All Better

My daughter went home from the hospital this evening - the antibiotics and iv fluids did the trick. We still don't know whether dehydration caused her small intestine to become inflamed and infected, or whether the infection caused the dehydration. But she's got to get a lot better than this before her second surgery. She's glad to be back in her own bed.

I though I'd try a new chicken recipe:

Orange-Bacon Chicken Breasts

3 boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
3 slices bacon
1 T butter
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade (I used the reduced-sugar version)

Preheat oven to 375˚. Line a shallow baking pan with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle each breast with salt and pepper. Wrap each breast with a slice of bacon and place in baking dish with bacon ends tucked under. Melt together butter, Worcestershire sauce, and marmalade in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until combined; pour evenly over chicekn. Bake until bacon is crisp and chicken juices run clear, about 25-30 minutes. Makes 3 servings.

Reminder: Don't forget to make some soup or stew for Thursday night! It'll be Thursday Soup or Stew Night #5. I'm thinking Beef & Vegetable Barley!

food & drink

What a Weekend.

Our weekend started off pretty nicely - our campsite at Lake Perris was nice, and the park was almost deserted (meaning it was quiet!). The weather on Saturday was perfect, and the storm we were dreading came through Saturday night with a whimper. We had a few showers, but that was about it. Our daughter, the one who had her colon removed in October, called us Friday and Saturday to tell us about how she was not feeling very good - as a matter of fact, she felt so bad she couldn't go to work. We thought she had the flu - aches and pains, some nausea, weakness - so we weren't that concerned, just sympathetic. Then Sunday morning, abot 10 minutes after Don left to go fishing, she called me to tell me she was going to the hospital. What could a mom do? Don had the truck, and he was miles away, not due to come back for hours. I told her to call me again when she knew something. She called a couple of hours later to say they'd taken blood, and they were taking her in for an ultrasound. Then she called again around 2 pm to say they were going to be admitting her. Apparently the same thing is going on that happened right after her surgery: an infection plus severe dehydration. Her white blood count was "outrageously high," and her electrolytes were really out of balance.

Don finally made it back from fishing at 3:30, and we went to the hospital, where we found her still in an examining room in the ER. At 5:30 they moved her to a temporary DOU (definitive observation unit) that they'd set up in the surgery recovery room. Since the hospital was crowded, that's where she spent the night. We went back to our campsite for the night, and then broke camp this morning. Don went home and I went to the hospital, where the doctor told her that she was doing a little better. He was still concerned about the white blood cell count, and is keeping her tonight, too. He has no idea what or where the infection is, but it is reacting to the antibiotics they've been pumping into her, and all the fluids they're giving her have helped her dehydration.

Poor kid. There's so much she's been going through - and nothing we can do for her except be there. It's so frustrating for her; she's so tired of feeling sick.


food & drink

5 Things You Don't Know About Me

Paz of The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz tagged anyone interested for a 5 things you don't know about me meme. I thought I'd give it a try.

1. I climbed 14,082' Windom Peak in 1974, during a 3-week long backpacking trek in the Weminuche Wilderness in Colorado.

2. I hate beets. I hate them so much I gag when I try to eat them.

3. When I was a kid, I was a member of the Air Force Academy's mounted drill team. We rode in parades, and competed in rodeos and gymkhanas.

4. I was a 2 1/2-packs-a-day smoker until I met my future husband. I quit cold turkey when I decided I was in love, and have never had a cigarette since. (And we just celebrated our 26th anniversary).

5. I've lived in 19 different homes in 4 different states and 2 different countries.

Like Paz, I'm tagging anyone interested in doing this. Come on! Give it a try!
food & drink

Thursday Soup or Stew Night #4

First of all, I have to publicly apologize to Chris from Mele Cotte. Chris submitted a soup for last week's roundup, and I forgot to include her. Sorry Chris! Here's her soup from last week:















La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup. While I made a fresh tomato soup once, Chris's Tomato Basil Soup is nothing like it. So much tasty fresh basil to give it a flavor that's divine!






This week, Chris made soup again. Tonight's submission for the roundup from Chris is Butternut Squash Soup. I learned something really important in her post that I hadn't known before - you can keep a butternut squash for approximately 3 months in a cool, dry place. Great! Now I can buy them at the commissary and not worry about having to use them immediately like other squashes. And I have to try her soup - I've only had butternut squash once before, and that was as "fries" baked in the oven.








Sara of i like to cook joins the roundup again, and this time she made Black Bean Soup with Coconut Rice. What an interesting blend of flavors! I've never made coconut rice, and that sounds like something I've gotta try. My husband likes his chili over rice, so the concept isn't totally strange - just a little bit different. But it sounds really tasty!





My contribution this week is also a squash-based soup like Chris's, but I used zucchini. Therefore, my soup is green! I had some zucchini that I needed to use, and I've had this recipe in my files for about twenty years, but this is the first time I've made it. It tastes a bit like cream of broccoli. I wonder why that is? Do you think zucchini and broccoli taste similar? This took only 25 minutes to throw together, and I bet you could use half-and-half instead of the evaporated milk to make it even creamier.

Crema de Calabacitas (Cream of Zucchini Soup)

3-4 medium or 2 large zucchini (1 lb.)
2 c water
salt
2 T chopped parsley
2 T butter
2 T minced onion
1 T flour
1 13-oz. can evaporated milk
1 cup chicken broth

Wash zucchini. Cut off stem ends, then cut in large pieces. Place in a large saucepan. Add water and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool zucchini in cooking liquid. Place zucchini, 1 c liquid, and 2 T parsley in blender. Process until pureed. Heat butter in a medium saucepan. Add onion; cook until tender but not browned. Stir in flour. Cook and stir 1 minutes. Add pureed zucchini mixture, evaporated milk, and chicken broth. Stir to blend. Season with salt if needed. Stir over medium heat until soup comes to a boil. Serve at once or chill and serve cold. Serves 4-6


Thanks to all for participating. This is getting to be really interesting - to come up with soups that use ingredients I have on hand or to plan new and different ones.

I'll be camping this weekend, so I won't be posting for a few nights. When I come back, I'll let you know how and what we enjoyed for our meals, and you can check out my other blog, Wanderlust for pictures and details about the weekend.






food & drink

Taking a Stand

LABOR UPDATE: We were officially certified for fact-finding last week - meaning that the mediator agrees that we can't reach a settlement, and both sides will present their cases to a panel of three - one selected by us, one selected by them, and a "neutral."
In the meantime, a few of us had some fun today. There was a huge teacher recruitment fair at Cal State, San Bernardino, and we went to pass out flyers warning potential candidates that Yucaipa is not a great place to come to work right now. In the picture to the left, my vice-president Patrick and I talk to two teachers about the ongoing crisis in our district and explain how our salaries are now the lowest in the area. We were joined by a small group from Victor Valley High School District, who had some great signs and t-shirts to go with their flyers. Rialto also brought 5, and they were up at an area closer to the arena.

It was very empowering to do this. We're hoping, of course, that our district will realize that it's not going to attract the cheaper teachers it wants to replace our talented veterans, and will think more about paying us a fair competitive salary.

Thursday Soup or Stew Night #3

It's good to feel better again, and to be able to cook and eat again! And just in time for Thursday Soup or Stew Night. As Don and I were talking about how we felt like eating again, I reminded him that tonight was soup night. "Good," he said. "Let's have something hearty, but that isn't fattening." (He's also working on losing weight.) I got out my old recipe collection and started reading off some soups I hadn't made before, and he vetoed the first three because they are cream-based. He wanted a broth-based soup. I'll be sharing below what I came up with. On to the roundup.

I'm a regular visitor and poster to the Open Road Forums at rv.net. One of the threads is "Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs," and of course, I visit that one often. SteveRuff, another frequent poster, contributes a soup he made for the diet he's on. Here's his recipe:

Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

2/3 c brown rice
4 1/4 c chicken broth
1 dash Black pepper
1 1/2 c Shiitake mushrooms; sliced
--or regular fresh mushrooms
1/2 c Shallots; or onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. Butter or margarine
1 1/2 c Cooked chicken; or turkey
1/2 c Fresh parsley; snipped

Run cold water over the rice in a strainer for about 1 minute, lifting the rice to rinse it thoroughly. In a large saucepan, mix the rice, broth and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the mushrooms and shallots in butter until tender, but not brown. Add the mushroom mixture, chicken and parsley to the soup. Heat through.

Steve adds: "I made most of my own chicken broth from what I boiled the breasts in...added celery salt, garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper, and a couple of bay leaves. I did add the bag of spinach and it added a lot to the soup. I have to say that it turned out to be one of the best soups I have had for the calories. It is also pretty filling with the added spinach."

Our next soup comes from Sara of I Like to Cook. She doesn't really know if it's a soup or a stew, since it's pretty thick (remember Rachel Ray's word - Stoup?), but she says it's really good! It's called Sorta Minestrone Soup





Paula of The Cookbook Junkie joins us this week with a stew - and oh, does it look good! It's called Texas Stew, from Delicious and Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes.







Ulrike in Germany, of Kuchlatein contributes a Carrot, Lentil, and Orange Soup. What an interesting mix of flavors!




I asked Meeta of What's For Lunch, Honey? to join in with a soup she made yesterday, Creamy Ginger Carrot Soup. Once again, interesting flavor combinations. (I really need to try new tastes!)





My soup tonight is one I think I got from Light & Tasty Magazine. I used to subscribe to it, and have a notebook full of ideas to try. This one's a keeper - and Don ate 2 1/2 bowls. To go with it, since he always wants bread, I took refrigerated biscuits and sprinkled them with shredded Swiss cheese and some crushed red pepper. Tasty!

Kielbasa Bean Soup
1 sm. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t butter or margarine
2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth or 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 med. potato, peeled, cubed
1 cup sliced fresh carrots
1/2 lb. turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 can (15 oz) kidney or great white beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. white wine or cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a large saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in broth, potato, and carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Thanks to everyone for participating! This is such fun. And it makes planning one of my meals each week easier. Join me next time, won't you?

food & drink

On the Mend

Today I'm feeling much better, though I still don't want to eat anything spicier than milk and cereal. But at least I'm hungry! Now my husband's sick, only his symptoms are more like the flu. Poor guy - puts up with me for five days, then gets sick, too!

I've been busy in my free time (when I felt like it) updating my menus. You see, when I (finally) migrated to new blogger, my recipe menus/links didn't follow. That's okay - I didn't like the way they were all different sizes, and with the help of Sam on Food Blog S'cool I was able to get some that are all the same width. It's just taking time to move everything.

In the meantime: DON'T FORGET SOUP OR STEW THURSDAY #3. Sometime before Thursday night at 7:00 pm Pacific Standard Time, send me a note that you've made some soup, along with the url of your blog. Send it to cholmaneee at uia dot net.

Thanks!

food & drink

Been Sick

There's a nasty gastrointestinal bug going around. I got it. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and now today. Wasted.

food & drink

Thursday Soup or Stew Night #2

It's all my fault that this roundup is so small - I haven't posted since Sunday, and I should have put up some reminders. But it's not too late to jump in! As I write this it's only 6 pm PST, and I'll be online off and on until about 10 pm PST - giving you plenty of time to email me about some soup or stew you want to share.














My blogger friend Ulrike of Kuchenlatein made a very pretty, and most likely tasty, Cheddar Cheese Soup. Now Campbell's makes a cheddar cheese soup, but it's an unappetizing orange glop. Ulrike's soup has onions, and carrots, and celery, and bell peppers - a very great combination.















Sara of I Like to Cook sent in a recipe with a southwestern touch: Black Bean Soup. The "different" thing about this one is the chipotle pepper. I bet the smoky flavor is divine. I plan to try her recipe with some pinto beans. I have about two pounds I need to start using.


My contribution this week is some split pea soup. Way back in college I spent a semester chasing love in Phoenix. The love part didn't work out, but I have lots of fond memories and a few great recipes. I worked at a supermarket, and one of my customers, Michelle H., gave me this recipe. It's easy to make, and you can add more or less of the vegetables, and leave out the ham if you want to make it vegetarian.

Split Pea Soup

1 pound split peas
3 quarts water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup chopped ham (optional)
1 cup half-&-half

Rinse peas in a colander. Combine all ingredients except half-&-half in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add half-&-half and heat through.

I thought I'd start trying to add fiber to my diet by cooking more legumes, which is why I made this soup. To go with it, I made cornbread muffins, but added two tablespoons of ground flaxseed to the batter. They were great! I think I'll try to add the flax to as many things as I can.

This is day 12 of my "Carb Lite" eating plan, and I'm so proud of myself. I have yet to go over my day's "allocation" of carbs, and have done a good job of keeping them spread out over the three meals and snacks. I took the advice given to me after Sunday's post and started eating more beans, and will continue to work on cutting the fat down. This weekend my husband and I are going to the California Teachers Association State Council meeting in Los Angeles, and I've been planning for eating out. On Saturday night we're going to LA Prime, a steak/seafood restaurant in the Westin Bonaventure (our hotel for the weekend), and I've already decided to have some grilled fish or shrimp. Tomorrow night I don't know where we'll eat, but I know I'll be "good," and enjoy the challenge of finding great-tasting food that's good for me.

If you want to be added to this roundup, feel free to email me at cholmaneee at uia dot net.




food & drink

Yes, We Watched Football Today

Day 8 of "Carb Lite

But I also finished reading a good book, worked on my lesson for the girl I do home study with, played on the computer, and piddled around in the kitchen. So tonight we're enjoying some good TV (Without a Trace, 48 Hours Mystery, and Crossing Jordan). Tomorrow's a teacher work day, no students, so I plan to do some organizing in the office. My friend Patrick came Friday afternoon and put together two large bookcases, so I need to get all the mess off the tables and chairs and into the bookcases.

Dinner tonight was Chicken Paprika, served over whole wheat noodles, along with some German Cucumber Salad. As I finish the first 8 days of my self-imposed low-carb program, I guess I have to say I've done pretty well. On the good side I've managed to keep the carbs down, and except for two days, kept the calories down too. On the bad side, I've had too much fat and not enough fiber. Gotta work on that.

How do I add fiber without bumping up the carbs? Ideas?

Totals:

Calories: 1892
Carbs: 179
Fat: 84
Fiber: 15
Protein: 107


food & drink

Saturday

Day 7 of "Carb Lite"

While almost everyone I know got to sleep late this morning, I had to get up at 5:30 am. I had a meeting to go to in La Quinta, which is about an hour and a half's drive. But it was a good meeting - I learned a lot more about processing grievances, and heard updates about what's going on at the state and national levels of CTA and NEA. In addition, I got to talk to colleagues from other chapters that are also in crisis, and we're planning some joint activities. I was home in time to watch the U.S. men's soccer team defeat Denmark, and one of the goals was scored by a Los Angeles Chivas player, Jacob Bornstein. At halftime, we switched over to the Texas Tech-Kansas basketball game, in time to watch Tech upset the 5th-ranked Jayhawks. Way to go Tech! (my alma mater)

Dinner tonight was a pork chop dish that I copied down from either Cooking Light or Light and Tasty, along with a salad and a dish from Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. The whole dinner had only 44 carbs, so it was an easy day to keep the carb total under 200.

Pork Chops with Tangy Cherry Sauce
1/3 cup dried cranberries
½ cup apple juice, divided
2 boneless pork chops
½ teaspoon butter
½ teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
dash pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

In a small saucepan, bring cherries and 3 tablespoons of the juice to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook pork in butter and oil 3-4 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, bring the vinegar and remaining juice to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in cherry mixture; heat through. Return pork to pan; turn to coat.


Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms
from Kalyn's Kitchen

4 slices pre-cooked bacon (or use regular bacon)
small head cauliflower, cut into small bite-size pieces
8 ounces mushrooms, cut in half, then into thick slices
½ red onion, diced into small pieces
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Cut bacon into small crosswise strips, then cook in large frying pan until quite crisp. Pour off most of bacon fat, but don't wipe out pan. Add cauliflower and mushrooms and cook over very high heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook about 2 minutes more, or until veggies seem nearly done and are starting to brown a bit. Add bacon and parsley and cook 2-3 minutes more. Add 1/4 cup water, then scrape pan to get browned bits off and cook until water has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.


Carb Lite Update

Calories: 1519
Carbs: 120
Fat: 75 grams
Fiber: 10 grams
Protein: 93 grams

food & drink

Soup for dinner a day late

Since I couldn't make soup last night for my own event, I decided to use some beautiful tomatoes and make it tonight. I really like Campbell's Tomato Soup, so I thought I'd make my own. I had a recipe in my notebook from many years ago which I'd never used but sounded good.

This was great - though you could really taste the wine. I think I'll try this again, but next time I'll use chicken stock and then deide which one I like the best.

Cream of Tomato Soup
2 cups peeled, coarsely diced tomato (about 2 large)
2 T butter
1 T Splenda
2 T flour
1 t salt
dash pepper
1/4 t baking soda
1 c half & half
1/2 c dry white wine or chicken stock

Sauté tomatoes in butter about 3 minutes. Put in blender and whir until smooth. Sprinkle in flour, salt, and pepper, blending again for a few seconds. Put mixture into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add baking soda and half and half; cook until slightly thickened. Stir in wine or chicken broth and heat to simmering. Serve immediately. Serves 2-3.

Carb Lite Update

Calories: 1824
Carbs: 137
Fat: 114 grams
Fiber: 12 grams
Protein: 83 grams

food & drink

Thursday Soup or Stew Night #1 - Roundup

I'm so thankful for the four ladies who responded to my first "event." I was hoping it would be something that would be interesting! The recipes all look delightful.

The first to respond with a recipe was Kathy, of Start Cooking . Kathy shows us in a video how to make Bean with Vegetable Soup . Two of the vegetables she uses are fennel bulbs and parsnips, neither of which I’ve eaten. Maybe someday I’ll have to try them!

Ulrike of Kuchenlatein writes her blog in two languages: German and English. This week’s recipe for Franzosische Kartoffelsuppe (French Potato Soup) . Ulrike, by the way, gave me the inspiration for this soup event!

















Shreshtha of Welcome...Come cook with me recently started her blog, and it looks like it’s going to be a good one. She sent a recipe for Tuscan White Bean Soup. Since she likes recipes from all over the world, I look forward to learning some new things from her.




Sara from I Like to Cook created a very pretty bowl of Curried Cauliflower Soup . I know I need to expand my horizons and try using curry flavors more.








That's it! Thanks for participating. Next week, I'll be able to cook, too. I thought I would this week, but had to go to the Colton strike vote meeting. That was a great experience. It was held at the National Orange Show, in the huge "dome." They had about 900 of their members there, and I saw at least 11 of my members there showing their support. I sat up on stage with chapter presidents from Fontana, Redlands, Rialto, Ontario-Montclair, Riverside, and San Bernardino, and we were joined by three representatives from the Teamsters. Ken (Colton President) introduced us, then gave a great speech. The CTA staff for Colton, Karen, showed everyone the same presentation that they gave at the fact-finding hearing, which exposed the flaws in the Colton District's plea of poverty. Next, Colton's bargaining chair and elections chair spoke, and then everyone voted. There are two more days of voting, which will occur at the Colton office, and then we'll find out the results. Simply put, if they vote yes, they vote to allow the Executive Board to call a strike. If they vote no, then they're voting to accept the District's offer.

Update:The Colton teachers voted 92% to authorize a strike. I'll be following this with great interest.


Carb Lite Update
Today was day 4. I learned that at a restaurant I can order a hamburger minus the bun, and substitute a salad for the fries. So while I had a bit more fat than I wanted, there were very few carbs in my lunch. I made up for the fat calories with a healthy dinner. My friend Shan reminded me about Eggbeaters, which I will switch to (from whole eggs) after I pick some up at the store.

Totals:
Calories: 1540
Carbs: 126
Fat: 87 (next time I'll get a chicken breast)
Fiber: 22.5
Protein: 82





food & drink

Work: Bad. Diet: Good.

Day 3 of "Carb Lite"

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT LABOR STRIFE, SKIP THIS SECTION.
Work: We were certified today for fact-finding. This means that there will be no more mediation sessions, and we will be given a date to present our case to a panel. The panel will consist of a person we choose, a person the district chooses, and a neutral selected by PERB (Public Employees Relations Board). The district also gets to make its case as to why they don't think we deserve a raise.

The panel then makes a recommendation - it takes several months to do this - and we have to decide whether or not to accept the recommendation or strike.

In the meantime, I learned today the number is up to 10 at Yucaipa High of teachers who are probably leaving. Two of them are close friends. They all are dynamic, caring, talented teachers, and to lose them is a tragedy. Who knows how many teachers at other sites are leaving.

Colton, a district near us, has been in the same situation as us, already had fact-finding, and will be voting tomorrow whether to strike or not. Needless to say, we're watching events in Colton anxiously, as they definitely affect what goes on here and elsewhere in southern California. All indications are they'll strike. I'll be sure to let you know.

****************************************

Foodwise, the day started out with a dilemma. I didn't have time to make breakfast at home, and knew that breakfast at the county Presidents' meeting would be fruit and muffins. All carbs. Wanting to get some protein, I tried to think of what I could gt on the way to San Bernardino that would be okay. I settled on an Egg McMuffin from McDonald's. Lunch was half of a ham sandwich, since I chose not to eat the potato salad, potato chips, and cookie that were served along with it. So, I splurged on dinner. I created this dish that ended up similar to the Spicy Apricot Pork I made in November. This one used some Hot Mango Chutney, dried apricots, and raisins. The sauce was wonderful, and I had it with some brown rice and leftover broccoli from last night.

Chicken Thighs with Mango Chutney Sauce
2 tsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
2 T chopped onion
2 T hot mango chutney
1 c chicken broth
2 T raisins
6 dried apricots, diced
1 T cornstarch
2 T water
Hot cooked rice

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Sprinkle thighs with salt and pepper, and brown with the onions in the skillet. Stir chutney into broth and add with raisins and apricots to skillet. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove thighs. Stir cornstarch and water together, and add to liquid in skillet. Raise the heat, and cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve sauce over chicken and rice.

Carb Lite Update
Calories: 1810 (I just had to have a kiwi fruit and a banana after dinner)
Carbs: 188
Fat: 77.9 grams
Fiber: 16.9 grams
Protein: 99.6 grams

*******************

Reminder: Tomorrow night is the first "Soup or Stew Night." I won't be cooking, since I'll be at Colton's Strike Vote, but I'll be home in plenty of time to gather yur submissions for a roundup! Just try to get them to me by 7:00 pm PACIFIC time, either by commenting here on my blog or emailing to cholmaneee@uia dot net


food & drink

Good Chili from My Friend Patrick

Day 3 of "Carb Lite"

5 years ago I was still teaching 9th grade English, and my friend Patrick was our department chair that year. (He's now my vice-president!) On our mid-year teacher prep day, we had an all-day staff meeting in his room, and he fed us a pot of his chili. It was quite different from any chili I'd had before, since it had black beans, corn, and lots of cumin - three things that don't go in "normal" chili. I ate a big bowl, and begged him for the recipe. I make it now and then, whenever I have a craving - and today I had a craving. I worked out the nutritional numbers on my Diet Diary program, and learned it's an excellent dish for eating healthy. It's high in protein and fiber, and low in calories, fat, and carbs.

Note: I used two different kinds of chilies for this dish: Onza Rojas and New Mexico Chilies. I bought these at a Mexican grocery store, where I asked the owner for New Mexico chilies, which are mild, and something hotter than New Mexico chilies. He gave me the Onza Rojas. You could also try Chicostle, which are medium, chipotles, which are hot and smoky, or guajillos, which are medium. If you use chipotles, I recommend cutting back on the cumin. For great information on dried red chilies, go to Cook's Thesaurus: Dried Chilies.

Patrick's Chili
4-5 dried red chilies (try mixing hot and mild)
3 cups boiling water
1 pound beef round steak or sirloin, cut in 1/2" cubes
1 15-oz. can corn, drained
1 15-oz. can black beans, undrained
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons (really!) ground cumin

The night before: Place chilies in a 4-cup measuring cup (or similar bowl). Cover completely with boiling water. Use a small bowl of water to weight the chilies down and keep them submerged. Let sit overnight.

In the morning:Remove the stems from the chilies and place chilies in a blender. Add about 1/4 cup of the soaking water and blend into a thin paste. Add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Stir. Cook on LOW 7-8 hours. Makes 10 cups. Serve with tortilla chips.

1 cup fills me up, but a soup bowl, which would be a normal serving, is about two cups.
Nutritional Information: 1 cup: 161 calories, 16.4 carbohydrates, 3.5 grams of fat, 3.4 grams of fiber, and 16.2 grams of protein.

Carb Lite Update
Breakfast was the other half of yesterday's quesadilla. Another good day! I had a chicken breast for lunch today from the wonderful chicken restaurant that shares my building, and resisted the roll and honey. Instead of potatoes, I had baked beans.

Today's Totals:
Calories: 1,182
Carbs: 100.6
Fat: 58.6
Fiber: 10.3
Protein: 73.1









food & drink

It's All in the Flavor

Day 2 of "Carb Lite"

Sure, I would love to have some potatoes, or some chocolate cake. But today's tastes were enough for now. I had some pork tenderloin I needed to separate and use/freeze (since they come in packages of two), and I wanted something simple. One of the places I go to for ideas is recipezaar. I found this recipe, posted by Jjortikka.

Jjortikka's Pork Tenderloin
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon thyme
1 lb pork tenderloins
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix garlic, salt, pepper & thyme in small bowl. Rub mixture over tenderloin and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. and brown pork on all sides, approximately 7 minute total. Remove from heat. Add enough water to come up to bottom edge of pork (about a half inch). Cover with foil and bake at 350F 45 minutes. Remove from oven and place tenderloin on a cutting board while you make the gravy. Bring water in skillet to a boil. In a small jar or bowl, mix 1 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoons water; stir into water. Heat another couple of minutes until thickened. Serve over meat. Gravy could be served on mashed potatoes or rice, too.

A stop at the produce market today gave me some beautiful tomatoes, so I used two of them for our first side dish.

Parmesan Tomatoes
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 tsp butter, melted
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Broil 6 inches from heat 5 - 7 minutes or until golden brown.

These were so tasty. They literally melted in my mouth.

Also at the produce market, I found some broccoli that was on sale because it was just beginning to get soft. I figured, "Two pounds of broccoli for 79 cents. Looks like we're having broccoli tonight." Again, I went to recipezaar and found this simple and tasty recipe by Annacia. I'd never thought of using lemon with broccoli, but I've decided it's a great combination. I used toasted sliced almonds from Trader Joe's.

Broccoli with Lemon Almond Butter

1 head fresh broccoli, cut into florets
¼ cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup blanched slivered almonds
Steam or boil broccoli until tender, approximately 4 to 8 minutes.
Drain.
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat, remove from heat.
Stir in lemon juice. lemon zest, and almonds.
Pour over hot broccoli, and serve.

Carb Lite Update
I think I got plenty to eat today, and did quite well as far as carbs go. Breakfast was half of a quesadilla, using a whole grain tortilla, eggs, cheese, and salsa. The other half will do for tomorrow's breakfast. Lunch was also a quesadilla - I found some great whole wheat, low carb, low fat flour tortillas made by La Tortilla Factory that taste much better than the gummy ones made by Mission. I used a slice of Swiss cheese, a slice of smoked turkey, and a smidgeon of sweet hot mustard. Since I have to have something crunchy with my sandwiches, I had baby carrots. "Dessert" was a kiwi fruit. I learned from a friend to just eat it with a spoon, scooping out the tasty fruit and leaving the skin.

I use a program called Diet Diary on my Treo to keep track of what I eat. You can find it at Calorie King. While they have books, web-based programs, and programs for computers, I really recommend one for your PDA or Treo so that you always have it with you and can input at any time. Based on recommendations from the American Diabetes Association, I set these targets:

Calories: Max of 1622 (actually, this one was set for me by the Diet Diary program, based on my weight and weight loss goal)
Carbs: Max of 200 (with a focus on keeping each meal under 65.)
Fat: Max of 50
Fiber: Min of 35
Protein: Min of 70

Today's Totals:

Calories: 1449
Carbs: 103
Fat: 71 (gotta cut back on the fat!)
Fiber: 23
Protein: 87


food & drink

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Day 1 of "Carb Lite."

20 degrees, to be exact. This morning, when Don looked at the outside thermometer, it was 12. The morning before, 8. Now I know we live in the mountains, but this is southern California. It's not supposed to get this cold. At some point we're going to have to let the fire go out so we can clean out the fireplace. (Yes, we have central heat, and yes, we have electric heaters).

I have to report great success with the rest of my day after that wonderfully sinful breakfast. Lunch was a leftover frikadellen patty from last night, plus a little of last night's cole slaw. My mid-afternoon snack was a spoonful of chunky peanut butter, which I ate verrrrry slowly.

Dinner was Crispy Oven-Fried Fish, using some barracuda fillets Don caught out of Marina del Rey. I also had some of Kalyn’s sister's Broiled Zucchini Rounds with Cheese.

I'll come back later and let you know what I had for "dessert!"






food & drink

A Last Hurrah, and then I Turn Over a New Leaf - AGAIN

I really need to do this. I need to stop eating so much sugar and starch, and do what's best for my body and my future. Why is it so damn hard?

My doctor told me a year and a half ago that I was "borderline diabetic." I was- and still am - overweight and out of shape. I started doing the low carb thing right away, and lost 20 pounds, and after a year, succeeded in getting my blood sugar down to where he wasn't worried about me any more, as long as I kept it up. But I haven't. I've lapsed. Badly. I started making desserts and breakfasts with real sugar again, I started eating potatoes again, and have just basically sucked at doing what's good for me. Well, not totally. But enough that when my friend S. sent me a link to an article about "curing" diabetes, and said that she and her husband were going to work on it together, I decided to stop fooling around and start getting serious about losing the weight and keeping the blood sugar down.

Kalyn can do it, and still eat well. So can I. So while I've enjoyed making the goodies, I will either stop making them, or I'll get serious about using Splenda. I like Splenda, so there's no excuse for me not to use it. (Yes, I know there are folks out there who are concerned about the chemical changes made to sugar to make it Splenda.) I will start using vegetables other than potatoes again, or I'll just have a taste of them when I cook some for my husband. I think that's my biggest challenge - not the main dishes, but the side dishes. I'll have no problems with dessert - pretty good willpower there - but trying to wrap my brain around eating vegetabes other than potatoes, noodles, and white rice, when all my life that's what I've eaten. Your suggestions are welcome. In the meantime, I'll be visiting some of these blogs over to the right and compiling great recipes to try.

Speaking of my husband, Don has no problems with his blood sugar. He just wants to lose weight, so he's promised to be very supportive of my re-dedication to lowering carbs. I mean, it should result in lowering calories, too - as long as I keep the fat levels down.

I told my friend that once I post about this on my blog, I'm committed. Don't you feel that way? Once you make something "public," it becomes almost embarrassing to fail. It becomes a challenge to succeed. And since I can still focus on cooking and eating, it will be fun!

So, here's the last hurrah: Baked French Toast. I've always wanted to make it, and I found several different recipes on different websites that I've adapted to make my own version. (Which, unfortunately, I 'll not make again, since there's so much SUGAR!) Maybe I'll experiment to come up with a low-sugar version. Surely, there's a way to do it. But I put this one together last night, and cooked it this morning, BEFORE I got the email from S. So that's my poor excuse for eating it this morning. But boy, was it good! And Don says he'll eat the leftovers. I have leftover Frikadellen and cole slaw which will make a wonderful low-carb lunch.

Baked French Toast
1 pound) (1 loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
8 eggs
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ cups half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup butter
1 ⅓ cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, maple syrup, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and maple syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture.
Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes. It puffs up nicely, and then settles later. Serve warm.

Wish me luck! Join me if you want.

food & drink

A Little Taste of Germany

I told you my husband was half German, right? Yes, I think I did. And I lived there three different times, as an Air Force daughter, an Air Force lieutenant, and an Air Force wife. So I cook a lot of German food. Don asked for frikadellen yesterday, after seeing something on TV that reminded him of them. When I was in high school, we ate frikadellen, but I really don't remember where we bought them. Dad liked them better than bratwurst, and talked nostalgically about them in the years before he died. Don says he ate them a lot as a kid, since his mother made them. When we were married, Christina and Egon, our German neighbors, made them any time they had a long distance road trip to visit relatives in East Germany. She said they were good cold.

Think large meatballs. Or seasoned hamburger patties. Don and Dad liked them on hamburger buns, like a sandwich. Some people make a creamy sauce and serve them over noodles. We had them tonight on buns.

Frikadellen
2 slices of dry white bread
1 lb. lean ground beef (or use 1/2 lb. beef and 1/2 lb. pork)
one small onion, finely chopped
one egg
half a clove of garlic
one teaspoon salt
half a teaspoon pepper
one teaspoon paprika
half a teaspoon Sambal Oelek (Hot Chilli Paste)
one teaspoon Dijon mustard
one bunch of fresh parsley
one teaspoon oregano
a splash of Worcestershire sauce

Soak the dry white bread in water for 10 minutes. Then press it in your hands to get as much of the water out of the bread as you can .Mix all the ingredients together.

You can either form little meatballs or make hamburger-style patties which you can either pan-fry or barbecue.

To go with the frikadellen, I made cole slaw. I've used bottled cole slaw dressing in the past, but I prefer to make my cole slaw this way:

Simple Cole Slaw
1/2 med. head cabbage, shredded
1/4 c Splenda granular
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. bottled French dressing
1 Tbsp. celery seeds


Sprinkle cabbage with sugar and vinegar; mix well. Add mayonnaise, French dressing and celery seeds. Let sit about 10 minutes before serving; stir again.

food & drink

Announcement: Join Me on Thursdays for Soup or Stew!

This idea of mine isn't really my idea at all. It started, for me, at Kuchenlatein, where Ulrike wrote about all the soups she cooks. She's got some GREAT recipes, and I plan to try some of them. Ulrike refered to this post on 101 cookbooks, where Heidi makes a suggestion to "Designate a soup night once a week. You could actually cook your way through fifty new soups in one year." Gee, I thought. Why hadn't I thought of something like that? Don loves soups and stews, and when I asked him what he thought about this idea, he thought it was great. So I picked Thursdays.

Why Thursdays? Well, I'm almost always home. School board meetings are Tuesdays, Rep Council and Exec Board are Wednesdays, and Mondays are...well, nothing. But Thursday mornings I can put meals in the crockpot if I want to, or I can plan on a meal for that night, so I went with that.

If you're interested in joining me, I would be glad to do a roundup. What fun! Just send a link to your post by 7:00 pm Pacific Time to cholmaneee@uiadotnet.

I'll start this week with some stew. I made this recipe for the first time TWENTY-SIX YEARS ago! There's a good story (in my opinion) behind it, so I'll try not to bore you: I was fresh out of college, a 2nd Lt. in the Air Force, stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany. I had just started dating Don, who I met after a football game Labor Day weekend. (He played nose guard on the base team). I decided to invite him for dinner, and figured something basic, a meat-and-potatoes dish, would be a good idea. I also figured that I would have some really good leftovers. I threw this together, put it in the oven for 3 hours (which ISN'T too long), and proudly served it to him along with a salad and some green beans. He ate every bite. He asked for more, and I blithely said, "Help yourself." He finished it off! No leftovers for me! I knew that if I was going to be cooking for him again, I needed to revise my serving sizes upwards to feed a hungry football player. But I also learned that he loved my cooking, and it was the beginning of a wonderful relationship between a girl who liked to cook and a guy who liked to eat. Very seldom does he tell me he doesn't like something. When he does, it's something I usually don't like either. In more ways than one this has been a fabulous marriage.

Now on to the recipe:

Best Easy Stew
2 lbs. boneless pork loin, cubed (you can also use beef round or sirloin)
2 4-ounce cans mushrooms, drained
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
4-6 unpeeled red potatoes, quartered
8 oz. (half a bag) baby carrots
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Layer meat and mushrooms in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle with dry onion soup mix. In a large bowl, mix together the poatoes, carrots and soup, and spread add to dish. Cover tightly and bake at 300˚ for 3 hours.

You might think that the two soups would make this dish salty, but they don't.

Let's do this again next Thursday. A soup or a stew! Join me!

food & drink

Two Old Favorites

I haven't made either of these in a long time; they've been in my cookbook for years. The first comes from the Pepperidge Farm folks inside the box of puff pastry. It's really a simple recipe - you just have to clear a spot on your counter somewhere to roll out the squares. That's the difficulty for me, since I'm such a slob. But I managed. This is a great oven recipe for cold nights when you want the oven to hep heat your house.

Chicken in Pastry
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 T butter
1 large square (half of a box) puff pastry, thawed
6 T garlic-herb cheese spread (Rondele, Alouette, for example), divided
egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 T water)

Brown breasts in butter until cooked through. Place in refrigerator at least 15 minutes to cool. Preheat oven to 425˚. Cut large square of pastry in quarters. On a lightly floured surface, roll each one out to 9-10 inches square. Put 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture on a square and top with a cooked chicken breast. Brush egg wash around the edges of the pastry, and gather edges together to enclose the chicken. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet. Repeat with other 3 pieces. Brush tops with more egg wash. Bake 25 minutes or until pastry is golden. Serves 4.














I've written about El Mexicano before, the authentic Mexican restaurant up here in the mountains in our little town. They're open for breakfast on the weekends, and with some of the entrees you can get their potatoes instead of rice and beans. I've managed to duplicate their potatoes here at home:

Mexican Breakfast Potatoes
3 slices bacon
1 large potato, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
2-3 tablespoons chopped bell pepper, any color
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped tomato

Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp; drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon. Add potatoes to skillet. Cook over medium heat until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add butter to skillet, and let melt; add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Saute until tender. Stir in potatoes, bacon, salt and tomatoes. Heat through. Serve immediately. 4-6 servings.

food & drink

Back Home Again!

We came home today; we stayed at Lake Mead for 11 wonderful days. I fixed great food - including a new recipe for cranberry salad - and we had a fabulous relaxing time. DH didn't get to fish as much as he wanted to because of several days of wind, but he did fish, and had some good catches. Below is our friend Gary and a channel catfish he caught on Sunday.
















And this is what we did with it-Mmmm. Fresh catfish!




For details about the trip, along with lots of photos, visit my travel blog, Wanderlust. It'll take a couple of days to post it all, but I'm starting right now!

food & drink

My Blogging by Mail Package Arrived!

My BBM Holiday Edition pal was April of Gastronomicon, who lives in Pittsburgh, PA. I had listed on my signup that I was interested in regional foods, so she obliged me. She also cooked up some pretty good stuff herself!

Here's what I got:

Tulip Poplar Honey from a local apiary - DH and I are looking forward to some of that on our toast in the morning!
Brown Sugar marshmallows from a local confectionary - I've already tasted them, and they are sooo goood.
Chocolate S'mores Balls from another local confectionary - It's hard to stop eating these. They chocolate-coated marshmallows with a graham cracker "crust."
Pistachio-Dried Cherry Chocolate Bark - delightfully unusual. And delicious.
Chocolate-Covered Apricots - these will go with us on our camping trip to snack on.
Cinnamon Snaps - sort of like Snickerdoodles - really good!
Rugellach from a bakery near April's apartment - another breakfast treat - I think we'll eat these "on the road"
Cardamom cookies - sort of like a soft shortbread - not too sweet - yummy with coffee.

So you can see, I "hit the jackpot!" What a wonderful assortment of goodies! Thanks so much to April for sending the package, and thanks to Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness for organizing Blogging by Mail. This is so much fun!

If you'd like to see what I sent to my partner, go to Erin-Go-Blog! and see.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I DID get that cold, and boy was it a doozie! Sunday was the tickling in the throat, Monday was the beginning of the sniffles and congestion, and by Monday night I felt like I was hit by a semi truck. Tuesday was spent in bed all day; I used up an entire box of tissues. My poor nose is so red and tender! Yesterday I was a little stronger, but last night the coughing started. The cough syrup wasn't strong enough; I got only a few hours' sleep. Today I feel like I'm on the uphill side, with a little bit of everything still hanging on.

The reason I'm such a wimp about this is because I haven't had a cold or been sick for almost 4 years. When I was in the classroom, I caught every virus my students brought in, especially around semester finals time, when my resistance was low because of the exhaustion and stress. But when I became union president, no more kids. I guess I was awfully lucky not to catch colds from my colleagues, but I didn't. Still haven't - I'm sure I caught this from DH.

I should be fine for our trip - we leave Saturday for almost two weeks of camping in our new trailer on Lake Mead. I'll be posting all about it after the trip on my other blog, Wanderlust. This will be our second year to go; we went last year and fell in love with it. We go to Overton Beach, on the Overton Arm of Lake Mead. Picture Lake Mead as an upside-down T, and then go to the top. There's a marina there, plus a 30-site campground, which is probably packed and noisy during the summer months with seadoos and ski boats. But this time of year, the only ones there are snowbirds (full-time RVers) and us. Last year, within an hour of our setting up, two different ladies came and knocked on our door to tell us that on Christmas Day they all do a potluck, and wanted us to come. We did - and ate turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and an assortment of other sides, breads, and desserts. We brought a pumpkin pie I was able to get at a market in Overton, which is 10 miles north. This year I'm planning to make a cranberry salad, and I'll be sure to post a pic and recipe later.

At night, you can sit in your chair, look out across the desert and see nothing but some far off twinkling lights of Overton, and listen to the coyotes and the occasional bray of the famous Lake Mead burros. We saw four of them one afternoon, so I knew what that strange sound was. The lights of Las Vegas brighten the western sky some, but not enough to dim our view of the stars. It's heaven - no kids, no atvs, no seadoos - just peace and quiet.

Last year DH met a guy his age, also retired, also with wife still working (she's a nurse), who also has a passion for fishing. They hit it off and spent lots of time together fishing. Gary's from Las Vegas, and parks his motor home up at Overton Beach for the winter; he's let us know he bought a boat and plans to take DH fishing a lot. We're also looking forward to spending the day with DH's niece and her husband - they're both stationed at Nellis Air Force Base and will come up to see us Sunday.

Oh, I wish I was there already!

food & drink

I HOPE I don't have that darn cold!

I think I might be getting a cold - one that my husband got from the salesman at the car dealership. DH had it for about a week; I didn't feel any symptoms until this afternoon. All I have right now is the back-of-the-throat pain and tickling that usually presages a cold. Please no. And if I DO get it, let me get it over with by Friday. Saturday we go to Lake Mead. I don't want to be sick on vacation.

Tonight I wanted an easy but tasty fish recipe, and found this on Eating Well. The original recipe called for mustard, but I took that out, since I wanted some good orange flavor. This one's a keeper.

Sautéed Fish with Orange-Shallot Sauce

⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lb. flounder, sole or haddock fillets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Thoroughly dredge fish fillets in the mixture.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the fish and cook until lightly browned and just opaque in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Add shallot to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add orange juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, about 5 minutes. Add butter and parsley; stir until the butter has melted. Transfer fish to individual plates, top with sauce and serve.

I served this with some Roasted Vegetables and some fancied-up biscuits:

Cheddar-Garlic Biscuits

1 10-count package refrigerated biscuits (any kind)
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/3 cup (approx.) shredded sharp or medium cheddar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425F. Separate biscuits and place on ungreased baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart. Brush each biscuit with melted butter, and top with about a tablespoon of shredded cheese. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder. Bake about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Makes 10.



food & drink

It's Snowing this Weekend

While my mother in Lubbock is talking about temperatures in the '80s, we've got a winter storm that's come on shore in southering California, and we're getting some pretty good snow here in the mountains. Any time it's cold outside, I look for meals that utilze my oven so we can take advantage of the oven's heat to help warm up the house. This morning I was flipping through the pages of my cookbook ( which won't happen much longer since I'm converting all my recipes to MacGourmet) and saw this breakfast casserole. I like to cook with Bisquick, so I gave this one a try. It was really easy and tasty, and DH says it's a "keeper." I think next time, though, I'll try using the whole grain baking mix I picked up at Trader Joe's.

Bisquick Breakfast Casserole
(to serve 3 people, use half the ingredients)

1 lb bulk breakfast sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9x13" dish. Cook sausage and drain well. Beat eggs, add milk and Bisquick and stir thoroughly. Layer sausage on bottom of dish. Sprinkle the monterey jack cheese over the sausage. Pour on the egg mixture and sprinkle the cheddar over the top. Bake for 50 minutes or until set.

I picked up some produce at the market this morning, including some fresh mushrooms. For dinner tonight, I made an old favorite, Chicken and Mushrooms with Herb Cheese Sauce. We had that with some brown rice and a salad.

Remember when I posted a while back about Uncle Ben's ready brown rice? A few folks let me know that if I used a good quality Japanese rice cooker, I could cook brown rice without burning it. I hope to post in a few months and show you my new rice cooker! My son just got stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, and has let me know that he's going to get me one for a belated Christmas gift. Hooray!

I just checked outside - we have about 4 inches of snow so far. It's a dry snow - the way we know it's dry is that it's not sticking to and filling up the Direct TV dish. When we get a dense, wet snow, it fills up the dish. DH has to climb up on the ladder and clean it out every few minutes. Tonight he doesn't have to. I'll take some snow pictures to post tomorrow.




food & drink

Some More Sweets for BBM

Having just bought a new travel trailer, I spend a lot of time on the forums at RV.Net. They have a thread called "Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs, where I found this great recipe for Turtle Bars. I think it didn't even take 10 minutes to mix everything up and get it in the the oven. They're very simple, and very delicous. They'll travel well as part of the BBM package I"m mailing (late) tomorrow.

Turtle Bars
from Heather on RV.Net Open Roads Forum

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
⅔ cup butter
1 ½ cups milk or semisweet chocolate chips

Combine flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter; blend until crumbly. Pat mixture firmly onto bottom of ungreased 9x13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans over the unbaked crust. Set aside.
In small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2/3 cup butter.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
Drizzle the hot caramel mixture over pecans and crust.
Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until caramel layer is bubbly and crust is light brown.
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Use a small spatula or butter knife to spread chips evenly as they melt. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

food & drink

My Brother's Favorite Cake

When I went to visit my brother Barry last year (not knowing it would be the last time I'd see him), he reminded me about a cake Mother used to make that he'd been longing for. He described the coconut topping, and I told him I'd vaguely remembered it. I did some research, and learned that it's a Bisquick classic.

It hit the spot for breakfast this morning. I lightened up the original recipe just a bit by substituting Splenda for the sugar, and then used canola oil for the shortening. I also used the low-fat Bisquick. I could have used Splenda's brown sugar blend, but chose not to this time.

Velvet Crumb Cake

1 1/2 cup Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cp milk or water
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
Crumb Topping (See Below)

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round pan. Beat all ingredients except Crumb Topping in large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool slightly.
Make Crumb Topping; spread over cake. Set oven control to Broil. Broil about 3 inches from heat about 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Crumb Topping. Stir together:

1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped nuts
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. millk

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft)
Heat oven to 375ºF. Use 9-inch square pan. Decrease Bisquick mix to 1 1/3 cups and add 1/3 cup all-purpose flour. Increase milk to 2/3 cup. Bake about 25 minutes.

food & drink

Pecan Pralines Texas Style

When I was going to college at Texas Tech, my favorite restaurant was a Mexican place called El Chico. In addition to great Chile con Queso, Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, and other wonderful items on the menu, they always had a basket of pecan pralines sitting by the cash register. Theirs were the "Texas style" pralines - meaning they were NOT chewy. I was given a recipe for microwave pralines a few years ago, and they come out just like the ones at El Chico.

I'm getting my Blogging By Mail box ready to ship (yes, I'm a litte late, but I'll send it priority), and decided to make a batch and send them to my BBM pal.

Texas Pecan Pralines

1 lb. light brown sugar
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups pecan pieces

Combine sugar and cream in large bowl, mixing well. Microwave on HIGH 12 minutes, stirring after 6 minutes. Add butter and pecans. Microwave on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes, or until a few drops form a soft ball in a cup of cold water. Working quickly, drop by large tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. If necessary, return to microwave for a few minutes to soften the mixture. Do not beat after the soft ball test shows the consistency is correct. Spoon out immediately. Makes approx. 30 pieces.


food & drink

New Products for Camping

When we go camping, we don't always carry fresh potatoes, and even if we do, I don't always like to go to the trouble of peeling and shredding and slicing and such. I used to buy Betty Crocker's Hash Browns, and they disappeared from the shelves for a while. Then yesterday, I saw them at the store, but BC has changed the packaging and now has a ine of "Seasoned Skillets." They still have the hash browns, but they now also have Crispy Potato Slices in two different flavors - Lightly Seasoned and Roasted Garlic & Herbs. I'll be giving these a try in a couple of weeks when we go to Overton Beach for Christmas.

food & drink