Jan 10--National Bittersweet Chocolate Day (and other gifts from God)

So, today is bittersweet chocolate day.  In honor of one of God's greatest gifts, I'd like to submit a haiku, for your pleasure.

love my lovely heart

dark chocolaty blissful treat

fill my saddened soul

Beautiful in every which way, just like deep, dark, rich chocolate.  Chocolate truly is a matter of taste.  In this life of ours, there are :the few, and the disturbed, who do not like chocolate, the unfortunate souls who are allergic to chocolate,  those who are distinctly dark chocolate lovers and then there are milk chocolate aficionados.  Like a part of our personality, it is a marker that sticks with us like a tattoo.

If you haven't figured out which chocolate you are, just know that dark chocolate has awesome health benefits (Google flavinoids).

I made this goody for a baby-shower.  It's actually Rice Krispie treats (the bottom layer is peanut-butter, the top is white-chocolate (the fake chocolate) and raspberry).  The bottom layer is covered with a dark-chocolate ganache and the top layer is toped with white and dark chocolate swirls.

So today, whether you curl up with the movie Chocolat, or open a a big old box of Godiva Chocolates, just know that it is a delicious treat...to be shared!

So, which chocolate team do you root for? 

Wondermom

Jan 9---Leftovers on a lazy wintry Sunday

Winter is here...again. Apparantly it never left, but rather it took a siesta. We've been having milder weather here until this morning when we awoke to a dusting on the rooftops of snow. Of course my beautiful children declared it was time to make a snowman (even though there was all of 2 cm of the white stuff).

On that note, I'm going to take cues from Father Winter and eat on the bounty from last night's dinner.

I used beef from Sat night's dinner for half of the meal and chicken for the other half. I basically made the following...also known as my distorted representation of Mexican food.  A few things to note about my cooking. #1 Casserole generally equals some sort of addition of "cream-of" soup.  #2 I'm a lazy cook and want food done quickly as to reduce the crazy-level in my house---so I will do as little as I can as quickly as I can, but of course I expect an awesome product.  I know there is a flaw in my reasoning somewhere.  #3 I also try to use as few ingredients as possible---less to measure, less to prepare, less to buy?!??!;) 

Mexi-Casserole
3/4 bag fresh Spinach
5 cloves garlic (microwave for 30 sec with skin on, remove from microwave, remove skin, and slice in half)
1 1/2 lb chicken
4 tortillas
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 c cheese
cream sauce
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
4 oz brick of cream cheese
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 can milk (i.e. use the cream of chicken soup can....twice)

1.  heat olive oil and garlic in a med-hi skillet
2.  add chicken and brown
3.  when chicken is done, add spinach.  cover skillet with lid and let spinach soften (it's like 1 min)
4.  shred in food processor (or chop with knife )
5.  for sauce stir all until creamy on med-hi heat
6. put two tortillas on the bottom of a 9x11 casserole dish, add 1/2 of chicken/spinach mixture sprinkle cheese, add two more tortillas, more chicken/spinach mixture, more cheese, cover with sauce generously.

For the beef version I actually used a chopped jalapeno, sauteed it, added the beef (it was about 1 1/2 c med-rare/med), warmed the beef in the skillet, added a recipe of the cheese sauce, and about 1 cup rice.  I proceeded to make two layers of casserole.

Ta da.

Wondermom

Jan 8---Project eat-in. How do you stay in?

Marketing experts may know our drivers of why we eat out.  My experience dictates we eat out because of boredom, laziness, a mentality that eating out is cheaper than making the food at home, variety, and for social purposes.  We eat out for convenience.  We get take out for convenience. But is it really more convenient? 

When did making meals become a chore instead of an enjoyable activity?  When we order our food from a billboard, do we not take something away from the sacredness of breaking bread with our families?  And really, does it take longer to prepare a meal than to acquire take-out or drive to a restaurant?  Honestly?  I have quick recipes and a crock pot and I have no excuses left.  I can do this! 

How do you stay in?  And how do you find the drive to overcome all of the internal and external temptations? 

Wondermom.

Jan 8---Happy English Toffee Day (and the adventure known as life

To celebrate English Toffee Day we made Heath Pie (apparantly like they serve at Perkins).  I googled and found the recipe here, but the verdict is still out.  I am wanting something well-set, almost custardy, and am afraid of glop come dinner time.  I did have fun however divulging the deliciousness to my fam; oh, how I love Heath bars!!

I'm also going to entertain the idea of a jalapeno cream cheese sauce for mexi-night!  I've eaten at a chainy (but local chain methinks) restaurant that has a jalapeno cream cheese sauce...and I think they put it in a broiler (or salamander I think they are called), because it comes out delicious and ooey and gooey with a slight brown on the cheese.  Perfection!  I'm also not really one for spicy foods (which might be a problem come hot and spicy food day), but this is tinged with a jalapeno flavor.

Wish me luck!  I'm just trying to keep things new and interesting---I have a while to go (357 days, 11:30:22...not that I'm counting)

Wondermom

Jan 7, 2011--National Tempura Day

Tempura (天ぷら or 天麩羅 tenpura^?), is a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. (thanks Wikipedia---why weren't you around when I was in 7th grade writing boring essays? On a sidebar, I wonder if Mr. Wilhelm is still assigning boring essay assignments to slackey 7th grade students.)


I've avoided getting a fry daddy for years, mostly because....well it's a long story.  Here are the Cliff's Notes:  my husband lived with 3 other bachelors in college.  They were about to move, and as the loving girlfriend, I came over and helped clean.  Needless to say----g r o s s.  Also not recommended? Dropping by unannounced only to find that one of the roommates traded out dish soap for dishwasher detergent.  If bubbles are like clouds then their kitchen was like heaven;)


So, no fry daddy for me (oh and the implication that I'd be intentionally cooking in that much grease.)  So happy National Tempura day to those of you who celebrate.  Maybe I'll be brave next year, but tonight we're going to have have some red meat and greek potatoes.

On a semi-sidenote, do you have problems eating in?  How do you overcome this problem?

Wondermom

Jan 6---The suspicious exercise trails.

Have you ever had the bright idea of going on a long walk, and had the wonderful idea of trying something new? Going somewhere different?  Just for the sake of keeping your attention?  Well I'm starting to venture down those trails---and finding rocky trails ahead.  How do I deal with external forces (like my darling husband's desire for all-you-can-eat sushi? or my family's birthdays? I suppose I'm going to have to make some caveats in my treaty to myself.  I don't want to give myself free license, as this is a neat adventure, but I do have to figure out some more concrete rules.  As life is a work in progress, so is my project. 

Wondermom

Jan 6, 2011--Bean Day

Bean, beans....they're good for your gastrointestinal system....or so I hear.

So tonight on le menu is blackbean burgers (and whatever else I acquire at le grocery store today).  I even did it old-school and soaked my beans:)  I haven't exactly figured out the end result, just that I will be preforming the patties and cooking closer to dinner.  I want as little chaos during cooking time as possible!

Day 6 is on it's way!

Wondermom

Jan 5, 2011---Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!

So tonight, dinner duty was on the kids (I might have helped a little bit).  We made pizza on the stone and the dilapidated pizza pan the stone won, hands down.  The dough was just the slightest bit chewy on the inside but crunchy on the outside---perfection (at least in my humble eyes).  And because we made two pizzas there are plenty of leftovers...which makes this mama very happy. 

I did get to use two gidgey gadgets beyond the stone (which was used for the first time in 7 years---no joke).  I used my stand mixer (which I probably use more than I should [insert comment about baked goods and waistlines here]) and my Pastry scraper.  I use the scraper mostly to get the gunk off the counter when I have to knead doughs or scrape off the mystery goo from cooking (I know...you're really excited to come eat in my kitchen now!). 

Day 5, complete (although not without temptation from Arby's Text-ra (free sandwhich....no purchase required) or from Ihop's advertisement of all-you-can-eat pancakes for 4.99).

Wondermom

Jan 5, 2011---National Whipped Cream Day

While researching ideas, I  came across national food holidays.  As a kid, I fondly remember the day we ate green eggs and ham to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday (second grade for those who are counting) or when I randomly heard about National Ice Cream day....so in honor of fond childhood memories (and this will only last as long as I'm amused at this whim), I'd like to publicly (although privately from my own home) celebrate National Whipped Cream Day.

My dear prego sister-in-law has a monster gadget that I wouldn't mind having: a whipped cream dispenser. I'm not too keen on having to purchase h2 refills.  In the meantime, I'm going to celebrate by feeding my fam oatmeal (because it's National Oatmeal Month) with bananas, walnuts, brown sugar and whipped cream for breakfast and some nice hot chocolate with whipped cream (from a can) after school.

Happy National Whipped Cream Day!  Oh, and if you're interested in a .50 off coupon from Reddi-Whip, click here!

And for tonight's dinner, we're going to re-attempt pizza:)

Wondermom

Jan 4, 2011 continued---Pizza night---a slight deviation

Ok, to be honest, the fail was in regards to having pizza!  I have an admission that I am a moderate planner/grocery shopper.  I try to plan and grocery shop efficiently, but sometimes I slip up.  Tonight, wasn't an exception.  Yeah for giving myself grace, because I was truly geared to making pizza and using two of my pieces of cookery.

Instead, tonight we had enchiladas.

Que delicioso!  I pulled out three different beasts from the depths that I don't normally pull out:  1) a device highly-infomercialized in the 90's called the Turbo Cooker (which is basically a wok with a flat bottom and a domed, steam-vented lid), 2) my Cuisinart Food Processor, and 3) my new Seal-a-meal.  So, instead of the turbo cooker you could just use a stock pot (it needs to be deep), instead of the foot processor....a knife  (or shredder),and  instead of the Seal-a-meal you could simply use a plastic baggy.

I modified a version of a diet recipe I found once for the enchiladas.  We also had broccoli (fresh-->boiled), tortillas and black-bean dip while the children had quesadillas.  I'm s t u f f e d but happy to play with gadgets:)

Victory, day number 4.

Wondermom