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’12
It’s easy to be discouraged. Especially in this day and age, when I feel as though comparisons exist on every level for every aspect of life. Especially today, when a tragedy like Sandy Hook hangs in the air, asking all of us to question … well, everything.
It is easy to be discouraged. It is much, much harder to stay encouraged.
This year has been a tough year for me. Tougher than most, and it definitely tested my character, and who I felt I was as a human. Which is hilarious, because I was so convinced that 2012 would be my year. God has a sense of humor, I suppose.
This December, however, has been a bright spot, and I am grateful for all that I have enjoyed. At the beginning of the month, the man and I headed up to his hometown, and while he and his dad headed out to hunt (not my thing, but it’s part of his family tradition) his mom and I journeyed to “Dickens of a Christmas” in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. Wellsboro is a cute little town still sporting gas street lamps, and dozens upon dozens of vendors lined the main street, everyone dressed in period costumes, and selling their wares. It was a really good time (I even had funnel cake!) and I was two pairs of recycled sweater mittens richer when we left.
This Santa was fantastic. Seriously. My picture does his suit’s details no justice at all.
And a choir!
December is one of those months where every weekend feels booked up, and ours are no exception. After another week of work (bleh), we headed down to DC for a birthday party ~ the man’s oldest friend from high school”s (well, birth if we’re getting specific) son turned three, and we made the trek to celebrate. Then back to my parents house, to pick up Lucy, and spend some time with the fam.
On Sunday, after a delicious breakfast, we headed home to unwind and relax. Unfortunately, (please read with sarcasm) the Steelers trouncing by the Chargers was not televised but we were able to watch the Giants domination of the Saints. Since the weather had been iffy all day, we decided to take a drive and enjoy some Christmas lights (alright, the truth is, the man thought the lights would look cool in the fog). We discovered a legitimate Candy Cane Lane right near our house, but the true highlight were the mansions on the man’s drive to work, which were decked to the nines. And then, as Bing Crosby crooned “White Christmas” to us (my favorite Christmas voice, and movie) John very sweetly asked me to marry him.
I, of course, said yes. 
We were able to celebrate all week, as my birthday fell on Wednesday (which I spent in NYC and got to see my bro!), and we threw our Second Annual Holiday Party (successful!) the following Saturday. It has been a very exciting, happy week, despite the horrific and incomprehensible tragedy of Sandy Hook.
I even made my very first roast chicken! I used a Martha Stewart recipe (which I normally would eschew for various, valid reasons) and it was amazing. In case you are feeling up for a hearty, cold weather meal, check this out:
What you need: 
1 whole chicken
4 lemons
S & P
Red bliss potatoes
rosemary
Cherry tomatoes
Thyme
EVOO
Crumbled feta (although Martha used blue)
Baby spinach
Mustard
1 shallot
What to do:
Okay, so here’s the deal. About a year and a half ago, I caught this episode of Martha Stewart, and she was interviewing a woman from Glamor magazine. They were discussing a new list of recipes being published “100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know.” I wrote down some sketchy instructions of what to do, and then never got around to making it for – as previously stated – a year and a half. I’m going to share what I did, and I have to say, it turned out pretty well.
First, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees.
Then, I emptied out the chicken, rinsed it off, and patted it dry. I stuffed the interior with two full lemons (which I rolled on the counter to soften up), and using the remaining lemon, covered the exterior with lemon juice and a generous coating of salt & pepper.
Next up, I dropped the oven temp to 350, and put the bird in upside down for 15 minutes. During that time, I lined two cookie sheets with tin foil, and cut up the baby red bliss potatoes and the cherry (or grape ~ I’m not particular) tomatoes and spread them (separately) on each sheet.
After the chicken had cooked for 15 minutes, I flipped it, and cooked it another 1 hour and 45 minutes (despite Martha saying it would be 1 hr 15 mins max … oh well!).
After I flipped the chicken, I returned my concentration to the rest of the meal. I seasoned both potatoes and tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper but used rosemary on the potatoes and thyme on the tomatoes. I popped the potatoes into the oven when I thought that I had about 45 minutes left on the chicken (I wanted to make sure the potatoes were cooked, and the edges crispy.
Then I prepared the salad ~ which was pretty easy. I crumbled up some feta, and tossed it with the baby spinach (and mixed greens ~ the man likes variety). The tomatoes I added last (after the potatoes finished cooking, I put them in the oven for about 10-15 mins). And while I was figuring out timing on everything, I made a little mustard vinaigrette ~ whisking together 1 tbsp mustard, 1/3 cup olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon and a finely diced shallot.
When the thermometer finally popped in the chicken, the man and I pulled it out and allowed it to rest for ten (ish) minutes ~ probably longer. It helps maintain the moisture.
And we served our potatoes with a small side of sour cream (because that’s how we like it!).
All in all, it was a pretty impressive meal (to me at least!) of roast chicken, roasted rosemary potatoes, and a roasted thyme tomato salad with a mustard vinaigrette. The funniest part of it all? The recipe for the chicken was called “Engagement Chicken” and I made mine the Friday before the man proposed. Pretty hilarious (and, upon hearing this, he told me to stop using voodoo on him!).
I redeemed myself with dessert ~ really simple, and I promise, it will be a hit.
Apple Crescents (or, Individual Apple Pie Bites)
What you need:
1 pkg Crescent Rolls
1 apple, cut into thin slices and tossed in lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Clove
What to do:
1. I made a mixture of the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves.
2. I spread 1 tbsp of the mixture in each of the opened crescent rolls, topped with an apple slice and rolled up.
3. I cooked the rolls according to the package directions. (PS. Be prepared for clean up ~ cooked sugar is not anyone’s friend in that regard).
I guess you could top each with a little dollop of Cool Whip, or add some ice cream. We enjoyed them plain, and they were delish.
And now, I must get to bed. My eyelids are heavy, and it’s not even halfway through the week. If I don’t get back to this space before 2013, the man, Lucy Lou and I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons, & lots of love and good wishes for the new year. Oh, and of course, happy experimenting in the kitchen. 🙂
roots
Gratitude Journal
November 3rd ~ I am grateful for family.
On Saturday, the man and I headed back down to Bethesda to the National Institute of Health to visit his dad after surgery. We were lucky that my parents were able to watch Lucy Lou (she’s very ‘in demand’!) and John’s aunts were at the hospital as well, having made the drive from upstate PA that morning.
Family is ~ well, it’s a mixed bag, if we’re being honest with each other. But when the going gets tough, it’s family who step up, family who are there when life feels really hard, family who holds you up when you are down. I am grateful that both the man and I have been blessed with family who care.
November 4th ~ I am grateful for football.
All Dressed up for the Game
Possibly superficial. However, football has been an integral part of my life forever. Not only that, but it has been a comfort and buoy in tough times, something to believe in and identify with ~ a passion. During some really low moments, the Steelers were there every Sunday and for the few hours they played, all my baggage and angst got put on a shelf, and my emotions were wrapped up in the game. And Penn State ~ well, Penn State football is engrained in my very being. ‘Nuff said.
November 5th ~ I am grateful for Lucy.
It’s been nearly 10 months since Miss Lucy came home with the man and I. Our lives have forever changed. This weekend, my parents very generously offered to watch her while we did hospital visits on Saturday and drove up to East Rutherford NJ for the Giants/Steelers game on Sunday (it pained them to think of her being alone for so long ~ instead, she was cuddled, coddled and just spoiled in every possible way). The man and I woke up two mornings without our little lady, and even though I didn’t think it would affect me so much, I missed her waking us up, I missed her toes clickety clacking on the kitchen floor ~ I missed her good morning kisses. The house felt lonely and empty without her.
I am so glad we made the decision to expand our family ~ but more importantly, I’m so glad she chose us, just as much as we found her. We all fit perfectly together. I feel blessed to have her (despite the fact that she drops some major stink bombs sometimes!).
And now, returning to our regularly scheduled programming ….
After our busy weekend, and even though we gained an hour, Monday felt looooong today and I wracked my brain trying to come up with something yum to have for dinner. I had a partially formed idea in my mind to re-dedicate myself to cooking this month. And not ‘fun’ cooking ~ as in, events or dinner parties. Regular, every day cooking. The ‘routine’ kind.
A few weeks ago, we made loaded baked potatoes for WeHangsDay and that felt like delicious and fairly easy plan for a Monday kind of Monday.
They were pretty delish.
I sliced some sweet Italian sausage, sautéed some mushrooms & baked broccoli while the man seasoned and cooked the taters. We added dairy (who wouldn’t?!?) with some grated cheddar (for him) parmesan (for me) and sour cream (is it a loaded potato without sour cream? I think not!). And we settled in for our first weeknight of Daylight Savings with a hot dinner, a snuggly puppy and some DVR recordings. A pretty nice Monday, if I do say so myself.
twenty twenty twenty four hours
First. And this is very important.
I need more than 24 hours in a day to get everything done.
Truth.
Second. Life has been flying by. Legit.
Our favorite green juice from the last ten days:
1 bag arugula (we got ours from TJs)
3 pears
5 carrots
4 stalks of celery
1 in. fresh ginger
In actual fact, it was probably the best green juice I’ve made since we started juicing. Yummers.
So here’s the thing. The man and I have been valiantly trying to stick to a diet/cleanse etc as closely as we can. It has been a learning experience every step of the way. Today – and this is completely true- I was craving a green veggie juice instead of my usual Starbucks. That hasn’t always been the case.
I have been doing a lot of reading ~ about nutrition, about cleanses, about green smoothies. It’s fascinating what information is consistent throughout, and what information seems subjective based on the author’s intention.
Aaaand… we’ve also noticed the difference between days when we eat leafy greens, & the ones we don’t. (Un)fortunately, it’s pretty significant.
We are infinitely more conscious of what we are eating, how much we are eating, and the nutritional content of what we’re eating. In fact, we came up with our own homemade alternative to Trader Joe’s Bird’s nests.
Veggie Pancakes
2 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrots
2 small potatoes, shredded
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp flour (or gluten-free flour, my new flour of choice)
1. Make sure you mix everything well.
2. Make sure you drain it well ( spent a lot of time squeezing everything and thinking of how much juice I was wasting!)
3. Shape into patties. Grill on sandwich press until golden brown with crispy edges.
4. Enjoy. (Preferably with soy sauce -we prefer low sodium because strangely, it has a better flavor- or curry dipping sauce … it’s worth it ;))
Just one of the many things we are learning to cook in a new way. Hope you enjoy … we do!
it isn’t always easy being green
Tuesday Green Juice
2 cups romaine
2 cups spinach
1 pkg freshly cut mango (from TJs)
1 Granny Smith apple
Several large carrots
1 peach
~~~~~~~
The first day of everything -for me at least- includes some jitters, some nervous energy and a lot of uncertainty. I’m just that kind of person ~ new stuff is a little bit overwhelming and intimidating. I must confess that I’ve psyched myself out of things in the past being a nervous Nellie, so I consider it a huge accomplishment that I’ve begun trying new things all by myself. Yesterday was the start of my week-long early morning yoga class as well as the first official day of our cleanse, and I think I was just buzzing with excitement and nerves all day.
Today, I felt a little more mellow. Thankfully!
I was a complete glutton and went to two yoga classes today ~ my early morning ‘stay’cation and my most favorite Tuesday hot vinyasa (which I miss almost never ~ it is my complete and total favorite class ever). Ironically, we focused on the same thing during both classes. Sun salutations or vinyasa (pick your terminology!), and really being aware of each movement. I enjoy classes that bring everything back to the basics ~ it helps to refocus and I always find new ways to better be in each posture. And it’s always great to have two different teachers, because each gives you a new view and new things to try.
This morning’s meditation was on the idea of stillness. Yoga is practiced not only for the physical benefits, but also to achieve a dynamic stillness. That is, like a spinning top, to be able to be connected and involved in action and movement, but to have stillness of mind and spirit. A top, spinning perfectly, appears still, but is actually perfectly controlled movement.
As my instructor said, most of us are not perfectly balanced spinning tops; we’re the tops skittering across the floor and wobbling from side to side. But practicing yoga and allowing that meditation to influence our daily life experience is one way to try to get our tops as balanced as possible.
I sort of love that imagery. The idea of dynamic stillness is perfectly illustrated to me by the idea of a spinning top.
Tonight, my instructor talked about having a teacher to help guide you to open your door of self-discovery, which I believe is one of the most important parts of yoga. I’ve taken a handful of classes with different instructors, and as I said before, Tuesday night is hands down my favorite. Everything about class on Tuesday works for me ~ the philosophy, the pace, the series of movements … I can’t rave enough. And I believe because my instructor inherently makes sense to me, it makes yoga that much more enjoyable. Heart heart heart. Seriously.
Last night, I couldn’t wait to curl up and get to bed. Tonight is a little different ~ despite two yoga classes, a hike with Lucy and day two of our elimination diet/cleanse, I’m not totally exhausted.
Could progress be being made? 🙂
it’s what you make of it
Monday Morning Green Juice
4 cups baby spinach
4 peaches
watermelon (we used the trimmings from a whole melon the man had cubed up and packed for lunches)
~~~~~~~~~
One of the (many) things I’ve been learning as I read more and more about green juicing and nutrition, is that when you get right down to it, it’s completely about what works for you.
I realize that I’m not breaking new ground by stating this.
But I need to state it, because it’s my baseline for how all this is working in our lives, and it’s important for me to remember it, when things get a little challenging.
A week ago Friday, I left work and went straight to the supermarket. I bought two nice steaks, some asparagus, some portobello mushrooms and avocado. I called the man, and told him we were going to drink the nice bottle of wine sitting on our wine rack (a Thanksgiving present from my boss the first year I was with the company and a very nice bottle of vino). We’d been ‘saving’ it for a special occasion, but I wasn’t sure anymore what that occasion would be ~ and I was coming to the conclusion that I was going to have to make some changes to directly benefit my health. This was my ‘indulgent good-bye’ meal, if you will.
We had a very nice dinner, and years from now, I will look back and say I drank one of the nicest bottles of wine I’d ever owned while watching the London Olympics opening ceremonies. It’ll make for a good story.
The following Monday (only a week ago) we somewhat awkwardly began our quest to change our diet and lifestyle. It felt very challenging. and it didn’t help that we didn’t have a huge knowledge base, and were using bits and pieces of incomplete information to outline our meals. Luckily (as I mentioned before) my boss’s wife is hugely knowledgeable, and I had two very good conversations with her last week, and she shared a ton of really valuable and *more importantly* useful information.
The man and I decided we needed to do a full seven day cleanse/elimination diet (which commenced today) and which we based on recommendations from my boss’s wife. After last week, we learned two things. First, the juicing made a difference, even though we did it without any real initial understanding. And second, if we were going to do this seriously, we needed to commit to the plan, and learn from our bodies as we progressed through.
So here we are at the start. We are one day in, and I have successfully made it to the evening and am not hungry (whoopee!). We had spinach salad with cold salmon and sunflower seeds for lunch with an avocado as a snack, and for dinner, we juiced again (a mish mosh of greens and fruit ~ spinach, romaine, watermelon, peach, carrot), plus had some raw nuts and another avocado (mine from lunch was inedible, so I was glad to have a real one for din din). It is sort of crazy how satisfying the juices are, and being so conscious about eating has made me very aware how specific foods affect me.
When I have a moment (like today, thinking about triple creme brie cheese and a fresh loaf of French bread) I remember that I made this choice in the first place, and I will only be as successful as I allow myself to be. If I am not diligent and committed, then I’m self-defeating, and blame lies with me. Which, on the positive side, gives me great control. But it also requires me to find strength, motivation and conviction within myself, and that can be quite challenging at times.
As I sign off, I’m saying a little prayer that with each step forward and with each new day, the challenges become less daunting, and the rewards more sweet.
starting over
I decided, when my head finally surfaced after the fiasco of a storm July turned out to be, that while I had twitching fingers, and things to say, I was going to wait and give myself a fresh slate, beginning in August.
Sometimes, life just lays you out flat, and as you stare up into the sky, assessing whether all your limbs are intact, and if you can, in fact, still see clearly and breath, time stops having a quantitative quality.
So here I am, August 1st. Dirt brushed off the shoulders, standing upright again, and ready to take on the world. Sort of.
The man and I recently (and that’s the truth ~ we’re only on day #3) began ‘green juicing.’ There is a lot of information out there on green juicing, but I am lucky enough to work for a man whose wife is super duper (technical term) educated and certified on more levels than a person can count. She sat down with me and we went through the basics and now it is up to the man and I to continue on.
Basically, in a nutshell, blah blah ~ green juicing is really good for you. Normal, everyday diets don’t tend to include enough body-nourishing food, and green juicing helps you to absorb all the goodness much faster. As I understand it, juicing separates the juice from the fiber of the plant, therefore eliminating digestion (which would normally take care eliminating the fiber) and it’s like a jolt of goodness straight into your system every time you drink juice. Huge benefits, plus plus plus right? Why isn’t everyone jumping on this immediately?
Aaaand there’s the rub…. as anyone who juices knows, juicing is pretty labor and time intensive. Which makes it a lifestyle commitment. The man and I are still working this out (as well as different juice concoctions) and it’s definitely one day at a time.
Can I be very honest and admit that after Monday, I was feeling pretty skeptical about the whole process (and pretty hungry). But by the end of the day yesterday, I was feeling really enthusiastic. I did feel better ~ even after two days, which was encouraging ~ and once you dig in, everything feels a little less intimidating.
Green juicing is good for a number of things ~ getting healthy, losing weight, staying healthy. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have been interested in learning about it outside of necessity ~ but I might not have jumped in both feet first if I hadn’t felt that in the best interests of my health, it was the best choice for me.
Like I said, July was a rager.
A few things I’ve been trying to keep in mind as I navigate this new world of liquid veggies and health ~
1. The juice and smoothies should be green. Green leafy veggies are very alkaline and water-rich, plus being full of all kinds of goodness (minerals, enzymes, etc). The whole point of green juicing and green smoothies is that they are, well, green.
2. The ratio of veggies to fruit should ideally be 3/4 vegetables to 1/4 fruit. Newbies (like the man and I) are advised to aim for at least a 50/50 ratio, because you should like what you’re drinking, not choke it down.
3. An apple can pretty much make any combination of ingredients taste drinkable. Seriously magic.
We have made several juices and green smoothies so far, but my favorite consisted of the following, put through our 450 watt GE juicer.
G & J’s First Green Juice
5 oz baby spinach
1 bundle organic carrots (I was advised that carrots with the greens still attached are the best, because they are the freshest. So that is what I used. Not sure how the taste would be affected if regular, “everyday grocery” carrots were subbed, but I’m fairly certain the juice would be palatable. I did not, as a sidenote, put the carrot greens through the juicer.)
1 golden delicious apple, cored
1. Juice! Enjoy!
The man and I have a centrifugal juicer (things get pushed down through a chute toward a whirring blade surrounded by a mesh cup), so I cut up the carrots and apple into small pieces to make it easier to feed into the chute. I juiced the spinach first, then the carrots and finally the apple. Then I pulled out all the pulp, and ran it through two more times (it netted me another 2-3 oz of juice, and I have to tell you, it was worth it).
As I said at the top, sometimes life just lays you out. And after standing back up and taking stock, sometimes changes must be made. Starting now, the man and I are making some life changes, and I’m choosing to have faith that these changes are a step in the right direction, toward a healthier ‘us.’ Hope you’re ready to go on the journey!
growing up
So, I totally get that I talk a lot about life, and transitioning, and feeling comfortable in my own skin, and fear of the unknown (even if I don’t articulate it, that’s where I’ve found most of the angst comes from … diving headfirst into something with no frame of reference …).
I over think a lot, and I over analyze everything and I constantly compare … am I doing things the right way? Am I on the right path?
I don’t know if I’ve always been this way (methinks in certain ways I have) but I know that as I come to terms with certain occurrences in my past, I also come to terms with how I have allowed my reactions to emotionally manifest themselves. Before I start happily skipping down memory lane (ahem, ugh) ~ I’m going to stop and just state the important truth I faced down recently. Sometimes, fueled by nerves (perhaps an understatement for ‘fear’ … but I’m trying to cut myself a little slack!) I try to control things in a vice-like grip. I feel as though if I can just anticipate and schedule and plan and just know.exactly.what’s.coming.at.all.times, then I won’t be surprised, caught off guard, or -as it went down once- have my entire life ripped out from underneath me.
It can be a bit exhausting. And it takes away the simple pleasure of small surprises.
However, today, I surprised myself a little bit, and it made my whole day. The man and I have been struggling to get into better routines involving food ~ aka, actually preparing lunches for work on Monday, instead of getting around to it on Thursday. And cooking relatively healthy dinners. This blog was really helpful in the beginning, but I was just learning to cook, so most recipes I had to research, and then buy ingredients for ~ and it ended up dominating our entire evening, because I didn’t really have a frame of reference or any dexterity with cooking.
This weekend, after doing some kitchen updating, I made a comprehensive grocery list that included lunch components and multiple mix and match dinner options. Today, both the man and I had lunch and for dinner, we had fresh pasta with diced tomatoes, asparagus and baby portobello mushrooms made with EVOO, lots of garlic, S & P and some seasoning we received from a wedding a few weeks ago (excellent Chicago spice shop favored by the bride and groom). I also made some breaded chicken breasts. And we sat down to a delicious meal by 8.30p (I didn’t escape from work until nearly 7pm ~ oy!).
(Sidenote: I’m an avid “Good Housekeeping” reader, and this evening, as I prepared dinner in the newly decked out kitchen, using a little bit of this and that to create a meal, I had this hilarious moment when I knew this was the exact moment that I felt I earned the “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval. It still makes me crack up thinking about it. )
So the thing is ~ this evening I loosened my grip a little and just trusted myself, and voila, we had food and nobody died. It probably sounds silly, but it was such a rush for me. Life is still pretty intimidating, and I’m still going to try to control as much of it as I can. But as I slowly regain my footing and believe in myself, the ‘diving headfirst into something with no frame of reference’ begins to feel a little less terrifying.
improv
I have completely dropped the ball on interesting (or any!) recipes for WeHangsDay. But today, I got a little inspired. The man and I have been uber busy for the past few weeks, so Monday through Thursday feel like our ‘laid-back’ days. Which means I have been a really punk cook of late. In fact, the exec chef of my restaurant completely believed I couldn’t cook. Great confidence boost. But we didn’t want to buy a ton of groceries because we’re in Boston for the weekend. So we checked the cupboards. And here’s what we had to work with …
Quinoa.
Chicken.
Oy.
Our original idea was chicken served over quinoa with zucchini and black beans. But I modified it a bit with a recipe I found online, plus some insight from my exec chef (yes, the non-believer ~ he converted!).
Quinoa with Chicken & Veggies
What you Need:
Part I:
3 star anise
All-Spice (2-3 tbsp)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups dry quinoa (rinsed)
2 tbsp EVOO
S & P
4 cups water
Part II:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thawed & sliced into strips
1 zucchini, cubed
1 tomato, cubed
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tbsp EVOO
6oz crumbled feta cheese
8 fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1 lime
What to Do:
1. Bring 4 cups water and star anise, all-spice and cinnamon stick to boil. Allow the flavors to saturate at bit. Once the liquid is dark(ish) yellow, strain out star anise, cinnamon stick & all-spice. Add quinoa. Bring back to boil and immediately lower to simmer. Cover with lid, allow to simmer until broth is absorbed, the quinoa is fluffy, and the white line is visible in the grain. (Approx 12 minutes).
2. Heat 2 tbsp EVOO in a skillet. Cook pressed garlic and diced onions until onions clarify (are translucent). Stir in chicken strips. Cook until they are slightly pink in the middle. Remove to a bowl. (Don’t panic ~ we’re not going to leave them slightly under-cooked!)
3. Add additional 2 tbsp olive oil and zucchini to skillet. A few minutes later, add tomatoes. (Okay, so the thing is, you can add them at the same time, which is what I did. But zucchini takes a little longer to soften than tomato, so to maintain the integrity of the tomato, I suggest adding it a few minutes after the zucchini).
4. Once the zucchini is soft, return chicken to skillet and sprinkle feta & basil leaves on top. Fold in. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the skillet. Make sure chicken is fully cooked and hot.
5. Serve over hot quinoa.
Yummers! Very successful WeHangsDay for my taste buds!
first day
The man made dinner tonight- despite that fact that it was his first day at his new job- and it rocked. Sooo, because he is very accommodating and the best thing ever, he is letting me share his delish recipe tonight. Our neighbors, once again, generously gifted us some fresh trout. It’s pretty addictive, so the man got creative and decided to try something new.
We ended up having Apple Stuffed Trout with Potato Pancakes. Yum yum yummers.
Here’s what the man used:
Apple filling:
2 apples, finely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp butter
1. Toss together. Stuff trout.
2. When the trout is stuffed, rub down sparingly with bacon fat, and season with S&P, garlic powder, oregano and a splash of lemon juice. (We have a whole jar of bacon fat ~ my grandmother kept a jar the whole time I was growing up, and even though we rarely use it, I have one in my fridge. The bacon fat helps the fish cook and maintain moisture while crisping the skin).
For the Potato Cakes:
2 potatoes (we grated them in the food processor)
1 egg yolk
2 tsp flour
3 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 c grated parmesan
S & P
1. The man cubed and grated the potatoes in our food processor. Buuuut, you could grate them on a manual cheese grater, which we have also done.
2. Mix grated potato with egg yolk, flour, parmesan, softened butter and salt & pepper to taste. We used our sandwich press and used approx 1/3 cup mixture per potato cake, cooked at medium heat.
Miscellaneous:
1. We cooked the apple stuffed fish for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees ~ as the man determined, we cooked it until the skin started to bubble. Then he bumped the heat up to broil and cooked for a few seconds to crispen up the skin.
2. Butter makes the potato cakes cook much better. Just an FYI. Our first round of cakes weren’t quite as good at rounds #2 or #3, because we added butter to help cook everything faster.
Bon Appetite.
family
This afternoon, we had some of John’s cousins over for dinner. It was a completely fantastic afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised that the man’s cousin’s wife and I saw eye to eye on a lot of things. I loved the idea that we are related to people we enjoy spending time with ~ so wonderful.
Our menu ~ We started with brie, pork & cognac pate and aged cheddar (the man and I are big fans). The man made a wedge salad as a first course, with homemade blue cheese dressing, bacon crumbles and sliced grape tomatoes. And as our main meal ~ venison steaks for dinner (not a surprise given the recent trend) with grilled veggies (made on bendable skewers and seasoned to perfection by my future cousin-in-law) and hickory smoked cheese loaf.
Dinner was delicious, and the company was excellent. A person couldn’t ask for much more on a beautiful Sunday in May. Since most of my recipes from today have already been shared (steak marinade, hickory smoked cheese loaf, etc) I’ll share a secret weapon with you ~ homemade blue cheese dressing. My neighbor first shared this with me, and it kicks all other blue cheese dressings’ butts.
What You Need:
8 oz sour cream
crumbled blue cheese
lemon juice
salt & pepper
milk
What You Do:
1. Combine sour cream and blue cheese crumbles in a food processor. Once combined, add a dash or two of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Use milk to achieve the consistency you desire. Serve immediately.
D5 Creation