). He didn't know that and he heard a scrambling under the bed and all the sudden she appeared. We all pretty much fell asleep not soon afterward, guess I'm old. Once we all woke up after our naps, we headed out so I could see how Tech itself has changed. We walked around downtown B'burg for a bit, and that has changed too! Beth and I still weren't very hungry after our lunch, but walking around was a good choice, because we were more hungry afterward. We decided to eat at Ceritano's Ristorante (http://www.ceritanos.com/pizza.html ) which is actually right up from Mike's. We decided to order two pizzas and share. They use fresh mozzarella on their pizzas, btw, and they are cooked in a wood-fired oven. We chose a pepperoni (Fra Diavolo: marina sauce, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella) I, of course, decided to be different and asked if it was ok to get the Bella Vista
(thinly sliced potatoes topped with extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh rosemary, coarse black pepper) surprisingly everyone said yes. When it came out it smelled heavenly with the rosemary (my fave herb). I have made something like it when I was trying to eat vegan, so John and I knew it would be good, and it was. It was actually finished before the other one. Tom had just read that they got a gelato machine, so that was next. I got pineapple, John got strawberry, Beth got Oreo, Tom got hazelnut and something else I can't remember. It was GREAT! It was as good as what we got in Little Italy in NYC. If you're in B'Burg, you should definitely stop for their gelato since it will be warming up soon.

I must admit we returned home and pretty much all died and went to sleep. I'm definitely not able to handle what I used to. Woke up with Miko and walked her. The house across from Beth has horses, and I got to pet one of them. :D It likes to nuzzle and once more was interested in Miko but she wanted nothing to do with it. I called my cousin Matt and got directions to his apartment so we could pick him up for breakfast. Found him (I tell you, things have really changed, the names may be the same, but I don't recognize much) and we drove to the TD brunch at Cracker Barrel in Christiansburg. We had 22 people, and things were hoppin'! Eric had mostly lost his voice and to me I think I'll start calling him "squeaky". John and I headed home after that, stopping to say hi to mom, Keith, Kelly, BJ, and the kids (and use the bathroom at mom's). Mrs Mary was also there and I was able to say hello to her too. Found out we've got a b-day party to go to on the 9th. I can't believe that Kenny is going to be 40!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-04-13T11:27:00.002-05:00

Today I'm pugless, and feeling a bit lonely. She is at the vets, getting her teeth cleaned. I can tell you, she was not happy about not getting breakfast this morning, but we will be happy when her breath smells a lot better when she returns.

We had a nice Easter, spending it at my sister's house. My cousin Matthew was up from Tech, so we took some Wii games with us too. We tried out a "new" chinese restaurant (new owners)"Red Chopsticks" in Staunton for lunch on Saturday and it was very good. We had written off the restaurant the last time we had eaten there, so it was nice to be able to have a place to go back and enjoy the food. They actually had kim chee and frogs legs on the buffet. Matt took a pic of his food to taunt his sister since she couldn't make it down. ;) Everyone else went back to my sister's house, mom and I went out shopping. We headed out to check out "JJ's Knitting Knook" (no relation) and it was a wonderful store. They had a great selection of stuff, and will actually be moving to a larger space soon. I was good, all I bought was a darning egg. They offer classes, so hopefully mom will finally learn to knit that sweater that she spent $200+ in yarn for (no I did not convince her to do that). After that we went and checked out the Fabric store's new digs and then headed to The Cheese Shop. I picked up a few things that I needed and we decided to go with sandwiches for supper and picked up stuff there for that too.

Later that evening I showed Kelly how to make bread using her KitchenAide mixer. We made rolls for next day's Easter lunch (I used the Split-Top Butter Bread recipe). She was having some problems, and I was able to help her know what to look for since I make bread more often. While the dough was rising we came up with hints to use on the notes for her kids to find their Easter gifts. They had a scavenger hunt this year, and enjoyed it.

Anyway, on to the menu:
Monday: Pork and sauerkraut (Just like it says - it's in the crockpot now)
Tuesay: Fish and chips (frozen fish but oven baked chips)
Wednesday: Spaghetti
Thursday: New England Clam Chowder
Friday-Sunday: out of town once more

If you'd like any of the recipes, just ask (or use the search function). If you'd like more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/04/menu-plan-monday-april-13th.html

No planning Menu Planning

2009-04-08T13:39:00.003-05:00

Yep, no menu plan posted this week. And even though there's one posted on my Google Calendar, I must admit that's not the one I'm following right now. I'm flying by the seat of my pants right now. I tried, but it all started after going to my sister's this weekend. I wonder if my body just wasn't used to eating Domino's pizza. The next day I just didn't feel right, not sick but just not good. Didn't feel like eating or cooking - much like making a meal plan. That went into Monday too. Monday hubby ate leftovers - I hate a microwaved "baked" potato at 10:45 pm because that's when I finally felt hungry. I did eat a little during the day, but it really wasn't much.

Last night was salt and pepper shrimp, tonight will be BBQ chicken legs. I think I'll make Beef Stew - but I need to see what hubby wants to do since we're going to meet in town. Friday he's off and we'll have homemade pizza. And Saturday and Sunday we're back to Draft.

Yeah, boring huh?

Ch-ch-changes

2009-04-01T09:15:00.003-05:00

There are a few changes to this weeks menu. Nothing big, like usual.

First off though: I forgot how AWESOME the Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes is. I served it with couscous and *SIGH* I really do need to make it more often. It's a nice meal to embellish with a bit more spice (I add garlic and I wonder if saffron would be good) but you don't have to. It was originally written as a budget meal a bit ago in Cooking Light Magazine (before the current economic woes). And a few notes about the recipe: you can used canned if you don't want to soak your own (they used dried because of the cheapness), if you do make your own, you can use all of it (I think it's stupid to not use the other 1/2 cup just for calories sake), and lastly - if you cook your own beans, cook the whole bag and use the rest for hummus instead. :)

I haven't had a major migraine in a while now, although I had a small headache yesterday. I have had some major liver pain though. Not sure why. I am wondering if the antibiotic threw me for a loop. I've been eating eggs lately and I am sensitive to them (allergy tested), I can eat a few but not a lot. Well, I've been having what I call uggy burps - sulfuric burps - I thought it might be due to the eggs but now I'm wondering if it's just because the Z-pack killed off some good bacteria in my gut instead. Last night was the worst. I made sure to eat some yogurt (with good bacteria) today, and maybe the liver problems earlier were a warning or something that I wasn't digesting well and the gall bladder was trying to produce more to help and couldn't keep up and the liver was trying it's best too? I don't know, it's all just supposition. Since I wasn't feeling well, I wasn't eating well either. Not eating badly - but just not much. When I do that I don't have good Weight Watcher weeks. I wasn't able to make it to my WW weigh in yesterday, so I'll go tomorrow. I'm expecting a gain this week, but it's all my own fault.

The changes to this weeks menu are simple. We are headed to SD for my nephew's birthday on Saturday and my sister informed me it's going to be a pizza party. So, I'm not making pizza on Friday, instead I'm going to make Bagel Dogs at hubby's request. Secondly, the recipe for Baked Beans and Chops is changed slightly. I'm going with one from the "Fix-It-and-Forget-It Entertaining" Cookbook. It's mostly the same though. Pour the beans into the CP, top with the pork chops. Smear on the mustard, sprinkle with brown sugar, drizzle with ketchup and top with thick slices of onion. I also sprinkled with some pepper and Penzey's smoked seasoned salt.

Thanks to Facebook I've found a friend from HS who was a great writer in my English Comp class. I loved my English Comp class, I think because almost everyone in there wrote really well and had a sense of humor to boot. Anyway, he's got a great blog, so if you have some time to spend, head on over to http://billycoffey.blogspot.com/ and waste it there. ;)

We've received the money from my grandmother's estate. My sister is using hers for COBRA (they are both without a job at this point, and so far no luck in finding one). At this point they are waiting for the new bill to take effect and said said it will reduce the amount they pay from $1,000 to $35 I think she said. That's quite a lot! I bought my new tennis shoes yesterday, the last ones are the ones that my sister gave me (from when she cleaned out her closet over 2 years ago). I decided to try ones that are Nike+ compatible. I've just been putting the little capsule in my shoestrings, but this time I put it in the footbed. And as I went out on the walk, it died within 5 minutes of my walk. *SIGH* Course the Nike+ is about a year old or so. I need to see how much a new one costs (the "system" itself is $30). The page won't load for me, I think just because of the dial-up speed, but I'm going through the Nike+ site and haven't done a search yet.

Some more of the money went for an ASUS EEE PC (netcomputer). The laptop I type from is actually missing it's R & T buttons and I plug in a keyboard to the USB to type coherently (or more-so). We had hoped to be able to use my sister's laptops that wasn't working and switch out the keyboard (the laptop wouldn't stay on anymore and hubby couldn't fix it) but it's a different manufacturer and things are just different enough that it won't work. :( The carrying around a keyboard makes it just enough of a pain that it makes it a bit unportable for a laptop. And it's starting to become a bit unstable: computer screen sometimes goes on the fritz along with some other things I don't want to get into. Hubby and I debated about what would be the best use: a new laptop or a netcomputer. I don't travel that much with a computer but the netcomputer is cheaper. We decided to go with the EE and we'll try to save up some more for a laptop and hope to keep it going. Hopefully being able to leave it in one place more often will help too (it really only gets moved when someone comes over to eat since I type at the dinner table, and our table is kept in the expanded condition so there's room for just hubby and I to eat there).

The rest of the money (half of the original is going to be put into savings - it's not as much money as it sounds like, believe me) is going for a new crown for me, a dental for Miko and new glasses for me (it's been about 4-5 years). Now granted, we're also putting in a bit of the money hubby made while working overtime last month too. As I told my sister, I hate to spend the money on such mundane things, but I am glad that it came when it did. She said the same thing, and she was hoping that she'll be able to use some of it (there should be some retroactive pay-back once the bill kicks in) to help fix Mommom's grandmother clock that she has.

MPM: It's a Beany Week - Break out the Beano!

2009-03-30T08:22:00.008-05:00

Not much has been going on last week. My headaches have broken, not sure if it's from the antibiotic or from the weather breaking (I'm thinking it's from the antibiotic since it's still kinda been changing a bit back and forth and my headaches haven't been).

My house is smelling pretty good right now. I cooked some dried chickpeas overnight in preparation for tonights dinner. I love the smell of cooking dried chickpeas. For some reason they remind me a bit of sausage, not really sure why, but it does. I've soaked extra, and I'll bag them up and freeze them so I'm ready to use them later, since chickpeas are something that I love. I actually thought I had some to add to the Aloo Gobi last week, and I didn't look at the can well enough and I opened a can of white beans instead. That mistake is the basis for one of the recipe choices for this week. *sigh*

I had a kinda dinner failure last night. I was nothing major, and I say kinda only because it didn't really fail. I made hamburger vegetable soup on Saturday for Sunday. Instead of using a potato, I tried yucca, something I've wanted to try for a while now. Even the tag on it said you can use it like a potato. I've had it as chips, and liked it, and I'm sure I've had it in restaurants and liked it. But when I peeled it, it kinda smelled like latex something that I don't like. That smell just kinda lingered even after cooking and taking out the compost. It didn't taste bad, but I'm a smell kinda gal, and I just couldn't get over it. Hubby said that it didn't taste bad either but we ended up dumping it after eating our servings for dinner. I just knew that I wouldn't eat the leftovers, no matter how hard I tried. At least I tried it.

I'm liking the Google Calendar for my menu planning. I'm going to try to see if I can embed it into my blog. We'll see it what happens. I put the recipe into the notes section, so if you're interested in the recipe you should be able to click on it, at least that's what I do and I'd imagine that's how it would work for you too. If I find a recipe to try I'll put it on there, and I can move recipes around if we don't get to it that week. That helps a lot for things that I've bought and want to make (the lima beans) so I don't forget about them. It also helps me when I see a recipe that I want to make, I can schedule it so I won't forget about it.

For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/03/menu-plan-monday-march-30th-2.html

Monday: Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Tuesday: Shrimp and White Beans
Wednesday:Slow Cooker Pork and Beans
Thursday: Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (I'm thinking Spinach Calzones with Blue Cheese this week)

Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Total cost: $9.33/Cost per serving: $1.17. This dish uses dark meat chicken parts, which are cheaper and more flavorful than breast meat. Purchase leg quarters, if available, and split them into drumstick and thigh portions before cooking to save even more.
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken leg or thigh and 3/4 cup bean mixture)
1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1), divided
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1 1/4 pounds)
4 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 5)
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges (optional)

Sort and wash chickpeas; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above chickpeas; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain chickpeas.

Place 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup onion, garlic, and bay leaf in pan; bring to a boil. (Reserve leftover chickpeas for another use.) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain chickpea mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set chickpea mixture aside.

Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Add remaining 1/2 cup onion to pan. Sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.

Add 2 cups tomato, Chicken Stock, and reserved cooking liquid to pan. Add chickpea mixture, and bring to a boil. Place chicken on top of chickpeas, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until chicken is done and chickpeas are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

CALORIES 261 (34% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.3g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 36mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.8g; SODIUM 244mg; PROTEIN 27.7g; FIBER 3.2g

Shrimp and White Beans

Create a rustic Italian-style meal by serving this hearty dish with ciabatta and a glass of wine.

2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 15 oz cam cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
6 oz of fresh baby spinach
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp from pan; set aside, and keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 tsp olive oil in pan. Add garlic and onion and saute 2 minutes. Add beans and wine; bring to a simmer and add tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in spinach, and cook 1 minute or just until spinach wilts.

Add reserved shrimp and any extra juices, black pepper, red pepper, and salt, stirring to combine.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 3/4 cups)

Per Serving: Cal 260 (15% from fat); Fat 4.3g (sat 0.8g); Pro 34.4g; Carb 20.5g; Fib 6g; Chol 276mg; Iron 7.1mg; Sod 625mg; Calc 126mg

Slow Cooker Pork and Beans
This rich and flavorful crockpot recipe is one of the easiest to make. Just open cans, plop food in the slow cooker, turn it on, and dinner is ready when you are.

6 boneless pork loin chops, trimmed of excess fat
1 onion, chopped
2 (20 oz.) cans pork and beans
1/3 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp. mustard

In 3-4 quart crockpot, combine onion, pork and beans, ketchup and mustard and stir to blend. Add chops to crockpot, pushing some down into the bean mixture. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours until pork is tender. 6 servings

Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans
Serves 6-8 From “Veganomicon”
You may have lima bean baggage but this recipe will help you work through it. Please set your issues aside and for a moment imagine large, mild, tender beans with a creamy interior and a slightly tangy tomato sauce. (If you must, you can substitute navy or cannellini beans for the limas. But be sure to try it at least once with large lima beans.) This is a delightful spin-off of a traditional Greek home-style dish and is hearty meal alongside rice, potatoes and steamed greens. Or, serve them the traditional Mediterranean way, just slightly warmed, as part of a meze spread with olives, hummus, Cashew-Cucumber Dip, pickles, pita, and the like.

TIP: During the soaking, the beans will appear slip and their skins wrinkled; this is normal, so don't be alarmed.

Beans:
1 pound dried, large lima beans, soaked for at least 8 hours
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
Sauce:
Vegetable bouillon cube
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, shredded
28 ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

Drain and rinse the beans and place them in a large pot with the 2 quarts of cold water and the bay leaves. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Simmer the beans for 30 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked (the interior of the beans will still be grainy). Skim off any foam that may collect while beans are cooking. Drain the beans, reserving 1 cup of bean liquid, and set aside (leave the bay leaves with beans). Dissolve the vegetable bouillon cube in the reserved 1 cup of hot bean liquid; set aside.

While the beans are cooking, preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 4-quart Dutch oven or casserole dish (you can also prepare the beans in two batches in two 2-quart casseroles or Dutch ovens).

Prepare the sauce in either the prepared Dutch oven, if using, or a separate large saucepan. Heat the garlic and olive oil over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Add the onion, and stir until translucent and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrot, stir and cook for another minute, and add the tomatoes, reserved vegetable bouillon, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, maple syrup, oregano, thyme, salt, and nutmeg. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little. Taste the sauce and season with black pepper and more salt if necessary. Stir in the beans, parsley, and mint.

Place in the prepared casserole dish (if not already in the Dutch oven), cover the dish, and bake the beans, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until they are tender and the interior of the beans is creamy. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little bit and give the beans a slightly dry finish. Remove from the oven, remove the bay leaves, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Spinach Calzones with Blue Cheese

The combination of onions, mushrooms, and fresh spinach packs a serving of veggies into each of these easy, impressive calzones. We found that a pizza cutter works well for dividing the refrigerated dough into 4 equal portions.

1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups spinach leaves
8 (1/8-inch-thick) slices Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 1/3 cups sliced cremini or button mushrooms
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 425°.

Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; cut into 4 quarters. Pat each quarter into a 6 x 5-inch rectangle. Sprinkle garlic evenly over rectangles. Top each rectangle with 1 cup spinach, 2 onion slices, 1/3 cup mushrooms, and 3 tablespoons cheese. Bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching all points together to seal. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until golden.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 calzone)

CALORIES 297 (28% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 4g,mono 3.2g,poly 1g); IRON 3.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 16mg; CALCIUM 180mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.7g; SODIUM 818mg; PROTEIN 13.4g; FIBER 5.1g

Cooking Light, MAY 1999

Movin' On Down Again

2009-03-25T08:09:00.000-05:00

I lost 3 lbs last week! I told my leader (Bobbi) I guess the Ben & Jerry's plan is working. She said she wouldn't recommend that to any of her members. ;) I was really expecting a gain to show up, only as a delay from the B&J, but I guess I got lucky this time. I'm 1 pound away from where I was before the doc's started to change my meds and I went up a bit. Yay! Hubby asked me if oatmeal was better than cereal this morning. I wasn't quite sure what to tell him. It can be, depending on what type of oatmeal and cereal and oatmeal. I'll ask him more about it when he gets home tonight because he mentioned it right before he headed out the door. I did tell him I could make a batch and he could reheat it as he needed it in the morning. I just remembered I could also make him some baked oatmeal too. I gave him some of my WW materials to read also, maybe that'll help too.

I realized I posted the wrong Dan Dan Noodles recipe on Monday, so I'll post the correct one below, sorry about that.

I'm now taking an antibiotic, z-pack. I've pretty much had a headache almost everyday since my cold, and felt like I couldn't get a full breath. I've also been coughing (not majorly) since then too but I've not seen anymore colored stuff. I talked to the doctor. He had written the prescription for me when I went in to check on my toe to make sure it wasn't broken. The cold was just starting and he checked me out and wrote the prescription as a "just in case" so I wouldn't have to make an appointment later and most people he had seen ended up needing it. He told me that with my symptoms (it's been 3 weeks or so) to go ahead and take it because it sounded like it could be more than just a migraine. If it didn't get better then to come in. This would be my first sinus infection (if that's what it is) since I started with a neti pot, and that's been years.

Xie Laoban's Dan Dan Noodles
From "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper" by Fuchsia Dunlop
Feeds two for supper, four for a street snack.
7-8 ounces dried Chinese flour-and-water noodles
For the meat topping:
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
3 Sichuanese dried chiles (if you can't find, substitute small red chiles of your choice), cut in half, seeds discarded
1/2 teaspoon whole Sichuan pepper
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Tianjin preserved vegetable (available at Asian groceries), rinsed
1/4 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons light soy sauce (not to be confused with "lite")
For the sauce:
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan pepper, toasted and ground
2 Tablespoons sesame paste (tahini is a great substitute)
3 Tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (if you don't have, substitute light)
4 Tablespoons chili oil, plus sediment from jar, if possible

Heat peanut oil in a wok over moderate heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add chiles and Sichuan pepper and stirfry briefly until oil is spicy and fragrant. Be careful not to burn spices. Add pickled vegetables and continue to stir fry until hot and fragrant. Add meat and soy sauce and cook meat until brown and crisp. Remove from heat.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to instructions on the package.

In a small mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Either portion sauce among individual serving bowls or into one large bowl. Drain cooked noodles and combine with sauce, followed by meat mixture. With chopsticks, mix noodles so that sauce and meat are evenly distributed.

Menu Plan Monday now with Cleaner Teeth!

2009-03-23T11:35:00.002-05:00

I had a dental cleaning scheduled this morning, with a new to me dentist - hubby had been there a few times already. It went ok, found out that my dentist had put in a temporary filling in the root canal and I either had to get a "real" filling or a crown on it now. This dentist is an endodontist, my other one wasn't (the reason hubby ended up going to him in the first place was because he needed a crown and he ended up staying). The old dentist was nice enough, but he just felt like he catered more to kids, and anything major he needed to send you to an endo anyway. So now I'm at one. :) So now the small bit of money from my grandmother's estate will be going for a new tooth, some glasses, some tennis shoes, and probably a dental for Miko too. At least it's getting used.

I finally made the Cheeseburger Soup I posted ages ago. It was great! Instead of making the white sauce, I just thickened with cornstarch instead (didn't feel like dirtying up another pan). I also stirred in some mustard. I had a jar of mustard that was almost done, so I rinsed it with some water and threw it in, since I felt like it needed it. It reminded me a lot of the Beer Cheese Soup I make (the mustard was a grainy mustard with Killian's Red in it) and I can imagine it'd be awesome with brat's in it!. I also told hubby if I was serving it to others, it'd be nice to garnish with some onion rings. I didn't make the bread bowls though, I ran out of time.

This weeks menu in no particular order (except the fact that I will save 1/4 pound of the ground beef of the Keema matar to use in the Dan Dan Noodles). The last two meals are more pantry style meals in that I have the ingredients to make and if I want to they can be subbed in if I have the time or feel ok since they take more time. Recipes will follow.

Keema Matar
Dan Dan Noodles
Aloo Gobi
Cuban Chicken
Pizza
Braised Chicken with Chickpeas
Mediterranean Baked Lima Beans

For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Keema Matar (Chopped Meat with Peas)
Adapted from Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery p. 939 AND"Great Curries" by Manisha Kanani"
Serving Size : 4-6
1 Tablespoon oil or butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons curry powder (or to taste)
2 green chiles, finely chopped (can use canned)
1 pound extra lean ground beef, or lamb
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon minced ginger OR 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 (10 ounces) package frozen peas
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic, curry powder, ginger and chilies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef or lamb and stir fry for about 5 minutes, chopping and turning to break it up. Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, ginger, and salt with water. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the peas and lemon juice. Cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered or until the meat is tender. Serve with naan bread and plain yogurt.

Variation: Substitute for green peas 1/2 cup split peas soaked in 1 cup water. Add peas and water to meat at beginning of cooking, cover, and cook until peas are tender.

Dandan Mian (Spicy Peanut Noodles)
Dandan are wooden buckets, one on each end of a pole carried across the shoulders, from which vendors used to sell this snack in the streets of Chengdu. Yield: 2 servings

1/2 pound Chinese flat wheat noodles, or linguine
2 Tablespoons tahini, or peanut butter
1 Tablespoon ground Szechuan red peppercorn
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Chinese or white vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 Tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts

Boil the noodles. Meanwhile, combine the tahini, Szechuan pepper, garlic, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. When the noodles are done, drain and toss them with the tahini mixture. Sprinkle the peanuts on top before serving.

Aloo Gobi (Curried Cauliflower and Potatoes)
From “Bend It Like Beckham”
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
Large bunch of fresh cilantro, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
Small green chilies, chopped into small pieces (or one teaspoon chili powder)
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes with juice (or two 15 ounce cans)
Fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 teaspoon, or to taste)
Fresh garlic, chopped (about 1 teaspoon, or to taste)
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Garam Masala

Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan (I use a dutch oven, this makes A LOT.) Add the chopped onion and one teaspoon of cumin seeds to the oil. Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden, and translucent.

Add chopped cilantro stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt. Add chopped chilis (according to taste). Stir tomatoes into onion mixture. Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly. Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few Tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan). Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce. Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).

Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir. Sprinkle chopped cilantro leaves on top of the curry. Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.

Cuban Chicken and Rice

From: Tom & Riva Serving Size: 6

1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 can tomato sauce, (15 ounce)
1 pinch saffron
Salt, to taste
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 1/2 cups White Rice, uncooked
1 cup beer
15 Ounces Canned Peas, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute chicken until lightly browned; remove from skillet and set aside.

Saute onion, garlic and green bell pepper until soft; stir in tomato sauce, saffron, salt and bouillon and return chicken pieces to skillet. Cook for 10 minutes, then add rice and reduce heat to low.

Add beer and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. Finally, stir in peas with liquid and garnish with roasted red bell pepper.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 813 Calories; 42g Fat (48.1% calories from fat); 50g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 226mg Cholesterol; 975mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 6 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Fat.

Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans
Serves 6-8 From “Veganomicon”
You may have lima bean baggage but this recipe will help you work through it. Please set your issues aside and for a moment imagine large, mild, tender beans with a creamy interior and a slightly tangy tomato sauce. (If you must, you can substitute navy or cannellini beans for the limas. But be sure to try it at least once with large lima beans.) This is a delightful spin-off of a traditional Greek home-style dish and is hearty meal alongside rice, potatoes and steamed greens. Or, serve them the traditional Mediterranean way, just slightly warmed, as part of a meze spread with olives, hummus, Cashew-Cucumber Dip, pickles, pita, and the like.

TIP: During the soaking, the beans will appear slip and their skins wrinkled; this is normal, so don't be alarmed.

Beans:
1 pound dried, large lima beans, soaked for at least 8 hours
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
Sauce:
Vegetable bouillon cube
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, shredded
28 ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

Drain and rinse the beans and place them in a large pot with the 2 quarts of cold water and the bay leaves. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Simmer the beans for 30 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked (the interior of the beans will still be grainy). Skim off any foam that may collect while beans are cooking. Drain the beans, reserving 1 cup of bean liquid, and set aside (leave the bay leaves with beans). Dissolve the vegetable bouillon cube in the reserved 1 cup of hot bean liquid; set aside.

While the beans are cooking, preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 4-quart Dutch oven or casserole dish (you can also prepare the beans in two batches in two 2-quart casseroles or Dutch ovens).

Prepare the sauce in either the prepared Dutch oven, if using, or a separate large saucepan. Heat the garlic and olive oil over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Add the onion, and stir until translucent and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrot, stir and cook for another minute, and add the tomatoes, reserved vegetable bouillon, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, maple syrup, oregano, thyme, salt, and nutmeg. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little. Taste the sauce and season with black pepper and more salt if necessary. Stir in the beans, parsley, and mint.

Place in the prepared casserole dish (if not already in the Dutch oven), cover the dish, and bake the beans, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until they are tender and the interior of the beans is creamy. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little bit and give the beans a slightly dry finish. Remove from the oven, remove the bay leaves, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Total cost: $9.33/Cost per serving: $1.17. This dish uses dark meat chicken parts, which are cheaper and more flavorful than breast meat. Purchase leg quarters, if available, and split them into drumstick and thigh portions before cooking to save even more.
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken leg or thigh and 3/4 cup bean mixture)
1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1), divided
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1 1/4 pounds)
4 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 5)
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges (optional)

Sort and wash chickpeas; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above chickpeas; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain chickpeas.

Place 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup onion, garlic, and bay leaf in pan; bring to a boil. (Reserve leftover chickpeas for another use.) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain chickpea mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set chickpea mixture aside.

Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Add remaining 1/2 cup onion to pan. Sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.

Add 2 cups tomato, Chicken Stock, and reserved cooking liquid to pan. Add chickpea mixture, and bring to a boil. Place chicken on top of chickpeas, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until chicken is done and chickpeas are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

CALORIES 261 (34% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.3g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 36mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.8g; SODIUM 244mg; PROTEIN 27.7g; FIBER 3.2g

A change of pizza

2009-03-21T17:16:00.004-05:00

Well, the cupcakes didn't happen. I was hoping the migraine would go away and it didn't. I ended up picking up two creme brulees at Krogers instead. It turned out ok, they weren't great - but it was better than having a dozen Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting staring at us. I will still make them at some point, so I'll still have that temptation to deal with, though. I guess it's better than trying to deal with a whole Chocolate Orange Cheesecake though (which one year I will make also).

The pizzas last night were good - at least for me. Can't really say they were hubby's faves though. It was a take off of a pizza I made when I ran the demo kitchen at HomePlace. I changed it quite a lot though last night, it was more of a taco salad pizza last night. I made some "refried" beans using Fantastic Foods dried beans from the bulk bins at Good Foods Grocery (a local natural foods store). I LOVE their refrieds better than the canned, especially since I can make as much as I want/need. And the flavoring is just perfect. I can also add olive oil if I want or leave them fat-free. I chopped some romaine lettuce that I wanted to use up, and tossed it was some taco sauce (about 2 Tbsps worth), 2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions (if I had olives I would have added those too). I drained some Fire roasted tomatoes (I would have used fresh if I had them) and used the liquid to reconstitute the beans. I mixed that with some leftover Pico de Gallo and then mixed that with the refried beans. I spread the bean mixture on the par-cooked pizza blanks. Topped with a bit of taco sauce, some cheese and sliced pickled jalapenos. I baked it for about 12 minutes until the cheese was melted and starting to turn brown in places. When it came out of the oven I topped it with the salad and topped it with a touch of Mexican crema and a touch more taco sauce. YUM! I've been wanting taco salad, and this fit the bill. Hubby's problem with it was only that taco salad isn't one of his faves in the first place, but he said it wasn't bad.

Those pizzas up there? Those are my typical shape, amoeba. I can't make a round pizza most of the time to save my life. I've stopped trying - so we just have amoeba pizzas. They taste just the same and are much less stressful to make in the long run for me.

Birthday Happenin's

2009-03-19T09:21:00.002-05:00

Today is my hubby's birthday. We are finally the same age, at least for a few months. Yes, I robbed the cradle. (ha!) For some reason, he's not really all that happy to be turning 36, not really sure why this year is bothering him more than 35. He asked me if 36 was a good year for me. I told him it was, considering that I was still here, I figure any year that I'm still here, it's been a good year. I am not really sure how to make him feel more comfortable with another year. I know that when I turned 35 I felt a little weird, but that was only because I remembered my mom's 35th birthday in a vague way (I wasn't very old after all) and it was odd. It's odd to realize that as you are older that the differences in age aren't as great as when you are younger though.

And we are also waiting on a new niece from my SiL tomorrow too, Caroline Grace. Always an aunt, never a mother to change the always a bridesmaid quote. This will make the 3rd niece in the family. I realized the other day that I haven't knit anything for her. I haven't knit anything for ages now. :( They are hoping to move to China for a few years so I also don't want to knit anything that become a burden to have to cart over there either, so it might be a good thing that I haven't. I'll wait and see what she's like and can knit her something that will fit her personality too. I still need to knit Katie (their other child) some socks at some point, so maybe I'll do them matching socks. :)

I ended up buying frozen corn dogs, so I won't be making the recipe I posted (at least not at this time). I've got some leftover Guinness from the St. Pat's stew so I'm going to make Chocolate Stout Cupcakes for Hubby's birthday "cake" I'm going to halve the recipe on epicurious.com and frost with a cream cheese frosting so it looks like the head on a pint. Hubby's not a big fan of Guinness, but he'll drink it. We're both not real big drinkers really, even before my liver problems, thank goodness! I think we're into it kind of like we are as food. We enjoy trying different tastes. Oh, and the Tender Chicken in Gravy was really tasty. Hubby said it was a keeper and I need to remember to repeat it. *sigh* Something I hope I remember to do. I'm not really good at repeating meals. Does anyone else have that problem too? Even our pizza is never the same every week, I even change what I put in the dough sometimes (ie I'll add herbs).

Thank you for the kind comments to my last post too. It's scary to push send on your real thoughts sometimes.

Something for me to think about

2009-03-17T21:36:00.004-05:00

I've been seeing a psychologist for a little while lately. One thing she mentioned today is how my family isn't really one to outwardly demonstrate love and such (not that it's a bad thing). We didn't really do a a lot of deep sharing and such. I actually share more on here than I do with anyone else. When she asked if there was anyone that I talked with about my medical problems, I had to admit that I honestly don't. I don't keep them secret from anyone, and if anyone asks I will usually tell them at least some of it, but it is something I keep a lot of to myself. [Even though I know this blog is public, I still view it as "my diary" more and one of the reasons why more is told here sometimes.] She mentioned that I might want to find a group that deals with chronic pain (my migraines) or something along those lines. I don't know how I feel about that. I just can't imagine how it would help, I guess. How could it really be any different than my life?

I've always had horrible allergies -heck, most of my schooling was on Benedryl, then Tavast, etc. - I'm surprised I stayed awake for most of my school day. It was a part of my life, just like headaches since both my parents got migraines. I grew up with doctors telling me that the headaches I had were from my eyesight (I got glasses in 3rd grade) and there was no such thing as a sinus headache, especially in children. [Now they are thinking that sinus headaches may even be a type of migraine.] It was just part of my life, including the vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound and smells. Since it was part of our family - mom understood that I wasn't lying when I said I didn't feel well but others don't. How do you explain a migraine to someone who doesn't get them? How do you explain it when a lot of times, each one is different, different things work, and they can last for different times and everyone can have different symptoms? You can't call into work in the morning and go in later in the day if you feel better because most people won't understand either. How many jobs can you name that are optimized to have no sound/light or smell? [Smell is the kicker - shampoo even kills me sometimes - imagine how much fun it was going into clean up kennels.]

The big thing now is that I can't take a lot of pain meds anymore (they are usually filtered through the liver) so I try to go for as long as I can before taking anything (which is good and bad - migraines sometimes react better the sooner to catch them - but most of the time my migraines either don't respond or come back the next day anyway). I just really hate getting sick, it kind of scares me how easily I catch things sometimes. Just shows me how bad my immune system is now. I've been pretty lucky in that I'm not working in the public now, and I'm not getting as sick as I could be, but still - this cold scared me a bit. It didn't take long at all, and my husband didn't catch it at all.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-16T08:42:00.003-05:00

I did make a menu plan last week. But Monday got so busy - I never got a chance to post it. It didn't matter much anyway, only two of the meals got made (even Pizza Friday was moved to Saturday). Thanks to the joys of March weather- I've been ready to rip my head off for most of this week which hasn't really made me want to do much cooking. :( I can't even tell you want we ended up eating instead, I do remember that hubby brought home Hot Pockets and freezer french fries for Friday night - and one night I made a quick Alfredo-ish sauce (white sauce with shredded Asiago) for a mixture of California Frozen veggies, sauteed garlic spinach and tortellini for another.

I do know that on Monday we had Buffalo Chicken Dip (pulled from the freezer) on carrot sticks, celery sticks and whole grain baguette. [It was a great way to get some veggies in us, and monitor portions for me, and be able to double dip without spreading my germs since we each had our own little custard cups of dip.] And on Tuesday I made Migas. I 'll post both of those recipes below in addition to this weeks recipes.

For this week, We've got St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday. I'm trying two recipes from the WW site for the first time. I've not made Irish Soda Bread before and always wanted to, so I'm looking forward to that. And the Beef, Brown Rice and Mushroom Stew has Guinness in it and will be a bit different than our usual Corned Beef (I've STILL got to make the Corned Tongue). We've also got hubby's birthday on Thursday. I asked if he wanted anything, but like usual he had no ideas. *sigh* I guess that's the problem when I cook whatever he asks for normally. He got excited at the idea of Bagel Dogs, but I had already pulled them out to thaw for last week and I know they won't last until Thursday (they were short-dated in the first place when I put them in the freezer). He ended up saying that hot dogs in general would be good. I'm going to surprise him with Corn dogs since he loves those. :) I might try a baked corn dog since he's trying to lose weight, but we'll see how much they cost at the store. I'll post a recipe I found though. Here's my menu, and there's more menu ideas here: http://www.5dollardinners.com/2009/03/menu-plan-monday-march-16th.html [It's normally here: http://orgjunkie.com]

Monday: Bagel Dogs
Tuesday: Beef, Brown Rice & Mushroom Stew with Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
Wednesday: Tender Chicken in Gravy
Thursday: Oven Baked Corn Dogs with French Fries
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (Homemade Pizza - recipe on site, let me know if you can't find it)

Buffalo Chicken Dip
The taste of Buffalo Wings without all the work! This thick and spicy dip is sure to be a hit with wing lovers. If you think it might be too spicy for you, start with 1/4 C. of hot sauce and add from there, if needed. Feel free to use your favorite dippers too… bread sticks, celery sticks… whatever sounds good!
From http://www.30daygourmet.com/Contest/Recipe_of_the_Month_Winners/2004_10_Recipe.asp
Makes 6 cups (24 servings) [Can be double/tripled etc]

3/4 cup French's hot sauce*
3 cups Shredded or chopped chicken
16 oz. Cream Cheese (2 bricks)
1 cup Ranch dressing (I used blue cheese)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* = or similar brand. 3/4 C. = 6 oz.

Assembly Directions: Heat chicken and hot sauce over medium heat. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Continue cooking and stirring, until the cream cheese is melted. Mix in the cheddar cheese, heating and stirring until it is melted. Set aside to cool.

Freezing Directions: Put dip in rigid container(s) or freezer bag(s) based on how you will serve it… single servings as a snack, or all of it in one container/bag for a group/family serving. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions: Thaw dip in the refrigerator. Heat in the microwave until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips or Ritz crackers. OR for a group or party, put the warmed dip in a slow cooker on low to keep it warm.

Nutritional Info: Serving size: 1/4 cup
Per Serving: 179 Calories; 15g Fat (73.3% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 47mg Cholesterol; 417mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Lean Meat; 2-1/2 Fat.

Migas (pronounced MEE-gahs) is a Tex-Mex tangle of eggs, bits of corn tortilla, and a host of savory, from black beans, chorizo and cheese to salsa, avocado and chiles. A dish that many professed egg-haters relish, it probably can thank its existence to thrifty cooks looking to use left-over tortillas, since tortillas are an integral part of the dish. The word, migas, in fact, is derived from the Spanish word for crumbs. Because they are an egg dish, they are traditionally served at breakfast or brunch. Like omlettes though, they can make an excellent dinner as well. The corn tortillas in migas can take the form of either fresh tortillas or tostadas (tortilla chips), as reflected by our recipes. When tostadas are used, they are added near the end of preparation so they retain their crispness. Some additional possibilities for enhancing your migas are:
crisply cooked and crumbled bacon
chopped ham
crumbled chorizo (browned before you add the eggs)
cooked, shredded chicken or turkey
grated or diced potato (sautéed until tender before adding the eggs)
poblano chiles
green bell pepper
green onion
cayenne pepper (a dash or so)
minced garlic

Migas with Fresh Tortillas
Chop the onion, green chiles, tomato, avocado and cilantro before you start the migas so they'll be ready when you need them. This recipe makes two servings, but it can easily be doubled or tripled or more for a larger crowd.

4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon salsa (your favorite, but it should be chunky)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 Tablespoons chopped green chiles
1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, or combination of both
crema or sour cream

In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, water and salsa, and set aside. Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and sauté until softened. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped green chiles. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" until eggs are done. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro and cheese into the eggs, again stirring well. Serve at once with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with additional salsa and crema or sour cream.

Homemade Bagel Dogs

Makes 8
4 pts for the "bagel" and points for the hotdog you choose

I haven't tried freezing these myself, but I don't see why they wouldn't. For those that want to do a vegan bagel dog, I don't see why you couldn't use the appropriate "dog" and use the bialy dough recipe I've posted elsewhere on my site instead (or your own bagel recipe without eggs included).

Adapted from: http://diaryofthesuburbanhausfrau.blogspot.com AND http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2005/08/19/bagel-dogs/

For Bagels:
3/4 Cup Water (80 degrees F)
1 Egg
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Cups Bread Flour
2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
For Water Bath:
2 Quarts Water
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
Egg Glaze:
1 Egg, beaten
1-2 Tablespoons Milk
Topping Ideas:
Poppy Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Dried Onion Flakes
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Celery Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Hot Dogs:
8 Hot Dogs (any type you'd like)

For ABM: Combine in order recommended by your machine. Select dough cycle (makes 1 1/2 pounds). When cycle is complete, punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.

If making by hand: You will want the water warmer - about 110-115 degrees and will use all-purpose flour (bread flour is too high in gluten to knead easily by hand). In a small bowl, combine water, 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, rest of sugar, and salt. Right before mixing yeast mixture into flour mixture, break egg into yeast mixture and combine. Add to flour mixture and add rest of flour to make a ball. Turn onto lightly floured surface, kneading by hand for about 10-15 minutes and adding extra flour if needed to keep from sticking, until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.

For Food Processor: Use cooler water (80 F) and bread machine flour. Combine water, 1 teaspoon sugar, yeast and egg in a measuring cup. Put dry in food processor with blade attached and mix well with a few short pulses of the blade. Add wet while blade is running and process briefly just enough for dough to come together. Let rest for 15 minutes. Process dough again using quick pulses until it forms a smooth, soft ball. Add more flour or liquid if needed. Dough should easily come away from the sides of the bowl and the blades. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.

For Stand Mixer: Use warm water (110-115 degrees) and bread flour. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl with 1 teaspoon sugar for 5 minutes. Add remaining liquids and dry -except last cup of flour. Using dough hook, turn to Speed 2 for about 1 minute, or until are thoroughly mixed. Continuing on Speed 2, gently tap remaining flour around the sides of the bowl, 1/2 cup at a time, as needed. Mix until dough cleans to hook and cleans the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. When dough clings to hook, knead on Speed 2 for 2 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove dough from hook. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.

There are two ways to make the Bagel Dogs: Spiral and Enclosed.

For the spiral - roll out each part into a snake that is twice as long as your chosen hot dog. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough snake in both directions- lengthwise and widthwise. Place your hot dog at one end of the flattened snake at approximately a 45 degree angle. Roll your dog, wrapping it up with the bagel dough, allowing the dough to overlap about 1/2 inch as it twists along the dog. Make sure that it is sealed well on each end, I like to dip my fingers in a bowl of water and use my wet fingers to squeeze the ends shut.

I tried the Enclosed this last time, and while I need to work on it a bit more so that one side doesn't have more breading than the other side, I liked it a lot better. For this one I rolled out each piece a little longer than the length of a hotdog, but about double the width of one. I wet one side of the dough by dipping my fingers in a bowl of water and brushing them on the edge. I set the hotdog inside and sealed it, and then made sure it was sealed well inside, once more using wet fingers to make sure the edges were sealed well.

Place Bagel dogs on a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil or Silpat mat (this is what I use all the time anyway, it's also what I use to knead/roll out on) and cover with a light towel and let rest for about 20-30 minutes in a draft-free place. [I usually take this time to pre-heat the oven since it takes a while to warm up because of my baking stone, and get the boiling water ready.]

Get a large pot of boiling water ready. I like to add 2 Tablespoon of brown sugar and 2 Tablespoon of kosher salt to it (I do this for my bagels too) but you don't have to if you don't want to. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

When the rising time is up, boil the dogs in batches of 2, for 3 minutes. I try to turn them over at the 1 1/2 minute mark, but they don't always want to, it's not a big thing. Drain and place back on the oiled baking sheet. Continue like this with the rest of the dogs. Brush with the egg glaze (if using, I don't bother) and sprinkle with your choice of toppings on top of the boiled dogs.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving, and remember that these hold their heat really well and will be HOT!

Beef, Brown Rice and Mushroom Stew
Although a rich stew like this is often made with fatty chuck, bottom round provides a healthy alternative without compromising flavor. The stew, a baked concoction, can be made ahead. Refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat over medium heat, or freeze in plastic containers for up to 3 months.
Makes 6 1-cup servings
POINTS® value per serving: 6

Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds bottom round, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
One 12-ounce bottle Guinness stout
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Spray a large casserole or oven-safe saucepan with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the meat (working in batches if necessary) and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Spray again with nonstick spray and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until they release their liquid, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the thyme, caraway seeds, salt and pepper; cook until aromatic, about 15 seconds.

Pour in the broth and beer, stirring until the foam dissipates. Stir the beef back into the stew and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

Stir in the rice. Cover and bake until the meat and rice are tender, stirring once or twice, about 1 more hour.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
Baking soda was the boon to home bakers in the late 18th century. No more yeast! Irish soda bread celebrates this quick-and-easy heartiness: Here's a raisin-and-caraway studded loaf with no fuss and big taste. The soda bread, of course, is "of the moment," best within a few hours of being made.

Makes 1 round loaf (8 slices).
Serving size: 1 slice (1/8 loaf)
POINTS® value per serving: 3

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour, separated
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup golden raisins
4 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking spray

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Whisk the buttermilk and oil in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole-wheat flour, raisins, caraway seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the buttermilk mixture with a wooden spoon until thoroughly moistened.

Dust a clean, dry work surface with the remaining 1 teaspoon flour. Turn the dough out onto work surface and knead for 30 seconds, just until it coheres. Shape into a round loaf about 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch high. Use a sharp knife or a new razor blade to cut an "x" about 1/2 inch deep in the top of the loaf.

Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, place the loaf on it, and bake until lightly browned and crusty, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Tender Chicken in Gravy
This comforting dish will satisfy your pickiest eater. Serve over 1/2 cup brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli for a meal with a POINTS value of 7 per serving
From: Weight Watchers 20 Minutes Recipes Spring 2009
Yield: 4 servings ( about 3 chicken tenders and 1/4 cup gravy) Points: 5

cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
14 ounce can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon light butter
2 Tablespoon chopped chopped fresh parsley, divided

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken, and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken; add broth, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken from pan; set aside, and keep warm.

Combine milk and flour in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Bring broth mixture to a boil. Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Slowly stir in milk mixture, butter, and 1 Tablespoon parsley. Cook, stirring constantly until gravy thickens. Serve over chicken; sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Per serving: Cal 254 (14% from fat); fat 4g; (sat 1.7g); pro 43.5g; carb 8.2g; fib 0.4g; chol 105 mg; iron1.7mg; sod 598mg; calc 113mg

Baked Corn Dogs
Baked corn dogs, a new and improved take on a state-fair snack, put fast, fun food at your fingertips. Be sure to buy ice-pop sticks if you don't have them on hand. Serve these with baked beans coleslaw.
From Everyday Food Magazine Jan/Feb 2007
Serves 4.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for dusting sausages
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2/3 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 precooked smoked chicken sausages (13 ounces total)
Ketchup and mustard, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Make a well in center; add milk, eggs, and oil. Mix just until combined.

Insert an ice-pop stick into one end of each sausage, leaving a 1 1/2-inch handle. Dust with flour; tap off excess. Using handle, rotate each sausage over bowl as you spoon batter to coat evenly. Place on sheet; bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Using a spatula, reapply batter that has slipped onto sheet. Return to oven; bake until golden, 20 minutes. Serve with ketchup and mustard, if desired.

I really just want to breeetdh.

2009-03-06T13:59:00.003-05:00

Yep, the menu's changed. Oh well. Not a big thing- I've got a cold and can't breathe (or smell or taste much) and hubby was at his mom's after work on Tuesday and Wednesday. We did lose power for a few hours right after eating dinner (I made a slightly different recipe - mostly the same, just in casserole form - recipe below). I know the recipe looks really involved, but pretty much everything can me made ahead of time when you have the chance (this is a good time to make Crockpot Caramelized Onions [its one of the recipes listed]!). I'm also thinking that this might be a good recipe to try as a freeze ahead recipe too - since it' makes A LOT (especially for just two of us). Anyway, I ended up just making some tatertots for me on Tuesday along with the rotisserie chicken I bought when I went grocery shopping and eating leftovers on Wednesday. I did make the Poutine last night (made homemade oven baked fries instead of french fries though). I haven't decided if we're having pizza, migas, chicken noodle soup or leftovers tonight though. I didn't sleep well last night and hubby's going to work tomorrow too, so I might just do pizza tomorrow instead and make his Saturday dinner a bit more special.

Kusherie Casserole
(Egyptian rice, macaroni and lentils with spicy tomato sauce and browned onions)
This very common Egyptian dish of rice, lentils, and macaroni with spicy tomato sauce and browned onions has been a family favorite for many years. The rice, lentils, and macaroni are usually served separately with the sauce alongside, but I find this dish translates very well into a casserole, and it's easier to serve to a crowd or transport in this form.
From “The Almost No Fat Holiday Cookbook: Festive Vegetarian Recipes” by Bryanna Clark Grogan
Makes 8 servings.

Spicy Tomato Sauce:
3 1/2 cups tomato juice (can be drained from canned tomatoes)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 Tablespoons celery leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon sugar, honey, or alternate sweetener
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Rice and Lentils:
1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
4 vegetarian or soy cubes
Black pepper, to taste
2 cups dry whole wheat or regular macaroni, cooked until just done and drained
Browned Onions:
3 large onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20-30 minutes.

To cook the rice and lentils, lightly oil a heavy pot and add the lentils. Stir over high heat until they start to change color, then add the water, brown rice, vegetable cubes, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer (or bake in a 350 degree F oven) for 60 minutes.

Mix the cooked, drained macaroni with 1/4 cup of the sauce. Steam-fry the onions and garlic in a lightly oiled skillet until soft and browned.

To assemble the casserole, preheat the oven to 350degreesF. Oil a shallow 9” x 13” baking pan and layer half the rice and lentils, the macaroni, the remaining rice and lentils, the sauce and the browned onions, in that order. Cover with heavy foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve casserole with plain yogurt or sour cream, if desired.

Per Serving: Calories 419, Protein 16 g, Fat 1 g, Carb 83g

Menu Plan Monday - Snowbound Edition!

2009-03-02T14:10:00.001-05:00

Well, things went just a bit different last week, and my menu plan has already changed for this week.

For last week, hubby's windshield totally cracked and then his truck was making a funny noise. I had moved up the easy meal to a different night because of a migraine, and of course the next night I had to go pick him up from work because he had to drop his truck off to be looked at the next morning. *sigh* We ended up having the Red Beans and Rice on Tuesday, Chef Boyarde Ravioli on Wed. I had missed my WW meeting on Tues because of the migraine, so I drove him to work on Thurs. and would hit the Thurs 11:30 meeting. I still had a migraine, and my meds hadn't kicked in yet (he actually drove TO work, I just rode) so I asked his mom if I could crash at her place until my WW meeting instead of going to the Library like I planned. She was ok with that, but hubby had forgotten to tell me that she had a really bad cold, and she was worried I'd catch that. I fell asleep on her couch for a bit, woke up feeling a bit better and went to WW, left my jacket at her place and went back. She ended up convincing me to stay since I'd have to pick up hubby that evening anyway and no reason to drive home. I offered to pick up a few things at the grocery store for her and she offered to buy me pho (I tried to convince her of it's healing properties earlier but it wasn't working). I also ended up taking her to CVS later too. About 5:45 I texted hubby to see if he was going to be late, or if I needed to be there at 6 and he tells me that his truck was ready early that morning but he got busy and forgot to call me. *SIGH* At least I got to do some stuff for his mom that she probably wouldn't have let me do otherwise. That night we had Beans & Weenies - not hubbies fave, but I love. Turns out he was either really hungry or he really likes the new Bush's Grillin' Beans because he ate 3 servings! Hubby announces he wasn't to go out and try The Silver Diner for our anniversary instead of me cooking. Fine by me- the cheesecake will be tried next year. And for Fri- we didn't have homemade pizza - I still wasn't feeling great, so hubby brought home a FoodLion pizza. Not one of their freezer one, but one of those fresh ones that you bake. It wasn't bad. Not a Chez JJ but not bad for $8.00.

Sooo, they're calling for bad weather, and I'm still getting migraines. It's rainy and when we leave for dinner it's starting to sleet. It's rain in Richmond, we have a good meal (I have enough fried food to last me a year - fried onion rings, fried clams, french fries) and we stop by FoodLion to pick up bread and stuff for John's lunchs for next week since I didn't get bread made. At this point we're hoping to make it to MiL's on Sunday - but not sure we're going to with the weather. I put a bit of icemelt on the steps because it's pretty slippery already.

I wake up on Sunday to a layer of ice over everything and we let MiL know we're not going to go anywhere. And then it snows....and snows....and snows...and snows. I fix the Red Lentil Soup that I had planned for earlier this week for dinner (YUM!) and the power starts to flicker. We lose power not soon after. *sigh* Luckily it's not off for too long, and since it's not too cold outside the house doesn't get too cold either. When we get up Monday, I'm thinking we have about 10 inches (that's what they mention on the news). So, since I didn't go shopping for my menu (I planned it on Friday), I have had to move it around already.

For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie

I'm not posting days since it could all change (although the first one we're having tonight as long as we still have power - it's been blinking):
Koshary (Egyptian Lentils with Rice, Macaroni, Browned Onions and Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Ravioli with Garlic Parsley Sauce (I've actually still got some pasta from Costco - but I'll post the recipe I use when I don't)
Poutine (French Fries with Cheese Curds and Gravy) [I'm either oven baking the fries or buying frozen fries]
Migas with Fresh Tortillas
Pizza
FFY
Cheeseburger Soup with bread bowls

Egyptian Rice and Lentils (Koshary)
Adapted From "Extending the Table" -Fiza, Mattareyya, Egypt; and Mary F. Beck, Cairo, Egypt
Koshary is Egypt's street food. Vendors serve this low-cost, nutritious meal in dishes or plastic bags from little kiosks. It is also an important dish for Coptic Orthodox Christians because it is meatless and can be eaten during times of fasting. In Egypt the sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, and the rice and lentils are always served with macaroni.
My Notes: From a friend on the WW CLC board (Jilly) who's husband is from Egypt, she makes a spicy vinaigrette to go on top at the end just like we would use Tabasco or Pepper Vinegar and puts a bay leaf in with the rice and lentils. She just gives ingredients for the vinaigrette, just mix them to your tastes.
Serves 8

Rice and Lentils:
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/4 cups lentils
3 cups boiling water (or stock)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 1/2 cups rice
1 cup boiling water (or stock)
Sauce:
3/4 cup tomato paste
3 1/2 cups tomato juice (or tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes)
1 green pepper, chopped
3Tbsp celery leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or crushed chilis to taste)
Macaroni:
2 cups macaroni, any variety
3 Tbsp of above sauce
1 Tbsp oil
Browned Onions:
2 tablespoons oil
3 onions, sliced
4 garlic clove, minced
JillyBean's Spicy Vinaigrette (all to taste):
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
minced garlic
apple cider vinegar
olive oil

In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, brown lentils in 2 Tbsp oil, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the 3 cups boiling stock, bay leaf, and the salt and pepper. Cook uncovered 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the rice and 1 cup stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes without stirring.

Meanwhile make sauce: Heat all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.

Once the sauce is made, Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and mix with 3 Tbsp of the above sauce and 1 Tbsp oil.

To make browned onions, heat oil in a small skillet. Saute onions and garlic over medium heat till brown, about 10-15 minutes.

Serve rice-lentil mixture in one serving dish and macaroni in another. Place side-by-side on plates, ladle sauce over and top with browned onions. Or pile rice-lentil mixture and macaroni on a large serving platter. Spread tomato sauce over, and top with onions. Individuals may add plain yogurt.

Ravioli with Garlic Parsley Sauce
This is like the frozen Garlic ravioli you can get at Costco.
Serves 4-6

16 ounces ravioli, preferably spinach
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, minced
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons butter, or olive oil

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and put back into pan. Add everything else to pan and stir to mix. Serve with crusty bread and a salad.

Poutine (French Fries with Cheese Curds and Gravy)
Makes 4 side servings or 2 main servings
To save calories, oven bake the fries, use FF stock and thicken with cornstarch and use lowfat cheese.
4 large russet potatoes
oil for deep frying
salt
2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups cheese curds

Peel and slice the potatoes into thick fries (at least 1 cm thick). Soak the potatoes in ice water for about 30 minutes. Remove and drain well.

Heat oil for frying to about 325F and deep fry potatoes for about 8 minutes. Remove from oil and set on paper towel. Turn the oil up to 375F.

In a saucepan melt the butter and stir in the flour. Add the beef broth and stir over medium-high heat until thickened. Reduce heat and keep hot. (I use a tiny bit of gravy browning to get that nice dark color).

Return the French fries to the oil and continue frying until golden and crispy. This should take about 5 more minutes. Remove fries to drain on paper towel and salt to taste.

Assemble the poutine quick while everything is still HOT. (Poutine is best made in a bowl or other container which will contain the heat and help melt the curds. Also, the curds should be at room temperature before assembling the Poutine). Start with a layer of fries. Put some cheese curds in the middle. Add more fries and top with more cheese curds. Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese curds.

Migas with Fresh Tortillas
Migas (pronounced MEE gahs) is a Tex-Mex tangle of eggs, bits of corn tortilla, and a host of savory , from black beans, chorizo and cheese to salsa, avocado and chiles. A dish that many professed egg-haters relish, it probably can thank its existence to thrifty cooks looking to use left-over tortillas, since tortillas are an integral part of the dish. The word, migas, in fact, is derived from the Spanish word for crumbs.

4 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon salsa (your favorite, but it should be chunky)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 tablespoons chopped green chiles
1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, or combination of both
crema or sour cream
In addition to the ingredients called for in this recipe, some additional possibilities for enhancing your migas are:
crisply cooked and crumbled bacon
chopped ham
crumbled chorizo (browned before you add the eggs)
cooked, shredded chicken or turkey
grated or diced potato (sautéed until tender before adding the eggs)
poblano chiles
green bell pepper
green onion
cayenne pepper (a dash or so)
minced garlic

In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, water and salsa, and set aside.

Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and sauté until softened. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped green chiles.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" until eggs are done. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro and cheese into the eggs, again stirring well.

Serve at once with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with additional salsa and crema or sour cream.

Note: This recipe makes two servings, but it can easily be doubled or tripled or more for a larger crowd. Migas are a terrific brunch dish.

Chop the onion, green chiles, tomato, avocado and cilantro before you start the migas so they'll be ready when you need them.

Lightened Cheeseburger Soup

1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion
1 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
1/2 c. carrots, julienne-sliced
3 c. peeled and cubed potatoes
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried leaf basil
1 quart fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 c. low-fat milk
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. pepper

Brown the ground beef, onion, and celery in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add the red bell pepper and cook for one minute longer. Drain the fat. Add the chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, parsley and basil or herb seasoning blend. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat; stir in flour until smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly stir in the milk. Stir in the cheese. Continue cooking and stirring until the cheese is melted and the mixture is thick and begins to bubble. Stir the milk mixture into the soup mixture until well blended. Heat thoroughly and season to taste.

Makes eight servings. Each serving has 350 calories, 18 g of fat, 21 g of carbohydrate and 460 mg of sodium.

Bread Bowls

2 1/2 c. warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 packages active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. oil
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 c. bread flour
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. milk

Measure warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add salt, sugar, oil and 3 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough in a bowl that has been lightly coated with nonstick spray, turning to grease top. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.

Grease outside of 12, 10-ounce custard cups or ovenproof bowls. Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Spread each piece into a circle about 5 inches in diameter. Place dough over outside of bowl, working with hands until dough fits. Set bowls, dough side up on baking sheet coated with nonstick spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place until double, about 30 minutes.

Combine egg and milk; gently brush mixture on dough. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Using potholders, carefully remove the bowls. Set bread bowls open side up on baking pan; bake 5 minutes.

Makes 12 bread bowls. Each bowl has 296 calories, 3 grams (g) of fat, 57 g of carbohydrate and 538 milligrams of sodium.

Anniversary Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-23T15:13:00.001-05:00

Well, once more it's going to be eating more out of the pantry this week. My husband's windshield of his truck had gotten a small crack in it one day a few week ago, probably from a rock, and from the wide swings in temperatures we've had recently it spread all the way across the other day. So he's going to have to get that fixed and I'll help to save some money by using what's in the our pantry. I was hoping to have some Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans, but I don't have dry or frozen lima beans on hand (the fresh automatically get eaten, I don't freeze them for later). What I thought were lima beans turned out to be favas, and while they might work, I'd rather stick with limas since I don't have to peel them. I'll have to wait until the next time I head to the store and pick some up.

This Saturday is our 11th Wedding Anniversary!! :) I'm making dinner -and yes, I wanted to - the menu is below. I have a T-bone from my sister in the freezer, so I'm going to use that. I haven't decided what other vegetable I'm making and the cheesecake is going to be an experiment for me since I don't have an exact recipe yet. I'm trying to duplicate our wedding cake, kinda. I'm going to use some light cream cheese like I do normally for a plain cheesecake, and I've not made a flavored cheesecake before, and I don't really have a recipe for this so I'm just winging it. Wish me luck! Our cake had crushed chocolate cookie base, chocolate cheesecake with orange flavoring in it and a chocolate ganache top. I'm not going to get majorly fancy with orange segments and chocolate curls because it's just us. As it is I don't really want to make a whole cheesecake as it is, since it's just the two of us, but since it freezes well, I'm going to be freezing the extra in slices.

Monday: FFY (hubby will be home late- I don't have a lot of leftovers, so it's really whatever you can find!)
Tuesday: Egyptian Rice and Lentils (Koshary) recipe below
Wednesday: Red Beans & Rice (packaged mix) with Chicken sausages
Thursday: Burmese Soup (Red Lentil Soup)
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (Homemade Pizza)
Saturday: Our 11th Wedding Anniversary - and I'm really going to mix cultures. :) I'm making Bistecca alla Fiorentina, Pommes Frittes (although oven baking them, so I guess they're more Oven fries), and Chocolate Orange Cheesecake.

For more menu ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie

Egyptian Rice and Lentils (Koshary)
Adapted From "Extending the Table" -Fiza, Mattareyya, Egypt; and Mary F. Beck, Cairo, Egypt
Koshary is Egypt's street food. Vendors serve this low-cost, nutritious meal in dishes or plastic bags from little kiosks. It is also an important dish for Coptic Orthodox Christians because it is meatless and can be eaten during times of fasting. In Egypt the sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, and the rice and lentils are always served with macaroni.
My Notes: From a friend on the WW CLC board (Jilly) who's husband is from Egypt, she makes a spicy vinaigrette to go on top at the end just like we would use Tabasco or Pepper Vinegar and puts a bay leaf in with the rice and lentils. She just gives ingredients for the vinaigrette, just mix them to your tastes.
Serves 8

Rice and Lentils:
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/4 cups lentils
3 cups boiling water (or stock)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 1/2 cups rice
1 cup boiling water (or stock)
Sauce:
3/4 cup tomato paste
3 1/2 cups tomato juice (or tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes)
1 green pepper, chopped
3Tbsp celery leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or crushed chilis to taste)
Macaroni:
2 cups macaroni, any variety
3 Tbsp of above sauce
1 Tbsp oil
Browned Onions:
2 tablespoons oil
3 onions, sliced
4 garlic clove, minced
JillyBean's Spicy Vinaigrette (all to taste):
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
minced garlic
apple cider vinegar
olive oil

In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, brown lentils in 2 Tbsp oil, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the 3 cups boiling stock, bay leaf, and the salt and pepper. Cook uncovered 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the rice and 1 cup stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes without stirring.

Meanwhile make sauce: Heat all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.

Once the sauce is made, Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and mix with 3 Tbsp of the above sauce and 1 Tbsp oil.

To make browned onions, heat oil in a small skillet. Saute onions and garlic over medium heat till brown, about 10-15 minutes.

Serve rice-lentil mixture in one serving dish and macaroni in another. Place side-by-side on plates, ladle sauce over and top with browned onions. Or pile rice-lentil mixture and macaroni on a large serving platter. Spread tomato sauce over, and top with onions. Individuals may add plain yogurt.

Burmese Lentil Soup
From: Katen Joshi on "Calling All Cooks" Episode CA1A08 Food Network
Serves: 4-6

Soup:
2 cups red lentils
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Add-ins:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
10 to 12 green chilies cut into rings
2 large Idaho potatoes grated on medium grater
Vegetable oil
2 to 3 cups Vidalia onions cut into 1-inch slivers
Cubed bread (1/4-inch to 1/2-inch cubes)
Salted butter
1 cup fresh cilantro

In advance: pour distilled vinegar into a bowl with the green chili rings and let sit for at least 1 hour prior to serving soup.

To prepare soup, wash red lentils in warm water, 2 or 3 times over. Then fill large pot with 5 to 6 cups water. Cook lentils over medium flame until they lose their form, and a soup-like base is formed. Add fresh chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to soup, set soup aside.

Next, prepare the rest of the add-ins. Grate Idaho potatoes and deep fry to golden brown in hot oil. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil, then put into a bowl. Saute onions in pan with 1/3 cup vegetable oil until golden-dark brown and caramelized, then place in a bowl. Saute cubed bread in a mixture of 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup butter until golden brown, put in a bowl. Roughly chop cilantro, put into a bowl.

To serve, place soup and add-ins on the table. Guests place 2 or 3 ladles of soup into their soup bowl, then, in middle of soup bowl, pile high with desired add-ins; do not spread out garnish.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina
From: "At Home with Michael Chiarello" Cookbook

The classic Bistecca alla Fiorentina is a large porterhouse steak that usually weighs around one kilo (2.2 pounds). In Tuscan restaurants the steak is offered by the "etto" or in 100-gram (4 oz.) increments. This great steak includes both the strip loin and the fillet. I also use a rib-eye steak with this method. Always use the best meat, gray salt, coarse ground black pepper and balsamic vinegar that you can find. The marriage of all these ingredients will reveal a noble meal of authentic Italian flavor.

For my Tuscan BBQ on Weekend Today, I paired the bistecca with two unique condimenti, or finishes, to the steak: grilled lemon halves or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. An option to using expensive and rare balsamic is to use a Tuscan-flavored steak sauce. I make one with roasted garlic,sweetened with raisins, and, to give it a nice bite, black pepper. As you’ll see throughout this menu, Italians love a mix of tart and sweet,called agrodolce.

About Gray Salt: If you change just one thing about your cooking, make it the salt. The gray salt I use, from Brittany’s coast, retains all the minerals found in the sea, echoing your body’s mineral content exactly. Because of its taste, I use gray salt exclusively, and cherish the natural flavors it highlights in all foods.

2 lb. Porterhouse steak, about 2 inches thick
Gray Salt
Coarse ground black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Aged balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 lemon (optional)
Roasted Garlic Balsamic Steak Sauce (optional) -recipe below [make day before if using]

Let the steak rest outside of the refrigerator for one hour before cooking. Liberally season the steak with gray salt and pepper and press the seasoning into the meat.

To grill: Use a hot, clean and oiled grill. Grill the steak for about 5-6 minutes on each side for medium rare. The filet will cook a little faster than the strip loin. Move the steak every two minutes or so for even cooking and a crispy exterior.

For pan roasting: If pan-roasting, preheat the oven to 450° F. Heat a cast-iron skillet with a little olive oil until smoking hot. Turn on the fan, open the window and stand back to avoid getting spattered! Using tongs, place the steak in the center of the pan. Cook until the first side is seared brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the steak and place the pan in the oven until the steak is done, about 6 minutes for medium rare.

Remove the steak to a carving board and let rest for at least 5 minutes before carving.

Grilled Lemon Halves: Cut the lemon in half and brush the cut side with olive oil.

For pan roasting: Place cut side down alongside the steak. When marked, turn the lemons over and cook in the oven alongside the steak.

To grill: Place the lemons cut side down on the grill to mark. Turn the lemon over and move to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking. Serve all bistecca with some extra gray salt on the table.

Roasted Garlic-Balsamic Steak Sauce

Bon Appétit | August 2007
Michael Chiarello
Yield: Makes about 4 cups
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep refrigerated.
A sweet substitute for traditional steak sauce. Try it on a rib eye, use it to marinate flank steak, or mix it into ground beef for burgers.

1 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3 large plum tomatoes, cored, quartered
1/4 cup roasted garlic paste from jar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons apple jelly or red currant jelly
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon (or more) fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon (or more) freshly ground black pepper

Combine 1 1/2 cups warm water and raisins in medium bowl; let stand until raisins are soft, at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Mix vinegar and shallots in small bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Add vinegar mixture to raisin mixture, then stir in all remaining ingredients. Working in 3 batches, puree mixture in blender until smooth. If desired, season with more salt and pepper. Return mixture to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours to blend flavors.

Baked Pommes Frites
Michael Chiarello

6 russet potatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Peel potatoes and cut into quarter-inch thick slices (lengthwise) cut again into 1/4-inch thick fries. Place the potatoes into a bowl with cold water; this will help keep the fries crisp. Just before cooking, drain water and place on paper towel, pat dry.

Put in a bowl; add olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Toss well and lay out in 1 layer on nonstick baking sheet. Bake until light brown. Cook for approx 30 - 40 minutes, turning frequently until golden brown.

Remove from oven, allow to cool for a minute or two and serve.

Late Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-16T19:43:00.002-05:00

I think we're going to have to plan to replace our vacuum cleaner some point soon. We got it when we got married, almost 11 years now (on the 28th). I'm having trouble finding the bags for it as it is (I guess because most of the newer ones are becoming bagless?) and lately I'm getting a burning rubber smell after a bit. I tried today to see if I could find where the belt was, but no luck. The only removable parts are the Hepa filter, another foam filter thing at the bottom of the bag and the bag itself. I did spend an hour cleaning the beater bar and removing my hair from around a part where you can't reach it very well. Good thing I have hemostats (I actually use them for removing pin bones from fish too). The person who designed that part of the vacuum didn't have long hair, that's for sure.

To get some natural light in the house today, I've got the front door open, and Miko is laying at the back door and has a straight-line view through to the storm door. She gets up occasionally and runs to bark at the cars that drive by or a leaf that blows by. Why she doesn't just lay there and bark I don't know, but at least she is getting some exercise. ;) I may have to close it soon though, my headache can't handle it, and she'll probably start limping soon too.

The menu this week isn't exciting by any means. I'm still trying to save some money and use pantry stuff.

Monday: Macaroni & Cheese (store-brand packaged) with canned tuna and frozen veggies
Tuesday: Beef Noodle Soup (cooked beef from the freezer)
Wednesday: Bagel Dogs (frozen turkey dogs in the freezer) recipe is posted elsewhere on here- if you would like to have, just ask.
Thursday: Turkey and Stuffing Casserole (cooked turkey from the freezer and homemade white sauce not canned soup)
Friday: Homemade Pizza

For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Stovetop Tuna Mac
4 servings
From "Mr. Food"

1 package macaroni and cheese dinner
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 (6-ounce) can white tuna, drained and flaked
8 buttery crackers, coarsely crushed

In a large saucepan, prepare the macaroni and cheese dinner according to package directions, adding the frozen mixed vegetables to the boiling macaroni in water for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain and return the macaroni and vegetables to the saucepan.

Stir in the remaining ingredients as directed on the package; mix well. Stir in the tuna, sprinkle the crushed crackers over the top, and serve.

Beef Noodle Soup

This is another wonderful recipe that can incorporate any left over beef you might have. This soup tastes great and is easy to make.

Left over beef, cubed
1 medium chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
2/3 cup chopped carrot
3-3/4 cups water
1-2/3 cups egg noodles

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the meat, onion, and celery for 5 minutes. Stir in the bouillon, parsley, carrots, water, and egg noodles. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
Makes: 5-6 servings

1 pkg. (14 oz.) seasoned dry stuffing mix
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup COLLEGE INN® Chicken Broth
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of turkey soup
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine the first 4 ingredients, and set aside.
Separate the 2 soups in separate bowls and add 1/2 soup can of water to each; stir these well and set aside.
Place 1/3 of the crumb mixture into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
Layer 1/2 of the chicken/turkey and pour the celery soup over this.
Layer another 1/3 of the crumb mixture, followed by the remaining turkey.
Pour the turkey soup over and top with the remaining crumb mixture. Drizzle with butter and pack the mixture firmly into the dish.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-09T13:58:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I know I never got around to typing up the trip to WV. I hope to get around to it at some point. I've also been pretty bad about updating. Things have been keeping me pretty busy around here, and add in TOM and the migraines that come with it and you're lucky to even see anything. ;) I pretty much just followed the dinners last week. *SIGH* I had a feeling that would happen (the Red Pepper, Mozzarella Pesto sandwiches I did make once for me, and then on the weekend for us). Oh well. It hasn't been a great eating weekend in terms of diet for me this week, and once my period started I realized why I've been so noshing last and this week. At least my period isn't as bad as it used to be thanks to the ablation, but I still get everything else that goes along with it though. It could be a lot worse, so I can't really complain. I guess the biggest thing is something I've had to deal with my whole life really - the fact that I never know when it's going to come. The only time I did know was when I was taking BCP's (to help control it and my headaches actually) but with my liver problems I can't use them anymore (and it may have actually been the reason for all of my tumors).

I'm now playing around with Google Calendar to menu plan and general calendar stuff. So far it's going well, although figuring out how to sync with Lightening (Sunbird for Thunderbird) took a bit.

Here's the menu plan for this week - it's just dinners this time.

Monday: Slow-Cooker Pork Ragu (using leftover Kahlua pork from Christmas)
Tuesday: Fried Rice (using Freezer Stash)
Wednesday: Turkey Bratwursts
Thursday: Bobotie
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza

For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie http://orgjunkie.com/2009/02/menu-plan-monday-feb-9th.html

Slow-Cooker Pork Ragu

Pork butt or shoulder is an economical cut of meat that's perfect for making this slow-cooked stew topping for pasta.
Source: Woman's World - October 17, 2006

2 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder
1 (16 ounce) jar marinara pasta sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine or water
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 ounces fusilli pasta

Place first 4 ingredients in 3-quart slow-cooker. Top with pork.

Combine sauce, tomato paste, wine, fennel seeds, pepper flakes and salt. Pour over pork; cover.

Cook on LOW for 10 hours, until tender.

Transfer pork to plate. Use 2 forks to shred pork; stir into sauce in slow-cooker.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Basic Fried Rice
Serves 4

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch rings (reserve 1 heaping tablespoon sliced dark green portion for garnish)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced ginger (about a 1-inch piece)
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot (1-2 carrots)
1-2 fresh chilies like jalapenos or Thai chilies, to taste, seeded and minced (optional)
4 cups cooked rice, at room temperature
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour beaten egg into pan and swirl egg around to coat entire bottom of pan. When egg is beginning to bubble, about 1-2 minutes, break it up into pieces using a spatula or wooden spoon, and remove from pan.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, 2-3 minutes. (If bacon begins to burn, lower heat to medium.)

Add scallions, garlic, ginger, carrot and (if using) chilies to pan, and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes or until garlic becomes golden. Return cooked egg to pan.

Add rice and stir to coat well with the other ingredients. Cook for about 2 minutes to allow rice and egg to become hot. Turn heat down to medium-low, and pour soy sauce over rice. The pan may be quite full (depending on its size), so stir carefully to allow even distribution of soy sauce throughout rice.

Taste for salt, and add an additional 1 tablespoon of soy sauce if you like. Sprinkle with reserved dark green scallion slices to serve.

Variations:
*Add chopped raw shrimp (1/4-1/3 pound) 1 minute after adding scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Add small cubes of firm tofu (about 1/2 cup) 1 minute after adding scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Stir in small pieces of leftover cooked chicken just before adding rice to pan.
* For a mellower pork flavor, try pancetta instead of bacon.
* For Thai-style fried rice, sprinkle 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce over mixture before returning egg to pan, and squeeze juice from half a lime over rice just before serving.
* To get more of your vegetables, slice raw green beans (about 1/4-1/3 cup) very thin (1/8 inch) and add along with scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top

Riva's Milwaukee Brats
From: Riva Heron @ Dinners by the Dozen
Serving Size: 6

6 Bratwurst Links
12 Ounces beer
2 Cups sliced Peppers and Onions
6 Hoagie buns

Combine in bag and freeze. To cook, thaw completely and pour into baking pan and heat on stove or on grill. Heat until sausages are warmed through. If desired, remove sausages and sear on grill for 1-2 minutes. Place in brat bun, garnish with peppers/onions. Enjoy.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 325 Calories; 23g Fat (68.2% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 51mg Cholesterol; 653mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

South African Bobotie

Serving Size: 6

1/2 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup dried apricot, diced
1 1/4 cups White Bread, cut into cubes
2 1/2 cups 1% Low-fat Milk
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 pound browned ground beef
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup raisins
4 Tablespoons sliced almonds
1/2 cup Egg Substitute

Place bread into small bowl and pour 1/2 the milk over it – allow to soak. In another bowl, combine curry powder, chili powder, lemon juice, salt, pepper and ground beef. Add the raisins, almonds, apricots and soaked bread (including the milk the bread soaked in). Spoon mixture into a greased pan. Combine egg mixture and remaining milk. Pour over the meat mixture in the pan.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 536 Calories; 26g Fat (43.6% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 89mg Cholesterol; 1174mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat.

Chez JJ's Pizza
(Using WW Basic Pizza Dough with Variations and Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce so you don't have to hunt for the recipes)

Basic Pizza Dough
Makes 2 (12 inch) pizza crusts (6 servings each)
From Weight Watchers Pizza,Pizza: 150 deliciously dazzling ways to make everyone's favorite pie

This dough makes enough for two pizzas, so you can freeze half the dough for another day. If you freeze it, thaw it in the refrigerator over night or on the counter for 1 1/2 hours. Unlike other bread dough, pizza dough only needs to rise only once. After rising, simply punch it down, then let it rest for 15 minutes before rolling or stretching to the desired shape. If you like you can let the dough rest in a floured zip-close freezer bag in the refrigerator overnight. You'll find it easiest to roll out or stretch bread dough when it's at room temperature.

1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine the water and sugar in a 2-cup measuring just. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil.

Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture through the feed tube; pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. If necessary, turn the dough onto a lightly flour surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, then cut in half. Refrigerate or freeze in floured zip-close [I have better luck with a bit of oil in the bag instead of flour- about a tsp and spread around the bag] freezer bags at this point or use as directed in the recipe.

Per serving (1/12 of dough): 174 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 1 g fib, 5 g prot, 7 mg calc, POINTS: 3

TIP: if mixing by hand: To make bread by hand, combine the water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl; set aside until foamy. Stir in the oil, flour and salt until the dough starts to gather around the spoon. Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface; knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Variations:
Cornmeal Pizza Dough: Pizzas with a Mexican influence are terrific made on a cornmeal crust. Substitute 1 cup cornmeal for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving: (1/12 of the dough): 178 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol. 292 mg sod, 35 g carb, 2 g fib, 5 g prot, 5 mg calc, POINTS: 3

Semolina Pizza Dough: Using part semolina flour makes a crispier-crusted pizza. If you can't find semolina flour, use farina cereal. Substitute 1 1/2 cups semolina flour for 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 192 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 38 g carb, 2 g fib, 6 g prot, 8 mg calc, POINTS 4

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Whole-wheat flour makes a higher-fiber, more nutritious crust. Substitute 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour for 1 1/4 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 177 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 3 g fib, 6 g pro, 5 mg calc, POINTS 3

Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce
This is mostly a mixture of a Cooking Light Marinara sauce for the freezer and one on the web that is supposed to be like Papa John's Sauce. I call it Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce now. :) This makes a little more than enough sauce for 2 pizzas depending on how much sauce you like on your pizzas. We like about 1/2 cup of sauce per 12" pizza.

15 oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed fennel [gives a bit of a sausage-like flavor]
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened. Let cool. You can freeze. You can also double/triple as needed.

To make a pizza:
Preheat oven to 450. Roll dough into a 12" circle. Prick with a fork and place onto oven stone. Par-bake for 4 minutes. If you don't have a stone, place on pan and par-bake on bottom rack of oven instead. Remove from oven - and if it has bubbled up a bit, I usually press down with a towel or my pizza peel and let cool a bit before topping on a wire rack.

For each pizza top with 1/2 cup of sauce (if not using homemade I will just use jarred spaghetti sauce), 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese (or 3 oz Italian cheese blend) and then with 17 turkey pepperoni slices and any other toppings (thin sliced onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc). Don't put a whole lot of toppings on because too many will make the pizza soggy. The sprinkle about 2 Tbsp of shredded Parmesan on top.

Bake for about 9 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and the edges are browning (it's going to be 12-15 minutes total including the par-baking).

Take out and let cool for about 3-5 minutes so the cheese won't slide off when you go to cut it. Eat and enjoy.

It's going to be about 5 points per slice depending on if you add any more pointy things to the pizza when you top it. Now, if you eat two pieces, it's not 10 points for both, it's going to be 11, just to warn you, and it's going to be 16.5 points for 3. So watch how many you eat.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-02T09:02:00.002-05:00

While I recover from my gravy-infused weekend trip to WV for my husband's grandmother's 80th birthday party, I figured I'd at least get my menu posted. I was smart and planned my menu BEFORE we left. :) Mainly this was done because I knew it wouldn't be pretty. So I've got it figured out points-wise pretty much for the main meals.

I'll try to write more about the trip later. I've got to get my blood drawn tomorrow for my 3-month recheck and it'll be interesting to see if they actually get blood or gravy. ;) I hope this weekend won't impact my blood values.

Monday: B: Cereal L: Black & White Bean Salad, Mozzarella, Red Pepper and Pesto Sandwich D: Hand-Slappin' Chicken, Cauliflower, Collards
Tuesday: B: Strawberry Vanilla Shake L: same as above D: Slow Cooker Beef Beef Chili, cornbread
Wednesday: B: Fruit & Yogurt L: Same as above D: Garlic-Studded Pork Loin, Roasted Veg
Thursday: B: Egg, bacon, & veggies L: Ham N Swiss sandwich and Tomato Soup D: Tex-Mex Taco Salad
Friday: B: Egg & Cheddar Sandwich, L: Bean Salad, sandwich D: Pizza

For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Everything may change (usually it's going to be breakfast or lunch). This morning ended up being coffee and pepperoni rolls. Yes, I was introduced to pepperoni rolls this weekend too. I think my blood will be a bit viscous.

Garlic-Studded Pork Loin
Makes 3 Entrees 6-8 Servings Each
Come home and enjoy this Mediterranean-style roast after a busy day. Slow cooking your main dish leaves you a little extra time for finishing touches: a roasted head of garlic to spread on a fresh baguette, fresh mozzarella over sliced tomatoes topped with fresh basil leaves, or perhaps a simple spinach salad with red onion, pitted Kalamata olives, and feta. - KN
From: Fix, Freeze, Feast

1 pork loin, (about 8 lbs)
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
18 garlic cloves
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup water
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled

Mix oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Rinse and trim loin as desired. Cut loin into three equal roasts. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, cut twelve openings 3/4 inch deep in each roast. Slice each garlic clove in half and place one garlic piece in each opening.

Rub each roast with one-third of the seasoning mixture. Place one roast into each freezer bag. Over each roast, measure 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water.

Seal and freeze.

To cook one entree: Completely thaw one entree in the refrigerator. Put roast and marinade in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

NOTE: Lemon juice from Concentrate- If you choose bottled lemon juice, take care to check the expiration date on the bottles. While 2-packs of lemon juice are three to five times less expensive per fluid ounce at the warehouse club, it does not keep indefinitely. If you purchase more than you will use in cooking, consider using it to clean around the house. Lemon is a natural cleaning agent and deodorizer. Contact the manufacturer for other household uses or consult some of the books in our Resources section.

Black and White Bean Salad
Serves 4
POINTS 2

1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium celery stalk, diced
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp minced Italian parsley
1/8 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/8 tsp ground black pepper, or more to taste

In a large bowl, combine beans, tomato, onion and celery. Gently stir in vinegar and sprinkle with parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Strawberry Vanilla Shake
Serves 2
POINTS 6

1/2 oz fat-free, sugar-free instant vanilla pudding and pie filling mix (use half 1 oz package)
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

Combine all ingredients together in a blender; puree until smooth.

Mozzarella, Red Pepper and Pesto Sandwich
Serves 4
POINTS 2

3 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp store-bought pesto sauce
8 oz baguette, cut into 4 equal pieces
6 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 oz roasted red peppers, or 2 pieces, thinly sliced
4 romaine lettuce leaves

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and pesto. Halve baguette pieces horizontally and spread mayonnaise mixture on both sides. Top bottom halves with equal amounts of mozzarella, red peppers and lettuce. Cover with remaining bread halves and serve.

Fruit and Yogurt
Serves 1
POINTS 3

1 cup light vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 cup blueberries

Top yogurt with fruit.

Egg & Cheddar Sandwich
Serves 1
POINTS 3

3 egg whites
nonstick cooking spray
2 slices reduced calorie whole-wheat bread, toasted
2 Tbsp low-fat cheddar cheese

Scramble eggs whites in a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place egg on 1 slice bread and top with cheese and other slice of bread.

Egg, Bacon and Veggies
Serves 1
POINTS 3

1 egg
1 tomato, halved
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 slice Canadian bacon

In a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cook all ingredients. Serve.

Ham & Swiss Sandwich
Serves 1
POINTS 3

2 slices reduced-calorie whole-wheat bread
2 oz lean ham
1 slice low-fat Swiss cheese
arugula leaves
sliced tomato
Dijon mustard

Top 1 slice bread with rest of ingredients and top with other piece of bread. Serve.

Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4
POINTS 3
Winter's root vegetables are wonderfully flavorful when they're slow-cooked.

1 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut into 1/3-inch thick wedges
1 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 oz baby carrots
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tsp olive oil.
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup vegetable broth, or chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange vegetables and garlic in a shallow baking pan. Add oil, sage, salt and pepper to pan; toss to coat

Roast vegetables until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Add broth and bake 10 more minutes. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Slow-Cooker Beef Chili
Serves 4 (plus leftovers (2 cups) for Tex-Mex Taco Salad)
POINTS 7
From: WW Now & Later

2 pounds bottom round roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped
2 (15 1/2 oz) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
1 (1 1/4 oz) package reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1 Tbsp chili powder

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Repeat with remaining beef. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, taco seasoning, and chili powder.

Add the bean mixture to the slow cooker, stir to combine. Cover and cook until the beef is fork-tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.

Transfer 2 cups of the chili to a microwavable bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days for later use in Tex-Mex Taco salad, opposite. Divide the remaining 4 cups of chili among 4 bowls.

Per serving (1 cup): 341 cal, 6 cal fat, 2g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 84mg chol, 431 mg sod, 30 g carb, 9 g fib, 42 g prot, 92mg calc.

Tex-Mex Taco Salad
Serves 4
POINTS 6
Filling Extra: Jazz up these salads by topping the lettuce and tomatoes on each plate with a few slices red bell pepper and thinly sliced scallions.

2 cups reserved cooked Slow-cooker Beef Chili
6 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup fat-free ranch dressing
16 baked tortilla chips, broken into pieces
1 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

Cover the chili with plastic wrap; then prick a few holes in the plastic. Microwave on High until hot, 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, divide the lettuce and tomatoes among 4 plates; drizzle each plate with 1 Tbsp of the dressing.

Top the lettuce mixture on each plate evenly with the tortilla chips, chili and cheese.

Per Serving (1 salad): 312 cal, 4 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 48 mg chol, 797 mg sod, 39 g carb, 7 g fib, 31 g prot, 327 mg calc.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-26T14:46:00.001-05:00

Hubby has off this week, and we're headed out of town this weekend, so my meals are pretty easy (does that mean boring?). I was going to make Chinese food today, but since we have restaurant leftovers from dinner last night with my sister - we'll eat those tonight for Chinese New Year.

Monday: Chinese leftovers
Tuesday: leftover pea soup
Wednesday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Thursday: Pasta with spaghetti sauce
Friday: Leaving for WV for Grandmother Sommerville's Birthday

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-19T11:41:00.002-05:00

I took hubby to Trader Joes on Saturday since we were having Mike and Jennifer over for dinner. He hadn't been there yet. He's not much of a food shopper, but I wanted him to see it so if I need him to stop for something he could. Since he works near there, sometimes it's easier for him to get something on the way home rather than me making a trip into town if I'm not headed there in the first place. Anyway, I had the dinner planned out, but they were bringing some sweet wine for dessert, so I was planning to pick up some bread, cheese, fruit and nuts and thought TJ's would be a good place to pick some up. I was right. I thought I'd also stop by Whole Foods for the cheese actually, since I could get the actual amount of cheese I needed, but TJ's was pretty packed, and I knew WF would be the same. We just got everything we needed at TJ's and left it at that. So hubby and I will hit WF's some other time since he hasn't been there either. The leftover Raclette cheese is going into the strata along with the leftover French bread, leeks, and green beans. The Double cream brie will get eaten as well as the leftover Gruyere Foccacia with no problem in this household. *grin* and I'm thinking of using the Stilton w/ apricots (which is AWESOME!!!!) on the pizza on Friday if it doesn't get eaten on crackers as evening snacks. The apples and Asian pears will get eaten as snacks also.

Monday: Chili Lime Chicken Patties (from Trader Joes) with Mrs. T's pierogies
Tues: Strata
Wednesday: Pea Soup
Thursday: Beef Tongue
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: My Mom's Birthday "Party" so we're headed there

For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/01/menu-plan-monday-january-19th.html [She's starting to get over 400 now!]

Easy Strata & Variations
from: Cook Smart by Pam Anderson

1 pound each of prepared meat and vegetable (optional) OR
1 pound each of 2 prepared vegetables (optional)
1 quart half-and-half
1 dozen eggs
1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper
12 slices fluffy white bread
12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 3 medium)

Prepare meat and/or vegetables, if using.

Whisk half-and-half, eggs, salt and pepper until smooth. Spray a 9-by-13-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Line bottom with 6 slices of bread. If using meats and/ or vegetables, scatter half of each over the bread, then sprinkle with half of the scallions and cheese. Pour 1 cup of egg mixture over the top. Repeat layers with remaining bread, meat, vegetables, cheese and scallions. Slowly pour remaining egg mixture evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap, then weight down casserole with 3 16-ounce cans for at least 15 minutes to submerge ingredients. (Can be refrigerated overnight, but return to room temperature before baking.)

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven until custard is just set, about 50 minutes. Turn on broiler and broil until strata is spotty brown and puffy (watch carefully), about 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes, then serve immediately.

Serves: 12.
Nutrition varies, based on meat/ vegetables used. Basic recipe, per serving: 362 calories, 17g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 24g fat (13g saturated), 1g fiber, 600mg sodium.

VEGETABLE OPTIONS:
MUSHROOMS OR BELL PEPPERS: Slice and sauté in 1 Tb. olive oil. Salt.
BABY SPINACH: Steam, covered, with 1 Tb. oil and salt until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
FROZEN CORN: Thaw and drain.
ASPARAGUS: Cut in 1-inch pieces. Steam, covered, with 1 Tb. oil, salt and 1/3 cup water, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook off liquid.

MEAT OPTIONS
BACON: Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and fry until crisp. Drain well.
SAUSAGE: Fry bulk breakfast or Italian sausage until fully cooked. Drain.
HAM: Cut into small dice.
KIELBASA: Thinly slice.
CRAB: Pick over pasteurized backfin crab for shell and cartilage.

Split Pea Soup (3 pts)
From bag of split peas
Serves 10-12

1 lb (2 1/2 cups) dried green split peas
3 quarts (12 cups) water
1 3/4 – 2 lbs ham hocks or bone
1 large onion, minced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Rinse and sort peas. In a large soup kettle (I use a 6 qt crockpot and add everything together), combine peas, water and ham; simmer, covered for 2-2 1/2 hours. Add remaining ingredients; simmer covered for 45 minutes. Removed bones. For thicker soup simmer 20-30 minutes more, uncovered. Will thicken when refrigerated, but thins when heated.

Corned Beef or Veal Tongue
Tongue takes particularly well to spicing, but if you prefer a plain cure, omit the spices from the brine. If calves' tongues are available, be sure to try them; they are very lean and delicate flavored. Home-cured tongue does not have the excessive saltiness or the deep-rose hue of commercially brined tongues which are cured with saltpeter.
Recipe By: Better Than Store Bought by Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider Colchie
Serving Size: 6

1 beef tongue -- fresh (or frozen and thawed)
water -- as needed
kosher salt -- as needed
1 egg -- in shell to test the brine
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 bay leaves -- crumbled
1/2 teaspoon allspice berries -- bruised
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns -- bruised
2 teaspoons coriander seeds -- bruised
1 teaspoon mustard seeds -- bruised
2 cloves garlic -- peeled but left whole

Select a ceramic, glass or enameled crock or bowl large enough to hold both the tongue and enough brine to cover the tongue by 2 or more inches. Be sure the container will fit into your refrigerator.

To determine the brine quantity needed, enclose the tongue in a plastic bag (no need to close the bag- just hold the open end above the water level), and run cold water into the container to cover the bagged meat by 2-3 inches. Remove the tongue.

Stir coarse salt into the water, letting each addition dissolve before adding more, until an egg will float in the solution. (you'll probably need about 1 1/2 cups salt.) Remove the egg once it has served its
purpose and pour the bring into a pot.

Stir into the brine the sugar, bay leaves, allspice berries, peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, then let cool completely.

Remove the tongue from the bag and prick it well all over with a skewer or larding needle. Return it to the crock or bowl.

When the brine is cool, pour it over the tongue. Cover with plastic wrap, then add a plate (with a weight on it, if necessary) that will hold the meat well under the surface. Cover the crock with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 days to 2 1/2 weeks for beef tongue, 3 to 10 days for calves' tongues. (Figure a minimum of 3 days curing per pound of any single piece of meat.) Turn the meat every few days and be sure it is always immersed in the brine.

To cook: Put the tongue or tongues in a pot with water to cover by several inches, 2 or 3 carrots, coarsely cut up, a peeled whole onion or two, and a few tablespoons of vinegar and simmer, partly covered, until the meat is very tender. (The time will vary with the size of the tongue and its original tenderness.) Remove from the cooking liquid, then slit the skin and peel it off neatly. Serve hot as a main course or cold and thinly sliced for lunch or in sandwiches.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 131 Calories; 4g Fat (28.0% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 52mg Cholesterol; 33mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : *Tongue: 3-4 lbs, well trimmed, or 3 or 4 calves tongues (about 3/4 lb each), trimmed

Cheaper way of talking to my sister?

2009-01-17T11:49:00.001-05:00

On one of the first times my sister went out on a date with her now husband, he likes to mention, she farted so loudly that it shook the couch. That was one thing my sister has always had no problem with, farting or burping. I was, on the other hand, always kidded because no one ever heard it even though I would say "excuse me." And growing up we blamed a lot of these things, whether burps or farts on the dog.

A few weeks ago, my husband burped pretty loudly and I turned around to scold him. He faced me and instead of blaming it on the dog like he's now learned to do, he returned, "What? I was just talking to your sister."

We've got a new phrase not only in our house now, but my sister liked it when we told her too.

Homemade Bagel Dogs

2009-01-16T12:09:00.003-05:00

Here's the bagel dog recipe I used last night. It's still not perfect, but it's close enough. I need to work on the way I enclose the bagel, last night I enclosed it instead of spiraling it and I liked it better, but it was a bit lopsided in that there was more dough on one side than the other. And I want it a bit more eggy still - but that might do better once I can get the Farmer's Market eggs once more instead of store bought. Anyone that has questions can just ask. :)

Homemade Bagel Dogs
Makes 8
4 pts for the "bagel" and points for the hotdog you choose

I haven't tried freezing these myself, but I don't see why they wouldn't. For those that want to do a vegan bagel dog, I don't see why you couldn't use the appropriate "dog" and use the bialy dough recipe I've posted elsewhere on my site instead (or your own bagel recipe without eggs included).

Adapted from: http://diaryofthesuburbanhausfrau.blogspot.com AND http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2005/08/19/bagel-dogs/

For Bagels:
3/4 Cup Water (80 degrees F)
1 Egg
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Cups Bread Flour
2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
For Water Bath:
2 Quarts Water
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
Egg Glaze:
1 Egg, beaten
1-2 Tablespoons Milk
Topping Ideas:
Poppy Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Dried Onion Flakes
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Celery Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Hot Dogs:
8 Hot Dogs (any type you'd like)

For ABM: Combine ingredients in order recommended by your machine. Select dough cycle (makes 1 1/2 lbs). When cycle is complete, punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.

If making by hand: You will want the water warmer - about 110-115 degrees and will use all-purpose flour (bread flour is too high in gluten to knead easily by hand). In a small bowl, combine water, 1 tsp sugar and yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, rest of sugar, and salt. Right before mixing yeast mixture into flour mixture, break egg into yeast mixture and combine. Add to flour mixture and add rest of flour to make a ball. Turn onto lightly floured surface, kneading by hand for about 10-15 minutes and adding extra flour if needed to keep from sticking, until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.

For Food Processor: Use cooler water (80 F) and bread machine flour. Combine water, 1 tsp sugar, yeast and egg in a measuring cup. Put dry ingredients in food processor with blade attached and mix well with a few short pulses of the blade. Add wet ingredients while blade is running and process briefly just enough for dough to come together. Let rest for 15 minutes. Process dough again using quick pulses until it forms a smooth, soft ball. Add more flour or liquid if needed. Dough should easily come away from the sides of the bowl and the blades. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.

For Stand Mixer: Use warm water (110-115 degrees) and bread flour. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl with 1 tsp sugar for 5 minutes. Add remaining liquids and dry ingredients -except last cup of flour. Using dough hook, turn to Speed 2 for about 1 minute, or until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Continuing on Speed 2, gently tap remaining flour around the sides of the bowl, 1/2 cup at a time, as needed. Mix until dough cleans to hook and cleans the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. When dough clings to hook, knead on Speed 2 for 2 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove dough from hook. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.

There are two ways to make the Bagel Dogs: Spiral and Enclosed.

For the spiral - roll out each part into a snake that is twice as long as your chosen hot dog. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough snake in both directions- lengthwise and widthwise. Place your hot dog at one end of the flattened snake at approximately a 45 degree angle. Roll your dog, wrapping it up with the bagel dough, allowing the dough to overlap about 1/2 inch as it twists along the dog. Make sure that it is sealed well on each end, I like to dip my fingers in a bowl of water and use my wet fingers to squeeze the ends shut.

I tried the enclosed this last time, and while I need to work on it a bit more so that one side doesn't have more breading than the other side, I liked it a lot better. For this one I rolled out each piece a little longer than the length of a hotdog, but about double the width of one. I wet one side of the dough by dipping my fingers in a bowl of water and brushing them on the edge. I set the hotdog inside and sealed it, and then made sure it was sealed well inside, once more using wet fingers to make sure the edges were sealed well.

Place Bagel dogs on a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil or Silpat mat (this is what I use all the time anyway, it's also what I use to knead/roll out on) and cover with a light towel and let rest for about 20-30 minutes in a draft-free place. [I usually take this time to pre-heat the oven since it takes a while to warm up because of my baking stone, and get the boiling water ready.]

Get a large pot of boiling water ready. I like to add 2 Tbsp of brown sugar and 2 Tbsp of kosher salt to it (I do this for my bagels too) but you don't have to if you don't want to. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

When the rising time is up, boil the dogs in batches of 2, for 3 minutes. I try to turn them over at the 1 1/2 minute mark, but they don't always want to, it's not a big thing. Drain and place back on the oiled baking sheet. Continue like this with the rest of the dogs. Brush with the egg glaze (if using, I don't bother) and sprinkle with your choice of toppings on top of the boiled dogs.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving, and remember that these hold their heat really well and will be HOT!

The migraine is finally gone!

2009-01-13T17:54:00.002-05:00

After 4 days (knock on wood) I think it's gone! The Topamax had been working so well I had forgotten what it was like to be migraine free.

Today was a trip into town for my WW weigh in. I lost 1.2 lbs this week. Yay!

Luckily dinner last night was easy - the migraine wasn't letting me do much thinking. I had leftover roasted veggies: cauliflower, carrots and Brussels sprouts. I also had a bit of leftover peas & pimientos (recipe posted last week) and I threw in a can of artichoke hearts (not marinated and drained). I made a quick white sauce (butter, flour and skim milk) and threw in a bit of blue cheese and tossed everything together with some whole wheat pasta. I didn't use a lot of pasta, so it was mostly veggies. I must admit, I was able debating about making a curry sauce instead, but I was really wanting the blue cheese more. [For the curry just add curry powder to the melted butter when you add flour.]

Tonight is the Carrot-Miso Soup with Wasabi Peas from the Jan 2009 Vegetarian Times. I've made it, and tasted it. It's ok. It might be better with Farmer's Market or home-grown carrots, but with just the organic carrots I normally get it's just ok. I think I'd like it even better as a squash or sweet potato soup instead. It just needs something - I am hoping that when I sprinkle the crushed wasabi peas on top it'll help (since I'm thinking some ginger might help) but we'll see.

{later} Hubby says he thinks that instead of blending it smooth that he thinks it would be better slightly chunky. I did use the kombu on top. Maybe I'd like it better with a darker miso - I usually use red when I have miso soup since I like it better.

Carrot-Miso Soup with Wasabi Peas
Serves 6
Vegan

Instead of calling for vegetable broth, we've seasoned the liquid in this soup with kombu, a seaweed commonly used in Japanese soup stocks. For an extra Asian flair, save the kombu used to season the soup, cut it into thin strips and sprinkle it on top of each serving with the wasabi peas.

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 med leek, sliced into thin rings (1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and sliced (5 cups)
3 Tbsp jasmine rice
1 4x2 inch piece kombu
1 1/2 Tbsp white miso
2 tsp agave nectar
1/3 cup crushed dried wasabi peas, for garnish

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Cook leek in oil 7 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add vinegar to deglaze pan, and cook 1 minute.

Add carrots, rice, kombu, and 5 cups water. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to a medium-low, and cook 30 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Remove kombu, and blend soup until smooth.

Spoon 1 cup soup into small bowl. Whisk in miso and agave nectar until smooth. Whisk miso-agave-soup mixture back into soup. Serve soup with wasabi peas sprinkled on top.

Per serving: 122 cal, 3g prot, 3 g total fat, 10.5g sat fat, 22g carb, 0mg chol, 229 mg sod, 4g fib, 11g sugar

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-11T21:41:00.004-05:00

Sorry that I haven't posted much these past few days - I've had a migraine. UGH!

For that reason this menu plan is pretty much short and sweet. For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/01/menu-plan-monday-jan-12th-giveaway.html

Anyway. On to the menu plan:

Monday: Roasted Vegetables with Pasta (using some leftover roasted vegetables)
Tuesday: Carrot Miso Soup (from current Vegetarian Times Magazine - I'll post it after I've tried it)
Wednesday: Turkey Burgers with pierogies (my sister gave me the burgers, I think they are taco seasoned)
Thursday: Bagel Dogs (I'll post recipe later after I've tried it)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday Cabernet Beef Jubilee (Dinner with Mike and Jennifer) recipe below

Cabernet Beef Jubilee
Tender beef marinated in wine and balsamic vinegar and served with a delectable wine cherry sauce. And excellent dish for grilling or broiling.
Serves 4

4 top blade steaks, 5 oz. each
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
2 strips lemon zest
2 sticks cinnamon
1 cup dark sweet cherries (fresh, frozen or canned)

Combine vinegar, wine, sugar, mustard seed, lemon zest and cinnamon sticks together in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Pour 3/4-cup of the sauce mixture into a resealable bag. Add steaks to bag, seal well. Turn to coat steaks and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Strain remaining wine mixture, pour back into sauce pan and add cherries. Place mixture in refrigerator while steaks marinade.

Place steaks on grill over medium high coals. Grill for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning once.

While steaks are cooking bring wine sauce to a simmer for 5 minutes to reheat. Serve steaks with sauce.

Suggested wine: Cabernet Sauvignon

If you prefer a thicker sauce, dissolve 1 Tbsp. corn starch in 1 Tbsp. of cold water and add to the sauce while reheating. [One reason I use pie filling- it's already thicker.]

Other recommended cuts: Sirloin steak, strip steak, ribeye steak. Shoulder steaks may be used if you increase marinating time to 6-8 hours.

Can Freeze: (we used this at Dinners by The Dozen)
Cabernet Beef Jubilee - Cherries and beef - a surprising, but delightful combination blade steaks, balsamic vinegar, wine, sugar, mustard seeds, lemon zest, cinnamon stick and cherries are combined to make the marinade and sauce for these steaks. Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.

Cabernet Beef Jubilee Thaw in fridge overnight. Pour marinade into sauce pan bring wine sauce to a simmer for 10 minutes then strain and add cherries and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile place steaks on grill over medium high coals. Grill for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning once. Serve steaks with sauce.

Steeling your resolve for Morning Oatmeal

2009-01-08T11:49:00.001-05:00

Since it's starting to get colder, I'm more apt to eat oatmeal in the mornings now. Sometimes I'll fix a bowl of Quick Cooking, but this morning I made Steel-cut oatmeal. I used the recipe out of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, but it's pretty much like Alton Brown's Good Eats one (you can find it on the Food Network site I'm sure - since I have dial-up I have trouble loading their site). You toast the oats in a Tbsp of butter then add to simmering water/milk and cook for about 30 minutes. I used skim milk and added a Tbsp of chopped mixed dried berries to mine when I ate it. I found 1/2 cup did me fine this morning but I'm not always hungry first thing in the morning either, it just depends sometimes on when I remember to take my meds (both the Concerta and the Byetta are appetite suppressants and along with the fact that I've never been a big morning eater or a morning foods lover).

Anyway, I've had this list I've cut out from the newspaper and it's got some good ideas for oatmeal toppings that I use occasionally:

Tops in Taste

When oatmeal is the morning's hot cereal of choice, turn it into a month of flavors by adding different toppings - many of them already pantry or fridge staples.

Here are 31 ideas from home economists at The Quaker Oats Co. [I've added some extras too]

* Raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
* Honey and honey crunch-flavored wheat germ
* Applesauce and cinnamon
* Low-fat granola and skim milk
* Raspberry nonfat yogurt and cranberries
* Apricot fruit spread and sliced almonds
* Sliced strawberries and plain nonfat yogurt and brown sugar
* Maple flavored pancake syrup and chopped toasted pecans
* Canned crushed pineapple, sliced bananas, and chopped macadamia nuts
* Strawberry nonfat yogurt and sliced kiwi
* Sliced bananas with vanilla nonfat yogurt sprinkled lightly with cinnamon
* Reduced fat peanut butter and strawberry fruit spread
* Chopped dates, walnuts and cinnamon
* Canned pear slices, maple syrup and cinnamon
* Coarsely chopped canned peaches and ground ginger
* Diced dried apricots or diced dried mixed fruit and honey
* Pumpkin or apple butter and raisins
* Blueberry fruit spread, vanilla or plain nonfat yogurt and nutmeg
* Orange marmalade and dried cranberries
* Coarsely chopped apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and dates
* Orange or tangerine low-fat yogurt and canned mandarin orange segments
* Mixed dried fruit
* Cherry preserves and wheat germ
* Reduced fat caramel topping and chopped pecans
* Whole-berry cranberry sauce
* Applesauce and maple flavor pancake syrup
* Blueberries and sliced strawberries sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar
* Sliced bananas and mini-semisweet chocolate morsels
* Warm apple pie filling and skim milk
* Brown sugar and apple pie spice
* Chopped dried figs and mashed ripe banana

And some other ideas from the Quaker Oats website:
* Skim milk and sliced peaches
* Diced cranberries and maple flavored pancake syrup
* Canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spic
* Frozen raspberries and blueberries are my favorite!
* Maple flavored pancake syrup and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds
* Blueberries, strawberries, chopped walnuts and chopped pecans by Celeste B., MO
* Chopped apples, sliced banana and dried cranberries by Rosalva D., IL
* I cook my oats with dried cranberries and dried cherries and top it off with butter and brown sugar. No milk for me! by Thelma B., MI
* Dried cranberries, pecans or walnuts and a splash of sugar free French Vanilla creamer on Lower Sugar Maple & Brown Sugar by Katrina W., OK
* I love using maple syrup and graham cracker crumbs with a little bit of strawberries. by Stefanie S., NV
* 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 apple cut into slices, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon by Andrew K., MN
* Raw walnuts, cinnamon, cocoa powder and strawberries by Tania N., CA
* Blueberry pie filling and cinnamon-sugar by Anna J., GA
* Chopped kiwi fruit and a dollop of cold tofu by A loyal customer
* A nice pat of butter and grated Italian cheese! by Jeannie V., NY
* Pumpkin or apple butter and toasted walnuts by A loyal customer
* Chopped dried figs and mashed ripe banana by Amanda D., TN
* Currants and golden raisins by A loyal customer
* Cooked sweet potato, pumpkin pie spice and pecans by Jill M., OH
* Crushed gingersnap cookies and fresh berries by A loyal customer

My favorites?
* A few chocolate chips and a Tbsp of almond butter
* Dried chopped apricots, toasted coconut, raspberry jam
* A few chocolate chips, chopped dried cherries, toasted coconut

All day in the city

2009-01-07T08:43:00.002-05:00

Yep, got to spend most of my day all day yesterday in Richmond. I knew it was going to happen, and actually it was supposed to happen two weeks ago but go rescheduled due to a family emergency with one of my psych docs. So, today ended up being the day. I try to schedule most of my appointments on the same day so I don't have drive so many times into town, and although it makes for a long day it saves gas and it does save me a bit of my sanity (what little bit I have *haha*)

I must admit I started out the day with a bit of "The wearin' O' the Crankypants" because of the stress of having to drive into the West End (and Nuckols Rd) for my 9:20 AM appointment. I hate to drive, and I really hate to drive during rush hour. It didn't help that on Monday morning they were calling for up to 0.25 inches of ice, but luckily by that evening they were just calling for rain. WHEW! I ended up leaving early enough that I missed the beginning of the backups for the I64/I288, I64/I295 and I295/Nuckols Rd exit backups. The Nuckols Rd one was just starting actually as I got off that one.

My first appointment this morning was with the psychiatrist and I mentioned that it seems I'm getting a bit more anxious, so we're going to be transitioning me off the Wellbutrin and transitioning me onto Zoloft. I remembered being on Zoloft years ago, and I think it worked well (I do know it worked better than the Prozac that was prescribed by the counselors at Tech). We'll see.

After that appointment, I had a few hours to kill, so I headed to the nearest library and borrowed their Wi-fi. Hubby had put the Nintendo DS's Opera browser on it and I hadn't played with it yet (home dial-up is a bit frustrating for it), and I figured out how to connect and everything all by myself. Yay! I also checked out their magazine collection and read through a Food & Wine, but didn't really find anything that caught my eye.

After that I headed to my WW meeting, found out I gained 0.6 lbs. That's ok though. I had already prepared myself for a gain for these two weeks. I know that sounds odd, but for the two weeks of Christmas and New Years I write what I eat, but don't always point it. It keeps what I'm eating in my mind, but doesn't stress me out. Once I start the next meeting after that, I'm back on plan. So the total gain for those two weeks is less than the loss for the week before. :) Something that isn't talked about anymore it seems at the meetings, but something that my Leader mentioned: "Have a plan to either lose, maintain or gain. And any one of those is ok. Just as long as you have a plan for what to do for after the holidays too." It seems now that WW only focus on the first two. Maybe too many people took the gain too far? I don't know. Either way, as long as I plan for it and don't go too overboard, I'm really ok with it. I find that I'm a lot less stressed about the Holidays this way. Course, as my Leader also likes to say: "It's not the days between Christmas and New Years that got you fat, it's the days between New Years and Christmas."

After WW I headed to Target. I had to pick up a few things there, and for the first time I got my prescriptions filled there. I normally go to CVS, but since these prescriptions don't have refills, and we have insurance (so would be the same price) and the Target is on the way to my psychologist appointment and CVS wasn't (and the stuff I needed is cheaper at Target and not at CVS) I figured I'd just go there. It's odd going someplace else since I know it's better to keep your prescriptions at one place, I felt like I was cheating. While there I found out that Taste of Home has a new Comfort Food Diet Magazine out. I picked up one last year, and really liked the recipes in it. It's pretty much recipes from what used to be Light & Tasty but I think they've changed the name to Healthy Cooking. Anyway, their diet is calorie counting, but the recipes have the nutritional info.

After that, headed home. WHEW!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-05T11:53:00.002-05:00

Well, I've been trying to figure out my menu this whole weekend. Not sure what my problem has been this weekend, I think it's just the fact that I'm tired of food. Does that make any sense? I'm just tired of thinking about it I think - not necessarily in the diet sense or even in the menu planning sense. It's kinda hard to explain really, and I am just not sure how to do it. Anyway...

Last night was pizza night. I made individual-sized pizzas and topped them with all the cheeses I had (2% sharp cheddar, shredded Swiss, LF mozzarella, Parmesan, RF blue, RF feta) and then shredded by hand the prosciutto and put that on top of the pizzas and sprinkled some black pepper on top of them and then baked them. They turned out yummy - but like they wouldn't. :)

Tonight is liver and onions. We're both really looking forward to it. We haven't had it in ages, it's one of those occasionally meals for us, even though we both love it.
You'll notice that Tuesday is a kinda odd day for a menu from me. Hubby requested fish sticks a few weeks ago. It will depend on what the weather does (they are calling for ice to start tonight), and I'll be in town all day tomorrow with doctor appointment, so something quick will be needed. In this quarter's Whole Foods Whole Deal brochure they have a coupon for $1 off breaded fish (including nuggets) so if I can get out, I'll pick some up before I head home and that'll be dinner. I'll have a happy hubby and it'll be better for us than take-out (and cheaper too).

So finally, my menu:

Monday: Liver and Onions (from Julia Child's "The Way To Cook") with mashed or roasted potatoes (haven't figured out which yet) and a salad and maybe roasted tomatoes.
Tuesday: Fish sticks with pierogies and peas
Wednesday: Chili with Chipotle Cheese Toast
Thurs: Wasabi Crusted Tuna with Ginger-Soy Sauce and Sesame Sugar Snap Peas
Homemade Pizza

For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/01/menu-plan-monday-january-5th.html

Liver and Onions
Liver and onions - and beautifully browned tender sliced onions they must be - are an unbeatable combination.

Ahead-of-time note: The onions may be browned even a day in advance, or may be frozen and thawed. (Blissful idea: have medium-size packets of browned onions in the freezer, ready to be thawed in the microwave.)

Suggested accompaniments: Your own home-made mashed potatoes would be lovely here, broiled or baked tomatoes, and perhaps a lightly dressed salad of young spinach leaves. You'll want a fairly hearty red wine, like Zinfandel or Beaujolais.
Julia Child “The Way To Cook”
For 4 servings

For Onions:
3 cups sliced onions
2 to 3 Tbsp butter or oil
salt
For Liver:
4 slices or about 1 pound top-quality calf's liver sliced 1/2 inch thick
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup or so flour in a plate
3 Tbs clarified butter, or butter and light olive oil or peanut oil
1/4 cup dry white French vermouth
1/3 cup beef or chicken stock
2 to 3 Tbs minced fresh parsley, optional

For Onions: Slowly sauté sliced onions in butter or oil in a covered pan, stirring frequently, until the onions are very tender - 15 minutes or so. Uncover the pan, salt lightly, raise the heat to moderately high, and let the onions brown nicely, stirring frequently - 5 minutes or more.

The Liver: Season, dredge in flour, and sauté as described in the master recipe, but keep it rarer than usual. [The moment before sautéing, season the liver on both sides with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Set the frying pan over high heat and film with 1/16 inch of clarified butter or butter and oil. When very hot, lay in the liver and sauté 1 minute on each side. When is it done? It should be barely springy when pressed with your finger, and a deep pinky red when you cut into a piece.]

Finishing the dish.: Scrape the onions over the liver, pour in the vermouth and stock, raise heat, and boil rapidly, basting the liver with the sauce as it thickens lightly. Remove the liver to hot plates or a hot platter, spoon the sauce over, and decorate with the optional parsley.

Lemon-Herb Roasted Tomatoes
From "WW Five ingredient 15 minute Cookbook" Winter 2008

2 pints grape tomatoes
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp grated fresh lemon rind
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven 475.

Rinse tomatoes and pat dry with paper towels; place in a large bowl.

Gently stir in thyme and remaining ingredients. Place tomato mixture in a single layer on a large jelly-roll pan.

Bake at 475 for 5 minutes. Gently shake pan, and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until tomato skins are blistered and beginning to pop.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Per serving: Cal 49; (50% from fat); fat 2.7g (sat 0.4g); Pro 1.4g; carb 6.4; fib 2.1g, chol 0mg; iron 0.6mg; sod 153mg; calc 20mg Points 1

Green Peas with Pimiento
From WW Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes Winter 2009
There's no need to thaw the frozen peas. Just put them directly into the hot pan with the other ingredients.

1 Tbsp light stick butter
2 tbsp slivered almonds
2 1/4 cups frozen petite green peas
4 oz jar diced pimiento, drained
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add almonds; cook 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add peas and remaining ingredients; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 4 servings (serving sizer: 1/2 cup)

Per serving: Cal 79 (38% from fat); Fat 3.3g (sat 1g); pro 4.3g; carb 11.2g; fib 4.2g, chol 4mg, iron 1.4mg, sod 291mg, calc 27mg POINTS 1

MENU: POINTS value per serving- 6
From WW Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes Winter 2009
Mexican Chili
Chipotle Cheese Toasts
Game Plan:
1. While oven preheats for Chipotle Cheese Toasts prepare chili.
2. While chili simmers bake cheese toasts
Make-ahead Tip: This dish is one of the best quick chili recipes we've tested. As with most chili and soup recipes, you can make and chill it a day or so ahead; just reheat before serving.

Mexican Chili
Chocolate often is added to savory dishes in Mexican cuisine to cut the heat and enrich the flavor. In this recipe, it provides richness and deepens the color of the chili without making the dish sweet.

1 pound ground round
1 cup prechopped onion
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with garlic
15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup hot water
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Cook beef and onions in a large pan over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain, if necessary, and return beef mixture to pan. Add remaining ingredients; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Per Serving: Cal 215 (31% from fat); Fat 7.5g (sat 2.9g); Pro 17.2g; carb 19.1g, Fib 3.9g; chol 37 mg; iron 3.4mg; sod 934mg; calc 69mg POINTS 4

Chipotle Cheese Toasts

6 (1/4-inch) slices French Toast
3 (1-oz) slices Chipotle Cheddar cheese (such as Sargento), cut in half

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place bread slices on baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 5 minutes or until toasted; remove from oven. Place 1/2 slice cheese on top of each slice of bread. Bake an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese melts.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 slice).

Per Serving: Cal 81 (37% from fat); Fat 3.3g (sat 1.8g); pro 4.2g; carb 8.5g, fib 0.3g; chol 5mg, iron 0.5mg, sod 167mg; calc 81mg POINTS 2

Wasabi-Crusted Tuna with Ginger-Soy Sauce
In this recipes, wasabi powder, the green Japanese version of horseradish, adds a fiery zip to the fish.
From "WW Five ingredient 15 minute Cookbook" Winter 2008

4 teaspoons soy sauce, reduced-sodium
1/4 teaspoon ginger root
1/2 cup bread crumbs, panko (Japanese-style)
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 (6 oz) tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)
cooking spray
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
chopped green onions, optional

Combine soy sauce and ginger in a small bowl; set aside.

Combine panko, wasabi powder, and parsley in a shallow dish.

Coat steaks generously with cooking spray, and dredge in panko mixture. Coat steaks again with cooking spray; dredge in panko mixture.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness, adding remaining 11/2 teaspoons oil to pan when you turn steaks. Drizzle steaks with soy sauce mixture. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 1 teaspoon sauce).

Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 237 (21% from fat), Fat: 5.5g, Saturated Fat: 0.8g, Sodium: 292mg, Dietary Fiber: 0.3g, Carbs: 5.5g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Protein: 38.7g, Iron 2.3 mg, Calc 52 mg POINTS: 5

Sesame Sugar Snap Peas
From "WW Five ingredient 15 minute Cookbook" Winter 2008

1 tsp dark sesame oil
cooking spray
2 (8 oz) package frozen sugar snap peas
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp minced, peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp cornstarch

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add peas and water chestnuts; saute 4 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender.

Combine soy sauce and next 3 ingredients, stirring until smooth. Add to vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size 3/4 cup).

Per serving: Cal 81; (12% from fat); fat 1.1g (sat 0.2g); Pro 2.8g; carb 16g, Fib 3.6g; chol 0mg; iron 1.4mg; sod 369mg; calc 51mg POINTS 1

Cheesecake-y yogurt

2009-01-04T08:33:00.002-05:00

I made some no-bake cheesecake filling a few weeks ago. It's still good (I keep it way back in the cold corner of the fridge, I'm surprised it hasn't frozen actually). I don't eat it all that often since it's still doesn't have much in terms of redeeming healthy nutritional qualities. That and the fact that I can't eat a lot of Cool-Whip without problems, which gives me a good reason to limit how much I eat in the first place. Anyway. This morning I decided to see how it would be if I threw a small dollop into my FF plain greek yogurt instead of using honey. Yummy! It kinda cuts the sweetness of the cheesecake filling, and then makes me feel like I'm eating a cheesecake for breakfast too. :) I usually just spread some of the filling on graham crackers (which I'm out of) and have it with an apple or something. I'm thinking of adding a bit of cocoa next time for a bit of chocolate cheesecake taste.

The recipe:

No-Bake Cheesecake

1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
8 oz softened cream cheese (I used the Neufchatel, generic)
8 oz Cool-Whip, thawed (I used Fat-free generic)

With mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, then Cool-Whip until all ingredients are completely blended. Will fit back into Cool-Whip container. [I guess-timated that it was 25 servings for the WW Recipe Builder and it came out 1 Point. That is going on the fact that it took up as much room as the Cool-Whip did. The Cool Whip container holds 8 oz and has 2 Tbsp for a serving size, with 25 servings per container.)

If you'd like you can put mixture in a 6 oz graham cracker crust. You can also top with 21 oz fruit filling and chill.

Dinner last night ended up being what I'll call Shepherd's Pie, but technically it wasn't since I used ground turkey. Not sure what it's called since a Shepherd's pie has lamb, and a Cottage pie has ground beef but I'm not sure what you'd call it when it has ground turkey. Tonight I'll make a cheese pizza I think. I have a bunch of different cheeses that I bought: RF blue, RF feta, shredded Swiss, RF cheddar, Parmesan. And I do think I might have some prosciutto somewhere too.

I picked up the January Southern Living the other day because I had started to read it while at my mom's a few weeks ago. In their Healthy Living section they had an article where the writer had cone to the Cooper Wellness program and had culled some of the stuff she had learned from her 6 days there into 10 steps. The article can be seen here: http://www.southernliving.com/healthy-living/fitness/10-resolutions-00400000037592/
The first one really struck me for some reason:
1. Change Your Mind

The Cooper program spends a lot of time excuse-busting. Get over all those preconceived notions you have about yourself. Write down every reason you have not to work out or eat healthfully. Then consider a solution for each problem. Give your body and mind the same consideration you give your automobile. Your workouts maintain the most important vehicle you will ever own. How far this body takes you is largely based on your choices. “Don’t die of something stupid,” Dr. Cooper says. “You are beautifully and wonderfully made.”

Nothing to see here, move along...

2009-01-02T22:37:00.003-05:00

Yeah, pretty boring day, all things considered.

I had posted a few books to PaperBackSwap.com before New Years and most of them were actually requested. I ran out of mailing tape as I was fixing the mailing label on the last one, so before I could actually mail them all out (9 of them), I had to get more mailing tape. I headed into town. It had just started to spit a bit of snow, and I noticed that although it wasn't really sticking, there were a few spots on the road that it was.

I also realized last night that I had forgotten to get a new linen calendar. I grew up with my mom using them to cover her electric box (can't think of the proper name right now, when the fuse blows, you have to flip the switch back), until she cross-stitched a Pat Moss picture and framed it and mounted it on a swing-hinge with a magnet on the other side. Anyway, it's not the perfect cover, since it doesn't totally cover it and you know it's there- but it works. And I get a new kitchen towel at the end of the year out of it. Plus it's something that reminds me of my childhood everytime I see it. I'm lucky that I can still find them I guess too, Ben Franklin Crafts still sells them. Staples is in the same shopping center as Ben Franklin's. I would have thought they would be on sale, but no luck. Course watch them go on sale today - I'm not sure when their sales run, but I think they start on Saturdays. Either way at least they aren't expensive - $5.99.

When I finished at Ben Franklin's and Staples it was snowing pretty nice flakes, and once more, they weren't sticking. I taped the mailing label on the package and figured that while I was in town I would stop by Whole Foods really quickly and check out their sausages. Fridays are usually pizza night at Chez JJ and I didn't really have a plan as to what kind of pizza we were having yet. I must admit, nothing really grabbed me. Not that WF didn't have anything yummy - I just didn't see anything that I really wanted. I had bought a bunch of different cheeses and I think that I was pretty much ok with that and some onions and didn't see anything that swayed me from that. Although I did see some British-style banger sausages that we'll have to try sometime. By the time I go out of WF, it was more snow/freezing rain mixture.

I headed back towards home and to the post office. I stopped at the closest one, Oilville, and the window didn't open until 11:30, so I headed to my normal one - Gum Springs. By that time the freezing rain had changed over to regular rain. By the time I got home it was just lightly sprinkling, and the sun was out not soon afterwards. So much for winter so far. It's cold and that's about it, but at least I didn't have to worry about driving in horrible conditions.

We ended up not having pizza after all last night, hubby got home late. We had leftover Hot & Sour Soup. Depending on what happens, we're either having it tonight or Shepherd's Pie, we'll have to see. Not a big deal either way.

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-01T19:48:00.003-05:00

I know, not too many posts here these past few weeks. Sorry about that, but I haven't really been menu planning. With the holiday feasts, I haven't been really cooking (except the Luau Christmas Day) so I'm just using what we've had either leftover-wise or pantry-wise instead. It's pretty much a seat-of-my-pants thing.

I don't really do resolutions. I'm going to keep on trying to eat healthier and all that stuff that I've been doing so far. I am going to try to at least write what I'm eating better than I have been doing (Weight Watchers wise). I gave myself a break for the week of Christmas and this week (once more, WW week wise - I weigh in on Tuesdays). This is something that I normally do, and I've been doing it for years now. I write and really pay attention to what I'm eating before Thanksgiving (a lot of times before that depends on how focused I've been.) I don't go totally crazy and eat anything that doesn't move, but I just don't stress either. I pretty much make sure that what I eat is totally worth it. It just works a lot better for me mentally - keeps me out of that "diet" mentality. I gain a few pounds these two weeks, and it's usually not a big gain. But you know what, it's not really a big thing. As long as I go in prepared for it, I'm ok with it.

I figured out what to do with those flavored Coffeemate creamers that I don't like in coffee. So far it's been a Chai and an Eggnog. I make French Toast with them. use them in place of the milk. Points-wise it's not too bad (it would be better if I used Egg substitute or egg whites). This is what I did today:

French Toast (with flavored creamer)

1 2/3 c Eggnog flavored creamer (that was how much was left)
1/3 c fat-free half and half
4 eggs
16 slices Martin's Whole Wheat Potato Bread (1 loaf)

It ended up being 3 points per slice (if I used a whole bottle (2 cups) it would be 4 points per slice)

For dinner we had Hoppin' John and Collards. I added the last of the leftover ham (and Janet's beer sauce) to the collards and some sherry vinegar to the collards.

Collards
recipe adapted from the bag of collards

14 oz reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 shallots or 1/2 cup onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb chopped collards

Bring everything but collards to a boil. Add collards and cover, turning heat to medium let simmer for 20 minutes or until collards are as tender as you like.

Hoppin John
From WW "Great Cooking Every Day" (with the CIA)

In the Southeastern United States, Hoppin' John is a traditional New Year's Day dish said to bring good luck in the coming year. For a Southern feast, pair this dish with grilled ham steaks or baked catfish, sauteed or braised greens, such as Southern-stye Kale (p 249), and Country Corn Bread (p 292). Add a dash of vinegar to the greens just before serving, or pass it on the side.
Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup fresh or dried black-eyed peas
1 bacon slice, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 crushed red pepper (or to taste)
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig, or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot pepper sauce

Place the black-eyed peas in a pot and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until the peas are just tender. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until the peas are just tender, about 12 minutes for fresh black-eyed peas, or 1 hour for dried peas. Add more water as necessary to keep the peas submerged during cooking. Drain the peas and reserve.

Cook the bacon in a separate saucepan, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.

Pour off all but enough bacon fat to lightly coat the pan. Add the onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Saute until the onion turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and bell pepper to the pan and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the black-eyed peas, bay leaf, and thyme, and thyme. Cover tightly and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, 18-20 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig, fluff with a fork, and gently fold in the bacon. Season, if necessary, with the salt and pepper. Serve with the pepper sauce.

Chef's tips: You can also use canned black-eyed peas, but it is not necessary to cook them spearately in advance. Just drain and rinse them first, then add the peas to the rice during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

To make this dish vegetarian, replace the bacon with 1-2 teaspoons of olive or peanut oil, increase the garlic to 3 cloves, and use vegetable broth or water to replace the chicken broth.

4 POINTS per serving. Per Serving: 238 Calories, 2 g Total fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 3 mg Chol, 221 mg Sod, 45 g Tot Carb, 4 g Dietary Fib, 10 g Prot, 51 mg Calc.

On the Fly Menu for the Week

2008-12-24T12:15:00.001-05:00

I didn't post my menu on Monday only because I wasn't sure what our week was going to be like this week. It pretty much kept changing, and every time I thought it was settled, it would change again. The only thing I have planned is what we are eating on Christmas Day, but even that was up in the air for a bit. *sigh* Any, all this to say, the only menu I really have this week - Christmas Day. Hubby and I are going to do a luau (we want a Tiki-style but I don't want to do fried stuff, so luau is a lot healthier and still fits with the tiki theme). We both like Tiki-style music and the podcasts that he downloads have Tiki-style Christmas music for us to listen to. I went with Cooking Light recipes this year, only because it was easier to calculate the points and such. I was unable to find the taro (I can sometimes find it at Kroger and I was hoping Whole Foods might have some), but although there were labels, all that was on the shelf was yuca. Granted, I only hit two stores - so I didn't search that many stores. I'm going to leave the recipe in my list, because I do want to try it at some point. I bought some Hawaiian Red Salt at Kroger quite a while ago when it was on clearance, so I'm using that on the Kahlua pork (I actually sprinkled it on while cooking instead of putting it on at the end). And I will probably use that as the salt for finishing for most of the meals too (it's red because of the clay there and is supposed to give some "flavor" too). We're going to have leftovers, but that's ok. :)

Last Sunday was a lot of fun. We went to a wine tasting (informal) at Mike's Mom's house (of Mike and Jennifer). A bunch of people had canceled the night before, so we only had 2 bottles of red and 2 bottles of white, but my liver was fine with that. :D Sandy (Mike's Mom) had a great dip that I hadn't had before. She called it Shepherd's Dip and had been making it for ages. It was a an equal amount of sour cream and mayo. Then what my family called chipped beef (we couldn't get chipped beef in our grocery store growing up so that was what we used for SOS) but is just that cheap packaged sliced lunch meat (Land of Frost or Carl Budding) that was diced. Then sliced black olives, sliced green onions (green and white parts) and seasoning salt were added. It was chilled overnight. A round loaf of bread was hollowed out and it was placed in the loaf with the innards used to dip into it. When I did an online search I found some dips like it, using Beau Monde Seasoning which McCormick's had stopped making for a while (it's a seasoning salt/celery salt- like combination) and no olives. But, I liked the olives in it - course we like olives in this house (I'm lookin' at you Mary! *wink*). I got to see a lot of people that we hadn't see since Mike and Jennifer got married. I also got to learn how to play Rummikub (I think that's how it's spelled). It's basically Rummy (the card game) with tiles. I enjoyed it, and it's been a long time since I've played Rummy (I haven't played it since college). Might have to think about buying the game although Jennifer's quite the shark at that game. ;)

Monday: FFY
Tuesday: Leftover Minestrone with Pasta (5 points) with Grilled cheese (Martin's Whole Wheat potato bread, part skim mozzarella cheese slices, pesto and tomato paste)
Wednesday: No idea - I'll figure it out in a bit I've got some mushrooms to use maybe a mushroom soup.
Thursday: Luau
Friday: Leftovers or Pizza night depending
Sat: Christmas Dinner at my sisters

Waimea Fried Rice

4 cups water
1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons thinly sliced lemon grass or 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
4 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 cup chopped pineapple
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried mint
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain well; place rice in a shallow dish, and chill 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lemon grass, garlic, and jalapeño; sauté 30 seconds. Add celery, bell pepper, and ginger; sauté 30 seconds. Add rice, and cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Stir in pineapple and remaining ingredients.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
CALORIES 158 (19% from fat); FAT 3.4g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.3g,poly 1.3g); IRON 0.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 18mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.3g; SODIUM 327mg; PROTEIN 3.1g; FIBER 1.9g

Cooking Light, MAY 1998

Tuna Poke
Be sure to use sushi-grade tuna for this fish salad because the fish is raw and isn't "cooked" with citrus juice, as in seviche.

1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 pound sushi-grade tuna, cut into (1/2-inch) cubes
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) diagonally cut slices peeled cucumber

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium glass bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours. Serve tuna mixture over cucumber.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/4 cup tuna and 1/2 cup cucumber)

CALORIES 94 (28% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.9g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 26mg; CALCIUM 19mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.4g; SODIUM 157mg; PROTEIN 13.9g; FIBER 0.7g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2005

Poi
Like grits in the American South, poi is a bland side dish that you serve plain and let people season with salt or pepper. Look for taro in the produce department with other tubers, or order from www.melissas.com.

2 quarts plus 1 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/2 pounds taro root, unpeeled

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add taro; cook 40 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool 15 minutes. Peel; discard skin. Roughly chop taro. Place taro and 1 cup water in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.

Yield: 3 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

CALORIES 5 (0.0% from fat); FAT 0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); IRON 0.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1.1g; SODIUM 1mg; PROTEIN 0.4g; FIBER 0.2g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2005

Oven Kalua Pork
This more accessible version of the classic slow-roasted pig enjoyed at luaus is cooked as a roast in a regular oven. It is typical to stir any reserved meat juice into the shredded pork. If you do, we recommend that you skim the fat first. Place a heavy-duty plastic bag into a measuring cup; pour collected juices into the bag. Let stand 10 minutes or until fat rises to the top. Using kitchen shears, snip a small portion of one bottom corner of the bag, and pour the juices over shredded pork, stopping before you reach the fat layer.

4 1/4 pounds Boston Butt pork roast, trimmed
2 tablespoons Hickory Liquid Smoke
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 275°.

Rub pork with liquid smoke. Wrap pork tightly in foil; place on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 275° for 5 hours. Cool slightly. Remove pork from bone; discard bone. Shred meat with 2 forks. Combine shredded pork and salt in a large bowl, tossing well.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces)
CALORIES 234 (44% from fat); FAT 11.5g (sat 3.9g,mono 5.5g,poly 1.1g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 108mg; CALCIUM 8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.0g; SODIUM 249mg; PROTEIN 30.5g; FIBER 0.0g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2005

Lomi Lomi Salmon
The popular luau dish is named for the Hawaiian words for rub, massage, or knead. Traditionally, the salt is rubbed onto the salmon, and the salmon, onions, and tomato are then massaged together with your hands. We opted for a tidier preparation. Soaking the diced white onion mellows the flavor by taming its sharp bite.

1/4 cup coarse sea salt
8 ounces salmon fillet
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 cup diced tomato
16 iceberg lettuce leaves

Place salt and fish in a large zip-top plastic bag; shake bag to coat fish evenly. Chill 8 hours or overnight.

Remove fish from bag; rinse well. Soak fish in ice water 2 hours, changing water every 30 minutes. Drain well. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Dice fish; place in a large bowl. Set aside.

Soak white onion in ice water 15 minutes. Drain well. Add diced onion, green onions, and diced tomato to fish; toss gently to combine. Spoon about 3 tablespoons fish mixture into each lettuce leaf.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 4 filled lettuce leaves)
CALORIES 113 (37% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.9g,poly 1.2g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 29mg; CALCIUM 24mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.1g; SODIUM 467mg; PROTEIN 13g; FIBER 0.9g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005

Chicken Char Siu
Brought by Chinese immigrants to Hawaii, this dish is typically made with baby back ribs. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are a tender and tasty substitute with less fat.

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 18 strips
Cooking spray

Combine all ingredients except the cooking spray; marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat broiler.

Thread 1 chicken strip onto each of 18 (6-inch) skewers, reserving marinade. Place skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes. Turn skewers over; baste with reserved marinade. Broil 6 minutes or until done.

Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 2 skewers)
CALORIES 108 (26% from fat); FAT 3.1g (sat 0.8g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.8g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 63mg; CALCIUM 10mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.1g; SODIUM 241mg; PROTEIN 15.2g; FIBER 0.1g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005

Tropical Pineapple-Apple Crisp

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
7 cups sliced peeled Rome apple (about 3 pounds)
1 (8-ounce) can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
1/3 cup diced dried tropical fruit (such as Mariani)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine the flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Add nuts; toss well.

Combine the apple and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 9 servings
CALORIES 208 (31% from fat); FAT 7.2g (sat 3g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 14mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.1g; SODIUM 46mg; PROTEIN 1.2g; FIBER 2.4g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2000

Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-15T09:29:00.002-05:00

MENU
Monday: Vegetable Minestrone with Pasta WW Momentum p 233 (5 POINTS)

Tuesday: Capellini with Spicy Red Clam Sauce WW Pantry to Plate p 27 (5 POINTS)

Wednesday: Anticuchos (6 POINTS)

Thursday: Wild Mushroom Soup WW Turnaround Program p 39 (2 POINTS)

Friday: Calzones WW New Complete Cookbook p 312 (5 POINTS)

Saturday: Beer Braised Bratwurst and Onions (9 POINTS – cut points by cutting down on oil and I calculated using turkey brats 19 1/2 oz)

Sunday: Wine Tasting

For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2008/12/menu-plan-monday-dec-15th.html

SHOPPING LIST
PRODUCE:
2 lbs carrots
3 lbs onions
1 bunch celery
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1/2 pound green beans
1 head garlic
3 shallots
1/2 pound fresh white mushrooms
1/2 pound fresh cremini mushrooms
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 bunch parsley

CONDIMENTS:
olive oil
1 cup red wine vinegar

CANNED GOODS:
15 1/2 oz can chickpeas
14 1/2 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 (6 1/2 oz) cans chopped clams
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk

DRY GOODS:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat spirals or other tube pasta
6 oz capellini
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour

SPICES:
salt
black pepper
dried oregano
dried thyme
dried marjoram
bay leaf
crushed red pepper
ground cumin

MEAT:
1 cow heart, about 2 pounds
2 pounds bratwurst

FREEZER CASE:
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach

DAIRY CASE:
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg

REFRIGERATOR CASE:
12 ounces dark German beer
1/4 cup ají Panca (Peruvian pepper puree)

Vegetable Minestrone with Pasta
Serves 6
From WW Momentum Cookbook

15 1/2 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
14 1/2 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions, diced
2 celery stalks, with leaves, sliced
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 small yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
7 cups water
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat spirals or other tube pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley

Combine all the ingredients except the pasta and basil in a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until the vegetable are fork-tender, 4-5 hours on High or 8-10 hours on low.

About 30 minutes before cooking time is up, cook the macaroni according to the package directions, omitting the salt if desired. Stir the pasta and basil into the soup.

Per serving (about 2 cups): 247 Cal, 2 g Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 G Tras Fat, 0 mg Chol, 408 mg Sod, 50 g Carb, 9 g Fiber, 12 g Prot, 111 mg Calc. POINTS 4

FILLING EXTRA: Add 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced, to the soup at the same time as the other vegetables. This will increase the per-serving POINTS value by 1. This recipe works with the SIMPLY FILLING technique.

Capellini with Spicy Red Clam Sauce
Serves 4
From WW Pantry to Plate

6 oz capellini
2 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 (6 1/2 oz) cans chopped clams, drained, liquid reserved
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Chopped parsley

Cook the capellini according to package directions, omitting the salt if desired; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the clams with 1/2 cup of their liquid and the tomatoes, oregano, thyme and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens, about 7 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.

Per serving (1 1/4 cups): 287 Cal, 4 g Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 29 mg Chol, 533 mg Sod, 44 g Carb, 4 g Fib, 18 g Prot, 126 mg Calc. POINTS 5
MAKE IT CORE: Use any whole-wheat pasta in place of the capellini

Anticuchos (Peruvian Grilled Beef Heart)
Serves 4 people. (Can use beef steak cut into slices, this tastes a lot like fajita meat) You can find the pepper puree in most Mexican stores. If you live in an area with a large Peruvian community, you may be able to buy whole or ground aji amarillo. If not, use hot paprika in its place, or Spanish smoked paprika, which you can find at www.tienda.com. I've also subbed jalapenos and chilies and even Tabasco – just tasting to make it the heat that I wanted it.

1 cow heart, about 2 pounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup ají Panca (Peruvian pepper puree)
2 tablespoons dry oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup red wine vinegar

Soak 4 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.

Carefully trim off the fat and silverskin from the cow heart. On a slight diagonal, cut the cow heart into horizontal slices about 1/2-inch thick.

Crush the oregano between your fingers (this will wake up the flavor). With a whisk, combine the garlic, aji, oregano, cumin, pepper and vinegar. Immerse the meat in the marinade and refrigerate 2-8 hours.

Skewer the cow heart, about four pieces to each skewer. Heat a grill pan over high heat until smoking hot. Season the skewers with salt.

Sear on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Baste the meat with the marinade and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Serve with a light herb sauce and boiled potatoes or grilled corn.

Wild Mushroom Soup
Makes 4 servings
From WW Turnaround Program Cookbook

White and cremini mushrooms pair up in this silky, soothingly rich soup. If you want an even more pronounced mushroom flavor, soak 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a sieve, rinse with cold water, and then add to the fresh mushrooms in step 1.

1/2 pound fresh white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine 3 cups of the mushrooms with 1 1/2 cups of the broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor; puree then return to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick saucepan with canola oil nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable mixture to the mushroom puree in the saucepan, along with the milk and remaining 1 1/2 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the parsley, thyme, marjoram, and pepper; simmer 5 minutes.

Per serving (1 1/4 cups): 131 cal, 1 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 3 mg chol, 571 mg sod, 23 g carb, 3 g fib, 12 g prot, 232 mg calc. POINTS 2

TIP Always clean mushrooms just before using, but never immerse them in water, as they are highly absorbent and apt to becoming mushy. Instead, rinse them under cold water and blot dry with paper towels. Or simply wipe them off with a damp paper towel. If you don't mind spending a little extra money, you can use 1 pound cremini mushrooms.

Beer Braised Bratwurst and Onions
Browning the bratwurst prior to combining them with the onions and beer gives them a deeper flavor; you can likewise grill them with similar results.
Serves 4-6

2 pounds bratwurst
5 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced onions
12 ounces dark German beer
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the bratwurst in the skillet and cook, turning frequently, until the sausage is lightly browned. Transfer the bratwurst from the skillet to a platter and set aside.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion slices and sauté gently until they are translucent but not browned.

Pour the beer into the skillet with the onions. Stir, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, then add the bay leaf and the black pepper. Bring the beer to a light boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover the skillet and allow the beer and onions to cook for about 15 minutes to marry the flavors.

Add the bratwurst to the skillet, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and serve.

Calzones

Calzones, originally from Naples. Are stuffed pizzas. Although they are traditionally filled with heavy cheese, our lightened spinach-and-cheese version keeps all the great flavor of the original.
Makes 6 servings
From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm (105-115 F) water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup thawed, frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine 1 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsps of the flour and 1/4 tsp of the salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of lukewarm water through the feed tube just until the dough forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and elastic, about 30 times.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it double in volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in small nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the shallots and garlic until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the spinach; cook about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in the ricotta, feta, egg, mint, oregano, the remaining 3/4 tsp of salt and the pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400F; spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle a work surface with the remaining 2 Tbsp of flour. Turn out the dough; divide into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle. Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on one side of each circle, then dampen all around the edge; fold over and press with a wet thumb to seal. Transfer the calzones to the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 -25 minutes.

Per serving (1 calzone): 231 Cal, 7 g Fat, 3 g Sat Fat, 0 g Tras Fat, 51 mg chol, 529 mg Sod, 33g Carb, 1 g Fib, 10 g Prot, 160 mg Calc POINTS 5

Weekend Doin's and Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-08T08:17:00.003-05:00

This weekend was pretty relaxing - which was good since hubby and were pretty tired. Saturday day we tried to catch up on our sleep it seemed - although Miko once again woke me up really early so hubby slept late and I was up really early *sigh*. Oh well. I spent most of the day drinking tea, 1 1/2 liters worth. WHEW! When I took Miko out for her afternoon "constitutional" it was starting to snow just a bit, and by snow I mean barely. This was around 3 I think it was. We left a little after 5 to head into Richmond and were surprised to see the ground covered with a thin film of snow and it was snowing harder. It was tiny flakes, so we knew it pretty much wouldn't amount to much (the bigger the flakes the more snow we get usually). It was really pretty, and I must admit, I was excited. It got lighter the closer we got to Richmond (our destination was the West End, to FiL's).

We had dinner with FiL, SMiL and we got to meet one of her sons, Snoogy (I think I spelled that right). He was a trip! They are from the Philippines, so he was taking pictures of the snow, since he really hasn't seen it there. It's a shame it wasn't heavier, since it wasn't sticking there. He's a nurse and is hoping to get a job at MCV and move here. He said it seemed that his interviews went well and he was hoping to hear something before he had to go back on Tuesday. He said that it sounded like they were going to try to get a provisional Visa (I can't remember what they called it) so that he can work here sooner than the was planning on (he was originally thinking he had to wait a year or more for the work visa). His mom just recently became a citizen, and I didn't realize that it now takes about 16 years to become one. She was saying that she could have helped him to become one, but then he would have had trouble getting married (for a few years at least) and since he's 31 she didn't want to do that to him right now. We went to eat at Angela's on Forest Rd in the Tuckernuck Shopping Center. It was really good, and while we were there, the line was out the door a few times. It was kind of funny, because if you compare it to some of the restaurants in New York it sat about the same amount of people (without the outdoor seating which most NY places have) but there was more room between the tables (something that New York doesn't have). Angela's is a small, unassuming place from the outside. Set between an Ace Hardware and a 7-11, you don't expect to walk into a white tablecloth restaurant. They didn't offer pizza on the weekends for the sit-down but they do have a brisk take-out business and I gather it's offered then. If you go, the servings are HUGE. Seriously, the plates are probably 11-12" around, they look more like chargers. Usually we're pretty good to each get something different, but this time we didn't. And this time most of us went with the specials too. Snoggy and I both went for the Spinach, Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Stuffed Rib-eye (it was 14 oz!!!), it was drizzled with olive oil and had a crunch of salt (I'm gathering sea salt since I couldn't see any off hand). I had mine served on sliced tomatoes and he had his on garlic smashed potatoes. SMiL got a Seafood dish (I think it was a mixed, but I know it had scallops, I think it had the name Diane in it. I can't remember if it was a wine sauce or marinara). Hubby and FiL got a Spinach stuffed ravioli (2 each that were 6 oz each) that were topped with crab meat and a spicy blue cheese sauce. I had a bite of hubby's (I was going to order it but since they were going to went with what I ordered, so that's why I remember it so well), and it was wonderful too! All the entrees came with salads and bread. That was the only problem with my meal, I had asked for blue cheese and got ranch, something I'm not a fan of. They were busy, and it's not like I really needed the extra calories anyway, so I ate a bit of it and waited for the main course. And no, I did not finish my entree.

We headed back to FiL's and talked for quite a while. I was one of the few that had left room for some apple crumble topped pie. It had WV apples (they brought them back from their Thanksgiving trip to his sister's home) and was yummy! (Course I could be a bit biased. ;) We got home really late, good thing we had fed and "watered" Miko before we left! We fed and let her out once more and headed to bed. She let me sleep in until 7!!! :)

We didn't go to MiL's since she still wasn't feeling well, so it was a day of catching up on stuff around the house and lazying about. Not too much to report there.

Oh, and my sister sent me her Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, and it is different from my SiL's (besides the nuts used):

Kelly's Sweet Potato Casserole

1 large can sweet potato (40 oz)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Topping:
1 cup corn flakes - mashed
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter - melt

Drain and mash the sweet potato, add sugar, beaten eggs, soften butter, salt, milk and nutmeg.
Bake at 400 for 30 mins

Topping: Mix together and bake 5 to 10 more mins

My menu plan for this week (recipes below)

Monday: Lasagna (using the leftover Manicotti filling I froze from a few weeks ago)
Tuesday: Greek Lemon Chicken (from Fix-It-and-Forget It Lightly)
Wednesday: Cabbage Beef Soup
Thursday: Kushary
Friday: Pizza (not sure what type I'll make yet - recipe for dough elsewhere on site many times - if you can't find just email me)

For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie

New World Easy Lasagne
Developed and Tested by the San Giorgio Kitchens
Ready in a flash, there's no need to pre-cook the lasagne noodles in this crowd-pleasing dish. [This is the one I usually make subbing veggies/spinach/meat as I want.]

9 pieces (8 oz.) SAN GIORGIO Lasagne, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
3 cups (about 26-oz. jar) spaghetti sauce
1-1/2 cups water
1-3/4 cups (15-oz. container) ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350°F.
In 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, brown meat; drain. Add spaghetti sauce and water; simmer about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, one-half mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.
Pour about 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
Arrange 3 UNCOOKED pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce; cover with about 1 cup sauce.
Spread one-half cheese filling over sauce.
Repeat layers of lasagne, sauce and cheese filling.
Top with layer of lasagne and remaining sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil.
Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake additional 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
10-12 servings.

Greek Chicken (Crockpot)
“Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly” -Judy Govotsus Monrovia, MD
Makes 8 Servings. (Ideal slow-cooker size: 6-quart)

4-6 potatoes, quartered
3 lbs chicken pieces, skin removed
2 large onions, quartered
1 whole bulb garlic, minced
1/2 cup water (or lemon juice)
3 tsp dried oregano (or Greek Seasoning)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

Place potatoes in bottom of slow cooker. Add chicken, onions, and garlic. In small bowl mix water with oregano salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken and potatoes. Top with oil. Cover. Cook on High 5-6 hours or on Low 9-10 hours.

Per serving: 430 calories (70 calories from fat), 8g total fat (2g sat fat, 0g trans), 145 mg cholesterol, 430 mg sod, 31 g total carb (4 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 56g protein, 30% DV Vit C, 6%DV Calc, 20%DV iron.

Cabbage Beef Soup
Serving Size: 6

1/2 small cabbage head, shredded
1 large onion, chopped
5 1/2 cups tomato juice
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
3 black peppercorns
4 allspice berries
1 pound extra lean ground beef
2 tablespoons dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine cabbage, onion, tomato juice, and beef broth. Bring to a boil.

Add molasses, Worcestershire sauce, salt, bay leaf, pepper and allspice. Crumble in ground beef, dill and garlic powder. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve hot.

Source: The Book of Regional American Cooking: Heartland

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 296 Calories; 14g Fat (39.7% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 52mg Cholesterol; 2065mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Kushary
Remember that kushary is a very simple working-class meal; there is nothing elegant to it, and you may wish to make and eat it for the same reason an Egyptian would--it’s satisfying, filling, and healthy.
You will be able to do steps 1, 2 and 3 at the same time if you are well organized. An easy way to serve kushary to a group of people is to leave the pasta in its colander from draining and rest it over a simmering pot of water. Place the mixing bowl of rice and lentils over another simmering pot of water to keep warm. Leave the tomato sauce in the saucepan you cooked it in and leave the onions in the skillet. Serve by spooning the cooked macaroni in a bowl and then spoon the rice and lentils on top. Spoon a quarter of the tomato sauce on top of the rice and then some onions. Serve the remaining sauce on the side. Eat with a spoon.

Yield: Makes 6 servings
From CliffordAWright.com

4 large onions, peeled
Salt
1/2 cup brown lentils, picked over (should yield 1 cup cooked lentils)
3 cups water
7 tablespoons samna (clarified butter) or 2 tablespoons samna and 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups raw long-grain rice, well rinsed or soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups mixed dry pasta (see Note below)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups hot Egyptian-style tomato sauce (dim’a musabika)

Slice the onions from the stem end into very thin slices, less than 1/16th inch. Arrange the onion slices on some paper towels, sprinkle generously with salt, and leave for 30 minutes covered with paper towels to absorb moisture.

Wash the lentils under running water. Put them in a medium-size heavy saucepan, add 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are al dente, anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour. Check the lentils occasionally so they are not overcooked, since lentil cooking times differ; they should be ever so slightly hard, not completely soft. Add some water to the pot if it is drying out and the lentils are not yet cooked. Drain and reserve the lentils.

In another large, heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the samna over medium-high heat, then cook the rice for 2 minutes, stirring continuously to coat all the grains, then add the remaining 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover while the rice cooks until the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid or stir while the rice cooks.

While the lentils and rice are cooking, prepare the onions. In a large skillet, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons samna or heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion slices and coat with the samna or oil. Continue turning the onions as they turn from white to yellow to brown. Once they turn brown, 10 to 20 minutes, continue to cook until some turn dark brown, another 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the burner and quickly transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined platter to cool and drain. Once they are cool, they will have become crispy.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of abundantly salted water to a vigorous boil and add the pasta. Cook until soft (not al dente) and drain well. Mix together the rice and lentils in a large metal (preferably) bowl with a pinch of black pepper, tossing gently with a fork. Serve according to the instructions above.

Note: Half the dry pasta should be short macaroni such as ditalini, tubetti, or small elbow and the other half should be spaghetti broken into 2-inch lengths. The 2 cups dry pasta should yield 4 cups cooked pasta.

Egyptian Stewed Tomato Sauce (Dim'a Musabika)
The Nile delta has been a productive agricultural area feeding Egypt since ancient times. Once the tomato arrived from the New World it became as ubiquitous in Egyptian cooking as it did in all other Mediterranean cooking. So much so, in fact, that among the Bedouins of Egypt’s Western Desert, and throughout Egypt in general, vegetables are always cooked bisalsa, with a tomato-based sauce, such as the ubiquitous dim’a musabika (literally, stewed sauce). This sauce is excellent with kushary, on top of spaghetti, or with any vegetable.
Yield: Makes 4 cups

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
4 cups water
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then cook the onion until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.

Mix the tomato paste and water and add to the onion. Reduce the heat to low while you simmer the tomato sauce for 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and cook until denser, about another 5 minutes.

Just stuff and link to more T-day recipes and pics.

2008-12-06T09:36:00.001-05:00

Well, I am going to guess that hubby and I have missed whatever BiL had, but MiL isn't so lucky. But then again, they were at her place from Thursday thru Sunday so she had a better chance to catch it. I do wonder if hubby and I have been fighting it though, for a day or so hubby's throat was a bit sore, and I've been way more tired than usual (as he said he's been but not as much). And we've both been a bit congested (with me having allergies it's hard to tell what's allergy and not unless it's full blown). It doesn't really matter in the long run though, we're doing ok really.

I'm on my second mug of hot tea this morning, and I do mean mug. I'm using my Richmond October Fest stein and it holds, according to the imprint, 0.5 L. I imagine I will become one with the bathroom today. :) First mug was Tazo Earl Grey (bagged), it was my first time trying it. Can't say that I liked it. I had bought a sampler box of their teas and this was from that. Even the smell when I opened the package that the bag was in put me off. It tasted ok, but the smell just turned me off. It just smelled like a burned bitter white pith of a rotten orange. I should have just gone with my normal Republic of Tea Double Earl Grey. :( Luckily I've only got one other tea bag sample of that one. And at least it tasted ok - maybe I should save it for when I can't smell. :) Right now I'm drinking a Stash Breakfast tea. It's no Barry's or PG's but it's decent. I like Stash's teas, especially since I can get them in the grocery store. I've got different layers of teas I guess you'd say - some are just drinking teas - ones that are just to drink where I just want something to drink or make iced tea with. Then there's the ones that hubby and I like to make at night in a pot

SiL has posted the recipes that she used when she cooked as well as some pictures here on her blog.

Last night's Hawaiian pizza was really good, I'll have to make it more often. Nothing too special about it really: I'm still using up the canned spicy spaghetti sauce (I think it was Del Monte but I can't remember now), low fat mozzarella cheese, pineapple tidbits (I need to drain them a bit better or put them on paper towels next time) and some diced ham (next time I need to either buy thinner slices or dice it finer it was a bit too chunky but it still worked). I was thinking prosciutto might even be good with it too. I actually ate 4 slices last night! I am usually fine after 2, but I was still hungry (I've gotten really good at listening to my body thanks to the Byetta) and since I didn't eat much for lunch I guess I was still hungry. Hubby and I also had a glass of wine, and it wasn't too much later that we both fell asleep. I guess we can't handle alcohol anymore since we really don't drink it that much. Boy, do we know how to party or what?

Miko wasn't too happy with me yesterday. I gave her a bath. She really needed one, she was really smelling doggy and it's time for her to get another application of flea meds (we haven't had a week of freezing temps yet that are needed to kill ticks and fleas). She was laying in the sun and I even turned up the heat in the house a bit, so I thought she'd be warm enough, but when I went to check on her she was shivering. :( I went to grab one of Percy's coats and put it on her. Luckily her mom before me used to dress her up so she didn't mind it too bad. I also put her on the couch under a blanket and it wasn't too long before I heard snores. She was under there for a good long while. She still wasn't totally dry (she's got a thick double coat), but it was better. I can't use a hair dryer on her because she hates the motor. After dinner she was finally dry and hubby brushed her out. She was luuuuuving daddy. :) I guess I learned one good thing while working at a Vets - how to bathe dogs. *sigh*

Just stuff and link to more T-day recipes and pics.

2008-12-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

Well, I am going to guess that hubby and I have missed whatever BiL had, but MiL isn't so lucky. But then again, they were at her place from Thursday thru Sunday so she had a better chance to catch it. I do wonder if hubby and I have been fighting it though, for a day or so hubby's throat was a bit sore, and I've been way more tired than usual (as he said he's been but not as much). And we've both been a bit congested (with me having allergies it's hard to tell what's allergy and not unless it's full blown). It doesn't really matter in the long run though, we're doing ok really. I'm on my second mug of hot tea this morning, and I do mean mug. I'm using my Richmond October Fest stein and it holds, according to the imprint, 0.5 L. I imagine I will become one with the bathroom today. :) First mug was Tazo Earl Grey (bagged), it was my first time trying it. Can't say that I liked it. I had bought a sampler box of their teas and this was from that. Even the smell when I opened the package that the bag was in put me off. It tasted ok, but the smell just turned me off. It just smelled like a burned bitter white pith of a rotten orange. I should have just gone with my normal Republic of Tea Double Earl Grey. :( Luckily I've only got one other tea bag sample of that one. And at least it tasted ok - maybe I should save it for when I can't smell. :) Right now I'm drinking a Stash Breakfast tea. It's no Barry's or PG's but it's decent. I like Stash's teas, especially since I can get them in the grocery store. I've got different layers of teas I guess you'd say - some are just drinking teas - ones that are just to drink where I just want something to drink or make iced tea with. Then there's the ones that hubby and I like to make at night in a pot

SiL has posted the recipes that she used when she cooked as well as some pictures here on her blog.

Last night's Hawaiian pizza was really good, I'll have to make it more often. Nothing too special about it really: I'm still using up the canned spicy spaghetti sauce (I think it was Del Monte but I can't remember now), low fat mozzarella cheese, pineapple tidbits (I need to drain them a bit better or put them on paper towels next time) and some diced ham (next time I need to either buy thinner slices or dice it finer it was a bit too chunky but it still worked). I was thinking prosciutto might even be good with it too. I actually ate 4 slices last night! I am usually fine after 2, but I was still hungry (I've gotten really good at listening to my body thanks to the Byetta) and since I didn't eat much for lunch I guess I was still hungry. Hubby and I also had a glass of wine, and it wasn't too much later that we both fell asleep. I guess we can't handle alcohol anymore since we really don't drink it that much. Boy, do we know how to party or what?

Miko wasn't too happy with me yesterday. I gave her a bath. She really needed one, she was really smelling doggy and it's time for her to get another application of flea meds (we haven't had a week of freezing temps yet that are needed to kill ticks and fleas). She was laying in the sun and I even turned up the heat in the house a bit, so I thought she'd be warm enough, but when I went to check on her she was shivering. :( I went to grab one of Percy's coats and put it on her. Luckily her mom before me used to dress her up so she didn't mind it too bad. I also put her on the couch under a blanket and it wasn't too long before I heard snores. She was under there for a good long while. She still wasn't totally dry (she's got a thick double coat), but it was better. I can't use a hair dryer on her because she hates the motor. After dinner she was finally dry and hubby brushed her out. She was luuuuuving daddy. :) I guess I learned one good thing while working at a Vets - how to bathe dogs. *sigh*

Thanksgiving #2 & Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-01T09:56:00.002-05:00

Our trip back to my sister's home, and Thanksgiving #2 went well. BJ was happy to have the weekend off, since usually he has to work (and instead has to work the weekend of Christmas). The sad point was that usually my cousins come, but this year were unable to make it. We still had a pretty full house: BJ's mom (his step-dad had to work), his brother and his new wife, his dad and stepmother. My mom and step dad and then my niece and nephew. Cade stuck to hubby like crazy. I had to ask if John was going to sleep with me or with Cade- and Cade wanted John to sleep on his trundle bed. :) It's a good thing I took my DS - Cade has his own, but he played mine most of the time we were there since I have a card that has a few games on it that we couldn't get to work in his. My sister and BiL now have a few game titles that he likes. BJ got a new flat screen tv (as far as I could tell it matched the one in the living room) so they mounted it on the wall in the "game room" and his brother got their old tv which made them happy. Layton wasn't so happy, she knew how to work that tv and didn't like not knowing how to use the new one to watch her DVDs. She threw quite a fit when they took the old tv with them as they left. Before dinner, she also had to change outfits four times *sigh*. I thought Kelly was bad while I was growing up. Kelly was talking about how she's getting the: "You're a mean mommy!" and "You don't love me!" speeches from her kids now, just like she (we) used to give when we were younger. Layton is quite frankly a little Kelly, even going so far as to look like her. It surprises me every time I see her how much she looks like Kelly every time I see her. Cade looks like a mixture of both his mom and dad. We were able to watch Ratatouille and watch part of Wall-E while there too.

Oh, Mary & Adam: Remember how we were talking about local news and how you can tell the difference between small town vs. large city? I told Kelly about your Louisville late-night outside the empty parking lot "Live from the School Bus Depot!" reporting. And then John made sure to mention the fact that most people smile when they say the word smile except for the Charlottesville reporter we saw. Kelly told us about the Harrisonburg reporter on Election Day who must of thought she was in Chicago since she told people to: "Vote early and vote often!"

There was a lot of food, like usual. :) My mom had helped with a Thanksgiving dinner at church, so she had a turkey breast already done since that was her contribution to the dinner so that was what she brought with her. We warmed it by gently steaming it while we prepared the rest of the stuff and that worked really well. She also brought the gravy and stuffing (with some made without onions and celery for my sister). My mom also made some cranberry sauce, she does the one with a whole orange, but I must admit I've never liked that one. And she brought Mr. Keith's favorite thing: oatmeal cookies. :D I think that was the only thing that was actually gone by the end of the evening. Kelly made mashed potatoes (she had BJ peel and cut them - she says the new Ore-Ida's are a god-send for her since she's not allergic to cooked potatoes), sweet potato casserole (basically the same as the one Mary made but Kelly likes her walnuts finer (and Mary might use Pecans I don't remember and I don't eat either) - she made half without nuts. Kelly also bought a Pumpkin cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie (just for me that last one - although I wasn't the only one that ate it) from Costco. I know the apple pie was great, and everyone said the others were too. And the cost wasn't bad either- something I might have to consider if I ever need to. I can be pie crust challenged (warm hands) and if there's going to be a lot of people it would be worth it to buy one of the larger Costco pies and not frustrate myself (the apple was 5.99 I saw). Both of BJ's mom's brought green beans, his step mom also brought something that is common but I'm not sure what it's called: marshmallows, mandarin oranges, walnuts, etc. Not exactly ambrosia since it didn't have coconut - but I guess some people might call it that? His dad also brought deer tenderloin done in an onion gravy that was very good. I brought 2 loaves of bread (1 wheat and 1 white) and the biscotti like I posted earlier. And BJ's SiL brought a really yummy and easy salad:
Laura's Thanksgiving Salad

Dressing:
1/3 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp mustard
1 tsp grated onion
dash salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp poppy seeds
Salad:
1 med bunch of romaine, chopped
1 cup salted cashew halves
4 oz Swiss cheese, grated

Blend vinegar through salt. While processing gradually add 1 cup of vegetable oil. Stir in 1 tsp poppy seeds. Toss with salad.

Not totally WW friendly, but still tasty (Laura did WW awhile back, so Kelly her and I talk about it). Everyone told me I had lost weight, since most of them hadn't seen me for awhile. That felt great! We came home with a little bit of leftovers since John mentioned on Friday that he missed leftovers. I felt bad, but I couldn't see getting any on Thursday since we wouldn't be home this weekend and we were going to be eating another T-day dinner. He understood, but still wanted some. It's not a big thing, the only thing I would have had to buy would have been a turkey breast and I could have given him our own turkey dinner again anyway.

Ok, on to my Menu Plan:
It's got a bit more beef on it than I had originally thought I'd have. I had started to plan it before we left for the weekend. My sister had gotten a cow butchered (she went in with someone else and she had 3/4 of the cow in her freezer). When she does this, I get the parts she doesn't like, mainly the liver, heart, and tongue. She also told me she had some older meat from the last cow that she was going to give me to so we needed to bring an ice chest with us, good thing we don't have much choice between bringing our smaller one or the LARGE one. She filled up the large one AND my little Trader Joes insulated one too (I also kept T-day leftovers in the TJ's one). I still had a chub of ground beef and 2 packages of ground beef patties (not quite burgers but close and not cube steak, they are thinner and fall apart easier). I've pulled those out and have planned to use those 3 older things this week.

Last night when we got home I made Turkey Noodle Soup. I had cooked the turkey bones from Thurs on Friday in the crockpot and had 12 cups of broth and some meat. I used 4 cups broth and I added some frozen CA veggies, some leftover corn (it was about 1/2 cup) from a dinner side last week and egg noodles.

Monday (tonight): T-day leftovers - Mashed potatoes, Sweet Potato casserole, green beans, sliced turkey, stuffing.
Tuesday: Homemade Nachos (recipe below)
Wednesday: Hamburger Vegetable Soup (recipe below)
Thursday: Keema Mattar (recipe below)
Friday: Homemade Hawaiian Pizza (ham & pineapple)
Saturday: FFY (fend for yourself)
Sunday: Indian Tomato Soup (lunch) (recipe below) Omelets (dinner)

For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Homemade Nachos

6 Large Corn Flour Tortillas or Flour Tortillas
1 pound cooked ground beef, seasoned with taco seasoning
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup ripe olives, sliced
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 container (16 ounces) sour cream (optional)

Slice fresh tortillas into large triangle shapes and bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Layering ingredients on top of tortilla chips in the following order, beginning with seasoned ground beef, chopped onion, salsa, and a small amount of Monterey jack cheese, ending with olives. Heat in oven just until Monterey jack cheese melts. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar cheese, fresh diced tomatoes,and chopped green onion. Top with sour cream if desired Makes 6 servings.

From the Clabber Girl Recipe Book "RECIPES TO WARM THE HEART"

Vegetable Hamburger Soup
From Sharing Our Best: Recipes from Amish Mennonites, Stuarts Draft, VA
Mrs. Paul D. Yoder

1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cup water
1/2 c chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups diced potatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp basil or parsley
1 beef bouillon cube
3 tomatoes or a little juice
salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, brown meat with onions. Add water and remaining ingredients except tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are tender, then add tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes. May add more of other vegetables and juices or water. Should make about a gallon of soup.

Keema Matar (Chopped Meat with Peas)
Adapted from Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery p. 939 AND "Great Curries" by Manisha Kanani"
Serving Size : 4-6

1 tablespoon oil or butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons curry powder (or to taste)
2 green chiles, finely chopped (can use canned)
1 pound extra lean ground beef , or lamb
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon minced ginger – OR 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen peas
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic, curry powder, ginger and chilies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef or lamb and stir fry for about 5 minutes, chopping and turning to break it up. Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, ginger, and salt with water. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the peas and lemon juice. Cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered or until the meat is tender. Serve with naan bread and plain yogurt.

Variation: Substitute for green peas 1/2 cup split peas soaked in 1 cup water. Add peas and water to meat at beginning of cooking, cover, and cook until peas are tender.

Spicy Tomato Soup (Indian) (3 pts)
Seasoned with mild spices, this smooth soup is easy to prepare and appealing year round, served either hot or chilled. Really quick version: use 1 tsp garam masala, dash of Tabasco and 2 cans tomato soup.
Recipe By :Vasantha Prasad
Serving Size :4

3 cups vegetable broth, or water
3 ripe tomatoes, about 1 lb
OR
16 ounces Italian plum tomatoes, whole canned, drained
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For Garnish:
1/2 cup yogurt, skim milk, plain
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Stove-top Method: In a 3 quart saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, salt, and lemon juice. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Off the heat, let the soup stand for 5 minutes.

Microwave Method: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the vegetable broth, tomatoes, onions, garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, salt, and lemon juice. Cook covered on high (100%) for 6 minutes. Stir the contents and cook on high for another 6 to 8 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.

For both methods, follow steps 4 and 5 below:

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a blender, process the mixture to a fine puree. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and allow the soup to simmer for 5 minutes.

Garnish with a spoonful of yogurt and chopped cilantro.

Source: "Indian Vegetarian Cooking from an American Kitchen"

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 193 Calories; 4g Fat (16.2% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 1528mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.

The Remains of the Day

2008-11-28T10:19:00.004-05:00

Well, actually I don't have many - I left most of them at MiL's. I came home with a bit of stuffing and a few bits of the bird to make some broth. We left most of the carcass and the leftovers there. You see, we've got another Thanksgiving Day meal to look forward to on Saturday - and tonight is Homemade pizza night so we don't really have time to eat them. Not to mention the fact that there's 3 people there that CAN eat them. Things went GREAT! Mary and I both said that our part of the cooking was easy - so I think we split the cooking duties great! :) The only thing we need to remember for the next time we do this: Have some appetizers. It's not a real big thing, but some little finger food thingies would be a good idea to nosh on until and after the big meal so we're not stuck with eating dessert all night long afterwards. (OR before hahahaha). Everything was pretty much done ahead of time so the only thing that really needed to be cooked was the turkey. All I did was take a bit of the butter (it was about 1 Tbsp or so) that had been sitting out in a bowl from breakfast or so, mix in some salt-free All-Purpose seasoning (I know it had garlic, oregano, basil, and thyme in it at least) olive oil and some salt and pepper and then I rubbed that under the skin on the meat -and found the bag of innards that was stuffed in the neck (whew! - it's been a while since I've cooked a whole turkey, we got the neck out already). We stuffed the inside with celery, carrots and onions (no lemon in the house or I would have used that too). I rubbed my herby oiled hands on the outside of the turkey, and put it breast-side down on a rack of celery. Then we sprayed the back of the turkey with vegetable cooking spray, sprinkled with salt and pepper and threw it in the oven. Next time we're at MiL's we'll try her convection bake part of her oven, this time we did the normal bake. I've only used it when I worked as a chef and that was a professional oven, not a home oven. We did use it a bit when we were reheating the sides.

John took our Wii there, and Adam is hooked. hehehehe! He's left it there for the weekend. My arm is a bit sore, it's been a while since I've played the sports stuff. I wonder how Adam's feels. It would be a good thing for them, but if they go to China I wonder if they would be able to take it. They would like to get an Ipod so they can put all their CD's on it so they don't have to cart all that over (they hope to be in China for about 5 years or so). Does anyone happen to know how ITunes or Amazon or anything like that works in China or can give any ideas of something different? At this point I can't think of anyone that I know that has traveled there recently, only to Japan, which isn't quite the same.

So what did we have? (I'll post the recipes I have at the end I need to get the others from Mary especially since I should put them in the cookbook):

Herb-Roasted Turkey (11 lbs - it was a good size for 5 3/4 of us ; one is toddler one is gestating)

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes: recipe is adapted from two sources - 30 Day Gourmet and Oregon Live. 3DG for the freezer info with the variations and lower fat and the Oregonian because they had a bit different variation and I used their slow cooker reheat version. I've made it before, and it's mostly what I do anyway, kinda, when I make everyday mashed potatoes when you mix the two. I use cream cheese when I make Cauliflower mashed potatoes (leave out the sour cream). And instead of sour cream I use buttermilk when using mashed potatoes and will sometimes use cream cheese instead of butter if I have some (I don't often use cream cheese so it will go bad if I don't use it in other ways). I of course don't use an egg for Everyday Mashed Potatoes. What I ended up doing is making it the day before only because I had the time - if I didn't I would have made and frozen- and put into my crockpot liner. I used a 5lb bag of Yukon golds (plus 3 extra that I had to use), 1 egg, 8 oz lite cream cheese (I don't have a use for 2 oz), 1 cup lite sour cream, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp salt, 1 Tbsp pepper, 1 oz melted butter drizzled on top when done, no paprika or almonds.

Slow-cooked Green Beans: Mary made these- but this I can give - canned green beans in the crock. We drained and rinsed the beans, added a cup of water and 1 bouillon cube (used beef - I didn't think to bring my ham base- btw if you can get this do! Penzey's sells some but I actually get the Better Than Bouillon brand in the grocery store), turned to high and let cook while the turkey cooked.

Stuffing/Dressing - I just used a package of Pepperidge Farm Country Style CUBED because it's what I grew up with (well the cubed style - I can't find the actual brand I grew up with here). It doesn't matter whether you like cubed or not. ;) I sauteed chopped celery, onions, carrots, garlic and portobello mushrooms until soft, added veggie/chicken broth (reconstituted better than bouillon mix of veggie and chicken) and added stuffing. Threw into casserole dish and put into fridge until needed the next day. Reheated uncovered with rest of sides (I think we did it at 375 (regular/ then 350 convection) until hot. The casserole dish was deep enough that with it being uncovered you could get both crispy and moist stuffing for those that liked it.

Gravy: Since I wasn't sure how much we'd get out of the turkey I went ahead and reconstituted some chicken broth (BTB once more) - 4 cups worth - and added 4 Tbsp cornstarch. I added poultry seasoning and some salt and pepper (I use reduced sodium versions of BTB when I can) and tasted it (it tastes a bit cornstarchy of course but you want to taste the spices). I was mixing it all in a quart canning jar so it was easy to mix and carry. Took that with me- and you'll notice there was no fat in there. There was about a cup or so of "drippings" from the turkey (I didn't add anything to the pan. I drained it off into the pan and added the broth and stirred it until it boiled and thickened. Tasted to see if I needed to adjust the seasonings. Now this was a thin gravy -but that is what I grew up with (probably because it spreads better between a lot of people) I could have added more cornstarch mixed with a bit of cold water or even mixed up a bit of flour with water (or kneaded butter and flour together) and added it to the gravy too.

Bread - I brought two of the loaves of bread (we only ate a bit of one of them) I made the other day there. This is the Split-Top Butter Loaf (I usually call it Buttermilk instead of butter since the butter is brushed on top and I think of the buttermilk used IN it). It's John's favorite bread. I've posted the recipe before, but I'll post it again. I made 4 loaves the other day because 1 of the loaves was for us for dinner that night, well 1/2 of it was, and then I left the loaf from Thanksgiving at MiL's and I am taking the remaining 2 loaves to the remaining Thanksgiving dinner this weekend. I will leave at least 1 of them there, if the second one is cut into it will get left, but if not it will come home for hubby's lunches (my sister is making Jailhouse Rolls too so I imagine it will be coming home).

Sweet Potato Casserole: This is the one with a Pecan/Brown Sugar Topping. Mary made this and I will have to get her recipe.

Cranberry Apple Crisp: Mary also made this and I need to get her recipe

Cappuccino Biscotti: I made two versions. One with nuts went to the first celebration. The second one without nuts is going to our second. My sister has found out she's allergic to peanuts (so far just peanuts) but her son is allergic to peanuts also but has a bit of a reaction to tree nuts too. I am taking a few for her that have walnuts though. I made the second batch with mini chocolate chips instead. Although my sister has also just found out she's allergic to celery, onions, carrots, and soy (including soy lecithin which is in chocolate chips, Pam, and can be one of those "natural or artificial flavor/ingredients"). She already knew she was allergic to shellfish (she LOVES (loved) shrimp), potatoes (she can eat them mashed but can't peel them), and apples/pears (can't eat them raw). She was just tested for a milk allergy too - she cut out milk and started feeling better too - and to replace milk- soy is usually used. And since I'm sensitive to eggs and milk - I use soy to replace those a lot of time so I'll have to keep that in mind. But at least as a family we're not really big nut fans, much less cooked nuts. The big thing - peanut butter- Cade was asking about those peanut butter cookies with a Hershey's kiss on them. I still need to figure out what to do for them. I still haven't played with them. Course now Kelly can't eat them.

Anyway. The other desserts Mary made and I am pretty sure she got the recipes out of Grandmother Sommerville's cookbook (I have a copy) but I want to make sure before I post them (not that they are that secret). They are pumpkin and pecan pies. Hubby was very happy, he had 3 pieces of pie. You see, I don't like pumpkin OR pecan pie so it's not like I make them that often. He was happy to learn that my sister LOVES pumpkin pie and will be getting it this weekend too. I, once more, won't be getting a pie I like. The only time I ever get a pie I like is when we go to his Grandmother Sommerville's house. My two favorite pies: cherry and apple, and the apple has to be homemade; ie not out of a metal can (home canned is fine) the cherry can be. My mom keeps trying to tell me that she made me a cherry pie for Presidents day but very rarely did she. At least I got an apple pie a bit more often around Christmas. I guess I'm a bit bitter. ;)

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
http://www.oregonlive.com Published November 18, 2008
Makes 12 servings
This can be made up to a week in advance. If preparing ahead, place in an ovenproof baking dish, allow to cool slightly, cover and refrigerate.

5 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 15 medium)
6 ounces light cream cheese
1 cup light sour cream
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; mash until there are no lumps. Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, pepper and egg whites; blend well. Spray a 9-by-13-inch casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Add potato mixture. Dot with butter. Cool slightly, cover and refrigerate up to 7 days. Take out of refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered, 40 minutes or until steaming hot in center.

Note: Alternatively, potatoes can be reheated in a slow-cooker. Take potatoes out of refrigerator about 3 1/2 hours before you plan to serve them. Place in slow-cooker. Dot with butter. Cook on low heat for 3 hours, stirring once or twice. They can be held an additional 30 minutes or longer.

PER SERVING: calories: 224 (27% from fat); protein: 6 grams; total fat: 7 grams; saturated fat: 4 grams cholesterol: 21 mg; sodium: 287 mg; carbohydrate: 35 grams; dietary fiber: 3 grams

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (30 Day Gourmet)
Makes 7 cups (serves 14)

5 lbs potatoes
1 egg
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp salt
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds, optional
1 pinch paprika

Cook potatoes. Drain well. Combine potatoes, cream cheese, egg, garlic powder and salt. Mash well by hand or with electric mixer. Spoon into spray-treated or greased 3 quart casserole or 9x13 pan. Drizzle or brush melted butter over potatoes. Sprinkle with almonds and paprika for color if desired. Wrap pan tightly with freezer paper, foil or place dish in a 2 gallon freezer bag. You may also put the potato mixture into a 1 gallon freezer bag adding the melted butter and paprika just before baking. Label and freeze. Thaw completely before serving. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden.

Variations:
Stir in 1/4 cup of crumbled, crisp bacon (regular or turkey) for great flavor.
Potatoes may also be topped with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Nutritional Info: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Per Serving: 227 Calories 10g Fat (38.4% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 243mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Fat.

Nutritional Info: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes - Lite
Replaced the cream cheese with light cream cheese. No bacon or cheese was added.
Per Serving: 207 Calories; 7g Fat (30.2% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 22mg Cholesterol; 286mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.

Nutritional Info: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Bacon
Added 1/4 C. of crumbled bacon to recipe.
Per Serving: 251 Calories; 12g Fat (42.2% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 35mg Cholesterol; 310mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Fat.

Nutritional Info: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Bacon - Lite
Add 1/4 C. of turkey bacon to recipe. Replaced cream cheese with light cream cheese.
Per Serving: 218 Calories; 8g Fat (32.2% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 342mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1-1/2 Fat.

Nutritional Info: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Cheese
Added 1/2 C. of cheddar cheese to recipe.
Per Serving: 243 Calories; 11g Fat (40.8% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 35mg Cholesterol; 268mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Fat.

Nutritional Info: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Cheese - Lite
Added 1/2 C. of low fat cheddar cheese to recipe. Replaced cream cheese with light cream cheese.
Per Serving: 214 Calories; 7g Fat (30.5% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 23mg Cholesterol; 311mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.

Chez JJ Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Make these as healthy (or not) as you want them to be by using varying what you use.
Adapted from http://www.oregonlive.com and 30DayGourmet

Makes 12-14 servings (7 cups)
This can be made up to a week in advance. If preparing ahead, place in an ovenproof baking dish, allow to cool slightly, cover and refrigerate.

5 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 15 medium)
6 -8 ounces light cream cheese
1 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoons onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 egg or 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1-3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup sliced almonds, optional
1 pinch paprika, optional

Cook potatoes in large pot of salted boiling water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well; mash until there are no lumps. Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and egg; blend well. Spoon into spray-treated or greased 3 quart casserole, crockpot liner or 9x13 pan, or you may also put the potato mixture into a 1 gallon freezer bag . Drizzle or brush melted butter over potatoes (unless using a 1 gallon freezer bag - adding the melted butter and paprika just before baking). Sprinkle with almonds and paprika for color if desired.

If not Freezing: Cover and refrigerate up to 7 days. Take out of refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

To Freeze: Wrap pan tightly with freezer paper, foil or place dish in a 2 gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw completely before serving. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered, 40 minutes or until steaming hot in center or bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden.
Alternatively, potatoes can be reheated in a slow-cooker. Take potatoes out of refrigerator about 3 1/2 hours before you plan to serve them. Place in slow-cooker. Dot with butter. Cook on low heat for 3 hours, stirring once or twice. They can be held an additional 30 minutes or longer.

Variations:
Stir in 1/4 cup of crumbled, crisp bacon (regular or turkey) for great flavor.
Potatoes may also be topped with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Cappuccino Biscotti
Source: Cooking Light March, 1995
HU: 1.5
Servings: 30
Posted by: Emily (EJWyatt)
December 14, 2004

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 egg white
Vegetable cooking spray

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coffee granules and hot water in a small bowl. Stir in vanilla and next two ingredients, and add to flour mixture, stirring until well blended.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 16-inch-long roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and flatten roll to 1-inch thickness.

Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Remove the roll from the baking sheet to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the roll diagonally into 30 (1/2-inch) slices, and place, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over, and bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove cookies from the baking sheet, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)
CALORIES 75 (16% from fat); FAT 1.3g (sat fat 0.2g, mono fat 0.4g, poly fat 0.6g); PROTEIN 2g; CARBOHYDRATE 13.7g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; IRON 0.6mg; SODIUM 67mg; CALCIUM 10mg

Split-Top Butter Loaf
From: Family Circle Magazine 2/1/00
Makes: 2 loaves (12 slices each)

1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons butter, in pieces
6 cups bread flour
Topping:
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Stir sugar into warm water in small cup. Sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat buttermilk, egg, salt, honey and butter in saucepan until butter melts and mixture registers 110 to 120 degrees F on instant-read thermometer. Transfer to large bowl.

Add 2 cups bread flour; beat until smooth. Stir in yeast mixture. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time until dough holds together and pulls away from sides of bowl.

Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to large greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Let rest for 5 minutes. Grease two 9 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 2 3/4-inch loaf pans. Divide dough in half; lightly coat halves with flour. Gently pat each half into 7 x 5-inch rectangle. Transfer to the 2 prepared loaf pans. Cover with clean kitchen towel. Let rise in warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 1/4 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. With a razor blade or very sharp knife, make a slash down length of each loaf.

Bake in 350 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. Open oven; pull rack with breads out slightly. Brush loaves with some of the melted butter. Bake another 15 minutes. Brush again with butter. Bake another 5 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove loaves from pans to wire rack to cool.

Meal Plan Monday & Lab Work Results

2008-11-24T13:28:00.002-05:00

Meal this week are going to be mostly simple and from my freezer/pantry to save money for Thanksgiving stuff. We are having the main Thanksgiving stuff at MiL's, and then we're going to my sister's house this weekend and having more. Isn't that the American way - extra meals? ;) My family was happy to hear that we were able to make it there - although I'm not sure if it was for the holiday meal or more for the fact that my hubby would be able to fix their computer woes (the joy of having a computer geek in the family). Since my sister's hubby wouldn't be getting off work on Thurs until late, and then us being able to come up this weekend - they decided to go ahead and hold the meal on Saturday. I thought we would be able to get away with only having the one meal, and I could then fix just a little meal here of our own. Nope. I have since decided that I'm not going to bother picking up a turkey breast - which will save me having to make room for one in the freezer.

I got good news from the doctor on Friday. My liver may still be funky - but it works fine now, those values were finally all normal. They could also finally calculate my cholesterol levels without having to run a special (expensive) test, just the normal one, for the first time in YEARS. The numbers are still high, but measurable, and should continue to come down. My A1C (the measure of my blood sugars over the past 2-3 months) is 5.6 which is that of a normal non-diabetic person. And I weighed 199 lbs! *happy jig* He was very, very happy with me. Basically he told me to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm going to stay on the meds I'm on. The Byetta helps to control my appetite as well as my blood sugars, so we'll keep me on it but I don't have to worry so much about it when I go somewhere and don't bring it with me, and if money gets tight I can start to wean myself off of it. The metformin is also for my blood sugars, they think it will help to protect my liver from the fatty liver and keep me from going too low blood sugar-wise too. Instead of up-ing my Topamax he added Imitrex pills again (he doesn't feel comfortable up-ing the Topamax since he's not a neurologist). We'll see how it goes. If that doesn't work, we've got a few more pills we can try and then we'll find a neurologist.

As for my liver - he asked me about what the liver doc said I should do- if he told me what to expect or anything. I told him the doc didn't tell me a darn thing but to get the lap band (which his group did) to lose weight or I'd die. I told Dr. G (my GP) that I figured I'd lost weight before, I could do it again, and if I couldn't do it my way I'd go the liver doc's way then. He agreed with me, and told me I was doing well, and even before all this thought the Lap Band was a bit extreme. As to checking my liver - I couldn't see doing more CT scans and being exposed to all that radiation (and barium) once more (I had anywhere from 6-9 CT scans before my surgery) unless I was having a problem. I was planning to do a recheck once I got down to my goal weight though. He was fine with that, and could see no reason to be subjected to all that radiation either. I told him that what I knew about the fact that the tumors could burst and bleed out, or that later on down the road become malignant, or that my liver could become cirrhotic came from the first liver doctor and not from the one that did the surgery. Quite frankly, if I have problems and what to find out my choices I imagine I will go back to the first one I saw first- if I want something done I'll go to the second one. The first one was more of what I'd consider a clinician, the second one more of a surgeon if that makes any sense.

Anyway - the meal plan for this week:

Monday: Pinto Beans with cornbread
Tuesday: Chicken breasts with Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle Lime Marinade and then served with leftover beans and tortillas.
Wednesday: Canned Chicken Noodle Soup w/ homemade Cheese & Garlic Biscuits
Thursday: Thanksgiving I'm making - Mashed Potato Casserole, Split-Top Buttermilk Bread, Stuffing (Pepperidge Farm), Gravy and Cappuccino Biscotti. I'm making double bread and biscotti to take to my sisters.
Friday: My hubby works so it's Homemade Pizza night like normal.

For more Menu Plans visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Cappuccino Biscotti

Source: Cooking Light March, 1995
Servings: 30
Posted by: Emily (EJWyatt)
December 14, 2004

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 egg white
Vegetable cooking spray

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coffee granules and hot water in a small bowl. Stir in vanilla and next two ingredients, and add to flour mixture, stirring until well blended.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 16-inch-long roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and flatten roll to 1-inch thickness.

Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Remove the roll from the baking sheet to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the roll diagonally into 30 (1/2-inch) slices, and place, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over, and bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove cookies from the baking sheet, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

CALORIES 75 (16% from fat); FAT 1.3g (sat fat 0.2g, mono fat 0.4g, poly fat 0.6g); PROTEIN 2g; CARBOHYDRATE 13.7g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; IRON 0.6mg; SODIUM 67mg; CALCIUM 10mg;

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-16T22:59:00.002-05:00

I think my headaches have finally broken - after 4 days. I've been taking Topamax for at least a year now, and it's done quite well for me for controlling my migraines. But since I've started taking Ritalin and my Wellbutrin's been upped, I'ved noticed that I am able to start drinking regular sodas without them tasting as horrible as they used to (the sugar-free ones are still too bitter) and my headaches are starting to come back (not full-on but not responding to OTC's). This weekend I've had a horrible one, and yesterday found out the reason - not just because of the weather but hormones too. :( I talked to the psychiatrist on Friday, and she checked the PDR but nothing was specifically mentioned. I see my GP this Friday and I'll ask the pharmacist then too, but I imagine my dose will have to be increased. I do know that Ritalin can cause headaches, and from reading the literature it mentions about taking other seizure meds - so I'm wondering if it lowers seizure thresholds or if it lowers the medicine in the bloodstream (I'm thinking it's the first).

Anyway - I'm glad that I picked up 3 of Trader Joes pizza doughs to try on Friday. I had already made my homemade dough for our pizzas on Friday, but I wasn't sure if 2 pizzas would be enough since we were having Mike and Jennifer over. Since I wouldn't get home until late (I had to see the psychologist and the psychiatrist and the appointments weren't until later), I swung by TJ's to pick up the dough to have on hand just in case. Since they had all 3 doughs and we've not had either, I picked them all up. I was planning to try the Whole Wheat one on Sunday at MiL's but she had a weather migraine too - so we didn't go over there on Sunday. I didn't need to make the TJ's pizzas, but I did make the Garlic & Herb for supper on Saturday, and then I went ahead and made the whole wheat and plain for supper on Sunday. Since I wasn't really in any shape to think because of the migraine, it make an easy meal. And the dough wasn't bad - not as good as mine, but not bad. I also picked up a tub of their sauce too. Once more not as good as mine, but not bad. And if I'm short on time, totally worth it! But one thing that I will totally buy again - the Quattro Formaggio cheese blend. I think it's the fontina in it.

I also picked up a bag of cut up root vegetables. I'm going to roast them and toss them with some goat cheese and pasta. I don't really have a recipe for it, but it should turn out fine. I haven't decided what herbs I'll use yet. Monday & Tuesday's recipes are ones that I didn't use from last week. For the French Onion Soup- it looks complicated, but it's not. Make the Caramelized Onions first - (I usually do it overnight a few nights before and then separate the onion broth from the onions so the butter congeals on the top in the fridge and can be lifted off), then continue with the second recipe - using the onion broth and adding beef broth to make 6 cups. I use half the onions, save the other half for other things (Indian foods, pizzas, pastas, etc) and the butter is good for flavoring other things too (vegetables, etc), but use some for the soup.

Monday: Lentils w/ Greens Soup
Tuesday: Szechuan Braised Meatballs
Wednesday: Pasta with Roasted Root Vegetables & Goat Cheese
Thurs: French Onion Soup
Friday: Pizza

For more Menu Ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Lentils with Greens Soup

1/2 cup dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
8 cups water, divided
1 lb escarole or spinach
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 tsp chicken broth granules
1/8 tsp hot pepper flakes
4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Combine lentils and 4 cups of water in saucepan. Simmer, uncovered 20 minutes or until just tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, cut out and discard escarole stems; separate leaves. Rinse. Chop coarsely.

Heat oil in a 4 quart pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, for about 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Add onion and escarole; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 4 cups water and broth granules. Bring to a boil, lower heat; simmer, covered 15 minutes. Add lentils and pepper flakes; simmer 3 minutes more. Ladle into 4 bowls. Top with cheese.

HOW I MAKE IT: Saute sausage and onions, breaking up clumps of sausage, until no longer pink. Add 6 cups water, lentils, pepper flakes, 10 oz box frozen chopped spinach (still frozen) and bring to a boil. Lower heat; simmer, covered 20 minutes until lentils are tender. Ladle into 4 bowls and top with cheese.

Family Circle Magazine 2/1/98 244 calories, 12 g fat, (4g sat fat) 17g prot, 20g carb, 6g fib, 1,247mg sod, 28mg chol

Szechuan Braised Meatballs
Makes 4 servings
From Eating Well Magazine Jan/Feb 2008

Szechuan cuisine, from Western China, is full of fiery-hot peppercorns and braised dishes. This recipe gets its heat from prepared Szechuan sauce and crushed red pepper. We braise the meatballs and Chinese cabbage in a bit of beef broth. MAKE IT A MEAL: Ladle over brown rice or noodles with steamed broccoli and carrots on the side.

1 pound 93%-lean ground beef
1 5- to 6-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and finely chopped
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder (see Shopping Tip)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup Szechuan sauce (see Shopping Tip)
4 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage
1 15-ounce can straw mushrooms, rinsed
2 scallions, sliced (optional)

Gently mix beef, water chestnuts, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, five-spice powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Shape the mixture into 12 balls (use about 2 tablespoons each to make 1 1/2-inch meatballs). Whisk broth and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet or nonstick wok over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning once, until brown, about 3 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the reserved broth mixture, Szechuan sauce, cabbage and mushrooms; cook, stirring, until the cabbage is just wilted, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer, return the meatballs to the pan, cover and cook until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with scallions (if using).

Shopping Tip: Find five-spice powder in the spice section and Szechuan sauce near other Asian condiments in most supermarkets.

Nutrition Information: Per serving: 295 calories; 13 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 64 mg cholesterol; 17 g
carbohydrate; 28 g protein; 4 g fiber; 760 mg sodium; 310 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value), Zinc (37% dv), Vitamin A (20% dv), Iron (16% dv). 1 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Caramelized Onions

Lora Brody "Slow Cooker Cooking"

Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 cups
Cooking Time: 12 to 14 hours on LOW
Slow Cooker Size: 4 quart

This recipe made me fall in love with my slow cooker and recognize its potential for dishes other than beef stew and chili. Caramelizing onions in the slow cooker eliminates the possibility of burning them that exists when you cook them on the stove top. An added bonus is the heady broth you end up with, which can be used in other dishes along with the onions.

Use the onions and liquid to flavor soups, stocks, and stews. They make a wonderful addition to risotto, a perfect pasta sauce, and the world's best pizza topping (for this use you will have to drain off the liquid first). The onions can be served on their own as a vegetable to accompany fish, meat, or fowl. Cook a very long time until they are a deep mahogany color.

3 pounds Vidalia or other sweet onions (4 to 5 onions, 3 to 4 inches in diameter), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick to 1/4-inch-thick slices
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter (see Note)

Place the onions and butter in the insert of the slow cooker, cover, and cook on LOW for 12 to 14 hours, until the onions are deep brown and very soft. It's almost impossible to overcook these; make sure to let the onions cook until they are mahogany colored.

Notes:
While this recipe calls for Vidalia onions, you can use other sweet onions such as Maui, Walla Walla, or Texas 1015s. If you have a large slow cooker, you can double the onions. It is not necessary to increase the amount of butter.

Don't blanch at the amount of butter called for here. When you drain and chill the onions, the onion-flavored butter will congeal on the surface of the cooking liquid. Skim it and use it when you sauté other vegetables, over pasta, or in risotto.

French Onion Soup
Serving Size : 6

1 1/2 lbs onions -- (5 cups) sliced into rings
1/4 C Butter
6 C fat-free Beef Broth
Salt and Pepper
6 French bread slices -- toasted
8 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

Slice onion thin. Brown lightly in butter. Add broth and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve: Place soup in bowls, cover with a toasted slice of french bread sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 223 Calories; 11g Fat (36.8% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 863mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat.

I can't get the Google Doc to Upload

2008-11-10T18:15:00.001-05:00

I can't get it to work, if anyone wants it I can email it to you (I've got it as a pdf) or I can post it as a list (it's pretty long since it won't be formatted -- why oh why can't I put it behind a cut on here?). I can't imagine that many people would want it.

Dinner Menu Ideas

2008-11-10T15:52:00.003-05:00

I was talking with my sister last night. Last year we got together and made cookies for Christmas. Actually we all brought (mom, her and I) a few dozen different cookies (I'm thinking I made 3 different types) and also made some cookies at her house and that way we were all able to have different types of cookies to keep on hand to give out or take to parties without having to make a whole bunch at one time. It came in handy, especially since almost all cookies freeze well. I made the Soft Sugar Cookies yesterday for hubby (which, btw, are more like Cardamom Snickerdoodles than Sugar Cookies, but still tasty) and realized we didn't make plans yet to make cookies! This year we might actually do something a bit different - we might make rolls - like pumpkin rolls, chocolate rolls, etc. I also brought up to both mom and my sister about getting together and making meals for the freezer. They both thought it was a good idea, so we'll have to get together and talk it out. I'm the one with the experience doing it, and I've got a WHOLE bunch of recipes (after all, I was the Executive Chef for a local homegrown place) and we can go through them and try some and build up a bunch to try. My sister and her son have a few allergies along with some food "pickiness" in the family that we'll have to work with too - but it shouldn't be too much of a problem. The nice thing is that since my mom and I are both just couple families we can pretty much double regular meals and it'll be enough for us. Course with some things, since my sister's kids are small, we can even just make a normal-sized recipe and then split it and she can have "adult" meals just for her and her husband too. Anyway, we'll do that after the new year.

My sister mentioned that she's now planning meals monthly. I must admit I was a bit surprised, but she's pretty busy, her son is a first grader and her daughter is in pre-school. She says she doesn't always stick with them, but she'll move the meal to another day. While we were talking about meals I was reminding her of meals that she liked and she wanted to put on the list for next month. It reminded me of a list I had made up when I first got married of meals we liked that I used to help me menu plan. I had started a new one a few weeks ago, but hadn't finished it. I sat down today and finished it (although I'm sure I'll come up with more). I have 288 things listed (it's double-sided and has 3 columns). I might give it to my sister to see if it'll help her, but I know that a lot of it they won't be interested in. I went ahead and even put a few of the "sometimes" food on there too, only because as WW has taught me, it's not a DIET. Some of the foods are kinda vague (salads) only because you go from there and extrapolate. I'm not sure how much I'll use it, but since we're trying to save money, I'm going to try to use it more often.

When my sister got married, I typed up all the family recipes (in a word processing program) and gave it to her as her wedding gift. It's been re-printed and given to a few of our relatives too (just Kinkos printed). I would like to re-do it actually, and I'm thinking of using this list as the starting point. Most of the ethnic recipes aren't the original. I would literally be starting over, since the original version isn't importable to anything (I do have it in Mastercook)and I don't have it anymore anyway (it's on a huge floppy disk if I did). Anyway, these are just main dishes, the original Scheufel Cookbook had everything else too. But it's a starting point. I do have a bit started, but I haven't kept up with it. But I am thinking of going one step further - pointing the recipes (and dinner list). It will make menu planning a bit easier too.

I am trying to upload it to Google Docs but it keeps timing out on me - have I mentioned how much dial-up frustrates me? *SIGH*