Shhh! Our Secret agenda- details exposed!

It's getting to the point in this campaign where things are getting very personal. I can't go 30 seconds in watching tv without some remark from the other camp calling me a socialist, anti-American, pot-head, feminazi etc. So, yeah, folks there is a hidden agenda when we get back in the White House:

• We're taking your guns- all of them- even including but not limited to the sling-shots, bows and arrows, crossbows, pea-shooters, potato launchers, big rubber bands, paper clips, marshmallow guns, chef knives, cuticle trimmers and all liquids in containers larger than 4 fluid ounces.
• We're redistributing the wealth- yes, we're coming into your gated community- razing the houses and putting up concrete mega apartment buildings- we'll even let the caddies into the pools.
• No more work ethic- we Democrats don't have a work ethic- just check out our lackluster campaign offices
• We'll raise your taxes
• Keith Olbermann will be the voice of the nation
• You will listen to Coldplay every morning
• We'll outlaw any food that is bad for you- say goodbye to Wonder bread and feast on the dry hunk of multigrain flatbread. Say goodbye to soda of any kind. The only chocolate permissible will be fair trade and organic. The black markets will swell with the bacon and butter trade.
• You'll work out every morning and night- and we'll watch you do it through your tv screen
• You'll drink Merlot and love it
• Everyone gets a clothing allowance from the RNC
• Everyone will be addressed as comrade
• All "anti-American" activities will be encouraged and rewarded
• All the animals in the zoos will be let free
• Mandatory recycling- including filtering toilet water
• Children shall be raised by villages
• We're coverting to the Metric system

Yes, comrades, the revolution is nigh. Grab your pitchforks and and cell phones and I'll see you at the campaign offices.

By all means people- get the facts and lose the hype. If you're worried about taxes- check this out: http://taxcut.barackobama.com/ I'll save money under Obama's plan- a lot more than under McCain.

I'm sick

This has been the first day all year that I stayed home from work all day. I've got a cold and my mood is set to cranky and am really tired, so it's just best for everyone that I remain tucked away from the public.

I believe I got it from seeing my niece & nephew this weekend- the gift that keeps giving.

Can't believe I haven't posted all month. Our offer was accepted on the house- whee! so the closing is set for late next month, right before Thanksgiving.

I would write more- but am really wiped out. Later-

Did you miss me?

Well, it's been an eventful month. Most notably, I got pre-approved for a home loan which is a very exciting and freaky thing all at once. We do have a place in mind and we hope to put an offer on it this week. We'll see how that goes.

So my posts for the next month will not be as regular as I want them to be. We've got a lot going on- the home buying, the packing and decided which projects need to be tackled and when and oh yeah- the election. Ha, just signed up for a subscription for This Old House- so believe me friends there will always be a project to be tackled and a tasty meal to thank you for it. And as far as the election goes- I've committed to helping out Planned Parenthood with their projects.

Fall has certainly arrived. My sweet corn stand is no more and in its place- Pumpkin World! I cruised around it for a little while yesterday- yum and so cute. We've been eating honey crisp apples by the bushel it seems- last Sat. I spent $10 on apples alone! And I'm sure we'll be out of them by Thursday.

Our Tivo is overwhelmed- with our schedules and the new Fall season- doesn't add up to a lot of leisure time in front of the tube. But, I am completely hooked on Fringe- what a great show!

And bookwise- I just recently finished China Lake by Meg Gardiner- first of a great series. And if you're up for another very disturbing serial killer book- check out Heart sick by Chelsea Cain- wicked! I am currently reading The Whole Truth by David Baldacci which is turning into a really great read. I've also got in the queue Hot, Flat & Crowded by Tom Friedman, The War Within by Bob Woodward, Odd Thomas By Dean Koontz, Mission Canyon by Meg Gardiner, Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain and a couple of others that Rachel gave me- so I am beyond set- now I just need some quiet nights. Ha!

Here's another chapter in the squash chronicles. Pumpkin Chocolate cake- I made this for Angel to take into work for their potluck. Seriously good cake- just be sure to use a high quality cocoa powder- (not that I would put in a plug here for Penzeys), it will make the difference from a cake being drab and being fab. I was lazy and didn't glaze the cake. Oh, and this one is healthy too! Enjoy & take care.

Glazed Chocolate-Pumpkin Bundt Cake - Eating Well
Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature (see Tip)
1 large egg white, at room temperature
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Glaze & Garnish
½ cup packed confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon nonfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips or toasted chopped nuts (see Tip)

Instructions

1. To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Blend 1 cup buttermilk, pumpkin puree and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in whole egg and egg white. Stir in oil, corn syrup and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
4. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack, about 2 hours.

5. To glaze & garnish cake: Combine confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring until completely smooth. Place the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the top; garnish with chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) while the glaze is still moist.
Tips: To warm an egg to room temperature, either set it out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.To toast chopped nuts & seeds: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.


Glazed Chocolate-Pumpkin Bundt Cake Nutrition Information
Per serving: 234 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 238 mg sodium; 159 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (80% daily value).

Gov. Palin

Be proud of me- I actually fact checked an critical and inflammatory email regarding Gov. Palin today and did not forward it. I do relish this point of personal growth and I am highlighting it here for all to see.

Being a woman, you would think (well the McCain campaign does) that I'd be all excited over the prospect of a woman being on the ticket. Well, folks, I had a woman on my Presidential ticket before- granted it was before I could vote but I did plead my case to my parents to vote Mondale/Ferraro in 84.

I would hope that we all come to that point where it's not about a woman supporting a woman. It's about the experience, values and beliefs that the candidate holds that makes me believe in them and supports them.

Of course, being the yellow dog democrat- crossing parties is not an option for me. But I have had my chops busted for this before- Remember the Jack Hatch and Connie McBurney primary for Congress? Experience vs Ovaries....former State Rep. vs former KCCI weather forecaster? Yeah, I backed Jack.

The surprising choice of Gov. Palin for me really highlights Sen McCain's rash decision making. I would be shocked to find out that he really thought this through- and all of the trickling out of the details afterwards, hmm yeah. And, really I think its condescending that thought of planning to put a woman on the ticket would attract women to vote for that ticket- as if we can't can't see beyond the bra. The thought that former Hillary Clinton supporters would migrate over- no way, no how, McCain- she is the polar opposite of what Clinton supporters believe in.

Her kids should be off limits- but if one of Obama's kids got knocked up this election cycle- what do you think the commentators would say?

And I think it's completely unfair that there is speculation that how can she handle her family responsibilities and the Vice Presidency- because if she were a guy, it wouldn't come up. I did watch the weirdest story on the Today show last week about the inevitable culture shock her husband would be in for if they moved to DC. I mean seriously, commenting on how he won't be able to fish or hunt with in the immediate DC area- it's just as stupid as saying that the wife of a VP candidate will have all these new shopping prospects when she gets there.

And I like the whole "small town spunky" spin that she's getting- I'm very sure that there is a certain opinionated, experienced, sharp woman Senator from New York that would of loved the spunky label instead of the shrill moniker.

Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background:

She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage.

Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.

She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000.

Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.

She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change.

She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as a threatened species-she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.

(By the way- I can direct you to a site where these are cited with facts- check out Moveon.org)

So, of course she's exciting the Republican hardcores- she's one of them. And its fascinating for me to watch those people who once decried the entering of women into the workforce supporting her now.

I'm not surprised she didn't make the rounds of the Sunday morning political talk show circuit- In fact I came across the quote of the McCain staffer that she wouldn't unless they showed her respect and deference. Deference? Who exactly deserves DEFERENCE on the talk show circuit? This does highlight the hypocrisy of the whole situation- when the going gets tough they can pull the whole apron string defence.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/09/07/AR2008090702402.html

If ya ain't ready to run with the polar bears, best bet to stay inside.

Hmmm- how long away is November?

P.S. Senator McCain? Senator Obama called- he saw your recent ad and he wants his campaign slogan back....

Chili

Here is the keeper recipe for chili we had this weekend. Great vegetarian make ahead dish- because chili can only get better the second day. I added a couple of roasted Hatch chilis and used some chipotle powder instead of cracking open a can of chipotles. Canned chipotles do freeze well- just stick them in ice cube trays with a bit of the adobo sauce, freeze and store the cubes in a ziploc bag.

Vegetarian Chili from Cooking Light

Chipotle lends subtle yet deep smoky spice to this substantial meat-free dish. We use a light-bodied lager beer along with vegetable broth to deglaze the pan. Serve with baked tortilla chips.
Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil
2 cups chopped onion (about 1)
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper (about 1)
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (about 1)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 cup beer
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can small red beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup preshredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese

Preparation

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chili powder and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add chipotle, beans, and tomatoes to pan; simmer 40 minutes or until thick. Stir in salt. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.
Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups chili and 4 teaspoons cheese)
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 216(19% from fat); FAT 4.5g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.1g,poly 1g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 193mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.1g; SODIUM 711mg; PROTEIN 10.1g; FIBER 8.8g

Fall has fallen

Well, we went from the last days of humid Summer to Fall pretty much overnight last week. We had a surprise visitor last Tuesday- my dear friend Jay was in town visiting his family including meeting his new nephew. We went to Django for an excellent lunch, and then I took him around the east Village and Gateway Market. Also got a chance to drive him buy the house we looked at twice last week- which met his approval. Such a great chance to catch up with a great friend- and Ms. Charlie was very happy to get some guy time and a belly rub.

So, you know last week how excited I was to get roasted Hatch chilies at the market? I haven't seen them here at all- until Wed. I went to HyVee before work and what greeted me was the humongous multimedia display of Hatch Chilis- d'oh!!

Ah well- braving a chilly morning- we picked up this week our first batch of honeycrisp apples, a buttercup squash, peppers, a leek, sweet corn and split a pumpkin pie cupcake from Carefree Patisserie. This time of year is my favorite at the farmers market- all of the summer produce and the fall stuff is just starting to appear.

I have decided that it may be a little better for my mental health to get most of my information about the Republican pres. ticket filtered through Jon Stewart. Oh, I promise my take on Gov. Pallin later this week. However, I adored Jon's comment on how the Democratic party always has to prove its patriotism, but everyone knows that the Republican party loves our country- they just hate half the people living here.

I just finished Thurston Clarke's hertbreaking account of Robert Kennedy's Presidential campaign- "The Last Campaign. Bobby Kennedy has always been an inspiration to me and this country suffered a great loss when he was killed. This book was a great insight into the campaign, not portraying Bobby as a saint but recognizing his courage and the huge shadow of his brother he overcame throughout the campaign. And repeatedly throughout the book- what really amazed me was his direct challenging of his audiences from ladies clubs to college campuses, saying that we were the reason why Vietnam was happening, that student deferments for the draft were completely unfair and discriminatory against poor Americans who couldn't afford to go to college, that black Americans were dying in Vietnam fighting for a country that was not guaranteeing their equal rights as citizens back home, we allow children to die of starvation in this country because we turn a blind eye to the suffering we can't see.

Now, just imagine today a political candidate, blowing off his advisers, and saying something akin to that in prime-time. The truth is hardest to hear- we allowed our country to get into this position and its up to us to fix it, one step at a time by making different lifestyle changes, getting involved in our communities and schools and forgo chilling on the couch every night to most importantly educating ourselves and voting in every election. Government by any means can not solve all the problems- but with the right leadership and agenda- it is a part of the solution.

And the author pointed out that in his speeches on Vietnam, that if you replaced the words Vietnam with Iraq and Communism with Al-Qaeda- it would just be as timely and persuasive today. Try it: "Our brave young men are dying in the swamps of Southeast Asia. Which of them might have written a poem? Which of them might have cured cancer? Which of them might have played in a World Series or given us the gift of laughter from the stage or helped build a bridge or a university? Which of them would have taught a child to read? It is our responsibility to let these men live....It is indecent if they die because of the empty vanity of their country."

For all you Democrats who may need reassurance:

"As long as America must choose, that long will there be a need and a place for the Democratic Party. We Democrats can run on our record but we cannot rest on it. We will win if we continue to take the initiative and if we carry the message of hope and action throughout the country. Alexander Smith once said, "A man doesn't plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity." Let us continue to plant, and our children shall reap the harvest. That is our destiny as Democrats."

Here is one of my favorite quotes from him:

"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation... It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is thus shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. "

The squash adventures continue

The squash chronicles were continued this weekend with an excellent pumpkin curry from Thai Flavors. An amazing complex, rich dish- with yes, cubed pumpkin. Remember, pumpkin is a squash like butternut. It's just that everyone only sees it in one incarnation, pumpkin pie. Think outside the pie!

Today, even though it started to get hot once again, I tried an excellent recipe for Chocolate Zucchini bread. It turned out a very dark, moist rich loaf- a little healthier than the Paula Dean creation my mom found. I try not to over mix quick breads and muffins as a rule- if you do it makes them tough. But, be sure to mix in the zucchini- otherwise you may end up with a ball of zucchini in the middle of your loaf- not very appetizing. So, we just plan to eat around that chunk.

At the farmers market this weekend- I splurged, not on cake, but on a bag of roasted chilis. When I tasted them as a puree, they were sweet with a little kick. I froze them and am looking forward to pulling them out for chili or enchiladas sometime soon.

It is kind of weird having two days off in a row. I had a lot of plans this weekend, baking, cooking, dyeing my hair, cleaning- but got some stuff accomplished. We went to see a house for sale yesterday- which we liked very much and drove past some others that were on our potential list. We did the whole running errands thing- returned the dress which I shouldn't of bought in the first place, finally bought cat food (Mischa was sooo excited). Today I finished a dishcloth that had been lingering on my knitting needles forever, all I had to do was bind it off- why didn't I do it sooner? I made the bread this morning, went out for lunch with Angel's family and organized my knitting needles, made meatballs and froze them- I love the handi-vac!! and thinking about dinner....

Last night Angel was quite disgusted with my dinner plans- but really, trust me it was good! I tried this recipe, just using a multi-grain pita bread for the crust. Those pitas make great individual size pizzas- quick and easy dinner. Be sure to look for ones that are lower in fat, sometimes you can find flatbreads that have 9-10 grams of fat and really high in calories. The ones I am diggin' now are the Toufayan Bakeries that have 173 calories and 1 gram of fat- and no, they don't taste like cardboard.

Earlier this week, I used them to make bbq chicken pizzas, using bbq sauce, leftover smoked chicken, sauteed onions and peppers and mozzarella cheese. They are also great stuffed with egg salad or chicken salad or roasted veggies and cheese or hummus.

She hates beets- she tried one a couple of years ago and spit it into the trash. But at least she tried. I will use goat cheese the next time I do this and add more mozzarella cheese (for more cheesy goodness) - the feta was a bit too much, and I omitted the honey. Sliced in thin slices, it would make a great hors d'oeuvres. Enjoy!

Roasted Beet Pizza (Pizza alla Barbabietola Arrostito)

"People who think they don't like beets often become converts after sampling this tasty pizza," says Senior Food Editor Alison Ashton. Roast several golden beets at once, and enjoy the extras with salads, on sandwiches, or as a snack with crusty bread and goat cheese.

1 (4-ounce) golden beet
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 (10-inch) Basic Pizza Dough
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup vertically sliced shallots
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon honey

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beet; scrub with a brush. Wrap beet in foil. Bake at 450° for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool. Trim off beet root; rub off skin. Cut beet in half crosswise; thinly slice halves.

3. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on lowest rack.

4. Increase oven temperature to 500°. Preheat pizza stone 30 minutes before baking pizza.

5. Gently brush oil over Basic Pizza Dough. Arrange cheese, beet slices, and shallots evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Slide dough onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide.
6. Bake at 500° for 8 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from pizza stone. Sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with honey. Cut into 8 wedges.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)CALORIES 104 (20% from fat); FAT 2.3g (sat 1.2g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.2g); IRON 1.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 17.7g; SODIUM 295mg; PROTEIN 3.5g; FIBER 1g Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2008

My first squash of the season

Over the years, I have really turned into a crazy squash eater. I am a little obsessed with winter squash. They are the main reason why my market basket is soooo heavy in the Fall.

Growing up, I do remember having the occasional acorn squash puree with brown sugar, but that's about it. Winter squash is an incredibly versatile vegetable. You can roast it, puree it and use it in soups or as a pasta sauce, simmer it in stews, or use it in quick breads or desserts.

Granted, they look a little intimidating to deal with. A little technique, patience, and a sharp peeler and heavy knife, and I promise you'll be good to go. Also, winter squash is a great source of vitamins A & C, fiber, magnesium and potassium, not to mention sweet and delicious.

To prepare my butternut squash for dinner last night, I peeled it, then chopped off the slender part, cubed that, then cut the bottom bulb in half, scooped out the seeds and cubed that up- all under the watchful eye of Mischa.

I've been told that if you microwave it for 15-30 seconds or so, it loosens the skin and makes it easier to peel. Unfortunately, I always seem to remember this trick halfway when I've peeled the squash. So, I've never done that, but maybe someday I'll remember too.

Here is one of my standby recipes for squash- and one that has converted a couple of co-workers to eating squash. It's a great recipe to experiment with- feel free to swap out the pasta for a different shape or type. I have used shallots & sweet onions and last night I used a leek. For seasoning, I add herbes de Provence instead of the sage. Some crumbles of goat cheese would be nice, but it's also good without the cheese. Got some crumbled bacon or pancetta- why not?

Enjoy- this makes a great lunch dish to take to work.

Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallots

3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise (about 1/2 pound)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
4 ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta) or fettuccine
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 475°.

Combine the squash, sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons oil, salt, pepper, and shallots in a jelly roll pan; toss well. Bake at 475° for 20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in sage.

While the squash mixture bakes, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place cooked pasta in a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons oil; toss well. Serve the squash mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup pasta, 3/4 cup squash mixture, and 1 tablespoon cheese)CALORIES 248 (29% from fat); FAT 7.9g (sat 2g,mono 4.5g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 137mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39.4g; SODIUM 713mg; PROTEIN 7.1g; FIBER 5.2g Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2001

Recent recipe reviews

Looking back over last week, I didn't cook an awful lot. I've been in a lunch rut as of late and am seeking some new inspiration for lunch ideas. The lunch rut means a fallback to cleaning out the freezer. I did try a couple of new frozen meals though, which I liked- Healthy Choice's panini with chicken, apples and onions and Lean Cuisine's tortilla crusted fish. Apparently the only way I like fish is overly processed or just deep fried.

Got an abundance of food this weekend on the farmers market run. Along with my first winter squash of the season (an acorn & butternut squash), a box of edamame, some delicious cinnamon roll apple butter, summer squash, kale, broccoli, more potatoes, red peppers to roast this week & make hummus with, my favorite find was local grapes. Oh, they are so good- I'm nibbling on them now as I write this.

The overall winner, recipe wise, this past week was the baked gnocchi with spinach and ricotta. I love gnocchi, but somehow as of late I haven't got too thrilled about just cooking it and topping it with sauce. This dish was easy to throw together, reheated very nicely and will definitely be repeated. I got this off of Joe's blog- Culinary in the Desert- I did not have fresh basil on hand when I made this so I just added a liberal amount of Penzeys Tuscan Sunset blend.

Baked Gnocchi with Spinach and Ricotta

(Adapted from Prevention)
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
3 ounces shredded mozzarella, divided
1 ounce fresh grated Asiago cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt and fresh ground black pepper3 cups marinara sauce, divided
1 pound packaged potato gnocchi, divided
2 cups baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In small bowl, whisk together ricotta, basil, 1/3 cup of the mozzarella, Asiago, egg and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

In an 8" square baking dish coated with nonstick spray, spread a thin layer of the marinara sauce over the bottom. Arrange one-half of the uncooked gnocchi in a single layer - scatter half of the spinach on top. Using a spoon, add small dollops of half of the ricotta mixture on top of the spinach. Spoon a layer of marinara over the ricotta, leaving enough sauce behind for another layer on top. Repeat layering, adding all of the remaining sauce on top.

Scatter the remaining mozzarella on top.Place into the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is lightly browned, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove and let sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional grated Asiago cheese before serving, if desired.Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

My other winner was Ellie Krieger's sloppy joes from her cookbook Healthy Appetite. Since my roomie had a date on Friday, I had the option of going to yoga and then making me dinner. I've been craving sloppy joes for a long time. A couple of years ago, when I came home armed with a new recipe and all of the ingredients for them for dinner that night, I told Angel what I was fixing and she looked at me like I announced we're having poop pancakes. She hates sloppy joes- major childhood trauma there. These would make her change her mind (if she tried them)

I made these with ground turkey and red kidney beans. I also added a heaping tsp of Penzeys Chili con carne seasoning in lieu of the dry mustard and a dash of chipotle too.


Sloppy Joes
Healthy Appetite by Ellie Krieger

1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic,
minced 1 jalapeno,
minced 1 red pepper,
diced 1 can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 whole-wheat burger buns

Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Information per Serving
Calories 248
Carbohydrates 37 grams
Total Fat 4 grams
Saturated Fat 1.1 gram
Protein 18 grams
Fiber 7 grams
Sodium 535 milligrams

Enjoy- have a good week!

English 105

So, it was nice to get back into the normal routine again after going home. We were super busy at the store this past weekend. I froze the remaining corn that Wayne gave me. Angel was quite impressed with the handi-vac- and can understand why I'm a little giddy about the prospect of getting a deep-freeze.

I got back to the gym this week- (after taking a week off) which feels great. My horoscope this week reminded me that yoga does not solve all your problems, even though you want it too. How did they know?

In all the pile of stuff I took over to Planned Parenthood- I found some old essays and notes tucked into one of my freshman year Poli Sci books. Among them, the note saying "My name is Lori Ann. I'm going to Ames, Iowa" which my sister pinned to my back before I boarded the Greyhound bus back to Ames after Spring Break. An English 105 essay about my Spring Break- apparently Jamie owes me $10 (which did you ever pay me??) and we're engaged. It also mentioned that I'm engaged to two guys now- I'm not exactly sure who the other guy was- I think it was Matt. That whole if I'm not married by when I'm 30 thing- which apparently we *all forgot about*

And what really made me stop in my tracks, was an essay I wrote about my dear friend Matt. I miss him so. I haven't seen him or heard from him since my junior year in collage- yikes- 15 years ago or so. I've looked for him, off and on- thanks to the wonders of the internets. I came across my Ex, who may know but I really don't want him back in my life. Plus he owes me $50- Loser. And the advice that Matt gave me back then, still rang true today- "have patience- it will all work out for the best" Just reading that and hearing his voice in my head- settled me in a way I really can't describe. So, my horoscope was accurate. But yoga helps a lot.

Matty, I hope you are well. I'm sure that you'd be surprised a little to learn that I've acquired by inheritance that symbol of 80's yupiedom, my Grandma's Cusinart. I love it- and the only way you'll get it from me is to pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Trip home

As you know from one of my previous posts, my Mom had her cataract surgery yesterday. She came through just fine- griping that she really could of driven herself home after all.

It's always unsettling to see some one you care about wheeled off on a gurney, but I am really grateful that everything turned out well. It's great that she'll be able to see better- which is something we often take for granted. And to note for the record- Finley hospital has atrocious coffee and no Food network on their cable.

I got home Wed. night, armed with a massive load of produce I picked up from every stop I made on the way home. I stopped at JoDee's Dad in Grand Junction to drop off her house warming gift- a trunkful of christmas light displays :-) her family tradition must continue. Wayne gave me a dozen ears of corn and a huge zucchini. Then picked up some peppers from Jamie when I stopped up there for a really fabulous dinner & meet the new dog, Roxie- who I nicknamed "100 calorie pack"

I was listening to Deep Storm by Lincoln Child on CD - which is a good read- but when it's dark and you're driving by yourself in the car- it's a little treacherous to change cd's. I think I am going to start to listening to non-fiction books in the car when I drive around town. I always intend to read more non-fiction- but it doesn't hold my interest at night that well. And I retain stuff more by listening to it.

So- I have to drive my Mom to her appointment this afternoon. She'll get her bandage off and be cleared to drive and I'll head back tonight. I think today I am going to box up some old books to take to Planned Parenthood. I meant to scan some old pictures in from high school & college- but of course, I forget them. I always have to forget something every time I go home- it's just the way of Lori. But I will scan in some older photos & but them on my Myspace page-

When I got home- there was a stack of recipes on the counter that she wanted to try. Where do I get this from? I made some chocolate chip zucchini bread- which turned out great. We also tried out her new toy- the pressure cooker. We made risotto in 7 minutes last night for dinner. Wow! So that will be fun to play with- and makes me think about requesting one for Christmas.

But, I will share this gem with you I found. Grade school poetry. Enjoy.

Color Poems

By Aaron, Brent, Griffin, Whitney, Melanie, Lori & Mitchell

Purple

Purple is nice when it's light, though it also is nice when it's dark.

Purple is nice when in a rainbow.

Purple is a pretty color because it is the color in flowers. Like Irises.

Purple makes me think of grape lollipops.

Purple is the color of grape koolaid.

There are purple planes on my shirt.

Purple makes me think of Ronald Reagan's brain.

Recent good reads

Being the huge James Bond fan I am, I was surprised to come across The Moneypenny diaries by Kate Westbrook. It was a very fun read- just imagine that your Aunt, Miss Jane Money penny didn't just work for the civil service, that the character Miss Moneypenny was a real person, and Ian Fleming based all of the Bond books on a real career of James Bond.

The style of it was fun- she assembled the book from editing her late Aunt's diaries and flushed them out with historical details- most of which took place around the Bay of Pigs.

I was delighted to find ol' Monneypenny a strong character, with a childhood spent in Africa, tolerating 007's flirtations and turning him down, and she gets field experience, saving a certain 00 agent.

This is the first in a three part series, so I am keeping my eyes open for them when they are released.

Also, recently I finished World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler- a novel of a post-oil future. You can check out the website here: http://www.worldmadebyhand.com/

I really can't say the plot was a turn paging one- but the world that he created just fascinated me. And the characters and how they saw the world and lived their lives just drew me in. I was intrigued by the fact that they didn't mourn for the days full of cars and electricity, but they really considered themselves lucky to be alive and striving to make their town prosper. The sens of community was incredible, as everyone pitched in around the town and looked out for each other. And it was a hopeful view of a possible future, not one that disintegrated into chaos and destruction.

Just made me wonder what I would miss most about our modern world. Refrigeration, laundry machines, heat in the winter come to mind. Also the lack of mail and phone service would just hurt me considerably because so many of my close friends and all of my family live a considerable distance away. And just think of everything we take for granted at the grocery store that's brought in from overseas that would be gone- bananas, coffee, tea, cinnamon and pepper. And just how useful we really are- a lot of the characters are identified as so-and-so, he used to be an software designer now he's a carpenter. What skills would we have that would be critical in a not-so modern world?

And I am this close to finishing Hide by Lisa Gardner. I haven't read anything by her before- I am now hooked. Great thriller- and I suspect the ending will be the best part. :-)

Eau de Fair

Our State Fair is a great State Fair. If you haven't gone, it's a must to-do. It wasn't until I lived here, and done with grad school, that I went. I hopped on the bus, walked around and feasted on a funnel cake.

This year, we managed to get over there earlier than planned. Going with someone is always great, you can split all the food- therefore increasing your number of must haves. Well, when it comes to having a complete off day, you have to go in with a plan.

I love the smell of the Fair. That yummy sweet smell of fried treats, the smells from the grills, that sweetness of summer. One new thing I took in this year, I walked up to the Rabbit and poultry pavilion and saw the chickens. Such beautiful chickens! And the weirdest thing I saw all day- a couple of people were grooming and BLOWDRYING a chicken. I really want to raise chickens at some point, part of my live like Martha Stewart pipe dream. They were also selling broiler hens for $8, so I came kinda close to buying a chicken. Of course, the reality of getting it back to the car sunk in- I don't think the shuttle bus driver would of let me take it on the bus.

We took in the sights- of course the butter cow is a must see. She also did Shawn Johnson too. My roomie has proclaimed that if she ever "makes it", she doesn't want a street or school named after her- just to her likeness to be sculpted in butter at the Iowa State Fair. There's something to be said about that.

When we were in line waiting to order our pineapple, we talked with the most amazing couple. They were grandparents with their grand daughter who was 2. She was living with them for 6 months while her mom was in the job corps in another state. I couldn't even imagine leaving my kid for that long or the struggle she goes through daily. And how great it is for the grandparents to pitch in and help. That is just an amazing family for that little girl to be blessed to come into. I wish them the best.

My roomie was slated to be a celebrity chef serving at the Pork Tent- her apron was just the cutest thing. And yes, when she was done she smelled just like a pork chop on a stick. Mischa loved that smell and had to lick her upon returning home.

We ate:

An order of fried ravioli- always a favorite
Soft pretzel
Apple cookie and apple pizeta
Home made potato chips and AE dip- which rocked!
Turkey burger for dinner
Deep fried pineapple- good but a lot of work to eat. There was a bit of the core in the piece of pineapple which made it difficult to cut off a bite to eat. ( Of course, the atmosphere we were in was quite atrocious- at a picnic table within range of the WOW radio station broadcasting Sean Hannity live blasting away. Grrrrrrr........)

So, we fared pretty well. I had my craving for fried veggies taken care of the previous night at Taki, a Japanese steakhouse and sushi place, which we girls from Penzeys went to celebrate our 4th anniversary. Oh, Mischa ate some of the tempura crust from a sweet potato slice I took home. And he ate a hunk of brioche bread I got from La Mie at the farmers market. Weird cat.

So final tally:

Butter cow- spotted
fried food consumed- only 3
beer sloshed on me- yep
mullets spied- oh yes- it was East Side night
weird guy with belt buckle with picture of rooster and word "cocky"- check
Shammy show

And after I was done- I still had $8. So, I totally could of gotten that chicken anyway. Our lease doesn't say anything about a chicken...

Anyway, this week is going to be a busy one. I am heading home on Wednesday. My Mom is having surgery on Thursday to remove a cataract. I'm really glad that she's getting it done, now she can see better to drive!! Nothing like being a passenger in her suv while she's backing out of the driveway and she mentions nonchalantly "you know, I really can't see over here- it's such a bother to turn my head to see"

My mom did get a pressure cooker- so we have a new toy to play with this week. Hopefully we'll follow the directions and I won't have to go back to help her paint the kitchen ceiling.

Have a good week!

Corn griddle cakes

I swear that I have eaten fresh sweet corn every day this week- and I'm beginning to suspect my body needs a little break!

Last night, I stopped by the Drake farmers market to get 4 ears of corn to make this new recipe. I checked out one of my favorite cookbooks (again), Jack Bishop's A Year in the Vegetarian Kitchen. It really focuses on eating seasonally, which is one of the main things I am trying to be more aware of in planning our menus.

I made these just about as directed, except for the cilantro and I did add a little minced onion and a touch of Southwest seasoning. They are a perfect recipe to mess around with, add some more onion, red pepper, fresh herbs, switch the type of cheese or even add some crab meat or sliced shrimp. Feel free to top them with sour cream, salsa or honey. I served them with some refried black beans and sauteed some patty pan squash.

Today, I had some leftover ones for lunch that I topped with butter and honey- very scrumptious.

Enjoy!!

Savory Corn Griddle Cakes

4 medium ears of corn, husked
1/4 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
1 TB fresh minced cilantro
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 TB butter, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cut kernels off of the corn. Easiest way to do this is hold the ear straight up in a large bowl & cut down- the bowl catches all the kernels and they don't scatter everywhere. Discard cobs. Stir in cheese, cilantro, milk, eggs and melted butter into the corn until smooth. Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt, stir until no flour streaks remain.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly grease it. Fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup with batter and pour the batter into the pan to make a round cake. Repeat until pan is filled (you should have 3-4 in pan) Cook, flipping the griddle cakes once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Keep finished cakes on warmed plate in the oven.

Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with salsa, sour cream or honey.

Jethro's BBQ

So, it seems that every restaurant opening lately in the Des Moines area is either a Mexican or barbecue place. Love them both, but can we have too much of a good thing?

Friday night after catching The X-Files movie (which was quite good, if you're a fan- you'll love it, nice creepy disturbing time) we decided to try a new place for dinner. I have to admit, I am a huge proponent of flipping the traditional "dinner and movie" combo. I love the idea of saving a couple of bucks on the matinee and having a leisurely dinner after- without the worry of rushing through dinner.

The statewide smoking ban has been a huge boon for us in dining out options, I hate ending up smelling like a bar room floor when I want to go out to eat. We opted for Jethro's BBQ, the new barbecue sports bar that just opened this summer right by Drake University. Being a sports bar- we probably never would of gone there before the ban went into place. But, in the parking lot, I smelled the smoke I love to smell- nice hint of hickory smoke- yum.

Guys (and gals) rejoice- several plasma screens will fill your sports fix- and on all different walls so now needless straining of the neck required. I could look out the window and gaze nostalgically over onto where my first apartment used to be. Yes, sadly, that building got razed to make way for the expansion of McDonald's- my place was now where the drive thru is.

Nice selection of draft beers- about 4$ a draw and great seasonal selections though. I opted for a Sam Adams Summer Ale.

But really the best part, in additional to super quick service- was the food. Angel had the smoked chicken philly sandwich with jalapeno creamed corn. A huge sandwich- with the most succulent smoked shredded chicken I've ever had and topped with sweet carmelized onions, peppers and cheese. The corn was a bit of a letdown- they smoked their corn and dumped a lot of cream in it, that was too much for the dish. I had the smoked turkey sandwich, by far some of the best smoked turkey I've had, with the most amazing sweet potato fries. They have 5 sauces to choose from- I decided on mixing the sweet and hot together.

I have to admit, I've been burned before in getting poultry from a bbq place- usually it's overcooked and dry. But if the chicken's outstanding- then the rest is sure to please. Enjoy!

Ah- bitten by the bug

Well, to cut to the chase, my beloved beer bread did not make the cut. Sorry- we lost out to bacon.

I'm sure that others that have thoroughly enjoyed it will be more disappointed than me. However, I learned a lot- I am a pretty good cook, and getting to be a better baker. Presentation is what I need to work on- and the little nit-picky things that the judges look at. The competition was stiff- 26 entries, and the beautiful ones I loved- didn't win- including one lovely batch of what looked like cinnamon rolls. Beer for breakfast? Why not!

One thing which was a little ironic for me was the general comment made by one of the judges that they don't like the bottom of the breads to be too greasy- so if your butter on top drips down or the cheese oozes out, that doesn't bode well. Mine does have melted butter on top, to help with the browning so it doesn't look anemic (which I prefer).

And since it is sooooooooooo freakin hot out- after doing my errands today- I don't have the desire to go ahead with the pumpkin bars tomorrow. Which is ok- I need to clean and go to yoga tonight. Cooking is what I do to relax and enjoy- if I'm bitchy about it, I'm not going to do it. But am looking forward to next year's competition...and I'll have all year to tinker.

Anyway, here is the recipe- try it and you'll enjoy. Maybe not a blue ribbon winner but may motivate a loved one to clean out the garage- which isn't that more beneficial??

Bavarian Beer Bread

Ingredients:

1 TB olive oil
1 cup diced onion
3 cups all purpose flour
3 TB sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 oz (about 1 cup) cubed beerkase cheese (you can use any semi-firm buttery cheese really- HyVee had this in a 4 ounce package, nice and buttery)
1 12oz bottle of beer
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp caraway
cooking spray
1/4 cup butter, melted and divided

Preheat oven to 375

Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until soft and golden, about 6 minutes.

Combine flour, thyme, caraway, salt, sugar, baking powder in large bowl. Make a well in center; add cheese, onion and beer. Stir until just combined.

Spoon batter into 9x5 loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle evenly with 2 TB melted butter. Bake for 35 minutes and then brush with remaining butter and bake an additional 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan, remove and cool on wire rack.

Tip: since I cubed the cheese, I tossed the cubes with a tiny smidgen of flour so they didn't stick together and would distribute evenly in bread.

Mmm sausage

Coming back strong after the cheese fiasco, the beer bread turned out very good. The couple of tweaks I did to it really made it wonderful. Hopefully, it's a winner. After the Fair, I'll post the recipe for you.

This morning I was going to do a trial run of the pumpkin bars but I overslept a bit, and was faced with a mountain of dishes in the sink which made me not want to add to the chaos. So, I cleaned that up, cleaned myself up & headed to work.

Last night we enjoyed Johnsonville smoked turkey sausages. I seared them in a big skillet, then threw in some beer & simmered them away. I also roasted some fingerling potatoes and steamed some broccoli. The sausages were excellent- check them out, especially 'cause one sausage has 110 calories and six grams of fat. Usually the full fat version has around 280 calories and 22-26 grams of fat- yowza.

Always good to have a quick easy option for dinner in a hurry. And even better, they were on sale.

And speaking of sausage, have I written about how great Morningstar Farms Italian crumbles are? Monday after yoga, I sliced up some leftover ciabatta bread, slathered on a little marinara sauce, topped with sausage crumbles and cheese- baked until bubbly. A great lower-cal version of french bread pizza- remember the Stouffers french bread pizza? As a child of the 70's, I have fond memories of that and of my own personal pizza, on an English muffin.

I did finish an excellent book last night, The Dirty Secrets Club by Meg Gardiner. Great thriller, great characters, nice twists- I really can't wait to dive into the rest of her books since now they are available in the States. Check her out- here's her website: http://www.meggardiner.com/

Now I just got to figure out what to read next...

A little advice I should heed

Ok, I know I can be a bit of a klutz and there is always the looming danger of the sudden feline ambush in our apartment.

Being a little budget conscious at the store this morning, I bought only the amount of cheese to make one batch.

So after I cut up exactly the amount of cheese I need to test my beer bread recipe, I dropped the bowl of the cute cubes onto the floor. Everywhere. Even into the bag of bottles I need to return and underneath the radiator.

Talent comes in so many forms.

Sigh- headed back to the store after the laundry mat & library.

Eggplant Parmesan

I really must confess, the way I love eggplant is fried. I love it when its crispy and smothered in ooey-gooey cheese and dripping with bright red marinara sauce. Being the sucker for cute produce, I am drawn to them in the market and plan on experimenting with them this summer.

And since my roomie was gone last night- I made this dish, a version of one of my favorite dishes, and settled in to watch Control, the bio movie of Ian Curtis, former lead singer of Joy Division. Lucky, the dish was yummy enough to temper the dark movie.

Enjoy- I cut this recipe way down since I had one lone small eggplant, and cut it lengthwise. Be sure to drain the eggplant after you pan fry it. Eggplant is a sponge and will soak up all the oil...yum.

Eggplant Parmesan

Mark Bittman
6 servings

Time: About 1 hour, longer if you choose to salt the eggplant.

Though this is really a dish in which the eggplant loses some of its identity, it's as gooey and filling as lasagne (though it's equally good without the mozzarella), and more flavorful. If you use Broiled Eggplant Slices in this dish, you can skip sautéing the eggplant.
Other vegetables that work: Zucchini (cut lengthwise).
INGREDIENTS
2 medium-to-large eggplant (2 to 3 pounds total)
Salt
Olive oil as needed
Flour for dredging
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups Fast Tomato Sauce
1/2 pound grated mozzarella cheese, about 2 cups (optional)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more if you omit the mozzarella
About 30 basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel the eggplant if the skin is thick or the eggplant is less than perfectly firm. Cut it into 1/2-inch-thick slices and salt it if you like.

2. When you're ready to cook, heat the oven to 350 F. Put about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the oil is hot (a pinch of flour will sizzle), dredge the eggplant slices, one at a time, in the flour, shaking off the excess. Put in the pan, but do not crowd; you will have to cook in batches. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned, then drain on paper towels. Add some pepper to the slices as they cook, as well as some salt if you did not salt the eggplant. Add more oil to the skillet as needed.

3. Lightly oil a baking dish, then spoon a little of the tomato sauce into it. Top with a layer of eggplant, then a thin layer of each of the cheeses, and finally a few basil leaves. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up, reserving some of the basil for garnish. End with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the dish is bubbling hot. Mince the remaining basil and sprinkle over the top. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Eggplant Layered with Vegetables. More in the style of Eastern European dishes: Steps 1 and 2 remain the same. When you remove the eggplant from the oil, sauté 1 carrot, peeled and diced; 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and diced; 20 cloves garlic, peeled; 2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped; and 1 large onion, diced — all until fairly soft, about 10 minutes. In Step 3, omit the cheese and basil, and layer the eggplant and tomato sauce with the cooked vegetables and a liberal amount of chopped parsley. Bake as above.

Food for thought

As a yellow dog Democrat, it's not often where I can find myself agreeing with some points in an article found in the American Conservative- but there was a link to it that was on Mark Bittman's NYT blog

But read, and enjoy http://www.amconmag.com/2008/2008_06_30/article.html

I do consider myself quite subversive when I cook dinner and plot ahead to make my lunches and snacks for the week. It's encouraging to me to see that some conservatives would embrace the idea of community gardens, cooking classes in church basements, neighborhood gardens, cooking classes in schools, and promotion of local foods and co-ops.

I liked this quote by Alice Waters, which goes to exactly what I believe:

"Good cooking, she writes in the introduction to her 2007 cookbook, The Art of Simple Food, “can reconnect our families and communities with the most basic human values, provide the deepest delight for all our senses, and assure our well-being for a lifetime.”

And a source that I'll be checking out-

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/series/the_food_chain/index.html

Enjoy- I'm anxious to head home where there is eggplant Parmesan in my future tonight...

Three restaurant reviews

I've been putting this off for a while- but our recent trip to Sbrocco really pushed me to type up my visits.

First, an old Des Moines hangout. After we did the 4th of July parade, Angel wanted to eat out. She wanted me to pick the place- (which is weird to me when someone really wants to go out- then wants you to pick the place- no thoughts on her part either) Anyway, my blood sugar had dropped enough that I would be delighted to pull up to the first greasy fast food place in sight. We are driving down Merle Hay and spot J. Benjamins. They're open- let's go.

They had live jazz- which was nice and not overpowering at all. Small cozy place- which was staffed by 12 year olds. It must of been the parent's night off because everyone working there was under 22, and maybe not even shaving yet. I do jest, because I poked around on the web I found out the owner, Simon, who greeted us at the door, happens to be all of 24.

Typical Italian fair- which is something that I normally don't go out for because I can cook it well enough at home, and for a lot cheaper. I had the stuffed manicotti with a combo of meatless marinara sauce and alfredo. I had to order the meatless sauce- because they do add graziano's sausage to their marinara- which thank you so much for putting that on the menu- saved a trip back to the kitchen for my dinner. Angel had the baked pasta, which was a huge portion. Both entrees were about 11-13 each, and came with a salad and bread. My only suggestion would be to add a side vegetable to the manicotti- that nice splash of green would be a very welcome sight. The dessert we split was absolutely superb. Simplistic but elegant- a square of freshly baked puff pastry topped with summer fresh local strawberries and whipped cream.

Their pizza options looked great which I think I'll order that next time. All in all, nice local neighborhood restaurant, very cozy place for a date or intimate chat.

******

Since the burrito craziness has subsided, I decided to treat myself after work on Saturday to a burrito from Chipotle that opened this summer in Valley West Mall. After I very busy day, my feet were very tired, I didn't want to cook and I was hungry- now!

One thing that really has me hooked it that they buy a lot of their ingredients locally. All of their chicken and pork is raised by family farmers, naturally raised with sustainable farming methods. Not only does the meat taste better, naturally raised meat doesn't have excess antibiotics, and has lower fat and cholesterol levels, and chicken tastes more like chicken.

The menu is a little limited- I wish they had more veggies to pack in. But my burrito was great! And like $5- woohoo! I had the vegetarian burrito, cilantro-lime rice with black beans, guacamole, roasted tomitillo hot sauce, sour cream & cheese. Great to have a quick option for dinner with a conscience and helps support my community at large. Thanks for coming to Des Moines.

*****

Lastly (but not least) leads us to Sbrocco, our new wine bar and shop on Court Avenue.

Here's their website, so you can peruse the menu http://www.sbroccowine.com/home.asp

Just a great addition to the Des Moines dining scene. A great place to stop in for a little snack after work, like to share a cheese plate and glass of wine or have a fabulous dinner. Their wine prices are very reasonable, they start at $4, and a nice variety as well. I had just a salad, which was great, nicely ripe pears and fresh creamy goat cheese on greens and the duck skewers with pomegranate rhubarb barbeque sauce. The duck was awesome, just perfectly cooked for my taste, and the sauce was a little tart and sweet and didn't overpower the duck. Angel had the salmon oscar. If I ate salmon, I would totally get this next time. It was a huge buttery salmon fillet covered with sweet succulent crab meat and hollandaise sauce all over a bed of fluffy rice. For dessert, we split the amazing chocolate stout torte. And I have to admit, if there is a most dangerous place in Des Moines, its between me and my slice of chocolate cake.

Enjoy- seek out those local neighborhood gems in your town. Life's too short to eat at Olive Garden every month.

"Try it, you'll like it"

That's one of Miss Abby's favorite expressions. You can hear her sing it from behind her lunch plate piled with with salad, broccili, mushrooms and fruit. Once, we were at my Mom's house having barbecued chicken, potato salad and the like. She waved a forkful of potato salad around and cheerfully asked "What is this? I like this!"

As the cool Auntie, I do try to set a good example for eating healthy and keeping an open mind and trying new things. Over the past years, I have discovered many things that I like that were taboo in our house growing up, namely asparagus. Being true to herself, my Mom never cooked anything she didn't like, and a lot of them my sister and I have discovered that we love them, like asparagus, spinach, & creamed corn. Several years ago, I bought a bunch of asparagus on sale at HyVee and roasted it for dinner. Munching away on it, I wondered where have you been all my life?

Other things that I have tried over the past few years that are now among my favorites; butternut squash, eel, beets, parsnips, duck, quail, mussels, calamari, fried pickles, roasted cauliflower. Other things I'm still working on are cooked cabbage (the smell gets to me) fish, especially salmon and brussel sprouts. I really want to love brussel sprouts, because they are so cute!

Here is a good try me recipe. I made this dish this week and we absolutely loved it. I cut this in half, since I had one bunch of kale from the market. I got this off of the Whole Foods website. Enjoy!!


Oven-Roasted Kale

You'll be surprised how easy and tasty this kale preparation is. Andrea from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, sent us this recipe with a note: "It's the only recipe I've found where the kale is not masked by other flavors or cooking methods, and it's crunchy. That makes it fun to eat, plus it's delicious." We are in complete agreement; this recipe quickly became a test kitchen favorite.

Serves 4 as a side dish
2 bunches kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse the kale. Remove and discard the thick ribs and roughly chop the leaves. Pat leaves dry. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Kale does not need to be in a single layer, as it will shrink in volume as it cooks. Bake for 12 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes, depending on how crisp you like it. The leaves will be tender, crisp on the edges and slightly browned. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Nutrition Info
Per serving (About 3oz/83g-wt.): 100 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 3g protein, 5g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 0g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium

OK now I just feel stupid

I just got dressed to go to the gym to lift weights. However, the shoes I brought with me- one of them is half of my new cute gym shoes, the other is half of my new cute work shoes. Both the right shoe, of course.

I'm not driving home again, dammit. Too bad I can't call Mischa to fetch them for me.

Oh well.

Salad days

"My salad days, When I was green in judgment" Cleopatra

One of my favorite quotes from the ol' Bard. This was on a sign in my favorite English teacher's, Mrs. Maddox, room in high school. She decorated her bust of Shakespeare for every holiday.

But, rest assured, I'm not about to reflect on my own salad days of the past- instead, we're focusing on the salad days of a hot summer.

I have given up the siren song of the salad bar as a quick go to lunch option. I realized that I was spending as much as I would if I went out to eat for lunch. Hmmm- so I need to plan ahead, do some simple prep & I've got a great lunch waiting for me in the fridge. (Note to self- if you are having salad for lunch don't forget the lettuce at home- all though Mischa was very happy to see me return home to get it)

Today, I had one of my favorite combos- a vegetarian salad nicoise. Sliced hard boiled egg, steamed potatoes, blanched yellow string beans, carrots, sliced onions on a bed of mixed greens. Traditionally, there's also tuna- but I can't stand even the smell of tuna. And if you need a little more protein for a busy day, add some rinsed, drained garbanzo beans or white beans. *Sniff* and I did forget the best part, olives! Feel free to add some croutons or sliced almonds for a little crunch.

Another one I love this time of the year is a quick Southwest salad. I grill a chicken breast with Southwest seasoning- chill and slice. I take some leftover roasted corn, black beans, cucumber, onions and peppers, a little cheese and some lettuce and add the chicken. Just top with low fat ranch or Paul Newman's Southwest dressing, a couple of crushed tortilla chips and you're good to go.

Some other yummies I love? A nice hunk of bread in the toaster, slathered with goat cheese and topped with fresh tomatoes. A quick cheese quesadilla for a hearty side. Dried cranberries, sliced apples, mandarin oranges, sugar snap peas, roasted asparagus, roasted beets, a nuked sweet potato can mix it up any which way. Croutons are great- just be sure to stick with the low fat baked ones. Also check out the other fun salad toppers- my favorite one right now is crispy onions, oh yeah!

For me, having a huge salad for lunch not only gets that major veggie eating requirement accomplished with a little panache but it's also a great way to use up all of the produce I buy every week at the Farmer's markets, not to mention to put a whole different spin on leftovers. And I can prep my ingredients in the morning, when the kitchen is a little cooler and do enough for three or so days. Just stay clear of those stupid co-workers who will eat anything that's not tied down. Or you could put everything in an opaque container and mark "stool sample" on it and it will not be touched. Just a thought.

Feeling a bit Green, in more than one way

Today I am feeling a bit icky. Nothing that's contagious (unless you're a girl ;-) ) but am looking to seek some relief from the heat and my upset tummy. Sparkling water is on tap and I will put in my air conditioning unit in my bedroom window after work.

One thing I am looking forward to is the psychological lift that George W. wants to give me by rescinding the Executive Order that outlaws off-shore oil drilling. You know those wacky liberals want to keep that oil out of our nation's supply. Hmm- who put it the ban into place, you ask? Ah yes, that bastion of liberalness, the first President Bush.

Yeah, that psychological lift is helping- I didn't feel nearly as pissed off as I could of been yesterday when I put $10 in my tank to get a measly 2.5 gallons of gas to tide me over till Thursday. Thanks GWB!!

Now everyone is feeling pissed off about gas and pinched everywhere else. Let's share some tips on how to save some money. And since Green is the new Black- (nice for y'all to come on board), some Green tips too:

• Go paperless on your bills. I just switched my cell account to paperless today. I'm tired of throwing those away and I never need them for anything.
• Reusable bags. Lug those sexy canvas bags to the store and you can save 5-10 cents per bag every time you use them.
• Pay bills online or auto-withdrawal. I figure I save about $50 a year on postage just doing this. Crazy not to!
• Change your cleaning products. Look to use those natural, plant based products like Mrs. Meyers, who I just love. Just about everything else comes in some way or another from petroleum. Plus Mrs. Meyers smells better, is not tested on animals and non-toxic. Every way to break the cycle of oil dependency should smell this good.
• Switch to generic drugs. Could I afford to buy Claritin for my allergies? Mmm, nope- but the generic- oh yeah. Same active ingredients- less hype. No commercials with fields of daisies and frolicking puppies.
• Use those coupons and store specials. With a little work, you can save a lot of money. I try to plan our weekly menu stuff around what's on sale at the store. The internet is a great resource for coupons too. I print off ones from the manufacturer's websites for products I like and use regularly, & SuperTarget always has great coupons.
• Gas specials. HyVee gas usually has specials every day- check them out if there's one near you. On Thursday, if I spend a certain amount, $30- my wine and weekly stock up- and pay in cash, I can save 14 cents a gallon.
• Skip the coffee shop. I said goodbye to the coffee stop before work when I realized how much it adds up. If you spend $3 every day for coffee, that adds up to over $1000 a year and 365 to-go containers in the trash. Yikes! That's a lot of beans!

Little changes make a huge difference put together. The key is to aim to live in balance in all areas of your life. If you enjoy something, keep doing it but look for a more sustainable way to do it. I love coffee- can't start my day without it. However, now I buy strictly organic or fair trade coffee. It's better for my health, better for the environment and much better for the farmers who grow and harvest my beloved beans.

Well take care. I was planning to do a huge glowing review of 1984 but am not feeling up to it today. I really enjoyed it so much- and to me it resonated a lot more now than it did the first time I read it back in the 80's. Right now, I'm reading The Lost Constitution by William Martin, which has got me hooked. The search is on for the original draft of the Constitution which , if found, would bring huge clarifications on what the original intent was and have an explosive impact on the hot political debate in question. The style of the novel has me intrigued- it's two parallel stories, one back in 1787 and the other in present day. I haven't read anything else by him, but am inclined to check them out now.

Cranky, no not me

I think that everyone around me is due for a refresher course in oh, just about anything. Let's recap some things that come right to mind:

• A plea for the immediate end to unnecessary drama. If anyone acts up around me without due cause, I am so shutting them down. People, there are real problems in life- I know. Feel free to come to me with them, however, I'm a little tired about hearing people whine about stuff like vegetables. Enough.
• Wet wool sweater + cycle in hot drier = shrunken clothes. Yesterday, I pulled out over ten shrunken sweaters that someone in our building dried. My first thought is this person is too stupid to be wearing clothing. I was almost tempted to stick around to see who did it. To paraphrase Morrissey, "I dried, and then I cried and then I just died. Lalalalalalala"
• Which leads to the next point- labels exist for a reason. You'd be surprised on how much one can learn from reading the label. Ingredients, proper care, directions for use of said product. Fascinating!
• And note to self- don't leave your allergy medication at work during the summer. Makes for one runny and sore nose in the morning.

All right, I feel a bit better. I just got an email from Henry Rollins- I have to quote him-

"Not another tour? Absolutely. I had to get one more lap in before the big guy goes out to pasture at the Crawford Ranch. Even though the ex-president will no doubt bail on his fake prop no-hope cowpoke habitat as soon as he gets the chance, I am sure he will at least stop in to pick up his crayons and watch the servants sift the puke out of the pool and roll up the carpets... "

Awww- I think he'll really miss him, I do. As much as I will.

He's coming to Ames in September, and I am very excited to see him again. Check out his website for the dates. His spoken work performances are just the best. This year, his tour is titled Provoked: An Evening of Quintessentially American Opinionated Editorializing and Storytelling. Which reminds me- I gotta get that Kafka book read.

I was a little busy this weekend and prepping for the State Fair did not make it on my agenda. But, I did make that stirfry, which was delish. And I tried a new recipe with beets, thanks to the New Vegetarian Grill. I had a bunch of baby yellow beets, which I peeled (yeah kids, you don't want to do that to red beets because you'll stain your hands) and wrapped in a foil packed with a nice drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. I roasted them at about 400 for an hour- and ate them all.

Happy Bastille Day!! Today marks the storming the prison, the Bastille, which was the start of the French Revolution. Feel free to hum La Marseillaise while sipping on a Perrier.

Hot, salty and sweet

Today really feels like summer. It's sunny, hot and humid- which makes me a little cranky. I am very thankful for allergy medications and air conditioning this week.

Since it's so hot, I do look for things to cool me off. I could very easily live the everything-cold-diet (except for my coffee, dark, hot with milk) during the summer. I think I am going to make a batch of hummus this weekend since I have some pita bread to use up in the fridge. Tonight, since I got the place to myself :-), I am leaning towards cooking tonight after yoga- spicy orange chicken stir fry and some brown rice. Chicken with a spicy orange sauce with ginger, garlic, red peppers, onions, & green beans. It's from Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight, which is a fabulous cookbook.

I have to admit, out of the oodles of cookbooks and magazines that I own, I cook mostly out of Cooking Light, and my lighter cookbooks. I love to eat and cook, but I know that I like myself the way I am now and more importantly, I feel better when I eat better. I hate feeling sluggish and uncomfortable after I eat something really heavy and fatty. Don't get me wrong, I still have my moments- one of which is for sure coming up, the Iowa State Fair!

Last night, I knew we had a lot of veggies in the fridge to use up before heading down to the farmer's market tomorrow. I was wandering around the store thinking about something to center everything around. I ended up buying a bag of frozen butternut squash ravioli from Rosetto (hey, and if you go to their website you can print off a $1 off coupon) and some low-fat alfredo sauce. I ate all my peas and sauteed up the bunch of swiss chard. Today I had the leftovers for lunch along with some sauteed patty pan squash.

And something else I found- wonders of wonders. Haagan Daz's new reserve flavor Fleur de Sel Caramel.

Now, I am not a huge ice cream fan, but oh my god this is a sweet and salty seduction that had me eating it out of the carton over the kitchen sink. I think the only way to improve it for me would do have a young Henry Rollins dish it out for me (he used to work at Haagan Daz- yep!) They have other Reserve flavors- but I didn't notice them because I was so excited about the Fleur de Sel.

Sweet and salty has become the ultimate flavor combo for me. I can easily bypass any candy bar (ok maybe not a Take 5) - in favor of a sweet and salty Cliff mojo bar, or little less healthier option, chocolate covered pretzels.

Mischa has had a busy week. I took him over to the spice shack to visit Papa Ted- which he was really good. He meowed continuously but was pretty willing to be petted. After he got home, he was so stressed, he panted for about ten minutes. He has also discovered that he likes to munch on not only beet greens, but swiss chard as well. So, if I ever start that garden, he'll be my biggest enemy I think.

I did finish the new Bond book last night, nice old school Bond! The twist at the end was very nice. Over the summer, I do try to read a couple of classics- we all have those books that we've bought and mean to read. You know the ones, the ones that make you look smart and worldly cause their on your bookshelf. Right now, I choose to re-read 1984 by George Orwell, which I last read in high school. I am excited to read it again, this time in the post 9/11 patriot act world.

Well, should get going here. I have a lot to do this afternoon. Have a great weekend!

Fourth of July fest; corn, potatoes and okra

After leaving the wild world of being a staffer on a political campaign, the Fourth of July has become one of my favorite holidays. As a staffer, the day was filled with marching in up to three parades (always hot and humid) and just a blur of red, white, blue, stickers, and flinging tootsie rolls. Now, I can relax and enjoy and reflect on how lucky we are.

We did do the West Des Moines parade. We rode in style in the classic car that KIOA is giving away- a custom 64 Buick Rivera- and can I ever stress enough how much cuter one looks in a really smokin' hot car?

On the Fourth, I smoked some bone-in chicken breasts that morning and fixed some potato salad. Alas, the Iowa sweet corn still wasn't ready due to all of the wet weather. We went to a movie (how indulgent!) and saw Get Smart which was by far one of the best comedies I have seen in years, and volunteered at the 80/35 musical festival for Planned Parenthood. After running a couple of errands- we grabbed dinner and watched the fireworks at West Glenn- very nice display and no traffic-woohoo!

Due to being so busy- it took me a couple of extra days to finish James Rollins latest- which was a little frustrating because it was a good read. I just started the new James Bond, Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks. I've been a huge Bond fan since I was, hmmm 10, I think. Yeah, in Junior High when the other girls were curled up with Teen Beat, I was immersed in Ian Flemming's classic Bond books.

I did finally get my first batch of sweet corn yesterday. I roasted it in the oven, which is my favorite way to do corn since I don't have a handy grill outside. I shuck the corn (which how excited were the cats to help shuck? Very!) and wrap it in foil with a little olive oil (so it doesn't get stuck) and seasoning of your choice. Roast at 375-400 for about 45 minutes or until it gives a bit when you squeeze it.

One other thing I tried this week- after work, I ate at the salad bar at Jason's Deli Monday before headed to my night yoga class. Great choice for a quick veggie loaded meal- they have really great roasted red pepper hummus on the salad bar- yum! I tried pickled okra, as a nod to my Grandma who was obsessed with pickled okra, and it was okay. I'm probably not going to run out and buy a jar- but maybe I will to get Ben & Abby to try it.

I did check out from the library the book New Vegetarian Grill by Andrea Chessman which looks very scrumptious. Grilled angel food cake- I think I gotta try it!

Here's the recipe for the potato salad I made- courtesy of Penzeys Spices.

Very nice for a picnic or an indoor meal when it is still chilly outside. Dill Weed adds a bright and springy flavor to any dish.

2-3 lbs. small new potatoes
11/2 quarts boiling salted water
1/4 Cup strained cooking liquid
1/4 Cup chopped SHALLOTS or onions
1 TB. wine vinegar
1 tsp. DILL WEED
1 tsp. ENGLISH PRIME RIB RUB
1-2 TB. olive or vegetable oil

Bring water to a boil. Add 1 tsp. salt. Wash and scrub potatoes. Peel a stripe around the center of each potato. Place in boiling water, cook until fork tender (about 8-12 minutes). Drain, reserving 1/4 Cup strained cooking liquid. Return potatoes to pan, cover and let dry about 2 minutes. Combine the cooking liquid, SHALLOTS or onions, wine vinegar, ENGLISH PRIME RIB RUB and DILL WEED. Whisk. Place potatoes in a roomy bowl, cover with dressing and stir gently. Let stand 10 minutes, then add 1 or 2 TB. of vegetable oil. Toss and serve. The flavor is great warm or chilled.
Serves: 4-6. Prep. Time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: around 10 minutes

I halved the amount of potatoes and kept the dressing amount the same, cause I like it tangy. Also, cook the potatoes starting in cold water, then bring up to a boil- they'll cook more evenly. It's a great, fresh alternative to the heavy mayo laced gloppy mushy potato salad. Enjoy!

Beans, the magical fruit...

So, after having a momentary lapse into feeling like I wasn't up to snuff to compete in the state fair after the fiasco of the strawberry-rhubarb crisp, last night's dinner was a winner. And a cheap one at that!

Here's the recipe- another winner from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Baked Lima Beans Parmigiana From how to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

You can also use fava, edamame, cooked cannnelini, gigante beans or chickpeas
1/4 c olive oil
1 recipe Fast Tomato Sauce
4 cups fresh, frozen or cooked dry lima beans
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup cubed mozzarella(preferably fresh)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 400

Use a tbs or so of the oil to grease a 2 qt souffle or gratin dish or a 9x13 baking dish

Spread tomato sauce in the dish and spoon the beans on top. Spread the mozz cubes around evenly pressing them into the sauce and beans a bit. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and parm and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake until cheese is melted, sauce is bubbling and crumbs are brown, about 20-30 minutes.Remove and sprinkle with parsley and additional black pepper if desired. Can be served over rice or pasta.

I halved this recipe to try it. I used two cups of thawed lima beans, about a bottle of marinara sauce, cubed mozzarella and fresh breadcrumbs, and sprinkled liberally with some Penzeys Italian herb mix.

Here's the cost breakdown.

0.30 bag of lima beans at Supertarget- they were on sale and I had a 50 cent coupon
1.99 bottle of Barilla sauce
2.00 hunk of cheese (which I have a lot left)
0.33 roll I used for breadcrumbs
and I had some parm in the fridge

I love being thrifty, especially when it tastes good.

Of course, this recipe is so versatile, you can use just about anything in your fridge or pantry. And quick- oh yeah. Great to have another easy dish to throw together- even after a long day at work. And of course, with food prices rising, it's great to find new veggie loaded recipes and are not only good for you, but light on the pocketbook.

Sides- I made some peas, steamed some broccoli, whole grain rolls and Angel had a salad.

Another great find at the store- Kashi has launched frozen pocket breads! I love Kashi products, and really can not recommend them enough for anyone who's looking for great healthy food. I had the southwest turkey- nicely seasoned, soft bread- yum! Check them out!

Short post today- I am itching to get out of here today and back into the new James Rollins book, The Last Oracle. I got an update from one of my favorite authors, Harlan Coben, today about the movie they made about his book Tell No One. If he's happy about it- I gotta see it.

http://www.tellnoonemovie.com/

It just got released in this country- another reason to love the French.

take care and enjoy your Fourth of July!

Starting off on the wrong foot

My morning started off just fine. Woke up a bit early, called the cats in for some cuddle time, made my coffee and decided to go ahead and make that strawberry-rhubarb crisp to take into work and then over to Penzeys to thank Ted for the cherries.

OK- I slice up the fruit, toss with the sugar and find out I'm out of brown sugar. No problem- since I make my own. One TB molasses to one cup sugar- stir until blended and voila, brown sugar that's not as hard as a rock. Now, I need oats. I go to my huge overstuffed pantry- no oats, no fraking oats, not even a fucking flake- why? and why do I feel the multitude of fiber one bars are laughing at me.

I so left out the oats from the topping- throw it together then put in oven. Smells great and take it out- yeah, I've made better. The recipe didn't call for any flour to be added to the fruit, which I really should of done since there is so much liquid in the dish.

I head to work,but first, have to stop and get a little gas since my tank was empty. I put in $10 and didn't even get a 1/4 of a tank. Grrr. And after I get to work, I grab my crisp and discover - it leaked all over the front seat of my car. This crisp is now just plain evil. Cleaning up the hot sticky mess, I am just pissed off.

Then the crappy little fridge here decided to test me further. The freezer compartment is causing the door not to shut, which makes the ice grow which causes the door not to shut and makes more ice- the vicious circle! So, I take a freebee coffee cup and bang the crap out of the ice to make the door go shut. Which, bonus, did get out some of my frustration.

So, my grocery list this week has started off with oats, sugar and resolve cleaner for my car. Super! Here's to hoping the afternoon is a little brighter and less sticky.

Weekend

This weekend- as all mine seem to do- passed pretty quickly. I had a great day on Saturday: went to the farmer's market, ran some errands, did a load of laundry and went to the Arts Festival. I enjoyed a yummy lunch there- a great falafel sandwich and a Belgian White Ale (but I did walk down and back- so I totally burned that off) and mentally spent thousands of dollars. I don't know if I could ever bring myself to spend like $300 for a hand painted silk scarf, even if it is completely gorgeous. I feel a little snotty that I recently spent $20 for a hunk of hand painted Italian silk blend yarn for a scarf. Ah well. (and no, still haven't started that project)

Summer is in full swing- it seems that at the market, we've been lagging behind because of all the nasty weather we've had. I did get a nice bunch of basil this week, and some of my favorite patty pan squash. I have to admit, I have a huge weakness for cute food. As always, I went through my cash very quickly, and ending up blowing my last five bucks on a pineapple caramel tart which was quite delicious. Next week, I should be able to get some potatoes and I think that sweet corn is still a little ways away.

Had some mixed results in the kitchen that day. I attempted to make some creme anglaise- which did not work out very well. The sauce separated and resulted in me straining out little bits of fluffy cooked eggs. Yuck- smelled good though. I did make the first batch of pesto this summer, which turned out ok. For some reason, my roomie does not like pine nuts, so I have to substitute something else- usually almonds. So, for dinner I had the pesto with some cheese tortellini and sauteed patty pan squash and asparagus. And my poor sad roomie was stuck at the Democratic State Convention *all day* and night- until 2am (losers). (Looking back, that means I probably could of used pine nuts- oh well.)

This afternoon, I have to go over a retrieve a huge bag of sour cherries from farmer Ted. This latest issue of Cooking Light had some really great looking cherry recipes- including a cherry coffee cake which looked so good. So, I have to dig out my cherry pitter and get busy when I get home. I love cherries- I can't even begin to tell you how (I know this sounds so foody geeky) excited I am - and I got them for free. They freeze extremely well. And a tip I learned- freeze them slightly before pitting them- they release less juice.

And speaking of being a food geek, I signed up to compete at the State Fair. Yep, me taking on all the grannies, you betcha. I am planning on entering beer bread & pumpkin bars- have a couple of great recipes to work from for those. I have a couple of twists I have to try out this month. I had to narrow it down to something easy- my kitchen space is sorely cramped and I have no central air. So, we'll see how it goes. I'm sure I'll get bitten by the competition bug.

Bookwise, I just finished Brimstone by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child- great thriller and with a cliffhanger Edgar Allen Poe inspired ending. I'm glad I have the next one waiting on my shelf and yes, I do confess as to sneaking a peak ahead to check on Pendergast's well being. I've grown quite attached to the dear fellow. I am hoping to pick up James Rollins' latest Sigma Force novel, The Last Oracle from the library today. If it's not there, I do have Dyer Consequences by Maggie Sefton to quickly read. It's a knitter mystery. Yes, they have themed mysteries for everyone, from beauty salons to scrapbooking.

Have a good week!

Summer treats and tricks

Well, Friday afternoon I figured out that it wasn't my allergies that were making me uncomfortable- it was a cold sneaking up on me. I don't mean to brag, but I haven't been sick all year and now in June, warm weather and a weekend to myself- it happens. Everything I do to baby myself when I'm sick seems almost non-summer behavior, no cuddling under blankets, no hot tea, no steaming bowl of soup.

However, after a brief respite on Friday afternoon with a complete multiple cat scan (all three cats had to check on me after I lied down on my bed "what's going on? she doesn't do this!" Their concern is very touching) I did make an easy, very tasty dinner of dan dan noodles from Cuisine at Home. Sauteed ground turkey breast and a rich peanut sauce over whole wheat noodles along with some steamed broccoli totally made me feel better. Quick and healthy dinner- and great leftovers. And I made an egg salad wrap for lunch the next day.

Saturday, hit the Farmer's Market pretty early with my friend, Cynthia, who was in town this weekend. Had too profusely apologize to her for the short trip as I had to go to work right after. I love how the market changes almost every week. Each week brings something new to look forward to. I scored some fresh peas to shell, strawberries, asparagus, french breakfast radishes, swiss chard, broccoli, a scrumptious gougiere from Tami's Tarts- (wow that Tami can bake! I almost caved in and got the pineapple caramel tart- next time!) oh and a lavender lemon cupcake from Carefree Patisserie.

Sunday, the cats were up to no good. I was thinking about just staying home and catching up on stuff but their antics just gave me the boost I needed to get going. I won't tell the whole story- summing up: Mischa got stuck inside the couch. Stupid cat.

I did get a great price on blueberries this week- 2.50 for a pint- just enough to make this gorgeous blueberry coffee cake from Cooking Light. The buttermilk gave it such a subtle tang along with making it so moist. I did add some cinnamon sugar on top along with the turbinado sugar. Also I think next time I will add a tsp or so of cinnamon to the batter. My blueberries did sink a bit, but I did not toss them in flour which usually helps to stop this. I thought of that after I added the berries to the batter, oh well. I took it over to my roommate's Mom's house for Sunday dinner- where her nephew proclaimed it the best coffee cake he's ever had. Compliments from four year olds are just the best.

Knowing that Monday was Rachel's birthday, I put to use that leftover buttermilk to use and made a recipe from Small Batch Baking (an awesome cookbook if you love to bake but have a small household) pineapple upside down cakes for her birthday treat. I used some star shaped silicone molds for a little fun. The rum gave it a nice accent without being too overpowering. And what goes better with the latest Stephanie Plum book than pineapple upside down cake?

And after doing two batches of handwashing dishes (one the historic charms of the old kitchen in the century old apartment building), I decided an easy light dinner was in order (especially after having the standby Sunday lunch- fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn). I bought some ravioli, used up the remainder of the marinara sauce in the fridge and made those fresh peas.

Fresh peas are so wonderful. Sure, they take some time to prepare- but I switched on the tv , sat on the couch and had ample help from the cats. Miss Charlie loves the pea pods. I just blanch them in water until they're tender and finish them with just a touch of butter, salt and pepper. I did put Penzeys Shallot salt on mine- which is just fabulous with fresh veggies of all sorts.

I have to say, Fearless Fourteen was fun and I did need a break in my reading cycle. I finished Sliver of Truth by Lisa Unger this weekend- the sequel to Beautiful Lies and started in on Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I am eagerly awaiting the next James Rollins book this week- woohoo!!

And yes, I am feeling better. I have been sleeping like a rock it seems and my cootie has settled in my throat, giving my that ultra sexy sick voice over the last couple of days. But my energy level is started to get back up, which is a relief.

Baked pinto beans, Enchiladia style

What a great easy dish to throw together! My roomie was a bit turned off by the menu selection- she can't get her mind around sweet potatoes and beans in the same dish. Separately, they're great, just not touching each other, I guess.

I made this with the sweet potato variation. I brought leftovers for lunch today. Of course, the crushed tortillas on top weren't that crunchy anymore.

Baked pinto beans, Enchilada style- Mark Bittman

1/4 cup olive oil
1 recipe salsa roja or cooked tomatillo salsa
4 cups cooked or canned pinto beans (or any other bean)
salt & pepper
1 cup cubed Monterrey jack cheese
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup crumbles queso fresco cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro for garnish

1.) Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 2 quart souffle dish or 9x13 pan
2.) Spread the salsa in the bottom and spoon the beans on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the cheese cubes around evenly, press lightly into bean mixture. Top with tortilla chips and queso fresco. Drizzle with remaining olive oil
3.) Bake until cheese is melted, sauce is bubbly and tortilla chips are browned, about 20-30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Sweet potato variation: Peel 2 large sweet potatoes. Cut into 1 inch cubes. In step two, spread them out over the salsa. Cover the dish with foil and bake (without the beans and other ingredients) for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, add the beans and other ingredients and proceed with the recipe.

My spin- I halved the recipe, using one can of rinsed, drained pinto beans and one sweet potato. Instead of salt & pepper, I used a nice dusting of Penzeys Southwest seasoning. And, I used cubed pepper jack cheese for a little more kick & omitted the queso fresco. I just ate this without tortillas- but it would be a great filling for them.

Enjoy!

Catching up

Well, am catching up on everything after a crazy week. I spent the weekend away in Madison with my Mom, sister, niece & nephew. So, I tried to have a great time and enjoy my family without dwelling and worrying about the flooding situation back home, which was hard. But, luckily, we in Des Moines escaped the worst of it compared to the eastern half of the state. All though I have the feeling it will be a long summer.

We went to the farmer's market in Madison, which was quite cool. Unfortunately, we did couldn't check into our hotel right away- so couldn't get a lot of produce or more importantly CHEESE. I could get very used to living in Madison. Ben insisted that we visit the capitol building, which was quite impressive. We climbed up to the observation deck and took in the view of the city. And had a fun dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise- my mom is now a little obsessed with perfecting her own blueberry mojitios.

I got stocked up on some essentials from Trader Joes; among them are cuban style black beans (which are great topping for a baked sweet potato for a quickie veggie lunch), fig breakfast bars, a box of chocolate coated edamame for a treat for my roomie, frozen gnocchi, and a couple of new things to try, dried Rainier cherries and the harvest grain blend.

Of course, I can't leave the great state of Wisconsin without some serious beer. I was strictly a Leinie's girl, but they discontinued two of my favorite brews, Northwoods Lager & Amber Light. But now, I love Berghoff, Point, Capital Brewery's Island Wheat, and Sprecher, all the stuff I couldn't get here. Absence makes the taste buds more fonder, I guess. But now they are starting to trickle in, of course, but not for the great prices you can get at Woodmans. I did grab a six pack of Berghoff's Solstice Wit, a great summer seasonal and a couple of mirco brews from Brennans Market- one of which is called Butt Head, a bock- how can you now want to try it?

I hate to start off a food centered blog with a kitchen calamity- but they happen to us all. Last week, I took Monday off because I worked both Sat and Sun at Penzeys. So, after touching up my hair color (wow all sorts of confessions here!) I started in on a new recipe, gingered rhubarb chutney from Cooking Light.

I made it as instructed- but there was *way* to much vinegar in there for my taste. My roommate came home and asked "What smells? Oh, it's your hair" Nope, it's the chutney that's cooling off so I can throw it away.

So, I'm hoping tonight will be better. I checked out (again) from the library, Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Such a fantastic cookbook. I do describe myself as the hip new phrase, flexetarian- a lot of vegetarian, but I do eat chicken and seafood, but no red meat or pork, etc. I have a couple cans of pinto beans, so I'm thinking about Baked Pinto Beans, enchilada style using the sweet potato variation. Sounds like it would make great leftovers for lunch too.

Reading wise, I just finished yesterday Tom Rob Smith's Child 44, and last week Lisa Unger's Beautiful Lies, both excellent reads. I just picked up today Janet Evanovich's latest, Fearless Fourteen, am definitely in the mood for a light read after spending my literary free time in the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union.