Coconut Cream Pie

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1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
3 tbsp butter
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3-1/2 oz can flaked coconut
1 9" baked pie shell
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar


In a saucepan combine sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.


Beat egg yolks slightly. Gradually stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Stir in 1 cup of the coconut. Pour the mixture into baked pie shell.


Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff. Spread over the hot filling. Sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Bake in a 350 F. oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Corn Pone

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1 tablespoon of shortening.
3/4 cup of boiling water
1 cup yellow Corn Meal.
1 teaspoon of salt


Melt shortening in heavy 8 or 9-inch skillet. Heat water to boiling point and pour immediately over corn meal and salt. Add melted shortening; stir to blend well. As soon as mixture has cooled enough to handle, divide into four equal portions. Shape each portion into a pone about 3/4 inch thick by patting between the hands. Place in pan and bake at 450°F for about 50 minutes or until golden brown.

Garlic Cheese Grits

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1 cup grits
3 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter
1 package garlic cheese
2 eggs (plus enough milk to make 1 cup)


Cook the grits according to directions. When done, add the butter and the garlic cheese. Stir until melted and smooth. Measure 2 eggs in a measuring cup and fill up with milk. Beat together and add to grits. Pour into buttered casserole and bake 350 F. for 30 minutes until set.

Macaroni and Chicken Casserole

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1 1/4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 
2 tablespoons butter 
1/4 cup finely chopped onion 
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced 
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper (about half of a small bell pepper) 
2 tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed olives 
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 
1 cup sour cream 
1 teaspoon seasoned salt 
1 teaspoon pepper 
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken 
1/4 cup milk 
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs, tossed with a few teaspoons melted butter - for topping chicken casserole


Cook and drain macaroni, following package directions; place in a large mixing bowl.


In a large skillet, melt butter over medium low heat. Add chopped onion, mushrooms, and chopped green bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion is softened and mushrooms are browned.


Add skillet mixture to macaroni with chopped olives, shredded cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper, chicken, and milk.


Transfer chicken and macaroni mixture to a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over the top of macaroni and chicken casserole.


Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken casserole is bubbly and breadcrumbs are lightly browned.


Serves 6.

Applebee's Asian Chicken Salad Dressing

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Ingredients


4 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dry pectin
2 white vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika


Instructions


-Bring all ingredients to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
-Remove from heat, cool, cover, and refrigerate up to 6 weeks.
NOTES : Serve this fat-free dressing over a salad of romaine and iceberg lettuce, red and green cabbage, and shredded carrot. Garnish with minced green onions and chow mein noodles. Top with chicken breasts marinated in teriyaki sauce, grilled, and sliced.

Pinto Beans & Ham

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Ingredients:
1 pound dried pinto beans, sorted and washed
3 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
4 to 8 ounces cooked ham, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano


Preparation:
Cover beans with water and soak overnight; drain. Put beans in a large kettle; cover with fresh water and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Drain.
Place beans in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker with water and remaining ingredients. Cover cooker and cook on low setting for 9 to 11 hours, or until beans are soft and done. Stir a couple of times during cooking and add more water if necessary. Serve with cornbread, rice, a green salad or slaw.
Serves 8 to 10.

Strawberry Lemon Muffins

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Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries


Directions


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
In a bowl, lightly beat together the oil, milk, egg, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, mix the lemon zest, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, white sugar, and brown sugar. Mix strawberries into the flour mixture. Stir in the oil mixture just until moist. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full with the batter.


Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tin.

Easy Jello Desert

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Ingredients


1  (3-oz.) pkg. raspberry jello
1/2  pint (1 cup) whipping cream
1  pint (2 cups) fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped


Directions


Prepare gelatin using speed-set method as directed on package. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.
Meanwhile, beat whipping cream in large bowl until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold set gelatin into whipped cream. (Mixture will look speckled.) Gently stir in strawberries. Store in refrigerator.


Light and easy!  Your family will love this!

Ice Cream In A Bag

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Ingredients


Small zip-lock bag 
1/4 tsp. vanilla 
1 tbsp. sugar 
1/2 c. milk  (1/4 milk - 1/4 half&half)


large . zip-lock bag:
3 tbsp. ice cream salt
Ice
Put small bag into large bag, and shake (rocking works better) until thick. 
Be sure to wipe salt water from top of small bag before opening, so it won't mix with ice cream.


Equipment
For each- 1 pint size ziplock freezer bag 
1 gallon size zip-lock freezer bag 
vanilla 
sugar
milk or half & half
ice cream salt and ice.

Quick Soft Breadsticks

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1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Garlic salt
Parmesan cheese


Directions:


Heat oven to 400F degrees.
Grease cookie sheet.
Cut each biscuit in half.
Roll into pencil shape, about 6 inch long.
Place on sheet and sprinkle with garlic salt.


Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. 
After taking out of oven.. sprinkle Parmesan cheese.


Super easy and tastes great!

Clean Eating Pumpkin Coconut Bars

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Makes 16 servings, 1 bar each
I first got the idea for this recipe from my friend, Julie. (Hi, Julie!) Julie's 2-year-old daughter was one of my Survival Swim students this past summer and, as soon as I heard about some of the interesting and delicious things she was eating for dinner, I knew Julie and I would be good friends :) They came over a few weeks ago for a marathon healthy-cooking-and-freezing session and Julie brought one of these along for her daughter. She got the recipe HERE and I was immediately intrigued. With a few minor changes it was easy to make it into a Clean recipe. The main thing I did was significantly reduce the amount of sweetener used and substitute honey for the white and brown sugar. As the author of the original recipe says, they were quick and easy to make with minimal clean up. Always a plus in my book!




Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 Tbsp coconut extract
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

ONE: Dump everything into a bowl and mix well. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.


TWO: Spread batter (it will be pretty moist) into a foil-lined and spayed 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan. Bake at 350F for 25-28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

THREE: Let the bars cool for a few minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a cooling rack. The bars may still look underdone, but that’s ok because they will continue to set up as they cool. Allow to cool very well before slicing.


Individually wrap bars and keep them in the fridge for a week or throw wrapped bars into a freezer bag and freeze for longterm storage.

NUTRITION INFO:


Per 1 bar serving- 169 Calories (65 Calories from Fat), 7g Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 6mg Sodium, 23g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 12g Sugars, 5g Protein, 48% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 8% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Salsa Barbeque Chicken Tacos (Crockpot)

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Makes 8 servings, about 2/3 cup each
My husband loves anything involving salsa and tortillas and I love anything involving minimal effort and not having to remember to defrost the chicken. That means this recipe is a win-win for our family :) This is a great dump-and-go recipe that makes a whole bunch of really tender, juicy shredded chicken with a very interesting barbeque-y flavor. We serve it as taco meat but you could use it as a sandwich topper, in a salad, on rice, whatever. Go crazy!

We eat ours as a taco salad in homemade tortilla bowls

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breast halves (about 1.5 lbs, frozen solid is just fine!)
• 16 oz jar salsa
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 tsp ground (dry) mustard
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp honey

ONE: Dump everything into the crockpot and stir. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

TWO: Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred it using two forks. Stir the shredded chicken back into the sauce and let it cook 30 minutes more with the lid off to thicken the sauce. 

Scoop servings out with a fork to let the extra liquid drip out. Freeze leftovers in 2/3 cup servings using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.
NUTRITION INFO:Per 2/3 cup serving- 244 Calories (28 Calories from Fat), 3g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 72mg Cholesterol, 584mg Sodium, 24g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 18g Sugars, 28g Protein, 10% DV Vitamin A, 6% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron 
:)

Clean Eating Whole Wheat Taco Bowls

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These are so quick and easy to make but they are a fun twist on a regular old taco. Plus I find it next to impossible to find healthy, whole grain taco shells. My kids think these are fun because they can break apart their bowl and eat it as they go. Actually, Matt likes them for that same reason :) We use them to make taco salads using Salsa Barbeque Chicken.

Ingredients:

• One tortilla per person
• Olive oil cooking spray

ONE: Preheat the oven to 350. Place small, oven safe bowls or balls of tin foil on a cookie sheet. 

TWO: Mist both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and drape them over the bowls/foil balls. 

THREE: Bake for 17-20 minutes or until light brown and crispy.
NUTRITION INFO:Per Taco Bowl- 130 Calories (25 Calories from fat), 3g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 280mg Sodium, 22g Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugars, 4g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 8% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron
:)

Clean Eating Cherry Almond Dutch Baby Pancakes (and how to pit fresh cherries without a cherry pitter)

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Makes 6 servings, 1 slice each
This is another variation of the Peach Dutch Babies that I recipe tested for the April/May 2011 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. It was delicious with peaches, we loved it with pineapple and coconut, and this morning we had cherries so I thought I'd give it a try. 


A Dutch Baby is an oven baked pancake which is kind of a blend between a popover and a crepe. The boys voted this one as their favorite version and I have to agree :) But I REALLY love fresh cherries so I might be a little biased.




Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup low-fat milk
• 2 tbsp pure Maple syrup
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp plus a pinch sea salt
• Large pinch nutmeg
• ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour (I just use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup sliced cherries
• 2 Tbsp slivered almonds (although the boys and I had it with pecans because we didn't have any slivered almonds LOL)

ONE: Place a heavy, 12-inch oven-proof or cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 425°F. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can use a baking dish. You'll need something a bit bigger than an 8x8 square pan but a 9x13 is about as big as you could go.)

TWO: In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, Maple syrup, almond extract, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk just until blended (a few lumps are fine).

THREE: Carefully add coconut oil to the skillet in the oven. Close the door, and allow it to melt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Wearing a heat-proof glove or oven mitt (I wear my Ove Glove), remove the skillet from the oven and pour the melted oil into the batter; whisk just until blended (do not over mix).

FOUR: Pour the batter back into the hot skillet and sprinkle evenly with the sliced cherries. Carefully return skillet to oven and bake until edges are puffed and golden brown, 17 to 19 minutes.


FIVE: When the pancake is done, sprinkle it with the almonds. It’s pretty impressive when it’s all puffed up fresh out of the oven. Call everyone to the table right away because it deflates pretty quickly. My boys like to peak through the window on the oven door to watch it puff up. They call this Magic Eggy Pancakes.

Not only do I get to eat a delicious pancake... staring at it through the oven door
keeps Theron entertained for 20 minutes and I get to see this excited little face :)

You won’t have leftovers but, if you did, you could freeze individual servings using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

QUICK TIP: I don't have a cherry pitter. We all love cherries and I am eagerly looking forward to the day that I can just hand my kids a bowl of cherries and send them outside to happily eat them and spit out the pits. Until that day comes, this is how I get around the pits:

Wash the cherry, pull off the stem, and stand it up on the cutting board.

Slice of the fruit on either side of the pit

Finally cut off the little bits of fruit left around the pit.
Discard the pit and enjoy!

NUTRITION INFO:
Per serving - 162 Calories (71 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 94mg Cholesterol, 141mg Sodium, 18g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 9g Sugars, 6g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 2% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Chicken Tortilla Soup (OAMC)

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Makes about 10 servings, 1 cup each
As I've said time and time again, we eat a lot of soups in our house. It's a perfect medium to throw all kinds of veggies into which get happily eaten unnoticed. And all of my boys (even the biggest one) love anything they can dip tortilla chips into. I'm pretty sure Matt would eat this or Black Bean Salsa Soup every single night if I let him.


There are a TON of different ways you can make tortilla soup but two interesting things about this recipe are the addition of cornmeal and okra. The cornmeal gives the soup a nice texture and rounds out the flavors. Also combining a bean with a whole grain makes a complete protein. Okra is a vegetable that people don't often think about unless they're frying it. I'll admit that until we moved down south I had never heard of it. Back when I was first making baby food for Colwynn I learned that Okra is actually a power packed green vegetable and it also thickens the soup nicely. No one in my house is very fond of slices of okra in soup, though, so I cook it and puree it before stirring it in. 




Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion (any kind will do)
• ½ cup diced bell pepper (any color)
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups water 
• 2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed well 
• ¼ cup whole grain cornmeal
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1 ½ cups sliced okra, cooked and pureed (optional)
• 5 wholegrain corn tortillas, cut into strips (optional)

ONE: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions, pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until veggies begin to soften.

TWO: Add in diced tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add in chicken breasts and cornmeal and cook, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

THREE: Remove chicken from pot and stir in pureed okra (if using). Allow soup to continue simmering while you shred the chicken using two forks. Return shredded chicken to pot, remove from heat, and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. If using tortilla strips, stir them in 5 minutes before serving.

Serve garnished with sliced avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, a drizzle of lime juice, or even a spoonful of plain yogurt. My boys like to dip tortilla chips into it instead of having the corn tortillas stirred in. Freeze leftovers in 1 cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per 1-cup serving without tortilla strips or garnishes - 190 Calories (35 Calories from Fat), 4g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 27mg Cholesterol, 397mg Sodium, 22g Carbohydrates, 6g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugars, 15g Protein, 11% DV Vitamin A, 27% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 39% DV Iron

:)

Miracle Whip

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1 c. water
3/4 c. flour


Directions
Process in blender just till smooth. Pour into saucepan.
1/2 c. white vinegar
Add this to flour/water mix in saucepan. Cook just till thickened, stirring constantly.


1 egg 
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp.  paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic salt (optional)
Combine in blender container and process till smooth. Add in to warm mix, and continue to blend till smooth again.


Yield: 3 1/4 c.

The Mad Hawaiian

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     I know I've mentioned it before, but I have a brother-in-law who is from Hawaii.  He's a foodie like me, and someone who appreciates spending time making things right.  He's the one who taught me about regrowing green onions after you cut them, and he never fails to provide me with some interesting culinary tidbit during potlucks and family dinners.

     One of the things that surprised me was that his recipes and dishes are often very complicated.  I had a different vision of Hawaiian cooks in my head.  I picture Hawaii, a place I've never been but would sell my son to go visit (seriously....he's a hard worker and doesn't care if his clothes are clean, and although he eats a lot, I'm still fairly sure he'd be a good investment), as a land of plenty.  A nirvana filled with fresh fruits and vegetables and seafood available all year long and not trucked more than a few miles before it lands on your plate.  In short, California without the smog and the Schwarzeneggers.

     I assumed, incorrectly, evidently, that Hawaiian cooks would be about uncomplicated preparations highlighting the beauty of their ingredients.  Simple dishes of seafood lightly cooked, fresh salads delicately dressed, and fruit artfully cut and arranged on pristine china.  My brother-in-law makes great food, but it always seems as if there is a lot involved.  He takes hours to prepare his dishes, and although some of that is due to the fact that he's easily distracted by one of the many projects he always has germinating in his kitchen (not all of them are culinary, that's all I'm going to say), a lot of it is because there are so many ingredients and details to attend to.

     One of the only recipes he would reveal to me is a delicious side dish of sautéed cabbage and onions.  Maybe he figured that us 'continental' types couldn't pull off his elaborate preparations, and decided to let me have something I could handle.  Whatever.  This is easy and delicious....cabbage and onions with a little bit of salt and pepper, sautéed in a mixture of olive oil and butter.  You can do all butter if your waistline allows it, or all olive oil if you want to be healthier, but I go for a mix for the best of both worlds.  This is a dish I make often, and I even use it as a substitute for pasta or rice and serve it with another vegetable.  I love things like that!

     So, that's it.  His one and only simple preparation, and I've stolen it.  And published it, too!  Maybe that's why he's so secretive about all the things he puts into his pots.  Oh, well.  He can keep the ones that are over-complicated and too involved to be practical.  I prefer to take it easy on myself, and to go with simple things I know will turn out well.  Why go for difficult when you can wow 'em with simple?

Shark Attack!

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     So....I was recently browsing through my local Sparkle Market when I came across, in their fish department (hahahahaha......now that's funny....."fish department"....hahaha...sigh), shark steaks.  I know, right?  I was so excited I immediately abandoned my plans for shrimp scampi and settled on shark.

     I enjoy, on a really abnormal level, the expressions on my kids' faces when they ask what we're having for dinner and I get to answer with something like, "Shark."  It makes my whole culinary education worthwhile.  They're becoming more accustomed to answers like those, and I'm sure the day will come when they don't even bat an eyelash at such crazy things, but for now, their incredulous looks are entertainment for me.  I know they're adventurous eaters, because I forced them to be, but it's nice that they're as adventurous at home as they are when dining out.  Soon enough, they wipe the looks of shock off of their faces and dig in.

     The shark was very simple....I made a quick marinade of soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and cilantro.  The cilantro was because I was out of ginger, and I think they both taste like soap.  One soapy thing should substitute for another soapy thing, that's my cooking philosophy.  I was right.  It worked.  The steaks soaked for about a half hour, and then I seared them in a very hot grill pan.  Turning to get nice grill marks on each of the four sides, my 1 1/2 inch thick steaks were done in about 8 minutes.  Can't ask for anything more than that!

     Shark is very fishy when it's raw, not as much when it cooks, and has a texture that's like a cross between tuna and pork.  It's delicious.   I'm not sure about the nutrition content here, but even fatty fish is good for you, so I'm not too concerned.  It was fun, and different, and I like things like that.

     I served alongside a sautéed spinach and mushroom pasta.  The spinach and mushrooms were cooked with some white wine and garlic and onions, and then tossed with linguine.  It went well with the fish, and, because of my quantitative impairment, I had lots left over.  That's a good thing for me right now.  The Girl is graduating, and it seems as if every night there is a different "yay graduaters" thing of some kind.   The night after shark night, the senior awards ceremony started at 6:30 at the high school.  All my leftover noodles required was the addition of some cooked chicken, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese, and....voila!  I had a quick chicken Alfredo for dinner before we had to leave.  Not exactly low-fat cooking, but it used up the leftovers and fed four people who only had time to stand around the kitchen island eating quickly but carefully so as not to dribble on our dress clothes!

     I apologize for the lack of pictures, but like I said, I've been a bit rushed lately.  I hope to someday soon again have time to compose beautiful plates and insert the photos into my glowing descriptions here.  In the meantime, just hum the theme from Jaws and head out to Sparkle before it's all gone.....I can promise you'll love it.

Bountiful Ohio

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     Tonight after dinner, I took a walk out to the edge of our property to survey the soybeans.  I love soybeans.  I wasn't sure what they looked like in each stage of their growth, so I thought I'd look over the plants on the farmland that butts up against our backyard.


     The second I got out there, I was struck dumb by the absolute beauty of the agriculture here.  I'm from Idaho, and I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so I know beautiful land when I see it.  This time of year in Ohio, we are treated to some of the best.  The deep green of the plants, the brown of the earth, and the wonderful little sparks of light provided by the lightning bugs all reached up to meet a sunset worthy of a postcard.  And it was in my backyard.  That's pretty cool.


     I often wonder how, when confronted with nature's majesty in the form of a soybean plant, or a baby calf, or the colors that shine in the feathers of a chicken, people can do anything other than treat their foods and their ingredients with respect.  When you watch them grow, when you see them in their natural state, you appreciate the gifts God has given us for our tables.  Science can't reproduce the number of colors in nature; there is no perfume more sweet than the smell of the earth, and the plants reaching up through its surface to meet the sun.  This is our pantry...our larder.  All of it, at our disposal, and only needing to be nurtured to provide us with everything we need, always.


     I returned reluctantly to the house and stopped, again, when I passed through the final line of trees and saw the lights shining from inside.  It, too, while not nature's gift, was beautiful, and I had to stop and think of my blessings.  I've the natural world outside my door, and the warm and welcoming lights of a comfortable home on the other side.  I couldn't ask for anything else.  I wouldn't.  I don't need to.  

I'm Back!

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Ok....so sorry.  I know it's been forever since I posted anything.  (Since July, as a fatter of mact, but who's counting?)  I have absolutely no excuse, so I won't even bother.  My dearest friend told me recently that I should get back to it, and she was right.  So.....hi.

I'm still toiling away in a restaurant 5 days a week, cooking at home every night, and as food obsessed as ever.  Good to know some things never change, right?  I am currently sitting with my coat still on after a day at work, wrestling with my two latest culinary dilemmas.  First is dinner tonight.  A simple thing, really, if you're not as anal as I am, but for me, it involves hours of running different scenarios and ingredients through my addled brain.

I took some nice looking steaks out of the freezer this morning, thinking that the weather and temperature would be ideal, finally, for throwing them on the grill.  Alas....the fifty mile an hour winds are making me think again.  Even if I did manage to get the silly thing lit, I'm certain the only thing that would get a nice char on it would be my roof, helped along by the sparks picked up by the breeze.  Okey dokey....plan B.

Except...I have no plan B.  I am a steak snob (no, really?) and I hate to think of broiling them instead of getting that wonderful charcoal flavor.  Sigh.  I also picked up some mushrooms and orzo from the store, but haven't yet figured out how I want to to put them together.  Damn me and my random cravings.  The Man won't be home for a while, so I have a little time, but still.  I hate not having a plan.

The second problem is packing picnic food.  Not a huge problem, but a problem nonetheless.  The Boy, the Grammy, and the Nephew are heading to Florida on Friday.  They're driving straight through, and plan to stop only to refuel the car.  So they need food, and food that will please both the Grammy and a couple of teenage boys with absolutely no nutritional conscience.  I had initially thought of egg salad, but the Grammy said she was making some deviled eggs, and I think the egg intake should be strictly limited for 3 people who will be stuck together for 16 hours in a compact car.  I won't be there to experience the horror, but I can't subject my loved ones to something like that without a twinge of guilt.  So....no egg salad.  What to do?

My plan, for the moment, is to refill my wine glass, sit in the peace and quiet of my momentarily empty home, and devise a plan.  I promise you that, by tomorrow, I will have brilliant ideas in place, along with pictures of my expertly executed results.  Right.  All I can promise is that I'll let you know, good or bad, what happened.  Thanks for tuning in.