what i'm cooking this week:

dawn

i know split pea soup isn't everyone's favorite especially in my household, but it's certainly mine. i love it.  i more than love it.  i lurve it.

What I'm cooking this week:

Tracy

Pre-Turkey Noshes: The Easiest Holiday Apps

I feel a little silly calling these "recipes" because they're so not. I've been thinking a little lately about the all-important little side-table snacks and other appetizers for Thanksgiving this year. Here's what I've come up with so far.

1. Small wheel of brie or camembert, softened slightly in the microwave or the oven, with a little melted pear, apricot or raspberry jam drizzled over the top. The pear one is great spread on ginger snaps or Anna's ginger thins , and the raspberry is great on water crackers or Ritz. You can also spike them with a little chopped jalapeno or dried chili flakes. These little jewels look great on the table, and they can be thrown together in three minutes or less. And your Uncle Clyde will need to eat something with all those cocktails he likes to throw back before dinner.

2. Little bowls of unshelled nuts, with nutcrackers and big bowls for the shells. Reminds me of my grandma's house at the holidays.

3. Chex mix. The real deal---the kind you mix up and bake yourself. So much better than the newfangled bagged stuff, and you can jazz it up by adding a little extra Worcestershire, a dash of Tobasco or customizing further with jumbo cashews or pecans.

4. Little brown bags of popcorn for the kids, a' la Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I recently received a gift box of popcorn flavor shakers like nacho cheese and white cheddar, which would be perfect for this. It should keep them busy munching without filling them up too much for the main event. They can also decorate their bags with markers.

5. Hickory Farms smoked sausage and an accompanying cheese ball, served with grainy mustard and Wheat Thins or Triscuits. I know, I know---not exactly a "light" snack before the biggest meal of the year. But my husband's family insists on this particular treat at the holidays, and I know better than to buck tradition.

Hey Dawn-- What's your favorite, easy appetizer for holiday get-togethers?

i'm with you on the melted brie, tracy.  this weekend, i found those thin pretzel crackers and served them with sliced brie.  delish.  i also love the preserves and hot pepper jellies over a block of cream cheese.  if you're watching carbs, the fiber selects crackers are really good and a little better for you.  okay, i'm getting hungry now......

What I'm Cooking This Week

Tracy

Yesss! It's finally soup time!

I had to giggle when I saw that in my last post I commented that it was still 80 degrees out, and that was just a couple of weeks ago. Well, now the temps are around 35 in the mornings at the kids' bus stop and only getting up to around mid-fifties by midday. Our weather seriously needs some bi-polar meds. But, that's what they say about this part of Carolina--don't like the weather? Then wait a couple of hours!

The thermometer's dive below 60 brought me immense joy, because I seriously could not wait to make some creamy tomato soup. Dawn and I had a wonderful tomato bisque recently at a local frou-frou lunch spot (there were no crayons on the table so that qualifies as frou-frou. K?). It was so decadent and full of creamy, buttery goodness that a small bowl was really just enough. Oh, and we did each have a ho-hum side salad that totally paled in comparison to the soup. They really shouldn't have bothered. Especially since it was $8.95 worth of ho-hum.

ANYWAY. I digress---I love digressing. It would be so great if digressing burned calories.

This recipe was concocted from a combination of ingredients from bisque and soup recipes from allrecipes.com and cooks.com. The only things I really changed were the amount of onion (most called for a whole chopped onion but I don't like hunks of onion in my mater soup, thanks) and the amount of sugar, which I also reduced. The result is not quite as thick as a bisque, but not quite as thin as soup, either. Hybrids, on many levels, are often a wonderful thing!

Creamy Tomato Soup with Sherry

You'll need:

1 can petite-diced tomatoes

1/2 stick butter

About 1/4 of an onion, finely minced

1 48-oz bottle tomato juice

1 pint heavy cream (yes, go ahead and walk on the wild side and use the whole pint- - you'll thank me later!)

1/2 cup sherry or a little more to taste

1-2 tsp sugar

salt and fresh black pepper

About 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Melt the butter in the bottom of a heavy soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and stir around for a minute or two just until soft. Add diced tomatoes and the sugar (just enough to cut the acidity of the tomatoes a little). Stir just until the sugar dissolves, then pour in the tomato juice. Bring to a simmer , pour in the sherry and then remove from the heat.

Then---and here's the fun, dangerous part. Draw the blinds, lock the door and stir in every bit of that luscious cream. Finish with a little salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with a little chopped parsley if you have it on hand.

Serve with big hunks of cheesy garlic bread or some seedy crackers with some creamy brie. Oh, and go unlock the door and invite some friends! This luscious soup was meant to be shared. 

Hey, Dawn---This would make an awesome starter to the big Thanksgiving meal that you somehow always end up hosting. Or, it could be a nice day-after meal when no one can bear to look at the gobbler! And by that I mean the turkey, not Mr. NTM. Hee! It's not even noon and I have amused myself. . .

and guess what?  i'm hosting again this year!  so your soup recipe looks especially divine.  i am so going to try it.  laughing at the listing of sherry in your ingredient list..."1/2 cup or a little more to taste". two bottles and a straw and a little more to taste is what i'll be doing by the end of thanksgiving day!

what i did this week

dawn

tracy, can we have just one more look at halloween?  a year from now is such a long wait.

What I'm Cooking This Week

Tracy

The Great Pumpkin Rises Again-This Time in My Pancakes.

Confession time. I've gone a little crazy with pumpkin lately; in addition, I have to admit I've been a little sneaky with it too. I can't blame my strange behavior on having fall fever because it's been 80-plus degrees in these parts this week. Maybe it's all the lovely photos at Dawn's . . .or maybe it's because Dawn's birthday is totally coming up within the next seven days!! (sorry, D- xo)

Last week I mentioned breakfast-for-dinner as a way that we stretch our food budget around here. Thursday night was BFD night for us, and I needed a way to use up some pumpkin puree that I'd previously frozen.

Pancakes were on the menu anyway, so I went ahead and stirred about 1/2 cup puree into my usual Bisquick batter, along with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and a about a tbsp of sugar , and they were scrumptious! I didn't post the actual recipe because I think this would work with any pancake recipe, as long as you adjust the batter so it's still pourable, but keep in mind the puree will make it thicker than usual. Chopped pecans or even a little grated orange zest would also be yummy additions.

These flapjacks were a little more dense and moist than usual plain cakes, but dense and moist are sometimes a GOOD thing, and that's definitely the case here.

Now for the sneakiness factor. My youngest sauntered in (is five too young to saunter?) about the time I was getting ready to flip the first batch. He carefully raised his healthy-food radar and asked, "How come these are a different color?" But then he saw the jar of cinnamon on the counter , smiled huge and said "Oooh, Mama--did you make CINNAMON pancakes?" Remembering his leeriness of all things with nutritional value, I said, "Yes. Yes I did." He totally scarfed them down.

Do I feel guilty? Nah. It's about time that kid ingested something orange around here other than Goldfish crackers!

what i did this week

dawn

well, tracy....as you know i turned older yet again this weekend.  i really need to stop doing this.  it's starting to get really annoying.  and because i love halloween so much and it's exactly one week from my birthday, i had the pleasure of enjoying a rather um....festive birthday/halloween cake.  

it reminded me of "pinky and the brain" because the brain on top of the cake actually lit up and changed colors.  i have to hand it to the fam...they outdid themselves on this one.  oh and the things sticking out of the sides of the cake are plastic fingers with blood dripping down them.  appetizing, no?

the pretty stuff also came my way.  i love fresh flowers more than anything and these are gorgeous.  

a very nice birthday indeed.  even if i did turn a year older.

What I'm Cooking This Week
Tracy


What's your favorite cheap go-to meal?With all the grim reports coming from the TV news lately: "Doom! Despair! Run! Hide!"---- plunking down $25+ on take-out for my little family of four just doesn't seem right.
But since the kiddos and I don't hit the front door until around 5:45 p.m. each night, whatever dinner costs, it's gotta be fast.
One of the ways foodie internet sites and magazines tell us we can cut our meal budget is to have at least two or more meatless nights per week. Moving "brunch time" to 6:15 p.m. or so is one way to fit the bill.
One of my favorite ways to stretch our food buck and to appease my breakfast-loving son is to have pancakes and the like for dinner once in awhile. A luscious omlette with cheese and veggies is also comforting, quick and inexpensive.
But I've been doing the breakfast-for-dinner thing at least two or three times a month for awhile, so I've been looking for other ways to serve something meatless (or at least something with meat not as the main feature) and fast.
Various noodle dishes are usually a hit around here,too, and certainly cheap enough to make, but I get tired of the same ol' marinara and spaghetti.
I saw this lightened-up version of Alfredo sauce on Cooking Light's website. It's great on its own over whole grain fettucine or penne, but I also like to add mushrooms sauteed with a handful of baby spinach leaves, and even a bit of crispy bacon. And it comes together almost as quickly as nuking a jar of Newman's Sockarooni sauce (although that's what H and I lived on early in the marriage and still dearly love).

You'll need:

About 2-3 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tbsp butter
1tbsp all-purpose flour
1 and 1/3 cups lowfat milk
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus a little extra for the table)
2 minced garlic cloves (I use a couple teaspoons of the bottled, pre-minced stuff)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
About 8 oz hot cooked pasta (linguine, fettucine or penne work best)

Melt butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook about one minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in flour until blended, then gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Keep stirring and cooking for about 5-6 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Add cream cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and whisk until cheese melts. Toss with the cooked pasta and serve w/extra parmesan.
*Yummy variation: At my house I typically cook a few slices of chopped bacon in a separate skillet , then remove it from pan, and drain all the drippings except about one tbsp. Then I cook about 1/2 chopped onion until soft, then throw in a couple handfuls (about a cup) baby spinach leaves and 8 oz sliced mushrooms, then stir until the mushrooms are cooked and the spinach is wilted. Then I toss the veggies and bacon in with the Alfredo sauce.

So, Dawn! What's your go-to meal when your wallet is screaming for mercy and time is tight?

what i did this week

dawn
well tracy, let's just say my wallet is always screaming for mercy! actually, i think it needs an absolution at this point . but for us, one of our favorites is butternut squash chili which i happened to cook this weekend. it's cheap, it's super yummy and it stretches to several meals. three things that are good. very, very good.

i also baked these cheese wafers to have with the chili. in fact tracy, you gave this to me. do you remember where you got it?

Hey Dawn---I picked these up in the freezer section of our beloved Fresh Market (the one off Providence). What a great idea to have them with your chili!

what i cooked this week

dawn

yes tracy, i made the dreaded swedish apple pie that our hips love so very much.

What I'm Cooking This Week

-Tracy

Shrieeeek! There's a little pumpkin in my oatmeal!

This morning while the kids dove into their Honey-Nut Cheerios with bananas, I decided to make something warm and comforting for me and H. There was finally a little nip in the air---yes, if the temperature is below 59 degrees in North Carolina , that's a verified nip---and so that warranted something hot and filling that takes more than a nano-second to wolf down.

I recently bought some canned pumpkin in preparation for making my friend Kelly's pumpkin cookies sometime this month, but then I searched my friends the innernets and saw a recipe for pumpkin-spice oatmeal. This is so fast and such a warm welcome after a loooong summer of cold cereal!

Pumpkin Oatmeal, adapted from allrecipes.com

*This makes two small servings or one huge one.

1 cup quick oats

3/4 cup milk (or more, for slightly thinner consistency)

dash of salt

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp brown sugar ( I reduced the sugar a tad because I like mine drizzled with a little sugar-free maple syrup after it's done)

Toasted chopped pecans for garnish, if desired

Mix oats, milk and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for about 90 seconds. Take out bowl and stir in pumpkin, spices ,brown sugar and another splash of milk if necessary and cook for another 40-45 seconds or until everything's heated through, and then OMG you're eating a super-nutritious yellow vegetable for breakfast, people!!

However! You won't really know it, because it tastes like pie, another favorite food group of mine. Happy Rocktober, pumpkin lovers!

tracy, i am so trying this one.  :)

what i found this week

dawn

actually, my daughter found this and we have spent the last several days drinking it like it's our jobs. it has a wonderful, spicy vanilla flavor and smell. bigelow's brand.

the last of the summer roses on my neighbor's bush.  sssshhhhhh....don't tell her i picked them.

i always use smart balance spread and now they have these new butter blends.  wonderful to bake with also.  highly recommend.

What I'm Cooking This Week- Ranger Cookies!

Tracy

Dosage: Take two, and unplug the phone.
John Deere plate optional.

Yesterday after school my youngest flopped down on a barstool at the kitchen table, propped up his elbows after an exhaustive sigh, and asked me, "Mama, you got any cookies? The from-the-oven kind? With chocolate chips and stuff?" I had to suppress a giggle because his request was sort of the five-year-old's version of "Gimme a scotch and soda on the rocks with a twist. Easy on the soda." Sometimes kindergarten can be a real butt-kicker.

Well, I heard ya, partner. Last night I didn't have all the ingredients for these magical morsels, but today after work I had to stop by the store for some almost-the-end-of-the-week staples anyway, so I was prepared for some cookie madness when we got home.

These treasures are from an old version of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, my old reliable, checkered friend. The "Ranger Cookies" page is dog-eared and stained with vanilla. It's an oldie but a goodie. Kinda like me. The coconut adds the moist and chewy factor, and the Rice Krispies lighten the whole thing up. The M&M's are my own addition---they add a splash of color and an even bigger after-school appeal. But this ingredient can be toyed with---dark chocolate chunks can be substituted, or butterscotch chips or whatever else makes your skirt fly up!

Ranger Cookies

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 and 1/4 cup Rice Krispies

1 cup chocolate chips (or 1/2 cup plain M&M's)

1 cup Bakers flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds with electric mixer. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder and cream together with butter for about one minute, then beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in one cup flour.

Turn off mixer and stir in remaining 1/4 cup flour by hand, then fold in cereal, coconut and M&M's (or choc chips). Drop by rounded tablespoons on a cookie sheet, about two inches apart and bake for around 8-9 minutes or until you notice the coconut browning a bit on top and around the edges.

dang tracy, these look evil...but in a good way :)   yummy-ola.

what i did this week

dawn

when it's fall, the house gets dressed for the season.  i made this wreath out of fresh eucalyptus that i bought at the farmer's market and last year's dried bittersweet.

this cute little guy also gets to come out again

i got these branches in the woods behind the house and placed them in a terra cotta pot.  heavy rocks helped to anchor and place them and the leftover dried bittersweet dresses it up.

What Keeps Me Sane and Satisfied on Weight Watchers-What I'm Munching This Week (and right this minute)

-Tracy

I first discovered WW's point system about 11 years ago. I was newly married, and my hubby and I had discovered that our cohabitation + tight work schedules + eating out nearly every night = a need for a wider, sturdier couch.

When we weren't eating out or grabbing food on the run, we were gleefully snacking before bed. Nighttime munching had always been my downfall, and now having a husband, in addition to staying up waaay past my usual bedtime to greet him each night after his bar and grill closed made me feel just so grown-up. We'd watch old reruns of Cheers or NYPD Blue while nuking some nachos made with that Cheez-Whiz stuff from a jar, or scoop up some coffee-flavored Haagen Daaz. Sure, we could've had some air-popped popcorn or carrot sticks instead, but they just didn't have the late-night, ass-building appeal of things covered in neon-orange cheese and/or butterfat.

My wake-up call came when I glanced through some photos we'd taken on our first trip to New York together right before Thanksgiving. It had been unseasonably cold, even for New York, and H, my sister-in-law, her husband and I all huddled together and walked bent against the bitter winds each day we were there. But I had worn this new, long leather jacket that I'd purchased just for the trip. It was sleek and double-breasted and I'd accessorized it with a red scarf and matching hat. If I was going to have to bundle up, by God, I was gonna do it with real NYC flair.

As I flicked through the pictures, I smiled remembering all the highlights of the trip, but I winced when I saw image after image of me in what I'd thought was my "slimming" jacket. I looked like a lifesize, overdressed version of the stuffed sausages we'd enjoyed in Little Italy. The buttons were clearly straining and the shots from behind that H took while we were looking up at the Empire State Building? You don't wanna know about those. As my gal Chrissy from the Pretenders would say , don't get me wrong. I certainly don't think being super-skinny is the only way to go, and I don't advocate one body shape or style over another. But I was bordering on unhealthy at the time and the sting of disappointment that I felt when I looked at those pictures was just the kick in the nacho-enhanced butt that I needed.

Trend-setter that she is, Dawn had already achieved success with Weight Watchers back then, so I just followed her lead and the weight came off, a bit too slowly at first. When I hit a wall, I whined to her that I didn't get it since I was staying within my daily point values. "Are you getting your water in?" she reminded me. That was it---the rest of the weight came off almost magically within a few months.

Over the years some of those pounds have crept back, so recently I turned to two old friends--
Weight Watchers and Dawn--for inspiration. Oh, and there've been some new developments in the snack world since I first joined WW; for one thing, instead of having to measure out individual servings and figuring the point value, many treats now come in individual 100-calorie packs, making it a lot easier to toss one in my purse in preparation for the 3 o'clock munchies.

Right now I'm currently loving these snacks, sweets and low-cal drinks that are helping me ensure that I'll never go out in public as a leather-bound sausage again:

100-cal packs of Sunchips

Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges (the garlic and herb are awesome)

A cup of 1% milk with a tablespoon of Hershey's light syrup

A handful of Snyders pretzels with a tablespoon of Skippy Natural peanut-butter

Gala apple slices dipped in Stoneyfield vanilla yogurt

A big mug of tea with a couple of Snackwells Lemon Creme cookies

Cherry Coke Zero

Baby carrots with hummus

South Beach Diet snack bars

Weight Watchers 1-point snack cakes---I love the lemon ones and the devil's food

Okay, Dawn--what are the little noshes that keep you going? Oh, and also, what are some foods that you simply won't give up, no matter how decadent? For me, it's really good cheese, even in salad dressing. I must have real blue cheese dressing with big chunks of the stuff mixed in, no lo-fat chalky stuff on my romaine, thank you. Oh, and I will not be restrained at all this weekend when we go out with y'all to celebrate MY BIRTHDAY! I plan to inhale all the fried oysters rockefeller at CT! You didn't want one anyway, right? Hmmm?

in looking at your snack list Trace, i have to say that nuts have been my main staple that have really kept me on track. they satisfy my hunger and keep me from hitting the cheez doodles. i have also discovered the spreadable brie that allouette puts out and it is super good with apple slices. peanut butter and apple or banana is also a favorite of mine. when i snack, i tend to stay away from any kind of sweet things or processed foods in any way just because i do better without them. i eat things that i want, i just try to eat very small portions of them. so far, it's worked and i pray that it continues to! you've done so well at keeping your weight off, Trace and you continue to inspire me to do the same. and btw, you better let me have at least one of those oyster rockefellers....i don't care if it IS your birthday!

what i saw this week:

dawn

dogs, dogs, everywhere dogs.

What I'm Cooking This Week: Saturday Sandwiches. Patchwork Squares of Childhood Memories

Tracy

This summer my kids discovered the glories of tuna salad, and I was overjoyed. (um, I don't get out much, OK?) Anyway. Considering that it's slightly more nutritious than PBJ, contains a lean protein and is something other than goldfish crackers, I was delighted to add something different to their usual Saturday lunchtime rotation.

Olivia first tasted it a couple of years ago, when she was about 4. I'd tried to get her to sample it many times, but no go. She's much more adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, so I was surprised by this. Heck, the other day at Trader Joe's, she visited the sample station for Moroccan-spiced chicken and couscous so many times I had to slink over and buy two packages just to call it even. She liked her first taste of the tuna, but even still, when given the choice of tuna or any other sandwich fixing, she inevitably chose the alternative.

But one muggy day in June, something clicked and as I was mixing up a bowl of the stuff for me and H., the kids kept dipping in spoons to taste just a little until it was nearly gone. My standard mixture for years had been just tuna packed in water, with light mayo and a little sweet pickle relish. If I was feeling extra fancy, I'd add a squeeze of lemon. The bread absolutely must not be any uppity sourdough-organic-brick-oven-baked nonsense. Only the simplest, softest white or whole wheat bread will do. And it must be toasted, just lightly.

The old standby was fine, but lately I've been recalling the tuna sandwiches of my childhood, often made on Saturday afternoons or summer weekdays after my mom and I rushed to get household chores done so we could watch our "stories" at 12:30. Those sandwiches were different- - richer and somehow more satisfying. Or maybe it was just that they were served with Ruffles potato chips and a glass of REAL Pepsi. During the first commercial break we'd often trot back to the pantry to fetch a Little Debbie's oatmeal creme pie. Hmmm. . .it's becoming more clear why I was in the Husky pants by fifth grade.

Recently I saw an article that touted the return of tuna packed in higher-quality oil and how it was more flavorful and even a tad healthier than water-packed. Eureka! That had to be it. I bought a couple of cans of an Italian variety called Genova, packed in olive oil. The resulting tuna salad was immediately better, but there was still something missing. I asked my dad--what made that tuna salad so special? Was it just because Mama made it, or did she have some secret? He said, "Try a hard-boiled egg. She put them in every other kinda salad, so I bet she used 'em in tuna too. "

That was it- - the egg, combined with the other ingredients including the oil-enhanced tuna, gave my old mixture a silky, lucscious new life. Once again I was transported to my parent's breakfast nook, sitting on a swivel barstool next to my mom, with one eye on the huge console TV in the next room, watching to see if Victor was going to come back after his faked death and marry Nikky, who was by now pregnant with her ex-stepson's child. Good times.

At my house we all have our favorite ways of chipping away at the big tub of tuna salad after it's made. H enjoys it spread on Triscuits. The kids, like me, stick with the tried-and-true and devour it on toasted bread. I like to think that they're building their own new memories of kitchen comforts.

Real Simple magazine has recently given me some new sandwich ideas: grilled cheese with bacon and sliced apple, peanut butter on toast with thin apple slices and a drizzle of honey, toast with melted brie and sliced pear. I can't wait to try them all. But can they tangle with the tuna? It's a fall experiment I'm willing to tackle. H

Hey Dawn! What's your favorite sandwich memory?

we used to stick potato sticks straight up into our tuna fish sandwiches so they looked like porcupines. a challenge to eat, but once you got a bite, it was worth it.

what i'm seeing this week

dawn

the firsts of fall:  

these lovely muscadine grapes were the sweetest i've ever had.  not only do they taste great, but their scent is heavenly too.  

What I'm Cooking This Week-Menu Musings for a Short Week

Tracy

Monday- -already long gone! I ended up making a double batch of meat sauce for spaghetti as our final dinner with my dad before he headed back home this morning. I froze 1/2 of the sauce for a future lasagna. We also had a tossed salad and garlic bread with Trader Joe's cherry pie for dessert.

Hey Dawn! Next time you're at Trader Joe's, check out their "Half Caff" coffee- - it's a whole-bean blend of decaf and French roast and it's a great compromise if you need a little lift in the evening but you don't want to rock your socks so late in the day. Perfect for after dinner. You know, when you're eating PIE! Or even when you're not.

i will probably jinx this, but i am one of those rarities that drink straight leaded rocket fuel up until 11:30pm and sleep like a baby.  don't hate....but i do always get my coffee from tj's.  it's the best.

Tuesday- -Tonight it's pinto beans with diced onions from the crockpot, salad and Garden of Eatin' organic tortilla chips with guacamole. I like to spike my pintos with a dash of Cholula hot sauce and sour cream.

Wednesday - meeting my MIL for dinner, probably at a soup n' salad place or Chinese.

Thursday - chicken pot pie, sugar snap peas

Friday - burritos made with taco-seasoned ground turkey and the leftover pintos. Wow--another reason I wish it was Friday! We love Mexican at Casa Koo-Koo.

my old-fashioned finds i got while on vacation :
dawn


vintage tablecloths for extremely cheap prices



hand painted russian thimbles. every household has them....a sign of good luck




vintage candlestick holders from denmark...a true find

What I'll Most Likely Be Cooking WITH This Week

Tracy

You know that cool segment in the beginning of the movie Fight Club when the main character shows the contents of his fridge and it's like all condiments and virtually no staples? That's almost the sitchiation midweek here at Chez Crazy. Oh, and don't you hate it when you suddenly wake up and Brad Pitt is making soap in your kitchen, but then later you realize that Brad is really YOU? Just kidding- - -or AM I?

Although we're doing OK on milk, OJ and other items of basic nutritional value, I did a quick inventory of the various little bottles and jars of add-ons and that are weighing down the fridge door, making the hinges work harder every day. Here we go:

Econo-size squeeze bottle of Heinz ketchup, one of a two-pack from Costco
Grainy brown mustard
Yellow mustard
Honey mustard
Dijon mustard (OMG with the mustard!)
Low-fat ranch dressing
Newman's balsamic dressing
Naturally Fresh raspberry dressing
Hellman's light mayo
Thai peanut sauce
Thai sweet chili sauce
Thai hot chili oil
Land O Lakes light butter
Jar of minced garlic
Raspberry jam
Peach preserves
Squeezable grape jam
Apricot-jalapeno chutney (great on turkey sandwiches)
Low-fat sour cream
Cholula hot sauce
Green Tobasco
Green Mountain Gringo salsa

Whew! Now, for some of the other main characters that are kickin' around the fridge/freezer and also the warmer climate of the cabinets. These are a few things that I've realized I absolutely must have on hand at all times in order to fulfill everyone's daily dreams around here.
Triscuits -Himself the Husband eats them with practically everything
Pepper-jack cheese- A must for grown-up wraps and sandwiches
Little individual packs of Snyder's cheese pretzel sandwiches- there are days when my youngest practically survives on them
Goldfish crackers - See above. But I like 'em too- - they're awesome with an ice-cold glass of milk, I kid you not!
Red seedless grapes
Cups of cinnamon applesauce

Cups of Stonyfield Farm vanilla yogurt
Gala apples
Bananas
100-cal packs of Sunchips
Laughing Cow cheese wedges (great with the Triscuits and red grapes)
Skippy Natural peanut butter
Dunkin' Donuts coffee
Breyer's Light vanilla ice cream

What about you, Dawn? What are the must-haves that keep y'all alive? I bet I can guess one of 'em! I'm sure PBK is quite healthy, but how much peanut butter is TOO much??

for us, it's really all about the coffee, half and half and of course the peanut butter. the trick is trying to keep the peanut butter in stock. i've been getting our coffee at trader joe's lately and not only is it great coffee, but it's at a great price as well. also, we're big on every kind of cheese including laughing cow, lo carb tortillas, almonds, plain yogurt (stonyfield is so great), eggs, a rotisserie chicken, romaine and whatever fruit is in season at that particular time.

i will not say anything to you about the hellman's light mayo you have in your fridge except ew and how could you forsake duke's mayo? and you call yourself a southern girl? the nerve.....!


Tracy -
In my defense, I was a longtime Duke's girl, even though I grew up on (gasp) KRAFT mayo! Lately I just grab whatever's on special, so I guess Hellman's must've been a 1/2 cent lower at our local bright, shiny overpriced store. You know, the one that rhymes with "Paris Greeter" (I'd use YOUR term for it, but I'm trying to keep our little blog family-friendly. Ahem.)

what i found in seattle last week:
dawn

as my sweet friend tracy told you, i was off cavorting in seattle, alaska and all points in between last week and while i was in seattle, i found this great egg cooker for the microwave. the microwave cooks eggs so fluffy, and this handy gadget makes it even more convenient. it's completely dishwasher safe, non-stick and you can eat right out of it if you're in a hurry.

add whatever you want (cheese, seasonings etc...). i scramble them right in the cooker but if you wanted it cooked other than scrambled, prick the egg yolk with a fork before nuking it.

my microwave only needs about 40 seconds to cook. i learned that after it accidentally exploded on my trial run.
eggsactly!

What I'm Cooking this Week: Monday Menu Musings for Back to School (sniff)

Tracy

This week calls for super-fast meals since back-to-school means we're back on a stricter bed-and-bathtime schedule (sniff). Since we normally walk in the door at around 5:45, these have to be REAL 30-minute meals so they can be down everyone's hatch by 6:45 and kidlets can hit the suds by 7 and be ready for bedtime stories by 8-ish. Oh, my, now I'm tired. Must get coffee. Anyway. Hopefully these ideas will fit the bill!

Monday - Oven-fried chicken tenders (from Barefoot Contessa's Family Style) - the picture shows kids being served the tenders on little skewers. I'm trying that tonight to test the theory that kids will, in fact, eat anything on a stick. We'll have them with honey-mustard on the side, along with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Tuesday - Leftover buffet - 1/2 leftover grilled pork loin from Saturday that I'll slice up with barbecue sauce, colesaw, Alexia oven fries

Wednesday- M. works late- -frozen ravioli with sauce, steamed broccoli

Thursday - sandwich night. Probably turkey paninis with pepper-jack cheese and chutney for us, grilled cheese for the kids. Veggies and dip on the side.

Friday - my dad comes into town. Probably hit a local seafood place or get take out.

BTW, Dawn--that egg thingy looks way too cool. Eggcelent, even! I could use something like that for quick back-to-school breakfasts since one of my vows for this school year is to step away from the Pop-Tarts. Are they available online?

i forgot to include that! yes you can get them at amazon.com. they're called (get this) the Micro Egg Microwave Egg Cooking Cup by Harold Import Co. i think that name is bigger than the cooker itself! they're only 7.50$ so you can get a couple of them! maybe even a dozen! enjoy!

what i will miss at summer's end 

dawn

the sweetest corn cut off the cob and cooked with vidalia onion and bacon
crape myrtles with their plume-like blooms
our last bag of coffee from cafe ladro's- seattle's best cup o' joe and our personal favorite

What I'm Cooking This Week

Tracy

A Week In Recovery. . . Life After the Beach Buffets

So since H, the kids and I spent last Thursday through yesterday helping our nearest beach town rid itself of all its fried clams, various chowders, and crablegs (or, melted butter with a small side of crabmeat), it's definitely de-tox time.

To take the sting out of leaving all the seafood behind, I took advantage of the bright, shiny, overpriced grocery store's sale on "E-Z peel" shrimp today. I also hauled home a huge organic eggplant (inspired by Dawn's Japanese beauties from two weeks ago), some part-skim ricotta, romaine hearts and more spinach! (I'm craving more wilted spinach salad ---a 12-step program may be in order here).

Here's what I've got loosely planned for this week:

Monday: Eggplant parmesan stacks (recipe follows), whole wheat blend spaghetti, salad

Tuesday: Steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce, baked potatoes, wilted spinach salad with hot bacon dressing (from last week's post)

Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner- - -scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, fruit salad

Thursday: Meeting H at the park after work and day camp- - probably Subway and ice cream afterwards.

Friday: Beef tips with mushroom gravy in the crockpot, brown rice, broccoli

Here's my take on eggplant parmesan; it's adapted from an eggplant rolatini recipe from Food Network.

One large eggplant, sliced into about eight 1/4-inch rounds

Three eggs

1 tbsp water

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup grated parmesan, divided in half

1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 jar marinara sauce- I like Classico tomato/basil

Preheat oven to 425. Mix two of the eggs with the water in a shallow bowl. Place the bread crumbs in a seperate shallow bowl. Set aside. Spread the oil in the bottom of a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. 

Dredge each eggplant round first in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs. Place on the cookie sheet one at a time, then bake for about 15 minutes, then turn over each slice and bake a few minutes more, watching closely to make sure they don't get too brown. Remove pan from oven and reduce the oven temp to 375.

In a medium bowl, mix ricotta with one egg, garlic powder, oregano, and 1/2 the parmesan. Scoop 2- 3 heaping tbsps of the cheese mixture on four of the rounds, and then top with the remaining four---you should have four "sandwiches." Spoon about 1/4 cup sauce on each stack, then top each with mozzerella and the remaining parmesan. Bake about 20 minutes more, or until filling is set and mozzerella's melted and bubbly.

Menu update. . .I'm thinking salads this week

Another quick update on last week's menu plan, plus some ideas for this week. Last week, the real winners were the impromptu Asian noodle salad and the Italian pot roast. If you've never tried John Baricelli's take on pot roast from http://everydayfood.com/ , go there now and print that sucker. It's pretty much like every other slow-cooker pot roast recipe, with the addition of garlic and canned whole tomatoes in puree. The tomatoes cook down with the juices from the meat to form a delectable sauce. It's a nice un-brown break from traditional gravy.

The broccoli and cheese quiche that was planned for Tuesday turned out to be Sunday brunch and another wedge of it pulled lunch duty today with a green salad. Got some jealous glances cast toward my desk at 12:35 while folks paraded to the break room to microwave their cup-o-whatevers. Heh.

The brats were terrific as usual. The meatloaf never quite made the cut last week, due to schedule changes and the previously- mentioned near-heatstroke I suffered last Monday. SOME of us, *cough* dawn *cough* are off enjoying the refreshing breezes of the Alaskan coast right now while their dearest friends are still workin' the grind during the day and having their ankles gnawed by children in the evening.

Seriously, though, D, I hope you and Mr. NTM are having a big ol' time. Don't forget to give those guys from The Deadliest Catch a wink and a pinch from me, if you see them. Go a little further if it'll score you some crab legs to bring home for me. I won't tell.

This week's menu musings are quite slim, in fact, it's one, singular musing. Tonight (Monday) we'll eat at home, and then Tuesday there's a "get acquainted" picnic supper for Nate's kindergarten class and Wednesday's kind of a free-for-all since we'll be packing for a long-weekend at the beach.

Anyway. Due to a sale at the local bright, shiny, overpriced store on fresh spinach, I am the proud owner of two pre-washed bags of baby leaves. My plan is to do a hot bacon dressing for one of them and I'm not sure about the other one yet. Ideas, anyone? Bueller? Frye? Daaawwwn???!! (Did you hear that echo over the icy mountaintops? Have a blast, girl; get home safe.

Wilted Spinach Salad With Hot Bacon Dressing

1 bag baby spinach leaves

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp dijon mustard

5-6 slices bacon, chopped.

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 8-oz pkg fresh sliced mushrooms

about 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced

This is so good, people. Although it's usually a side with chicken or steak (we're having it with rotisserie chicken from the deli), you will ignore the main course, inhale this salad and lick the bowl afterward.

Place spinach, mushrooms and red onion in a large serving bowl (stainless, ceramic or glass). Saute bacon in a medium-hot skillet until crispy. Drain off a little of the drippings, but leave about 1-2 tbsp in the pan. Add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar and whisk together quickly in the pan until the sugar dissolves. Pour all over salad ingredients and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped eggs.

what i bought this week:
dawn

i have never seen these varieties of eggplant before.


and, they're small little cuties. their texture and taste is just like the normal, everyday variety sold in the grocery store.

this weekend i had them in nachos as part of the salsa. very yums. how about you, tracy? do you ever cook much with eggplant?

What I'm Cooking This Week-Nights at the Improv

Tracy

An update on the menu plan:

We've been having 100-plus temperatures here lately and although meatloaf is a family fave and we were all looking forward to it, a little improvization was definitely in order.

By 4:30 p.m. Monday, after feeling my hiney sizzle on the van seat after practically crawling to the parking lot gasping for air after work, I realized that the thought of turning on the oven made me gag. So I did. I gagged again on the phone with hubs a few minutes later, to demonstrate my dismay.

He was really looking forward to the meatloaf (I'm so, so fortunate that my hubs has simple wants) but he understood and even offered to eat just salad for dinner. After nearly careening into a utility pole at this bit of news, I gathered my senses and tried to think of a cool but satisfying alternative.

After doing a quick mental inventory of the fridge contents: Leftover whole-grain spaghetti noodles, shredded bagged cabbage, some bell peppers and 10,000 various bottles of condiments, I had a new plan.

This Asian noodle salad recipe was passed on to me by my former neighbor, Laurie Marshall. Laurie's version used salsa as one of the base components for the dressing, but that makes it a little thick for me. I've tweaked it over the years, and here's what I've come up with:

Crunchy Asian Noodle Salad

Cooked linguine noodles (any kind of long pasta will do; I used spaghetti, a little less than 1 lb.)

1 bag shredded cabbage (like you'd buy for coleslaw)

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 seedless cucumber, sliced into half-moons

3-4 sprigs cilantro, chopped (I'd use more but H claims cilantro "repeats" on him)

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (I had to use about a tablespoon of the jarred variety, chopped up)

About 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

For the dressing:

4 tbsp creamy peanut butter

About 5-6 tbsp Thai sweet chile sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp sesame or vegetable oil

1/4 cup warm water

Splash of rice vinegar or lime juice, about 1-2 tsp

Place noodles and veggies in a large bowl. Put dressing ingredients in a seperate smaller micro-safe bowl or large glass measuring cup. Microwave dressing ingredients on high for about 20 seconds and whisk together. Pour over noodles and veggies and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

This is so pretty ,tasty and refreshing for dinner on a hot day when looking at the oven causes one to retch. Because , well, that's just not a good kitchen activity.

Oh, and about those adorable eggplants! I've never done much more than traditional eggplant parmesan, but come to think of it I haven't made that in ages and it's high time I did again. Hubs just informed me that's one of the dishes I used to make "back in the courtin' days" until I finally snagged him and then never made again. Heh. I also used to take peeled, cubed eggplant and saute it in olive oil with some fresh sliced mushrooms and a diced zucchini until soft, then poured in my favorite marinara sauce and served over pasta. That was one of our faves in the early married days, and it also could stand a revisit. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, D!

what i did this week:
dawn

i played in the ginormous corn field near my house. the corn was about 10 feet tall. i kept waiting for the baseball players to come out, but they never did. and this farmer was smart enough in this economy not to put a baseball diamond in the middle of it either. i didn't realize that corn has thick, claw-like roots that look like creepy feet.



i also didn't realize that corn could be both blonde and red headed. tell me why that is so farm girl tracy? is it because the silk dries at different rates? or are they different varieties of corn?

This Week's Monday Menu Musings

Tracy

I'm using the word "musings" here because I'm fairly new to weekly meal planning. Also, "musings" seems to fit my track record so far. I may see a recipe online or in a magazine and think "I'm definitely trying that Thursday." What I mean by "try," you see, is that I'm going to paint my nails, drink a Coke Zero or two and think about it. Hard. And then, if I can actually remember the recipe's basic ingredients when I'm at the store I might buy them and haul them home and let them live in my pantry until one day I'm staring at a box of Hot Hungarian Paprika wondering how on earth it got there.

I know, I know, with two kids and a husband having a plan should be old hat by now. But hubs has had a whacky work schedule for years and it seems the kids just got around to consistently eating "grown-up" meals. When they were toddlers and my husband worked past dinner almost every weeknight, the kids and I were all content with quick staples like pasta and bottled sauce, grilled cheese , baked potatoes or omlets, usually with cut-up fruit or veggies on the side. If I knew my husband was going to be home at mealtime, I would do more traditional fare, with a main course, side dish and salad, but on nights when it was just me and two people whose entire meal consisted of two or three tablespoon-size servings, it hardly seemed worth the effort.

But these days "Daddy's home" almost every night for dinner, so we're treated to sitting down together at least a few times a week. The kidlets have also evolved from being crumb-crunchers to wanting an actual protein (!) once in awhile and I've realized that variety keeps them open to trying new foods. A plan is now a must, and so are meals that can do double-duty so I can get more bang for my food buck.

So, here's what I'm thinking about for this week, and this time I actually made my shopping list according to the meals I've got planned. I am so impressed with myself.

Monday: Meatloaf ( my MIL's awesome recipe, which is pretty basic but topped with a glaze mixture of ketchup, brown sugar and mustard), mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli

*Bonus meal* Meatloaf sandwich in Tuesday's lunchbox

Tuesday: Broccoli and cheese quiche, fruit salad

* (leftover quiche can pull lunch duty Wednesday too)

Wednesday: Italian potroast (from http://pbseverydayfood.com/), brown rice, steamed snow peas

Thursday: Grilled brats, baked beans, coleslaw

Friday: Leftover Italian potroast on hoagie rolls with melted provolone, baked Alexia fries, veggies and dip.

Oh, and the "dip" isn't just any ol' dip. It's tzatziki cucumber dip from our local market---you SO didn't get the last container of it, Dawn! Nyah-nyah-nyah!

Looking over the menu, it seems beef-heavy, but I'm building on what I already have in the freezer this week. I tried to incorporate at least one meatless night, and doing something breakfast-y like quiche is quick, comforting and easy on the budget too.

So, there it is---my kinda-sorta-solid plan for the week. I'll post updates about successes and letdowns.

Oh, and Dawn---I checked with my dad and he said the corn with the "redheaded" silks probably "ain't good and dry yet" (meaning "ripe" in Eastern N.C. -speak). He said it's not uncommon for corn to mature at varying stages when you have long dry spells with sporadic storms here and there. Got anymore burning corn questions? Bring 'em on, sistah!

what i saw this week:
dawn

although i know we have a good bit of summer left, especially here in the south, it feels like fall is coming way too soon. i can't visit the farmer's stand often enough to get wonderful summer fruits and vegetables. and i'm very lucky to have a produce stand right across the street from my house.




tracy, you know i gotta say it....how do you like my melons?


What I'm wolfing down in the mornings this week
Tracy

Dawn's morning berry bliss- - -yummm!

Breakfasts look a little different in the summertime around Chez Crazy. At least for my own quick morning meal, I try to incorporate as many fresh fruits and berries as possible, and it has to be something that can be prepared in around 5-8 minutes. Not being a smoothie person, I have to get a little creative. (Don't hate on me, smoothie lovers! I like 'em, it's just that in my experience, any kind of liquid breakfast doesn't stick with me and leaves me banging on the nearest vending machine at work by 9 a.m.)

My current favorite summer cereal "sundae" was inspired by "Yogurt With Strawberries and Honey" from Everyday Food. Mine starts with a base of shredded wheat cereal (Kashi makes a good one) and milk, and then I top it with a couple spoonfuls of lowfat vanilla yogurt, a good handful of washed berries and a drizzle of honey. It's a refreshing, cold, creamy-crunchy blast of protein, fiber and fruit all in one bowl. If you don't want to use sweetened yogurt, plain unflavored works well too.

This past week I tried something a little unconventional, at least for me. I've noticed Giada De Laurentiis uses ricotta in breakfast and dessert dishes quite a bit. In sort of a combo move, I started with a toasted Van's buckwheat waffle, then added a scoop of part-skim ricotta, berries and a drizzle of Smucker's sugar free breakfast syrup. The syrup was recommended in hubs' Men's Health magazine as the one sugar free syrup on the market that "tastes like the real thing." I have to agree! And I feel oh, so exotic eating ricotta for breakfast. I should be looking like Giada any minute now! Or not.

And speaking of melons ---Dawnie, you know yours are looking as luscious and ripe as ever, baby! I tell you, those are some firm, youthful-looking melons! Heh-heh. . .she said "melons!"

Um, sorry---I am apparently eleven years old and implied metaphors are simply too hilarious for me to handle. I have a mini cucumber packed in my lunchbox today too. . .heee-heeee. . .oh, I can't stand it. . .

what i saw this week:

dawn

my boss' sweet new golden retriever puppy.

sweet, luscious freestone peaches with good brie and honey.  i made a brie and peach quesadilla with honey lime dipping sauce.  sinful.  you can get the recipe here.  tracy, will you please share some more ideas for peaches?  you are a virtual kitchen magician you are.

an amazing summer sunset.