Food For Thought and Tummy

Things I Will Never Regret

2011-08-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

I just found out today that my hairdresser was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer, and very likely has about 6 months to live. In shock, I turned to God in prayer on his behalf, and then started thinking.

If I were to find out today that I was also terminally ill with a short time to live, would I have any regrets? Of course, like everyone, I would have a few from my past. But in my daily life today is there anything I would want to change or would regret? While thinking about these things I realized there are actually many things I would NOT regret.

I would not regret:

1. Kissing my father and telling him I love him when I say "goodbye", even if he finds it difficult to say the same thing.

2. Complimenting my mother on how beautiful she was (and is) while looking at old family slides, though the compliments make her very uncomfortable.

3. Driving with my husband one hour each way on Sundays to attend morning worship with my parents and friends/classmates that I grew up with.

4. Not skipping church on Wednesday night for a much needed band rehearsal before a big show, even when others just don't understand.

5. Telling friends "I love you" and "I appreciate your friendship", and sending my love to their families as well.

6. Singing against backing tracks so I can do shows for the elderly at assisted living facilities and nursing homes, even at the risk of being made fun of by "serious musicians".

7. Spending hours in the kitchen to cook wonderful meals for my husband, who is such a wonderful encourager. (The cooking happens in fits and spurts, when I have the time).

8. Using the talents that God gave me in his service, especially when being a Christian automatically makes you "a stupid sheeple" in the world's eyes. So glad God proves them wrong on a daily basis!

9. Giving God the glory when people compliment me on my talents...He is the giver of all good and perfect gifts!

10. Studying to improve myself, whether in language, music, computers, artistic or physical endeavors.

11. Going the extra mile for friends and relatives, even if it means listening to negativity on the phone for over an hour when someone needs to vent.

12. Taking a chance when I feel complacent or need to step outside my box.

13. Doing things for myself instead of depending on others to make it happen for me. (That doesn't mean not working with others, it means taking the initiative).

14. Going out of my way to visit the sick or elderly...really, the blessing works both ways.

15. Giving when I see someone in need. As a child I didn't quite get the "It is more blessed to give than to receive" - who wouldn't want to get something, especially for free?! But now I realize it is so much better to be able to give than to have to receive.

16. Being "brave" and bringing up God to others. From a simple conversation can come a life-transformation, and the possibility of salvation. If we are not ashamed of Him, He will not be ashamed of us when he presents us to His Father.

17. Laughing out loud when I read the funnies in the paper.

18. Crying when I feel something deeply. I believe it was Erma Bombeck who reflected back that if she had to do it all over again, she'd laugh and cry more in real life than she did at the movies.

19. Speaking out against wrong, and speaking up for right.

20. Playing mediator when people are in disagreement. It is important to be able to see situations from both sides.

There are so many more things we could each look back and say "I will never regret...". I hope this blog post helps you reflect on your life and how you live it daily. If we share love, kindness and truth, and put God above all else, we should have no regrets.

Spiders That Have Crawled Into My Life

2010-05-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

Anyone who really knows me knows that I am creeped out by most bugs, especially spiders. I have been known to shriek during certain encounters, particularly when I am caught off guard by sudden movements from these arachnids.

That being said, I have to admit to a morbid fascination with them that I believe stems from my love of macro photography and natural curiosity. I don't normally hunt them out, but when I happen to see something interesting I like to pull out my trusty point and shoot and take a few shots.

The following pictures are of spiders I've seen over the past few years. The original plan was to look up each species of spider, but after several hours of looking at images on the internet I couldn't take any more adrenaline rushes or feeling the goose bumps coming on. I can't believe what a primal reaction is stored in my body, but I guess that's self-preservation kicking in. Just be warned that these photos may cause extreme discomfort. If you can get past that, you may be able to appreciate the beauty in them. I've personally found myself referring to jumping spiders as "cute" recently, which is a giant leap for me. For some incredibly beautiful EXTREME closeups of some jumping "cuties", look up Thomas Shahan's photostream on Flickr. So, without further adieu...

Phidippus Putnami or Daring Jumping Spider?

This beautiful jumping spider was photographed at Reflection Riding a couple of years ago. I remember being really scared because it would rear up like it was going to leap at me, then jump around quickly. I've since seen video footage of these spiders jumping onto the camera...these guys are pretty bold! I've put out some inquiries on the species...I thought maybe it was a Daring Jumping Spider because they're known to have iridescent blue or green chelicerae (where the fangs are), but Glen from Spiderzrule says that it isn't because it would have to be either brown or black with a white spot. I've seen pictures of a sub-adult Phidippus Putnami in Thomas Shahan's photos that looks similar, but his spider didn't have the iridescent green chelicerae. Maybe because his is a young female, and this could be a mature male??? I just don't know.

crab spider

I found this alien looking spider guarding the lock to my driver's side car door. It's a crab spider, though I'm not sure which one. Crab spiders don't move very quickly, but ambush their prey while hiding inside flowers. (see more info)

This guy came in with one of my peonies from the garden. I don't know what it is, but it's very quick, likes to jump, and is extremely shy.

a very shy guy

Jumping Spider

This cutie is a very tiny jumping spider who is about to eat the bug that looks like a chunk of dirt beside him.

I found this one hiding in a rose outside...

This scary looking monster had built a web barely past the sidewalk outside our front door. It was hanging from really tall trees about face high...Yikes! It hid in the tree during the day, and descended its web at night. There was nothing little about this spider or its web.

Photographed at night from our front steps

Jumping Spider

Here's another little jumping spider I found on someone's car in a parking lot.

This one was found indoors.

Jumping Spider

This little guy was found on a bush, and he feasted on bugs while I was photographing him.

Trying to hide on the underside of a leaf

Enjoying a winged meal

Wolf Spiders really creep me out!

This Wolf Spider was hiding on the back fence in his darkened tunnel.

Granddaddy Long Legs

This Granddaddy Long Legs was hiding underneath a leaf. My husband says he is especially freaked out by these spiders.

I don't know what species this is but it reminds me of a recluse...[shudder]. It was found in the house.

This spider was so tiny I could hardly see it. It was sharing the same bush as the Granddaddy Long Legs, not very far away from him either.

Recipe: One Wild and Lucky Salad

2010-04-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

One Wild and Lucky Salad...Beautiful!

This salad was inspired by posts from my FB friend Lana Sutton. She had been showing how people can eat from their yard..."weeds" that are edible and tasty, and she shared some ideas and pics of salads from her own yard.

I've been wanting to try this for a couple of days, so I ran outside this afternoon to pick some wild violets before my husband mows tomorrow. I got brave and sampled some yesterday (amazingly no tummy ache followed), and found the white ones seemed sweeter than the purple, so I picked more white blooms than purple.

Some people that know me know that I used to find 4 through 8 leaf clovers quite often while growing up...in fact, I used to keep track of them by placing 2 per page opening in my Bible...at last count I had over 969 of the 4's, and 30+ of the 5's, etc...(that's not counting the ones I gave away, didn't pick, or threw away because they wilted before I could press them). Unfortunately I misplaced that particular Bible while in college, so I've now got several scattered throughout different books I own. Clovers wilt very quickly once picked, and have to be pressed almost immediately.

The knack for finding them (especially 4 leaf clovers) has continued into my adulthood, so I wasn't too surprised when I went to pick some clover for my salad that I found these "lucky" special ones.

This 5 leaf clover is featured atop a piece of arugula,
my favorite salad green.

I didn't have all the ingredients in my yard - I had to get the spinach and tomatoes from the store, but it's still satisfying to know that most of the salad came from our very own back yard!

One Wild and Lucky Salad

Spinach
Arugula
Wild violets (white and purple)
Grape tomatoes
Wild onions
4 and 5 leaf clovers (may substitute 3 leaf clovers)

Wash, drain and place all the ingredients except the wild onions into a salad bowl. Remember, presentation is key - you want to be able to see the clover, flowers and tomatoes pretty well because the colors and images are spectacular. I started with the spinach, then arugula, tomatoes, flowers and clover in that order.

This salad is best served quickly before the flowers and clover wilt, but can be refrigerated for a few hours if it needs to be, with only slight wilting.

Wild Onion Vinaigrette

Equal parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Wild onions (the bulb w/o greens, washed and minced)
salt (to taste)

Just mix the ingredients well, and drizzle a little with a spoon onto your salad. I only used a tablespoon because it has a strong presence and I wanted the flavors of the vegetation to come through.

Wild Onion Vinaigrette

There are many wild "weeds" that can be used for a Wild and Lucky Salad, including dandelion flowers. I still need to research this more - hopefully I'll find other edible treasures in my backyard!

The day's bounty of 4 and 5 leaf clovers

Let me know if you get adventuresome and try your own yard salad...I'd love to hear all about it!

Close up of a 4 leaf clover with
wild violets, grape tomatoes and arugula.

Recipe: Lavender Potatoes

2010-04-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Corey and I really crave these new baby potatoes
cooked with Lavender.

A lot of my recipes are inspired by foods I've had in the past, and this one is no exception. Growing up, my mother would make us very similar potatoes when they started coming on in the garden. However, my mother is a traditional Southern cook and would never consider putting lavender into any dish. Here's my version of "Mama's New Potatoes".

Lavender Potatoes

Ingredients:

New Potatoes, washed (for me, the tinier the better)
Butter, melted
Lavender Buds
Salt
Garlic Powder

Parboil your washed potatoes with salt and 1 - 2 tbsp lavender buds until tender. Drain and place onto a baking sheet lined with foil.

Brush potatoes with melted butter, sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Place some lavender buds atop each potato, and bake at 350°F until the potato bottoms are browned (anywhere from 20 - 40 minutes, depending on how browned you like the skins).

These tiny potatoes turn out creamy and fragrant - perfect alone, or beside a nice roast. Oh, and the butter and seasonings left on the foil...you'll be hard pressed to keep yourself from cleaning up with a little bread or potato! ;-)

It's Spring? Quick, Grab The Camera!

2010-04-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

Finally - Spring is here!

Finally - Spring has pounced on our backyard, and for a few brief days we've had glorious blooms and blossoms that will disappear about as quickly as they arrived. Even my Moso bamboo has started to shoot, and it's very early for that (I'll save the bamboo for another posting).

I'm so glad that warmer weather has arrived, because this past winter was long and hard. I thought the low temperatures we had were supposed to kill of a lot of the bugs, but I've seen more insect activity recently than I've seen in quite a while.

The ants are busy as...bees!

My husband and I planted some really beautiful trees when we first bought our house about four years ago. We planted three Yoshino Cherry trees between our fence and drive behind our house. The blossoms are the palest pink, and only stand out as pink when you see them against the Callery Pear tree that was here when we moved in.

Close up of Yoshino Cherry blossoms with Callery Pear in the background

Yoshino Cherry blossoms with Callery Pear in the background

Another stand out in our back garden is the Japanese Weeping Cherry. We originally bought two, and planted one in full sun inside the fence, and the other just outside the fence in partial to mostly shade. The latter one died, and is now officially my "Nightmare Before Christmas" tree!

The one that survived has a couple of branches that reach up instead of weeping...I like to imagine it's saying "Haha! I survived! Victory is mine!" (Guess we should name it "Stewie-san")

Weeping Cherry Blossom

Callery Pear Blossoms

God, Karma, and Luck

2010-04-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Wow...some "karmic circle" that started 5 years ago just closed this morning with an accidental phone call I received. Wow. WOW. I'll be thinking about this one for years.

Lesson learned: God works in our lives even when we don't always see exactly what He's doing behind the scenes.

Romans 8:28
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Shortly after the phone call I found a "lucky" four leaf clover in the back yard (that's it scanned in the photo above). Today's blessings are already turning out to be much better than the challenges of yesterday.

Recipe: NOT Kasha Varnishkes

2010-03-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

I guess I'd better do some quick explaining here...this recipe was inspired by a recipe for "Kasha Varnishkes" (a Jewish classic) that I saw on a television program a while back. I wish I could remember which show it was - probably Martha Stewart, but I really don't remember.

The dish looked so good, but on the program they used chicken fat in the recipe. I don't keep chicken fat around, and didn't feel like buying some chicken just to render the fat from the skin. However, I do - in fine Southern tradition - keep bacon drippings in a special tin in my refrigerator. These drippings are from Applewood Smoked Bacon that we buy at The Fresh Market, and they're great for anything from seasoning vegetables to making "Fodder" (A wonderful and fresh Southern dish that my mom makes when the garden first comes in during Spring). They also remind me of some really nice pork smaltz I've had in Germany.

Needless to say, I was all for substituting bacon drippings for the chicken fat, but then there was the matter of kasha...I didn't have any at the time, and I couldn't find any at The Fresh Market either. I decided to substitute pearled barley for the kasha. At this point the only things recognizable from the original recipe were the bow-tie pasta, caramelized onions (that's what sold me on the recipe to start with), salt and pepper. But what a wonderful recipe of substitutions it turned out to be!

I've made this dish several times because Corey and I both like it a lot. Hope you do too!

"It may not be kosher, but it sure is scrumptious!"

NOT Kasha Varnishkes (aka 'Bow-ties for Gentiles')

Ingredients:

2-4 servings Bow-tie pasta aka Farfalle pasta (cooked al dente)

1 Large yellow onion or 2 small ones

1/4 - 1/2 cup pearled barley (pre-cooked measurement), cooked

2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced (optional - not in the original recipe, but I occasionally add it in)

2 - 3 tbsp bacon drippings

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

The most time consuming part of the cooking process is preparing the bow-tie pasta and the pearled barley. The barley cooking instructions say to boil it for 45 minutes, so I'd recommend starting the barley, then the pasta, then prep your onions and garlic while they're cooking. Don't forget to add salt to the water while they're cooking - that way you don't have to add as much later on.

Cut the onion(s) in half, then slice them thinly before caramelizing them in the bacon drippings. Usually I cook them in a pressure cooker (w/o the lid, of course) so there's plenty of room to add the cooked pasta and barley. If you're going to add garlic, add it to the caramelized onions once they've reached the desired color, and continue to cook for about 30 seconds before adding the drained pasta and barley. Salt and pepper to taste, carefully stir to distribute barley, pasta and seasonings evenly, and serve.

Food For Casablanca

2010-03-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

My husband made a very interesting observation as we watched Casablanca for the first time on Saturday - everyone seemed to be drinking, but no one was seen eating. Well, we had a dinner that day that would have had everyone in Casablanca running to the table, and the theme was appropriately Moroccan.

Our friends Elizabeth and Brian (last name "Cook" - very fitting as Elizabeth loves to cook!) invited us to their house for a Moroccan dish she wanted to try out, and to watch Casablanca - our version of "Dinner and a Movie". She and I shared the cooking duties - I supplied some freshly ground spices, chicken, chick peas, dried apricots, cilantro and couscous for the savory part of the meal which, except for the couscous, is cooked in a crock pot - and she supplied the remaining ingredients, and started cooking it early in the day for us. I've posted the recipe for "Easy Crockpot Moroccan Chicken" below, but you can view the original recipe posted by French Tart at this url: http://ww w.recipezaar.com/Easy-Crock-Pot-Moroccan-Chicken-Chickpea-and-Apricot-Tagine-137530

Elizabeth added the optional carrots, cut at an angle she explained, to "absorb the flavors better". Neither of us had the ras el hanout spice mix, so I used the alternate spices listed, grinding the cumin and coriander (or did I accidentally use cardamom?!) myself. It would've been nice to have the rose petals that are included in the ras el hanout, but it was so good that we didn't really miss the rose flavor.

Meanwhile, I racked my brain for a dessert idea that would complement the meal. I finally decided to make a rice pudding - something mild and delicately flavored with coconut milk - but topped with fresh pineapple purée and a dried apricot garnish that echoed the apricot in the curry. I would have liked to have served the pudding warm but I had to make it in advance, so I prepared individual cups for everyone including little Sophie, and refrigerated them. (See "Lesson Learned" below)

I searched for a good rice pudding recipe, and as usual sort of put in my own flair, as explained below. Here's the url for a highly rated recipe I found posted by Erica G. : http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Rice-Pudding/D etail.aspx

We all had a great evening enjoying our "Dinner and a Movie". Brian and Elizabeth had seen Casablanca several times, but Corey and I got to see a great classic for the first time. I've spent a lot of time photographing the food (except for the raw image of the plated food taken by Elizabeth), playing in Photoshop, and finally writing this blog entry, but it was time well spent to document this adventure in cuisine and film. Check out Elizabeth's take on our Saturday get together at her blogspot A Girl In Her Kitchen

CREAMY RICE PUDDING

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm.

My Version:

I used 1 cup jasmine rice cooked in 1 cup coconut milk and 1 cup water, used my homemade clarified butter (ghee - it has a toasted nutty flavor) instead of regular butter, omitted the raisins, used the rest of the 12 oz. can of coconut milk with the remaining milk and beaten egg for the pudding, replaced white granulated sugar with Demerara Cane Sugar (has a molasses flavor- you can read about it at Wikipedia), added puréed fresh pineapple and dried apricot as garnishment, etc. In other words, I didn't really follow the recipe, I just used it as a reference guide.

Lesson Learned:

In retrospect the rice set up a little stiffer than I had liked - it was perfect when made, but while it was chilling the rice absorbed more of the creamy pudding than it would have if it had been served immediately. Also, the fresh pineapple was really light and frothy when it was first puréed, but expect some separation of liquid and pulp if it sits for a while. This will not affect the flavor, just the texture.

Easy Crockpot Moroccan Chicken

(We halved the recipe and it served 4, plus leftovers for 1)

6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into large chunks (or assorted chicken pieces, about 3 lbs)
1 tablespoon flour or 2 tablespoons cornflour
2 large onions, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 inch fresh gingerroot, finely chopped
6 ounces dried apricots
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (14 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
2 (14 ounce) cans chickpeas
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 pint chicken stock
1 pinch saffron or 1 teaspoon turmeric
4 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix (or make up spice mix below)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and black pepper
chopped fresh coriander, to serve (Cilantro)

OPTIONAL

2 carrots, peeled & diced (optional)
1 preserved lemon, chopped into small wedges (optional)

Directions

1. Heat up olive oil in a frying pan/skillet & saute chopped onions & garlic for 5-10 minutes.

Add chicken stock & gradually mix in flour or cornflour until well mixed & not lumpy.Add honey & tomato paste & mix well.

Add herbs,spices & finely chopped ginger with salt & pepper to taste.

Finally add tinned tomatoes & mix well.

Pour the above tomato,onion & spice mix into slow cooker or tagine.

Add chicken & chickpeas & mix well.

Add dried apricots making sure they are covered by juice. (Add

the carrots if using.).

Give it a gentle but good stir to mix everything together well.

Crock Pot or Slow Cooker - Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours OR automatic with keep warm facility for up to 8 hours. (Please note that the cooking times depend on your crockpot, the cooking times I have suggested work fine with mine which is a Morphy Richards Slow Cooker.).

If cooking in a Traditional Tagine, do as above & cook SLOWLY over gas or barbeque for about 2-3 hours.

Electric Tagine cooking - same as the slowcooker. If you need to thicken it up towards the end of the cooking time, add cornflour which has been mixed with a little water & add to the tagine - mix well.

Serve with freshly chopped Coriander/Cilantro sprinkled on top & either with couscous, rice, fresh flat bread, pitta bread or salads. It is also good (if not traditional) served with fluffy pureed or mashed potatoes & pasta.

The Disappearing Art of "Tatting"

2010-03-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

I learned to tat today quite by accident, really. I was going to learn from my friend Linda, and about an hour before we were supposed to try and meet up I popped into Hobby Lobby to get a needle and some thread. The only tatting needle they had was included in a DVD 'how to' kit, and they only had one of those. Fortunately, I was able to go online with my phone and use a 40% off coupon, so I got the DVD and a small amount of thread.

Well, Linda's schedule didn't quite match mine, so I decided to pop in the DVD. It was actually very well made - well enough to teach me how to start tatting, and yes, I've now made my first "rings and chains" project (had to pick up more thread first).

I'm still hoping to get some great tips and techniques from Linda...I can't wait to tat some more! I'm very encouraged by her positive feedback, and I agree - not too bad for my first day ;-)

The DVD Title:

"Learn the Easy Art of Needle Tatting and More"
by Barbara Foster, Handy Hands, Inc.

Recipe: Lamb Meatloaf with Rosemary

2010-03-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

It's good when the animals on the farm make nice - especially since this recipe calls for both lamb and turkey, and I found they do play well together!

Wanting to experiment with ground lamb for quite a while, I finally decided to give it a go. Meatloaf seemed like it would be the fastest and easiest way to get it onto my table and into my hubby's mouth (he normally doesn't like to eat lamb - see posting "Our Kitchen's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy"). The lamb is the featured meat in this loaf, but it needed to be paired with another meat to keep it subtle, so my logical choice was ground turkey - it's not too oily, it's very juicy and mild, and it just blends well with other meats. Oh yeah - it's healthy too!

Of course, there are as many meatloaf recipes out there as there are moms, grandmas, aunts, cousins, and Uncle Buds that like to cook. The great thing about a meatloaf is it can be pretty forgiving, so it can be very fun to play with. That being said, you'll want to refer to my "Lesson Learned" below, where I share an important thing to remember about one particular ingredient.

BTW, before you laugh at the topping...sure, I could've/should've paired this meatloaf with some apple/mint concoction on top, but my husband really likes ketchup with his meatloaf, and I mean he squirts a mountain on his plate for dipping (sigh). Sometimes it's best to just go with the flow a little.

So, without further adieu...

Lamb Meatloaf with Rosemary

Ingredients:

1 lb pkg ground lamb
1 lb pkg ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, diced into small pieces
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 - 4 small garlic cloves, minced
5 tbsp (1 dollop) applesauce
1/2 cup jasmine rice (measured before cooking), cooked
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced (can substitute dried)
1 tbsp lavender buds, ground (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt (approx.)
1 tsp ground black pepper (approx.)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (approx.)

Topping:

approx 1/2 cup mix of your favorite BBQ sauce and ketchup.

Directions:

Oh, this is so fun and easy! After you've cooked your rice, diced your onion and minced your garlic and rosemary (and ground your lavender buds if you're using them), just throw all the ingredients (except the topping) into a large bowl and mix well.

Put meat mixture into a bread loaf pan (I use Pyrex), or you may shape your own loaf on a cookie sheet pan covered with foil. Try to eliminate any air pockets in the meatloaf - this is easy to do in the bread loaf pan because you can tamp it down with your wooden spatula or a large spoon.

Spread your topping mixture evenly on top, and bake uncovered at 350° for 1 - 1.25 hrs.

Serve with a side of applesauce, mint sauce, or (gulp!) ketchup.

"Like my mother, I don't measure any of my ingredients (except when it's required, as when baking), so the measurements are approximations of what I used. If you cook a lot you'll know how to season this to your taste, otherwise just follow the recipe. Remember - cooking is one big experiment! Have FUN with it!!!"
"I used to emulate my mother by using my hands to mix, but over the past few years I've started using a large wooden spatula, and it's now much easier to clean up afterwards."

Lesson Learned:

I thought I would take a short cut this time and let the rice cook in the meatloaf while it baked, because you can literally see the juices boiling through the sides of the glass. I found out the hard way that only the exterior rice touching the sides of the glass was cooked properly - the rest of the rice was cooked too, but the texture was way off. It didn't affect the flavor, nor the overall texture too badly, but I learned my lesson about rice and shortcuts. ;-)

Our Kitchen's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy

2010-03-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. I hide great secrets from my husband. That is, when he is scarfing down a nice meal going "Mmmmmm Honey! What's IN this!? This is GREAT!!!", I prefer to wait until after he's finished eating before I tell him.

Why? Because sometimes if I tell him before he's finished eating, he won't finish his meal. If he finds out a yummy spaghetti sauce he's been slurping has anchovies in it...over. Done. If he finds out a meatloaf he's been gobbling has lamb in it, such as the one we started on last evening, (and are still eating on this very evening - hope he reads this after dinner), he'll dig his feet in, clamp his jaws shut, and let me finish off the rest in a series of leftovers. He knows better than to ask if my curry is goat or beef...he just might get an answer he doesn't like.

He can get pretty adventuresome sometimes in the food department, but he says he can't eat lamb because he sees a poor little lamb in front of him when he's trying to eat it. I guess he gets bad images also if he hears "mushrooms", "veal", "anchovies", etc.

Of course, sometimes I do use his meat of choice just to lull him into a sense of security. Once he's gotten out of the habit of asking, I can pull out the exotic and sometimes healthier stuff, and he assumes it's beef or pork. Like when I make turkey burgers...(much juicier and tastier than beef in my opinion).

Just have to add that there's always the exception to the rule, and sometimes I do actually tell him when he asks, but usually I say "Don't ask...just EAT!" And, being afraid of the answer I could give, he shuts up and continues to eat...then we're both happy ;-)

March 18, 2010 Update: We finished off the meatloaf last night - yes, I saw him chew it with my own eyes....yes, he DID read this blog the night before...and finally, yes, he did still say it tasted great! I believe he may actually be learning to get past his lamb issues. Yay!

I think this warrants posting the lamb meatloaf recipe ;-)

Recipe: Herbed Vegetables (aka "VeggieWOW Bake")

2010-03-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that was inspired by a dish a friend of mine made (her name is Dana, pronounced like 'Donna'). She owns a wonderful little store called "Family Food Mart" where I buy the freshly butchered goat meat for my goat curry.

If you don't keep tons of herbs in your kitchen or garden, you can find most of those listed below at The Fresh Market or at an Indian grocery. If you don't feel like spending a fortune on herbs you may not use very often, consider the abridged basic version of the recipe (below).

Herbed Vegetables (aka “VeggieWOW Bake”) by Michelle Young

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Vegetables:

Yellow Squash

Roma Tomatoes (5 – 7)

Yellow Onion

Herbs/Spices: (spices are whole unless indicated otherwise)

Fresh Garlic Cloves (minced and whole, mixed)

Oregano

Marjoram

Thyme

Savory

Fresh Rosemary Sprig (broken into 1” pieces)

Tarragon

Cherval

Coriander Seeds (fresh ground)

Fennel Seeds

Cumin Seeds

Yellow Mustard Seeds

Lavender Buds

Cinnamon (ground)

Sea Salt

Red, White &Black Pepper mix (Fresh Ground)

Cayenne Pepper

BASIC VERSION:

Fresh Garlic Cloves (minced and whole, mixed)

Oregano

Black Pepper

Salt

Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Wash squash and tomatoes, and peel the onion. Quarter the Roma tomatoes, and cut the squash and onion into chunks of your preferred size (not too small, or they’ll dissolve during cooking). You can also use zucchini or eggplant in this dish, or any vegetable that’ll absorb flavors well…personally I wouldn’t use carrots, but they might be good too.

Put your vegetable chunks into a large bowl and start adding your herbs and spices to taste. Some herbs you can go to town with, like oregano and most of the green dried herbs. Other ingredients, like the cinnamon or cumin, you’ll want to just add a dash. Feel free to be generous with the lavender – it’s awesome! You can also be generous with the mustard seed. Just use your creativity – you can hardly go wrong, and if you do you’ll know what to change the next time! ;-)

Once you’ve added all your seasonings, stir the mixture until the vegetables are evenly coated. Empty the bowl into a baking dish (I use a Pyrex bread loaf pan), being sure to scrape all your seasonings from the sides of the bowl into the baking dish. Pour a generous amount of olive oil over the top of the vegetables – I usually have about ½ inch of oil at the bottom of the dish, more or less. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about an hour. I guarantee the odors will have you salivating long before the dish is finished!

Best served in a bowl with bread or rice . I prefer a nice mini baguette – the bread is perfect for dipping into the juices - sort of like going to an Italian restaurant, but the oil/juice mixture is much tastier than olive oil with cracked pepper. (In the South we’d call that “sopping”). If you serve with rice, I suggest a fragrant jasmine or basmati.

Enjoy!