Food & Wine – Page 33

A Sweet Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 15, 2008 by Carol — 5 Comments ↓

I hope you all had lovely Valentine’s Days! I had an *amazing* day! When we woke up, I gave the boys their cards and chocolate (Drew had also gotten a little knight set, so Noah got the horse and Jake got the knight — they play with everything together anyway). Then I gave Drew his present. He was pretty impressed that I actually wrapped it and put a bow on top! I am the gift bag queen, you see. A few months ago we had been talking about fondue and I thought that would be a good gift. (Hey, my guy likes cooking!) After researching various fondue pots I decided on the Rival electric model. I really wanted to stay away from anything that required Sterno, and the Cuisinart I was looking at was just a little too spendy for me. I also included three big chocolate bars. He really liked it!

But, he totally blew me away with my gift: a gorgeous bouquet of flower and a date night in NYC and tickets to “Rent!” Oh my goodness, I could not believe it. I was just blown away. I had mentioned to him that I really wanted to see it before it closes this spring. The sneaky guy took note. He arranged to have his mom babysit and everything so we can have a nice overnight in the city and then do something down there on Monday as well.

But that’s not all. When I got home from work last night, this is what was waiting for me!!! After going back and forth and back and forth and reading reviews and visiting the camera area at Target (man, that guy must have thought I was weird, coming back every other day, LOL!) I had pretty much decided on buying the Nikon D40, but needed to save up a little more of my blogging money. Drew came across and amazing offer on Amazon (after reading a tip on SlickDeals), and purchased the whole shebang for me, making up the difference between what I had saved and the purchase price. I’m so lucky to have a husband that is supportive and encouraging of my hobbies! I have a lot to learn, but I’ve really enjoyed the time I had to shoot today. I am now even more anxious for spring — the ice and the lifeless trees outside aren’t all that inspiring, LOL!

We both were pretty tired so we just popped open a bottle of Rosa Regale and shared a cream cheese brownie. My parents have very generously offered to take the boys this weekend, so we’ll be enjoying dinner out tomorrow night. It’s such a treat when we get to go out by ourselves. It doesn’t happen a lot, so we always enjoy it.

Aside from that, we don’t have any exciting weekend plans. I did all my cleaning this afternoon so I can relax and play, guilt-free. I do hope to finish up my cloth for the dishcloth exchange and pick up some goodies for my partner. My parents are going to take the boys to their local children’s museum and science museum (which is having a dinosaur exhibit — my guys love dinos), so they will enjoy their mini vacation as well!

Menu Plan Monday

Posted on February 11, 2008 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

OK, we’re getting back into the swing of things after vacation! I’ve got a meal plan all laid out and we’ll see how well we stick to it this week. This past weekend was bad food-wise. We hit a couple fast food franchises after vacation, mostly because the house was very sparse as far as food goes. My body did not appreciate it, either! So here’s what we’re looking at for this week:

Sunday: Fish tacos for grown-ups, mini bagel pizzas for the kids
Monday: Chicken and wild rice soup (I made a big batch of it last week, so it’s really lasted for lunches and quick dinners)
Tuesday: Turkey tacos with all the fixin’s
Wednesday: Mac & Cheese, chicken fingers, broccoli
Thursday: Spaghetti with sausage, salad
Friday: Veggie pizza
Saturday: Date night! My parents have generously offered to take the boys for the long weekend, so Drew and I will probably go out. If not, I’ll plan on steak au poivre, iceberg salad, some kind of vegetable, and chocolate creme brulee for dessert.

For more menu plans head over to Organizing Junkie!

Pizza Crust for the Bread Machine

Posted on January 29, 2008 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

Steph had commented on a previous post and asked me for the recipe I use for my pizza crust. Late is better than never I hope! Here you go:

Pizza Crust (Bread Machine)
3 cups bread flour
1 cup hot water
1 packet of yeast
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt

Add water, oil, salt, bread flour, and yeast to bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough/manual cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface. If necessary, knead in enough flour to make dough easy to handle. Stretch into desired shape and assemble pizza.

I know a lot of people like to use cornmeal between their pizza stone or pizza pan and the dough, but I prefer to use sesame seeds. I used to occasionally get a slice from a Cambridge, MA pizza shop that had a sesame seed crust and was inspired to try it myself. Personally, I like the taste better, but by all means use your own tastes as a guide!

I’m Gonna Need Some Beet Recipes

Posted on January 25, 2008 by Carol — 9 Comments ↓

When we first moved up here, Drew was telling me about Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). The idea sounded very cool, but it was far too late in the season to join one at that point. The following spring/summer was a little crazy — Drew’s grandmother wasn’t doing well and I was pregnant, and we probably didn’t even think about it. We spent the next two summers trying to sell the house, so we didn’t want to commit to anything. Last summer I waited eagerly for my friend Dara to snap photos of her weekly farm share. And then I realized that Margie also was in a CSA and I looked forward to checking her haul as well. I started to seriously investigate local farms, seeing as how the real estate market was just slumping further and further into oblivion.

One of the farms had e-mailed me in December letting me know they were taking members for the 2008 season, but we were afraid to jump on it because… well, what if? There was still this slight chance our house would sell (ridiculous optimistics that we tend to be). So we waited. And here we are. January. Not selling the house. No one is ill. I’m not pregnant. This morning I e-mailed the two farms to see if shares were still available and I was thrilled this afternoon to hear back from Sisters Hill Farm! They still have openings! So we’re printing and mailing our application post-haste. I spent some time looking at their blog posts from last year and I am just so excited to be part of that this year. The produce looks amazing, the flowers are gorgeous, and everyone there really seems to love it. Plus, on a culinary level, I’m looking forward to the challenge of cooking with ingredients I probably wouldn’t buy in the grocery store, such as bok choy (which I love, but have never prepared). Here is a sample harvest schedule. Beets will be my biggest challenge. I don’t really like beets. Neither does Drew. But there’s got to be at least one way to prepare them that we will find enjoyable. And I’m going to find it!

This Week’s Eats

Posted on January 14, 2008 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

On Saturday I got the latest issue of Kraft Food & Family magazine in the mail, plus I picked up the Jan/Feb issue of Everyday Food, so I have quite a few new recipes that I plan on trying over the next couple of weeks. I also have a decent stockpile of leftovers between the fridge and the freezer that I need to use up, so I’ll be doing that as well. Here’s what’s on this week’s menu:

Sunday: Zesty Chicken & Pasta (p. 53, Winter Kraft Food & Family) – This was a big hit with everyone. I used whole wheat pasta and left out the onions. Quick, easy, and enjoyed by all except our 2-year-old.

Monday: Leftover pasta from Sunday

Tuesday: Tacos

Wednesday: Leftovers (taco salad, chili from freezer, sandwiches, etc.)

Thursday: Turkey Super Melts/Grilled Cheese, oven fries, tomato soup

Friday: English Muffin (or mini-bagel) Pizzas, salad

Saturday: Country Salisbury Steak OR Italian Meatloaf (recipes in Winter Kraft Food & Family)

Keeping it pretty simple this week!

You do the math

Posted on January 12, 2008 by Carol — 5 Comments ↓

(1) 5 year old + (1) 2 year old = 2 bowls of oatmeal + 2[2 bananas] + 2[3 bowls of Cheerios] + 1 lb. strawberries + 2 hot dogs on buns

And I haven’t made dinner yet (which will be bagel pizzas — no, not frozen). How much are these kids going to consume when they are teenagers? Yikes!

Chicken & Eggplant Casserole

Posted on January 10, 2008 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

Looking for a delicious, but healthy alternative to chicken parmesan? Give this chicken and eggplant casserole a shot. I adapted the recipe from one in The South Beach Cookbook. It offers lots of Italian flavor, and also lots of veggies! Actually, it’s very similar to a dish I often order at Four Brothers Restaurant. It’s perfect for a chilly afternoon when you just want to sit back in your home theater chairs (well, or more likey curl up on your couch) and watch a marathon of all the “Godfather” movies.

Chicken & Eggplant Casserole
1 boneless chicken breast (2 breast halves), chopped into .5-inch pieces
seasoned breadcrumbs
olive oil
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onions (I cheated and used frozen)
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 eggplant
garlic powder
Parmesan cheese
non-stick cooking spray
mozzarella cheese

Slice eggplant into 12 rounds and arrange on non-stick baking sheet. Spray with non-stick spray, sprinkle with garlic powder, and broil for 2 min. or until golden. Turn rounds over, spray with non-stick spray and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Broil addition 1-2 minutes and set aside. Meanwhile, coat chicken pieces with breadcrumbs and saute in olive oil until cooked through. Add can of diced tomatoes (including liquid), mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and Italian seasoning. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 min.

Arrange 6 slices of eggplant on the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish. (I chose a small Italian eggplant, so I had a few more slices. Also, since it was only me eating this last night I made myself a small dish and then made one to freeze)

Top with half of chicken mixture. Layer the other 6 slices of eggplant and the rest of the chicken mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350-degrees until heated through and cheese is bubbly. (To heat frozen casserole, cook for 50 minutes at 375-degrees.)
Continue reading Chicken & Eggplant Casserole→

My Little Angel

Posted on January 8, 2008 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

A couple weeks before Christmas, the Kindergarten CCD class was supposed to put on their Nativity play. Unfortunately it had to be rescheduled due to a snow storm, so instead it was held this past Sunday. (And that was Epiphany so that was a nice day for it as well.) Jake was assigned the role of Angel Gabriel and he did a great job! No wonder he kept telling us his arms were sore after the classes where they practiced — his poor little arms were held up in one way or another during most of the program! The kids were all super cute (two older students read the passages). I have more photos over on Flickr, but they’re marked Friends & Family only, so if I don’t have you listed as one of my contacts, just add me and unless I have no idea who you are, I will more than likely add you back.

After the play there was coffee and juice and baked goods. (I made apple-gingerbread cake.) My parents and Drew’s mom and aunt all came down (and up, depending on location) for it, so that was nice. I think we had the biggest turn out of all the families! Interestingly, very few dads were there Drew noticed. I know it’s just a silly little play, but I can’t imagine missing it. I mean, do it for your kid, whether or not you’re particularly religious, you know? But I digress…

Since it was still quite early even after cake and coffee (just 10 AM), we decided to go out for breakfast and we tried the Double-O Grille. Now, the restaurant has been open for way over a year, but we’ve shyed away from it and we can’t remember why. I think maybe when I was part of a local moms group, they went there for a “Mom’s Night Out” and had bad service or something. Well, I’m glad we decided to give it a shot because it was great! The music was loud enough to make it kid-friendly (we had no idea how many other kids were in there!), but not too loud; you could still easily have conversations. The food was fantastic and the prices were reasonable. Drew had the crab cakes benedict and I had a veggie omelette and we split (something we almost always do). The omelette was stuffed with spinach, onions, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini. The crab cakes benedict was delicious as well. Two generously-sized crab cakes (lots of crab, too — not just filler), perfectly poached eggs, and a yummy Hollandaise sauce. We’ll be giving them a shot for dinner one night!

It was a really great way to spend a Sunday!

This Week’s Eats

Posted on January 7, 2008 by Carol — 6 Comments ↓

Monday: Meatballs & whole-wheat spaghetti, tossed salad
Tuesday: Split pea & barley soup
Wednesday: Chicken & eggplant casserole (from SB Cookbook)
Thursday: Crab royale (from SB Cookbook), tossed salad
Friday: Broccoli noodle soup – recipe follows (Jake has been begging me to make it)
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Out? Or else London Broil, maybe

Broccoli Noodle Soup
1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli
1 oz. angel hair pasta, broken into small pieces
2-3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp. pepper
6 oz. processed cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1/2 cup sour cream

Cook both the broccoli and pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the chicken broth, milk, and pepper until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted. Stir in the broccoli, pasta, and sour cream; heat through (do not boil). Yield: 4-5 servings

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 2, 2008 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

Earlier today my brother was demanding that I update my blog, so here you are 🙂 I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Ours were both quiet, but quite nice. On New Year’s Eve I broke out the crème brûlée set Drew gave me for Christmas and we enjoyed that with a bottle of Korbel Natural. Not the greatest sparkling I ever had, but it was OK. For the price I’d rather buy a Prosecco or Cava, I think, but I still enjoyed the Korbel. We watched “Knocked Up” which we both found very funny. I think it’s probably funnier if you have children because you can relate to some of the circumstances better. I love Seth Rogan’s films because there is always great character development and growth. I expect his movies to just be dumb comedies and there’s a lot more to them than that.

Yesterday we got some more snow dumped on us. Snow is much more enjoyable when you don’t have to do all the shoveling yourself! Drew and I did the driveway pretty quickly. The boys and I built a snowman and then we all went sledding (there are benefits to living on a hill!):

After we came inside, Drew and I popped open a bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne, which was incredibly delicious (notes on both the Korbel and the Nicolas Feuillatte are here). We picked at shrimp and cheeses and peppered salami and then I set up a “make your own sundae” bar. The boys has so much fun piling the toppings onto their scoops of Bunny Tracks ice cream! In the evening the kids played while I tried to get back into the swing of things, making Jake’s lunch and snack for school today. Last night Drew and I ate more crème brûlée and watched some more of the first season of Veronica Mars (God, that show is so good! How did I overlook it when it was originally on?).

Not a bad way to ring in the new year. May 2008 be a happy and a healthy one!