Hi All,
Well last night Lil'Chef A decided that after the trip to the grocery store that she didn't want to touch any raw meat.. I seized my opportunity to ditch the ham balls and ran!
So what to do with the pound of ground pork I'd bought (never did figure out ground cooked ham?).. I combined it with 1/2 pack of Lipton Onion Soup mix, a bit of pepper and browned the pork in a skillet in Colavita Olive Oil. I have to tell you what a difference good olive oil makes! The minute the pan got the oil hot, the smell was amazing. Many olive oils say "Italian" but when you look at the label it says: Olives from Greece, Turkey, Spain and Italy.. Colavita is only all italian olives. It's can be a little on the pricy side (not good for the budget part) but I've been watching and waiting for it to go on sale then bought 2 bottles.
Served Onion pork with buttered Stellina pasta (amazing side dish when your kids love pasta but you don't want pasta to be the only thing they eat) and brussel sprouts. Brussel Sprouts: there was a new one for Foodie Mom. All I could think about was a Discovery Channel special about Koko the gorilla that learned to sign and called brussel sprouts "stink balls". My children couldn't agree more!
Tonight we are going to a Girl Scout event with campfire, hot dogs (which Lil'Chef A already declared she's not eating) and S'Mores!!! Can't wait!
Talk to you soon
T
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Long Time No Blog...
Hi All,
As my sister lovingly sent me a message the other day.. "Blog Already".. Well Sis, here it is..
So where have I been?? Where o' Where did the menu planning go? Out the damn window, that's where..
I have been living out of the freezer, eating out to our favorite take out places where my big kids eat nothing (Thai, Indian) but my little one LOVES everything (Thank God) and food blogging just hasn't been funny without my little critics..
BUT, I have started making recipes on my own! I made Persian Beef with Turmeric Rice! J actually ate the yellow rice! Shocker! Their entree was egg salad, which I substituted Greek yogurt for mayo and it was amazing! I think I'm going to try adding pureed tofu for more protein and sneak some in!
Tonight, Chef A is making us dinner from her Betty Crocker Jr Cookbook.. Cannon Ham Balls... When she declared that's what she wanted and showed me the picture (which was of no help, showing ham balls being shot out of a cannon and oozing down a wall).. I did my very best Mom smile and said "that's great honey".. back of my mind thinking "what else can I make with these ingredients so I don't have to eat many ham balls?!" Wish me luck! One of the ingredients is ground cooked ham? What the hell is that?! Better not let J see that or she'll become even more picky!
I've started a menu plan for what my hubbie calls "Round the world in 80 meatballs".. Not to be confused with the above!! But rather I'm going to make a batch of delicious meatballs (adapting a Julia Child recipe).. then use it in different cuisines throughout the week.. ie: Morrocan w/"Coo-coo" from Africa, Empanadas from So America, Hoisin Sauce w/ Rice from Asia, etc..
I'll keep you posted and try to blog more often!
BTW: Love Jasmine Thai & Karma Indian Cuisine in Valencia!
Talk to you soon.
T
As my sister lovingly sent me a message the other day.. "Blog Already".. Well Sis, here it is..
So where have I been?? Where o' Where did the menu planning go? Out the damn window, that's where..
I have been living out of the freezer, eating out to our favorite take out places where my big kids eat nothing (Thai, Indian) but my little one LOVES everything (Thank God) and food blogging just hasn't been funny without my little critics..
BUT, I have started making recipes on my own! I made Persian Beef with Turmeric Rice! J actually ate the yellow rice! Shocker! Their entree was egg salad, which I substituted Greek yogurt for mayo and it was amazing! I think I'm going to try adding pureed tofu for more protein and sneak some in!
Tonight, Chef A is making us dinner from her Betty Crocker Jr Cookbook.. Cannon Ham Balls... When she declared that's what she wanted and showed me the picture (which was of no help, showing ham balls being shot out of a cannon and oozing down a wall).. I did my very best Mom smile and said "that's great honey".. back of my mind thinking "what else can I make with these ingredients so I don't have to eat many ham balls?!" Wish me luck! One of the ingredients is ground cooked ham? What the hell is that?! Better not let J see that or she'll become even more picky!
I've started a menu plan for what my hubbie calls "Round the world in 80 meatballs".. Not to be confused with the above!! But rather I'm going to make a batch of delicious meatballs (adapting a Julia Child recipe).. then use it in different cuisines throughout the week.. ie: Morrocan w/"Coo-coo" from Africa, Empanadas from So America, Hoisin Sauce w/ Rice from Asia, etc..
I'll keep you posted and try to blog more often!
BTW: Love Jasmine Thai & Karma Indian Cuisine in Valencia!
Talk to you soon.
T
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Let's play "what can I defrost?"
Hi All,
Well I haven't cooked dinner since Thursday. Cooked a jumbo order of red beans & rice on Friday (which was awesome! I had 4 pots going at once! And diced all my veggies in record time with my food processor, duh right ?)
Friday was Thai delivery (yum), Saturday was pizza delivery (with the girls not here, we were actually able to have toppings :)! Sunday was a jazzfest party with amazing crawfish boil! Yesterday was leftover pizza, Mexican takeout from lunch & ms J with chicken in a pita! That child could sprout feathers with all the chicken she eats! It reminds me of when I brought home a whole rotisserie chicken.. Her DS must have been out of power because she was in the kitchen offering to help. I pulled off a wing and she asked "what is that?", I responded "a wing, you know a chicken wing" I was doing my best chicken dance arms while answering. She just looked a me bewildered and then shook her head & said "your funny momma" and quickly left the kitchen! I think when it comes to eggs, i'll lie until she's 30.
I have been meal planning and next week will be "round the world in 80 meatballs"... Please contain your excitement... I'm planning on 1 large batch of meatballs, then using them in different ways from each continent (except Antarctica).. If your wondering why not this week for the exciting journey... Well I've got a few little things on my plate this week that makes next week better!
So, I've raided the freezer!! I've got chicken & apple sausage, all girls give it thumbs up, BBQ ribs, crab & spinach lasagna (seriously doubt anyone under 10 will touch!), ground beef (currently no clue what to do with that the kids will actually eat)... Reminds me of my mom's "surprise stew" I didn't eat it then , won't eat it now..
Have a great day! Tonight's meal: what defrosted first?
T
Well I haven't cooked dinner since Thursday. Cooked a jumbo order of red beans & rice on Friday (which was awesome! I had 4 pots going at once! And diced all my veggies in record time with my food processor, duh right ?)
Friday was Thai delivery (yum), Saturday was pizza delivery (with the girls not here, we were actually able to have toppings :)! Sunday was a jazzfest party with amazing crawfish boil! Yesterday was leftover pizza, Mexican takeout from lunch & ms J with chicken in a pita! That child could sprout feathers with all the chicken she eats! It reminds me of when I brought home a whole rotisserie chicken.. Her DS must have been out of power because she was in the kitchen offering to help. I pulled off a wing and she asked "what is that?", I responded "a wing, you know a chicken wing" I was doing my best chicken dance arms while answering. She just looked a me bewildered and then shook her head & said "your funny momma" and quickly left the kitchen! I think when it comes to eggs, i'll lie until she's 30.
I have been meal planning and next week will be "round the world in 80 meatballs"... Please contain your excitement... I'm planning on 1 large batch of meatballs, then using them in different ways from each continent (except Antarctica).. If your wondering why not this week for the exciting journey... Well I've got a few little things on my plate this week that makes next week better!
So, I've raided the freezer!! I've got chicken & apple sausage, all girls give it thumbs up, BBQ ribs, crab & spinach lasagna (seriously doubt anyone under 10 will touch!), ground beef (currently no clue what to do with that the kids will actually eat)... Reminds me of my mom's "surprise stew" I didn't eat it then , won't eat it now..
Have a great day! Tonight's meal: what defrosted first?
T
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Mac-n-Cheese w/Ham..
Hi All,
Last night I made Mac-n-cheese with Ham. No, this was not some made from a box, yellow powder "cheese". This was milk, cheddar, swiss, sour cream, ham & pasta = deliciousness on a plate. Ms. K had 3 helpings! Ms. A liked it and my dear friend Dave took some home, even though he had a car full of food from his Mom.. Thanks Dave for the support!
Even Ms. J said it was "kinda good".. which is amazing because that kid doesn't eat anything that even hints that it has a sauce! Since 4 mo's old, Ms J will not eat anything that might be construed as messy... No syrup with pancakes, ketchup on the side, plain pasta, etc. I must admit, this might be a genetic trait as I hate cake & ice cream on the same plate, eggs and pancakes must remain separate and even cookies are not dunked in milk (unless it's biscotti and coffee)....
For this week, my ham recipes are done! Leftovers for the next few nights, then something for my hubbie to grill on Saturday and something Italian on Sunday. I think tomorrow I'll start my "Red Beans & Rice" for the party on Sunday.
Tip of the Day: I've started to compile tips and tricks into a single place as a springboard to my culinary journey.. One tip that I shared with my friend Megan that I've seen on a several culinary shows is when you chop an onion and intend to serve raw (salsa, hamburgers, etc).. Run the chopped onions under cold water for a few seconds in a strainer.. this removes some of the acid that burns your nose/eyes and some of the overpowering sense of onion in anything!
I'm working on ideas for next week.. Possible ideas: Meatballs or Slow Braised Pork..
I've been forgetting the Should-a/Could-a Saved, Verdict & Do-Over part of my blog.. Silly Me..
Should-a/Could-a Saved: Nothing, pretty cheap! Note: I didn't buy shredded Swiss (couldn't find it).. So I bought swiss sandwich slices and cubed 6 slices for 1 cup of Swiss..
Verdict: Wonderful
Do Over: Yes, but next time different cheese (maybe Gouda/Mozzarella ?) and different protein (maybe smoked turkey?)
That's all for now folks!
T
Last night I made Mac-n-cheese with Ham. No, this was not some made from a box, yellow powder "cheese". This was milk, cheddar, swiss, sour cream, ham & pasta = deliciousness on a plate. Ms. K had 3 helpings! Ms. A liked it and my dear friend Dave took some home, even though he had a car full of food from his Mom.. Thanks Dave for the support!
Even Ms. J said it was "kinda good".. which is amazing because that kid doesn't eat anything that even hints that it has a sauce! Since 4 mo's old, Ms J will not eat anything that might be construed as messy... No syrup with pancakes, ketchup on the side, plain pasta, etc. I must admit, this might be a genetic trait as I hate cake & ice cream on the same plate, eggs and pancakes must remain separate and even cookies are not dunked in milk (unless it's biscotti and coffee)....
For this week, my ham recipes are done! Leftovers for the next few nights, then something for my hubbie to grill on Saturday and something Italian on Sunday. I think tomorrow I'll start my "Red Beans & Rice" for the party on Sunday.
Tip of the Day: I've started to compile tips and tricks into a single place as a springboard to my culinary journey.. One tip that I shared with my friend Megan that I've seen on a several culinary shows is when you chop an onion and intend to serve raw (salsa, hamburgers, etc).. Run the chopped onions under cold water for a few seconds in a strainer.. this removes some of the acid that burns your nose/eyes and some of the overpowering sense of onion in anything!
I'm working on ideas for next week.. Possible ideas: Meatballs or Slow Braised Pork..
I've been forgetting the Should-a/Could-a Saved, Verdict & Do-Over part of my blog.. Silly Me..
Should-a/Could-a Saved: Nothing, pretty cheap! Note: I didn't buy shredded Swiss (couldn't find it).. So I bought swiss sandwich slices and cubed 6 slices for 1 cup of Swiss..
Verdict: Wonderful
Do Over: Yes, but next time different cheese (maybe Gouda/Mozzarella ?) and different protein (maybe smoked turkey?)
That's all for now folks!
T
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Exciting News!.....and ham and leftovers....
Hi All,
Let me start off today's ramblings with totally exciting news! I mean I'm so excited, I've gone through 2 trays of printer paper! Williams-Sonoma publishes their technique class handouts in PDF's on their website! http://www.williams-sonoma.com/pages/technique-classes.html?cm_type=lnav OMG! Some amazing stuff: Knife Skills, Better Burgers, and oh yeah Meatball Mania! Check it out!
Oh, let me take a deep breath.. lower my blood pressure and get back to the week at hand! So, as expected, I didn't do well with waiting for leftovers for dinner. Instead, I had my ham sammie/wedge salad for lunch!
Dinner was easy peasy.. As per the box of penne, I cooked as directed, threw in 1 cup of frozen peas in the last 2 mins. While the pasta was boiling, I cubed 2 cups of the ham and sauteed it in a bit of olive oil. When I thought it looked heated through, I put in some of the Oregano (1 tsp) by crushing the dried herbs in my hands over the pot.. Then 1 1/2 c of broth: I used 1 1/2 c of boiling pasta water with 1/2 tbs of chicken bouillon and let simmer till the pasta was done. Tossed in the drained pasta and peas and Presto! dinner for K and I.
J and A are on vacation but if they were here I'm sure they would have picked out the peas, put them on their napkins as if toxic waste (a trait they get from their dad), closely examined every bit of penne looking for hints of oregano that when identified they would look alarmed and shout "WHAT IS THAT?!".. After a bit of reassurance that they weren't going to be poisoned, they'd eat the ham. Why the ham with no drama? Because it's Pink of course!
As I've been pouring over recipe books and websites, cooking classes and techniques; I think I'm ready to take a small step toward culinary independence. How scary?! I'm going to start to create my own recipes with a bit of help from Julia Child. No this is not turning to "Julie and Julia" but rather I just downloaded her kitchen basics book and figured that's a good place to start to build. I'm still going to cook 1 major protein as this seems to be key to the foodie mom philosophy, prep as many veggies as I can in advance. I think there is a lot to learn about storing prepped veggies/sides/etc. I'm taking note of what makes dishes Greek or Latin (lots of variations) or Italian or Indian and I've become fascinated with herbs!
I remember my friend Michelle and I were talking about if you could have a super power what would it be? I said "To be able to walk into any grocery store and know how to cook everything you could think of". Well, I don't know if that's a super power (could be a curse depending on the recipe's outcome).. but I'm going to try! Am I destined to be a recipe follower or culinary creator? I guess time will tell!
Will it be culinary delight or disaster??? Stay tuned!
T
Let me start off today's ramblings with totally exciting news! I mean I'm so excited, I've gone through 2 trays of printer paper! Williams-Sonoma publishes their technique class handouts in PDF's on their website! http://www.williams-sonoma.com/pages/technique-classes.html?cm_type=lnav OMG! Some amazing stuff: Knife Skills, Better Burgers, and oh yeah Meatball Mania! Check it out!
Oh, let me take a deep breath.. lower my blood pressure and get back to the week at hand! So, as expected, I didn't do well with waiting for leftovers for dinner. Instead, I had my ham sammie/wedge salad for lunch!
Dinner was easy peasy.. As per the box of penne, I cooked as directed, threw in 1 cup of frozen peas in the last 2 mins. While the pasta was boiling, I cubed 2 cups of the ham and sauteed it in a bit of olive oil. When I thought it looked heated through, I put in some of the Oregano (1 tsp) by crushing the dried herbs in my hands over the pot.. Then 1 1/2 c of broth: I used 1 1/2 c of boiling pasta water with 1/2 tbs of chicken bouillon and let simmer till the pasta was done. Tossed in the drained pasta and peas and Presto! dinner for K and I.
J and A are on vacation but if they were here I'm sure they would have picked out the peas, put them on their napkins as if toxic waste (a trait they get from their dad), closely examined every bit of penne looking for hints of oregano that when identified they would look alarmed and shout "WHAT IS THAT?!".. After a bit of reassurance that they weren't going to be poisoned, they'd eat the ham. Why the ham with no drama? Because it's Pink of course!
As I've been pouring over recipe books and websites, cooking classes and techniques; I think I'm ready to take a small step toward culinary independence. How scary?! I'm going to start to create my own recipes with a bit of help from Julia Child. No this is not turning to "Julie and Julia" but rather I just downloaded her kitchen basics book and figured that's a good place to start to build. I'm still going to cook 1 major protein as this seems to be key to the foodie mom philosophy, prep as many veggies as I can in advance. I think there is a lot to learn about storing prepped veggies/sides/etc. I'm taking note of what makes dishes Greek or Latin (lots of variations) or Italian or Indian and I've become fascinated with herbs!
I remember my friend Michelle and I were talking about if you could have a super power what would it be? I said "To be able to walk into any grocery store and know how to cook everything you could think of". Well, I don't know if that's a super power (could be a curse depending on the recipe's outcome).. but I'm going to try! Am I destined to be a recipe follower or culinary creator? I guess time will tell!
Will it be culinary delight or disaster??? Stay tuned!
T
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Ham with Brie & Papaya in a Pita?
Hi All,
Confession time: Don't get excited.. I live a quiet domestic life.. Being a foodie mom on a budget, my local Ralphs was having a sale on 2 lbs boneless precooked hams.. So, instead of buying the 4 lb ham I had to cook myself.. I decided to save some time and money and bought 2 hams as my week of recipes called for 4 lbs of ham..
Instead of making the ham with the oranges, I made the ham sandwiches with brie and papaya. The recipe called for honey and tortillas.. but I had left over hummus and pitas so I thought, "I'll give it a whirl". It was delicious! Cut the pita in half, smear in some hummus, layer ham, brie, ham and papaya. The papaya really blended well with the brie! It wasn't sweet or pungent, it was well balanced (as she says in her best FoodTV voice). I can't wait to tell my dear friend Dave that fruit and meat, ok in my pita!
I served it with a wedge salad. I knew my hubbie would be working late, so I made 3 slices of bacon: 2 for the salad and one to quality check, very important ;) .. Some cherry toms and a new dressing that I totally recommend.. Buffalo Blue Cheese Dressing by Old Cape Cod. I picked it because it was on sale and cheaper than bottles of blue cheese that were smaller. It has a bit of "Hey this 5th bite of salad might have some heat". I think I will use it on blue cheese stuffed turkey burgers this weekend... "Ummmm turkey burgers": Homer Simpson style.
Tonight: Leftovers.. Already you might ask? That's how good it was. And anyone who knows me knows that ever since that college biology course when you study bacteria.. I don't do well with leftovers.. But I'm looking forward to another wedge and sammie! On second thought, maybe I'll have it for lunch to cut back on some of the fridge hang time (ie bacteria breeding time) EWWW!..
If I do have leftovers for lunch, then tonight is Penne with Ham, Peas (K's fav) and Oregano... Oh BTW: I bought a packet of dried Oregano (you know where they hang in little packets on the wall in the Int'l Foods aisle) for $0.51 compared to the $3.50+ for the small bottle. I'll let you know how it goes!
That's all for now folks!
T
Confession time: Don't get excited.. I live a quiet domestic life.. Being a foodie mom on a budget, my local Ralphs was having a sale on 2 lbs boneless precooked hams.. So, instead of buying the 4 lb ham I had to cook myself.. I decided to save some time and money and bought 2 hams as my week of recipes called for 4 lbs of ham..
Instead of making the ham with the oranges, I made the ham sandwiches with brie and papaya. The recipe called for honey and tortillas.. but I had left over hummus and pitas so I thought, "I'll give it a whirl". It was delicious! Cut the pita in half, smear in some hummus, layer ham, brie, ham and papaya. The papaya really blended well with the brie! It wasn't sweet or pungent, it was well balanced (as she says in her best FoodTV voice). I can't wait to tell my dear friend Dave that fruit and meat, ok in my pita!
I served it with a wedge salad. I knew my hubbie would be working late, so I made 3 slices of bacon: 2 for the salad and one to quality check, very important ;) .. Some cherry toms and a new dressing that I totally recommend.. Buffalo Blue Cheese Dressing by Old Cape Cod. I picked it because it was on sale and cheaper than bottles of blue cheese that were smaller. It has a bit of "Hey this 5th bite of salad might have some heat". I think I will use it on blue cheese stuffed turkey burgers this weekend... "Ummmm turkey burgers": Homer Simpson style.
Tonight: Leftovers.. Already you might ask? That's how good it was. And anyone who knows me knows that ever since that college biology course when you study bacteria.. I don't do well with leftovers.. But I'm looking forward to another wedge and sammie! On second thought, maybe I'll have it for lunch to cut back on some of the fridge hang time (ie bacteria breeding time) EWWW!..
If I do have leftovers for lunch, then tonight is Penne with Ham, Peas (K's fav) and Oregano... Oh BTW: I bought a packet of dried Oregano (you know where they hang in little packets on the wall in the Int'l Foods aisle) for $0.51 compared to the $3.50+ for the small bottle. I'll let you know how it goes!
That's all for now folks!
T
Monday, April 4, 2011
I'm Back with a New Meal Plan for the Week
Hello All,
Sorry, I have returned from my week long journey as Queen of Porcelain-ville! I had to spend last week on a partial Gatorade diet followed up with rice, bread and buttered noodles. My kids loved the BRAT (no I didn't make that up, its a medical term) diet and embraced the bland meal plan as long as it included some chicken (preferably in nugget form) as a side. I, and I'm sure my hubbie, were looking forward to this week and new adventures.
First, let me start off by saying that my Red Beans & Rice will reach new heights this weekend. I'm making my recipe for a close family couple celebrating their 40 year anniversary with around 50 of their friends. All I could think about was "Do I have a big enough pot?!"... then like you see in the movies, the glow of epiphany, I thought "If not, I'll have to go Williams-Sonoma and get one!.. then the smile made famous by the Grinch...
Well this week I'm trying something different. Cooking 1 main protein, in this case Ham (Note: No One makes a better ham than my brother James, ever!). So tonight, I'm going to kick off this weeks menu with cooking a 4 pound ham. The menu plan is as follows:
Tonight: Citrus Glazed Ham with Roasted Mandarin Oranges & Wedge Salad... My dear friend Dave pointed out.. "Still trying to mix fruit and meat." Like the Honey Apricot Chicken wasn't lesson enough.. but I regress optimistically..
Then: Penne with Ham, Peas and Oregano, Honey Ham Wraps with Brie and Papaya and finally Super Cheesy Stove Top Mac & Cheese with Ham.*
I'm sure by the end of this week, I'll be ready to not see another ham till Easter!
I'll keep you posted and let you know how it goes..
T
*all recipes are adaptations from Robin Miller Quick Fix Meals..
Sorry, I have returned from my week long journey as Queen of Porcelain-ville! I had to spend last week on a partial Gatorade diet followed up with rice, bread and buttered noodles. My kids loved the BRAT (no I didn't make that up, its a medical term) diet and embraced the bland meal plan as long as it included some chicken (preferably in nugget form) as a side. I, and I'm sure my hubbie, were looking forward to this week and new adventures.
First, let me start off by saying that my Red Beans & Rice will reach new heights this weekend. I'm making my recipe for a close family couple celebrating their 40 year anniversary with around 50 of their friends. All I could think about was "Do I have a big enough pot?!"... then like you see in the movies, the glow of epiphany, I thought "If not, I'll have to go Williams-Sonoma and get one!.. then the smile made famous by the Grinch...
Well this week I'm trying something different. Cooking 1 main protein, in this case Ham (Note: No One makes a better ham than my brother James, ever!). So tonight, I'm going to kick off this weeks menu with cooking a 4 pound ham. The menu plan is as follows:
Tonight: Citrus Glazed Ham with Roasted Mandarin Oranges & Wedge Salad... My dear friend Dave pointed out.. "Still trying to mix fruit and meat." Like the Honey Apricot Chicken wasn't lesson enough.. but I regress optimistically..
Then: Penne with Ham, Peas and Oregano, Honey Ham Wraps with Brie and Papaya and finally Super Cheesy Stove Top Mac & Cheese with Ham.*
I'm sure by the end of this week, I'll be ready to not see another ham till Easter!
I'll keep you posted and let you know how it goes..
T
*all recipes are adaptations from Robin Miller Quick Fix Meals..
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