Tower of Terror

It was about this time a year ago that Nonni moved back into our house while we, along with the doctors, tried to figure out what was going on with her health. Well, one brain/skull/spinal surgery later (last August), she's good as new--at least as good as she's going to get, and flew out of the nest again a few weeks ago.

When she came to live with us again, we had to do a little reconfiguring of the spaces in our house to give her a place to sleep and put her stuff. That meant that, among other things, my cookbook collection had to be incorporated into the rest of the house--somewhere. The only place that gigantamongous book case would fit was in the hall, which really wasn't a bad solution. Until we found out that the Beast had an appetite. For cookbooks. For vegetarian cookbooks, to be precise. I know labs will eat anything, but this one really pushes his luck--and my patience!

For the past few months, in an effort to salvage the cookbook collection, the book case has been wrapped in lovely green plastic garden fencing, with the dining room chairs pushed up against it for insurance. Just a few weeks ago, I came home to find that the chairs had been moved, the fencing unraveled, and at least 20 cookbooks in various states of "chew" were strewn around the living room. Good thing Nonni moved out, because those cookbooks had to be moved back to safety. In an interim attempt to protect them, I moved them into the granddaughters' bedroom, since they don't come over that often until school is out. The size of the piles they made was a little bit frightening. Oh, and that box you see in the room? That's new ones I ordered and haven't even unpacked yet. They're keeping company with the pair of shoes I ordered from Zappo's right before they casted my foot, so I haven't even tried them on to see if they fit. Hope so, because I think I would be stretching even Zappo's generous return policy to try to send them back now!

Anyway, after a couple of good workouts at the gym, it was time to move the bookcase and replace the books. The Husband helped with part A, but wasn't really interested in part B. That's fine, because it was a chance for me to get acquainted with old friends. The only hard part was to keep working, and not sit down in the floor, thumbing through all the cookbooks. Since he had a work function, it was a good night for me to just have my goat cheese and arugula sandwich and move books. It was a lot of work, but I'm enjoying the end result.

Ketchup day...or is it Catch Up?

Where did the rest of the week go? It was just busy, busy, busy. Somehow, I find it almost impossible to work late, run errands, go to physical therapy or the gym, cook dinner and clean up...and post in my blog, all in the same night. So, I've done it all...except post here. Sorry, but today I'll recap. There is no dinner tonight, because I spent too much time planning and shopping, plus there are lots of leftovers in the refrigerator. Time to get rid of them!

Let's start with Wednesday. On Wednesday, I fell in love, but not with my husband. Oh, I'll still let him hang around, but if my new favorite sandwich is on the horizon, he'd better get out of the way! This one is from the deli section of Take Out Tonight. These Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese sandwiches are simplicity itself, but absolutely crave-able. Start with a crisp, toasted English muffin. My favorite is the Thomas Light Whole-Grain English Muffin. At only 100 calories and 8 grams of fiber, this provides a perfect, toasty background to a thick spread of goat cheese. A silky roasted red pepper and a bloom of peppery arugula top off the sandwich and provide layers of flavor. I've had this for lunch every day since Wednesday (and twice for breakfast, too).

Wednesday night, I ventured into the Greek section of the cookbook and turned out the Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken. All I can say is "Opa!" My only regret is not using kosher chicken. I've gotten so used to the moist, flavorful results from kosher chicken that I am never satisfied with grocery stick chicken any more. However, once I tasted the potatoes, the chicken didn't matter. Quartered red potatoes begin to brown in a hot oven by themselves, and after 20 minutes, the chicken is added on a rack, and the remaining garlic and lemon infused marinade and a bit of water are poured over the potatoes. They continue to cook until they are crispy and caramelized outside, but moist and silky inside. Portion control was very difficult for this one.

Do you notice what's wrong with this picture? Yep--there is a distinctly monochromatic look to the plate.I have an excuse though, really. It was 9:30 by the time dinner was ready, and the grilled hearts of romaine and grilled zucchini I planned to serve alongside just didn't happen. When I plated up dinner, the Husband looked at it and said, "Even I know the food isn't all supposed to be the same color." Everybody can be an armchair quarterback!

Last night, we had a fiesta with Skinny Chimichangas. In this dish, ground turkey (I used 97%
lean beef instead) simmers in tomato sauce, Mexican spices, and green chills. The mixture is rolled into tortillas (we used some high fiber ones) and sprinkled with a little grated cheese. The resulting burritos are sprayed with cooking spray and baked at 400 degrees until they crisp up, which they did surprisingly well. I served mine with a spoonful of nonfat Greek yogurt and a bit of salsa on top. We both really liked these.

In an effort to use up some odds and ends, as well as up the overall nutritional value of the meal, I put together a side dish consisting of a can of black beans, zucchini in a 1/4" dice, corn, minced jalapeno, minced onion, some chopped red and yellow peppers, and garlic. I started the zucchini first, letting it sit over a medium-low heat until it developed a brown, caramelized surface, then turning it to let the other sides brown as well. Only then did I add the fresh vegetables and turn up the heat, letting the flavors meld. I added the black beans at the end, giving them time only to heat up. I finished the dish with salt, pepper, and smoked Spanish paprika, which provided a nice hint of smokey heat. I think this would be fabulous served over brown rice, with a little bit of tofu, feta cheese, or diced chicken added in.

I went through the cookbook today, and it looks like it has about 30 main-dish recipes I'd like to make, so it should keep things moving along here for at least a couple of months. So...check back often. There are lots of delicious-sounding meals on the list for the coming week.

Hello, General Tso

Tonight's theme was Asian, with General Tso's Chicken and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce, both from Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight. I served a Cook's Illustrated Tart-and-Sweet Cucumber Salad, spiced up with minced jalapenos, alongside. I wasn't sure it would work, but it did. I personally would've liked the chicken a little hotter, but the Husband declared it another "keeper." My taste might still be off because of my cold, but I still think I'll add extra crushed red pepper the next time. I overcooked the broccoli a bit, so I'll be more careful of that the next time, as well. The flavor was good, but the texture was off. Short posting tonight, as I'm ready to go back to bed, although I've slept most of the day. Hopefully, tomorrow I will once again be able to participate in the fine sport of breathing through my nose!

Remembering with a grateful heart

Memorial Day...Surely, a day with growing significance in light of ongoing conflict around the world. No matter where one lands on the issue of the United States' involvement in Iraq, there is no doubt that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who are serving, those who have served, and the families of all of them.


Today was a quiet day around our house, just the Husband and I--accompanied by a bad cold which kept me moving pretty slowly. I was looking forward to a full day at home, but we decided to go see the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie first thing this morning. Although I heard many raves from those coming out of the theater, I frankly didn't enjoy it all that much. Perhaps it was the cold (which kept me nodding off), or perhaps it was just that this movie was more of the same when compared to the last two in the series.


When we got home, I started a couple of simple, but time consuming, cooking projects from the Cook's Illustrated summer supplement, Summer Grilling & Entertaining. The first thing I started was some Boston Baked Beans. Odd, it seems, that a dish virtually destined to go with summer barbeque requires six hours in the oven. These beans had a nice, smoky quality and a velvety texture. To suit our tastes, though, I think I'd add a bit of barbeque sauce, a little more mustard, and a minced chipotle to create some complexity and burn.

My next effort was a Grill-Roasted Beer Can Chicken. I started by brining the chicken for about an hour in a simple salt and water bath. After drying it, I applied a spice rub to the inside and outside of the chicken. Finally, I sat the chicken firmly on a can of Budweiser and planted it in the middle of the grill for an hour and a half. The cinnamon and allspice in the rub resulted in some fabulous aromas coming out of the grill. I'm sure the neighbors were all jealous. When the chicken came off the grill, it was moist inside, and had a perfectly crisp skin all around. We did learn not to use tongs with a serrated edge to remove the beer can, though. If you choose to try it, be sure you're standing by a sink. It leaks!

We finished the meal with some steamed corn on the cob and fresh strawberries.A dip in the pool finished off a perfect, beginning of summer day.

Purple People Eater

Eggplant. Some people love it. Some people hate it. Some, like me, are in between. Really, it just depends. Tonight, we wanted something light and fairly simple, as we had been at a family function all day. Eggplant Parmesan Heroes seemed to fit the bill. After all, veggies, marinara sauce, cheese, Italian rolls--what's not to love? Right? Right? Um...wrong. Forgettable--so much so that it was almost gone from my mind before I got my plate into the sink. I think there is potential in this dish, but as written, this Weight Watchers recipe gets two thumbs sideways.

For one, the flavor of Parmesan cheese was indistinguishable from the rest of the dish (not a good thing in anything ______ Parmesan). Since I rarely use bottled marinara (and by rarely, I mean absolutely never), I ended up being highly disappointed with the one I had. It was far too liquidy and just soaked into the bread. The eggplant probably should have been sliced thicker than the 1/4" the recipe called for, and a little more seasoning would have been in order. Also, I think the whole wheat Italian rolls I used really overwhelmed the flavors of the sandwich. Ultimately, I think this is just one of those recipes that is functional, but not begging to be repeated.

On a happier note, Baby Brooklynn came over for some quality time. She says she likes to spend it with us, but we think she just wants to play with the dogs!

Taste of Thailand

After a couple of months of Ina, then a couple more months of catching food whenever because of my broken foot, it became apparent that the Husband and I really needed to take off some weight. So, we started Weight Watchers a few weeks ago. So, for the next few weeks, I'll be cooking primarily out of Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight, a collection of recipes featuring popular (you guessed it) take out foods.

We kicked things off with Shrimp Pad Thai, which I have never ordered or eaten before. Therefore, I have no idea if this tastes like the real thing, but I know we liked it. As he went back the third time, the Husband asked, "How many servings am I allowed to have?" Considering his hard work in the yard all day, I figured he could have as much as he wanted. I "doubled" the recipe (I didn't have double the amount of rice noodles, but had double everything else), and it made eight very generous servings.

We are off to spend the day with family visiting from Australia. I'll be taking deviled eggs and another veggie tray, although a much smaller one this time. Unfortunately, the dip I made ended up being "killer" in a not very flattering way, so it's going into the trash. I'm going to have to stop and (gulp) BUY dip. Yikes.

Baby Brooklynn is coming home with us this afternoon for some quality spoiling while her family goes to see a movie. Poppa will have to hold and entertain her while I whip up some Eggplant Parmesan Heroes, also from this cookbook. Check back and check them out.

Back in the Kitchen--Where Every Mother Belongs

Wow! I feel like I've been out of the kitchen for months (probably because I have.) The broken foot really slowed me down, as any extra standing just made things worse. I am now two weeks into physical therapy (Jeff Fahrenbruck--you rock!) and five days out of "the boot," so things are looking up. This next week will be very, very busy as we wrap up the school year, but I plan to get back in the kitchen in a meaningful way right after that.



My biggest foray into the kitchen was for Mother's Day. My contribution was the veggie tray. While this isn't a dish that showcases my cooking talents, it is pretty, and I found a couple of dips in The Big Book of Appetizers that were standouts, and certainly had a little more sophistication than the ubiquitous ranch dressing. They were also very well received, and I can see more applications for them than just a crudite accent. The dip in the bell pepper (foreground) is a Blue Cheese and Toasted Walnut Spread. The blue cheese taste was there, but pretty mild. Even those who aren't blue cheese fans (or walnut fans) seemed to enjoy this. I used the recommended Saga blue cheese, but a stronger flavored cheese could be used for a more pronounced blue cheese flavor. I'd actually like to try tossing this in a fondue pot and using it as a dipper for sliced apples and pears.

The other dip was a Yogurt and Green Onion blend from the same cookbook. This dip had a wonderful, fresh from the garden taste which could easily be modified by changing the herbs used. This would also make a fabulous baked potato topping.

Of course, the real reason to gather is family, and here are my two granddaughters, who top the list of my favorite family members: