I'd love to be able to tell you that I know what we spend on food every month, but I don't, because we don't separate the food portion of receipts out from the total which includes everything from shampoo to dog food to tires for the car. This is about to change, however, because for the entire month of June, we're counting every penny spent on groceries.
One of my favorite bloggers (and fellow Compactor), Katy Wolk-Stanley at the Non-Consumer Advocate (^), recently announced that she was planning to have a Food Stamp Challenge (^) during the month of June. Participants will try to stay within the budget and guidelines set for the federal food stamp program to feed their families for one month.
Always willing to challenge ourselves, we've decided to give it a try. We started on the 1st and will do our darnedest to make it till the 30th on what we'd be allotted by our state (Colorado) if we used food stamps. Not only are we going to try to stay within the budget, we're going to try to eat as close to "normal" as possible.
According to what I've read, the amount a family gets in food stamps (officially called SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (^) in government-speak) varies depending on several factors, including the number of people in the family, the amount of money they make outside the home, and possibly other factors. Women who are pregnant or nursing, infants, and children under the age of five would further qualify for WIC (Women Infants Children). WIC covers dietary basics (^) like milk, juice, cereal, dairy items (eggs & cheese), fruits, veggies, beans and peanut butter. From what I've read, WIC would add another $44.00 to our monthly total since we have a child under the age of five.
Now its time for a little math...
The average monthly food stamp benefit per person is $101.00, which would be $303.00 for the month of June, plus $44.00 from WIC, which would bring our total to $347.00. The maximum amount allowed in our state for three people is $526.00. Adding in $44.00 brings that total to $570.00. Our middle daughter will be here in a few weeks (she's back east at the moment), and I'm not sure how to count her, so for the moment, I'm not going to.
So, somewhere between $347.00 - $570.00 is what a 3-person family would expect to spend on food using food stamps and WIC in the United States. We're going to do everything within our power to keep our spending on the lower end of that range.
As noted above, there are things that food stamps don't cover. They don't cover pet food, toiletries (shampoo, razors), vitamins or medicine. They don't cover hot food. So, you can't go out to eat with them, you can't order in Chinese or pizza, and you can't buy a cooked chicken at the grocery. Alcoholic drinks are not covered.
You can shop at most warehouse clubs (Sam's, Costco), and you can shop at farmer's markets. You can purchase plants which grow food with food stamps, which is nice. Sweets (cookies, ice cream, soda) do seem to be covered.
Food is expensive in our area of the country, and since we try very hard to eat healthily, ours may cost a little more from the get-go. We try to avoid high fructose corn syrup, lots of sugar, and trans-fats. We eat organics wherever possible, especially when it comes to the Dirty Dozen (^). We eat as few canned foods as possible, because cans are often contaminated with Bisphenol-A (^), a potentially dangerous additive. If we purchase sandwich meat, its nitrate and nitrite-free. With children in the house, we always have fresh milk, fruits and veggies. Finally, I eat a gluten-free diet, which can be ridiculously expensive without a lot of advanced planning.
To counteract all of that, we try to make as many dishes as possible from scratch (for example, Sunday night, we made bagels). We have a membership to Costco, and buy in bulk whenever we can. My husband hunts, which gives us an annual supply of organic meat. Hunting isn't free, once you factor in the cost of the license and processing, but it ends up being much less than we'd pay in the grocery store. I make my own laundry and dish washing detergent, and apply the savings to the rest of our household budget.
Our family is very fortunate. My husband has a great career with an excellent company. We don't live beyond our means, and we have everything we need, including our health and each other. We have thoughtful, kind and intelligent children. We consider ourselves blessed beyond words.
With that in mind, I want to note that this is a choice our family is making to see what we can accomplish in a month - to see if it is possible to feed our family on the money allowed by food stamps, and to do so in a healthy way.
For too many parents, food stamps aren't a choice, but are the main way of feeding their families right now, which is something to think about.
Namaste.
d
Showing posts with label celiac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celiac. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Curiouser and curiouser...
'Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!'
The White Rabbit, to himself
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
I'm late. Really late.
When last I blogged I was planning on writing the next day. Which I did. But for whatever reason (one I can't fully explain), I didn't feel like publishing anything that day. Or the next. Or any other. Right up until today, right now.
Right now, I'm feeling as though I should, though, so I will.
Since the last time I posted, we've cooked quite a bit, practicing several new gluten free dishes. We've made GF bread several times, and Dan seems to have perfected the GF sandwich bread loaf. Occasionally, we'll pick up a loaf of GF bread at Whole Foods, but both of us enjoy baking, and store-bought never really compares to homemade, does it?
Fresh gluten-free French toast made with homemade bread by Dan,& fresh butter (collaborative).
As you can see above, we made butter, which SuperCat found amazing - she wasn't sure how we were going to get butter from whipped cream, but we did and she loved it, staring into the mixer as it 'churned'. It was incredibly easy, and I'm working on a tutorial to explain the process.
Homemade butter in the KitchenAid mixerI took a class with the Division of Wildlife, and earned my Hunter Safety Certificate, so that I could apply for a hunting license in my state. I applied for my first license a few weeks ago; pronghorn (aka, "antelope", the ones that play with the deer on the range in the song), but won't know if I get one for several more weeks. Quite a bit of the meat we eat ( which is organic, very low fat, hormone & antibiotic-free) comes from antelope/elk hunted by Dan, so it will be nice to have another try at the tag lottery every year.
I've played endlessly with my favorite three year old, who is beginning to blossom wonderfully when she draws, and who has the most vivid imagination of anyone I've ever seen. Like most afternoons, we listened to her play in her toy kitchen today, making food and drinks for her dolls. She is a joy to listen and talk to.
She's taking swim lessons now, since we joined the YMCA after the first of the year. I'm trying to exercise, but still finding it pretty difficult. I start physical therapy this week, so we'll see if that helps any. Here's to hoping that it will :)
I've sewn and crafted quite a bit. I made seven skirts in one day for the SuperCat. She helped choose the fabric (mostly 1930's repro designs), and she chose all of the notions (thread color, buttons, and ribbon trim). I've discovered that her eye for matching colors and textures is much better than mine is, even at her young age, which is wonderful, since a natural eye for colors and textures is invaluable.
Supercat's new blue skirt made with reproduction 1930's fabric.
Detail of blue skirt made with reproduction 1930's fabric.Last week, I joined a quilting group, and am working on eight squares in the Broken Plate pattern, "cut loose", meaning that they were cut in an imprecise way. It was liberating to make something that is perfect in not being perfect, as all of the quilting I've done in the past has been as straight as I could make it. I learned more in the first quilting class than then sum total of what I previously knew about quilting, mostly due to a very patient friend who is a natural teacher. Like: how to properly use a rotary cutter and mat (there's a right way and a wrong way?!?!?). And: iron on the front of the pieced fabric, not the back (makes a huge difference in how the fabric lays). And so on.
I designed, made, and completed around two dozen butterflies for Connie Pelkey's (^) polymer clay Bug Swap, picked the twelve I liked the best, and mailed them off well before the deadline. Yay!
Simply putting the Bug Swap on my list of activities doesn't really give it the weight it deserves. It has occupied a place front-and-center in my mind from the time the email arrived saying I'd been accepted into the swap, until the morning I put my butterflies in the mail.
One of my butterflies before shipping. My hands are pink because I'd been working with Pysanky dye the day before.
I'm always nervous about sharing my work, and often feel conflicted over it. I tell myself that I could have done better "if only" (if only there were more time, better planning, different materials, a different design, etc). The swap was a leap of faith; happy I took it.
Another of my swap butterflies.These are from the first batch.
A learning experience, for sure.
That's it for now. As I finish this, I have no idea what kept me away for so long; I promise it won't be such a long absence next time.
This is the place where I thank John for reminding me several times that I need to write :)
Thank you, John!
'Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop'
The King to the White Rabbit
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
The King to the White Rabbit
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Namaste
=^..^=
=^..^=
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Happy New Year!
Tonight, as the audio-animatronic Dick Clark and the even less realistic semi- humanoid Ryan Seacrest ring in the New Year in Times Square, we'll be ringing in the New Year the way we usually do: dinner in, a movie in the player or a game, then cuddling together after everyone else is asleep. We found lobster on sale at Costco for $6.80 a pound, so we'll be having crustaceans, drawn butter, a salad, and baked potatoes for dinner; tea and sparkling cider for drinks, and crème caramel (egg custard) for dessert. And wine for toasting at midnight.
Tomorrow begins a new year. Last year I made a few resolutions...
Follow the basic Compact - no non-necessary spending on new anything unless it is a matter of health job, and/or safety, with the following details:
My own resolutions this year are:
Happy New Year!
Namaste.
Current Mood:
cool
Tomorrow begins a new year. Last year I made a few resolutions...
- At the end of last year, I resolved to lose weight, and I did - I'm down about 20 pounds. Yay!
- I resolved to exercise, and I did, some. I need to do more. Semi-yay!
- I resolved to not chicken out and finally do something about the pain I'd been feeling, and I had minor surgery in February. The surgery went well, and combined with no longer eating wheat, my pain is gone. Yay!
- I resolved to be neater, and made some progress, but probably not as much as I should or could have. I like clean, but don't really mind clutter. I wish it bothered me more, I guess. Another semi-yay!
- Work on crafty things more than the previous year. I did ok on this resolution. Probably could have done more, but did a whole lot more than the previous year, so I think I'm happy.
Our dog, if he were green and made from polymer clay. - I resolved to get out with friends more. I didn't really do very well with this one at all. Phooey. I will double down and make more of an effort in 2009.
- My final resolution, shared with my husband, was to follow the Compact. The Compact is a group of people who resolve not to purchase anything new for a year and to look carefully at their purchases to determine what is truly needed and what is merely wanted. It isn't a matter of debt or anything like that (for us, at least). It was an exercise in discipline and of discovery, of what is really important.
You can read more about the Compact here at Good Magazine(^) or here at the San Francisco Chronicle(^) .
Follow the basic Compact - no non-necessary spending on new anything unless it is a matter of health job, and/or safety, with the following details:
- Mutually agreed upon educational materials for SuperCat are exempt if we can't find them used or at the library. She's currently learning to read and we may need a book or two.
- Memberships may be exempt, as they are services. They would include membership to the Denver Museum of Science and Nature, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and possibly to Costco.
- Mutually agreed upon materials to finish previously started projects - limited to those items only (i.e., bias tape to finish a previously started sewing project, nails to finish a wood project, etc.) may be exempt, as it is utterly wasteful to abandon a dress, for example, for lack of three buttons.
- New clothes for SuperCat if she needs them; only if clothes can't be found elsewhere (hand me downs, sewing, etc.
- Remodeling materials, always checking Restore(^) first.
- All gifts & cards should be handmade (I'm already working on Valentines Day
). - Internet connection, computer parts, etc., necessary to keep the computers in good working order. Mutual agreement on new purchases in this area.
- Postage as needed.
- Try to move toward more sustainable habits, like: cloth napkins, hanging out more clothes to dry, etc.
- Dinner/lunch out no more than 2x week. Week starts on Sunday and ends Saturday night. Eating out is almost certainly more wasteful than eating in.
- Freecycle(^)/FreeSharing(^), hand-me-downs, antiquing, thrift, Restore(^), etc., is always preferable to new whenever feasible.
- Food, obviously, is exempt.
- Utilities, insurance, etc., to maintain our household are exempt. We have to stay warm.
- Medicine, medical care and pharmacy needs are exempt. We have to stay healthy.
- Car repairs as needed to maintain safety are exempt. We have to stay safe.
- Career-related materials are automatically exempt. Self-explanatory.
My own resolutions this year are:
- Join a local knitting group. I had plans to join in October, but something came up and I couldn't. I have enough yarn to knit the entire year away without fear of running out, and the women in the group seem to be clever and smart and are obviously talented.
- Exercise an hour a day. I'm not quite there yet, but getting closer.
- Lose weight (who doesn't have this as a resolution?).
- Grow my hair out longer than it is now.
- Complete projects I've started but haven't finished. They include finishing some knitting, finishing a set of dolls, completing some earrings, a quilt, and some tutus.
doughnut earrings on silver wire in need of findings to be finished
(that's what jewelry parts are called, findings)
cupcake earrings which need to be finished - Try to reduce the amount of clutter in every aspect of our lives. To me, clutter isn't only stuff. Clutter is anything that we don't need or want.
- Make soap with lye. I'd like to try my hand at making a super-fatted soap to use as a shampoo bar.
- Make cheese from scratch. This just sounds like fun, doesn't it?
- Edge closer to an all-Linux environment, computer-wise. I'm more than half-way there. My desktop machine is all-Linux, and my laptop dual-boots.
Resolved: to spend more time with Tux, the Linux mascot - Make more of our food from scratch. We've made huge strides in this area, and I'd like to continue. Cooking from scratch is rewarding and fun.
homemade french onion soup - Make treats instead of buying them. I already regularly make Chex Mix, marshmallow treats, and cupcakes. In the last month or so, we've made double chocolate rocky road fudge (with marshmallows and walnuts), and hard lollipops. Both were easy and fun, and both were so much better than anything we could have bought. Next year we plan to pull taffy and make peanut brittle.
- Follow the Compact, and apply it to everything above.
Happy New Year!
Namaste.
Current Mood:
cool
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Snap! Crackle! Pop! It's Christmas!
According to the SuperCat, the favorite food of pink ponies everywhere is Rice Krispie Treats. And since she has a stable full of pink ponies, she asked me to make some.
You know. For the ponies.
How could anyone say no to that kind of request?
For me, hot dogs and watermelon slices are the Fourth of July. Jiffy Pop popcorn is what we had on the nights we had a babysitter. Caramel corn and orange cream filled chocolates will always be Halloween. And Rice Krispies Treats and Divinity Fudge are Christmas.
Rice Krispies Treats remind me of Christmas at my aunt and uncle's house, where we'd go after we'd visited my grandparents on the other side of the family on Christmas Eve. People don't seem to talk the way they did when I was a kid; I recall my mother, aunts and grandmother sitting in the kitchen during the holidays, smoking, picking at food, and sharing bits of information sotto voce, so the children wouldn't hear. I would often sit quietly and read; if I sat quietly enough, they'd eventually forget I was in the room and you'd hear the good stuff about anyone who happened to not be there at the moment, about people you may not have known, but who seemed to lead scandalous lives. Days of Our Lives had nothing on my family.
I no longer have a large family; I live far, far away from most everyone I knew back then. The family I do have doesn't sit around and chat that way, but I still make certain dishes to remind myself of earlier times and to help create memories for my own children.
Before I stopped eating wheat, if I wanted to make Rice Krispies Treats, I bought a box of Rice Krispies, and followed the directions on the back of the box. Ten minutes or so later, I'd have a pan of hot treats, and the hardest part would be waiting for them to cool.
Now it's not quite so easy. Rice Krispies contain gluten in the form of barley malt, which is a natural flavoring.
So, I go to the health food store and get Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal(^). It's sort of expensive, but tastes good. It's nutty versus the blander taste of Rice Krispies, but I like it, which is surprising. I'm not really a brown rice sort of person - I can remember eating whole wheat bread for the first time when I was maybe 10 or so and thinking that it was terribly exotic, by which I mean it was terrible, period. I'm still pretty much convinced that a mayonaiise and tomato sandwich on whole wheat may be illegal. It's certainly immoral. I really disliked whole wheat then and even now, whole grains bring to mind the lady that lived next door when I was little. She watched Jack Lalanne(^) every morning, did calisthenics in a black leotard, and earnestly gave the neighborhood kids ice cream served with toasted soy nuts on top in an attempt to make it healthy.
Of course, regardless of my feelings, my own children don't know any better; refined white bread has never been an option in their lives. It's been whole multi-grain bread or bust.
Bu back to the sugary sweets at hand: here is the original recipe for Rice Krispies from Kellogg's website, RiceKrispies.com(^)
If you simply substitute the Erewhon for the Kellogg's, it doesn't turn out quite right; it'll be dry and crunchy, not moist and chewy, so I change the recipe a bit. Here's mine:
Brown Rice Marshmallow Treats
And that's it. Allez Cuisine!
I found this today, from the fine folks at Quick Stop Entertainment(^), and the staggering talents who create The Venture Bros(^)., Henchmen 21 & 24 singing Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmastime(^). Links to songs from previous years can be found here.
I can hear sleigh bells in the distance, so I'd better close for now and rush my gluten-free cookies and a glass of milk to the hearth for Santa.
Until later, have the Merriest of Christmases!
Namaste.
Current Mood:
festive
You know. For the ponies.
How could anyone say no to that kind of request?
For me, hot dogs and watermelon slices are the Fourth of July. Jiffy Pop popcorn is what we had on the nights we had a babysitter. Caramel corn and orange cream filled chocolates will always be Halloween. And Rice Krispies Treats and Divinity Fudge are Christmas.
Rice Krispies Treats remind me of Christmas at my aunt and uncle's house, where we'd go after we'd visited my grandparents on the other side of the family on Christmas Eve. People don't seem to talk the way they did when I was a kid; I recall my mother, aunts and grandmother sitting in the kitchen during the holidays, smoking, picking at food, and sharing bits of information sotto voce, so the children wouldn't hear. I would often sit quietly and read; if I sat quietly enough, they'd eventually forget I was in the room and you'd hear the good stuff about anyone who happened to not be there at the moment, about people you may not have known, but who seemed to lead scandalous lives. Days of Our Lives had nothing on my family.
I no longer have a large family; I live far, far away from most everyone I knew back then. The family I do have doesn't sit around and chat that way, but I still make certain dishes to remind myself of earlier times and to help create memories for my own children.
Before I stopped eating wheat, if I wanted to make Rice Krispies Treats, I bought a box of Rice Krispies, and followed the directions on the back of the box. Ten minutes or so later, I'd have a pan of hot treats, and the hardest part would be waiting for them to cool.
Now it's not quite so easy. Rice Krispies contain gluten in the form of barley malt, which is a natural flavoring.
So, I go to the health food store and get Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal(^). It's sort of expensive, but tastes good. It's nutty versus the blander taste of Rice Krispies, but I like it, which is surprising. I'm not really a brown rice sort of person - I can remember eating whole wheat bread for the first time when I was maybe 10 or so and thinking that it was terribly exotic, by which I mean it was terrible, period. I'm still pretty much convinced that a mayonaiise and tomato sandwich on whole wheat may be illegal. It's certainly immoral. I really disliked whole wheat then and even now, whole grains bring to mind the lady that lived next door when I was little. She watched Jack Lalanne(^) every morning, did calisthenics in a black leotard, and earnestly gave the neighborhood kids ice cream served with toasted soy nuts on top in an attempt to make it healthy.
Of course, regardless of my feelings, my own children don't know any better; refined white bread has never been an option in their lives. It's been whole multi-grain bread or bust.
Bu back to the sugary sweets at hand: here is the original recipe for Rice Krispies from Kellogg's website, RiceKrispies.com(^)
Kellogg's Rice Krispies
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
- - OR -
- 4 cups miniature marshmallows
- 6 cups Rice Krispies®
If you simply substitute the Erewhon for the Kellogg's, it doesn't turn out quite right; it'll be dry and crunchy, not moist and chewy, so I change the recipe a bit. Here's mine:
Brown Rice Marshmallow Treats
- 5 ½ cups of gluten free brown rice cereal (Erewhon is my favorite, but there are others)
- 40 regular-sized marshmallows I have never seen marshmallows that have gluten in them, but anything is possible, so it's always a good idea to check.
- 2 tsp vanilla Vanilla is normally gluten-free since the alcohol base is distilled, not brewed.
- 4 tbsp (½ stick) butter I don't use margarine, but if you do, it works just fine. The only thing that doesn't seem to work is the diet margarines and spreads.
- Melt butter over medium-low heat in large skillet.
- Once melted, add marshmallows and stir occasionally until melted.
- When the marshmallows have melted, add vanilla.
- Stir briefly, then add rice cereal.
- Stir until coated with spatula.
- Turn out into a buttered pan, or onto a Silpat. If a Silpat is used, use the spatula to mold into desired shape.
On the Silpat, a silicon embedded baking mat that pretty much nothing sticks to. - Once cool, cut into whatever shape you like, or if you'd prefer, once it is cooled a bit, press into molds using cookie cutters or sushi molds.
This is a flower-shaped sushi mold.
Cookie cutters work fine if you don't have one of these.
After they've been molded.
The completed treats, minus the ones that were eaten when they were still warm and gooey. - Enjoy!
He's happy to be a guinea pig for once.
Yummy
The smile makes it all worthwhile (not that marshmallow treats are super difficult or anything).
And that's it. Allez Cuisine!
I found this today, from the fine folks at Quick Stop Entertainment(^), and the staggering talents who create The Venture Bros(^)., Henchmen 21 & 24 singing Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmastime(^). Links to songs from previous years can be found here.
I can hear sleigh bells in the distance, so I'd better close for now and rush my gluten-free cookies and a glass of milk to the hearth for Santa.
Until later, have the Merriest of Christmases!
Namaste.
Current Mood:
festive
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy
::sigh::
When I posted several days ago, I had plans to write again either later that day or early the next morning. I did try to write then, but life intruded and we got terribly busy and all of my plans sort of went downhill from there and I really should schedule my time better, except that seems impossible sometimes with kids/pets/friends/crafting/cooking/the holidays/my wonderful husband, etc., and I want to be clear that I am not complaining, and am deeply grateful for that sort of "problem".
And aren't I the Queen of the run-on sentence?
So, without further ado, here is last week's post, today. Fresher than fresh!
When I was about six or so, my dad gave me a book of poems for children. I can only remember a few of the poems in the book; The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe and The Duel, by Eugene Field. I liked The Raven, even though it was terribly scary, but I loved The Duel, because it was funny and silly.
I would imagine that most children have heard it, even if they may not know it by name. It starts like this:
You can find the entire poem here(^) or download the book Love-Songs of Childhood, by Eugene Field(^) here at Project Gutenberg ( free - the book is many decades out of copyright).
Eugene Field wrote also wrote the poem Wynken, Blynken, and Nod(^), which starts off:
Hundreds of years ago, sugarplums were small fruits, seeds or nuts, heavily candied with sugar (think: candied cherries in fruitcake). So candied plums were sort of right.
Now, though, and for some time, Sugarplums have come to mean dried fruit and nuts, chopped coarsely and mixed with spices and vanilla, then dredged in sugar. That's it.
Essentially, sugarplums are fruitcake without the cake; ideal for people who can't or don't eat wheat. I reviewed a couple dozen recipes before making my own, and ended up making mine with the fruit I would use to make fruitcake if I still baked with wheat. The only fruit I left out were the candied cherries, because they don't seem at home with the rest of the fruit I used.
Add them if you'd like, as well as any other fruit or nuts you prefer.
2). Peel tangerines, add pulp to bowl, reserve half of the peel.
3). Scrape the inside of the remaining peel to remove pith, then finely chop peel, and add to bowl.
4). Add spices and vanilla.
5). Add orange oil or orange extract if desired. We really like the flavor of orange and add both the peel and the orange oil, which can be found in the spice aisle.
Everything in the mixing bowl, ready to mix
6). Mix all with a spoon or your hands until thoroughly incorporated.
7). Roll into ¾ inch balls, dredge in sugar.
Sugarplums with vintage deer & cookie jars
Yield: Makes about 3 dozen sugarplums.
Close-up of finished sugarplums.
It took me only about 20 minutes to make a double batch (about 6 dozen).
They were quick and so delicious!
Mytest subject beloved husband, who likes fruitcake but loved the sugarplums.
He's almost always a good sport when it comes to trying out my recipes
(unless they have mayonnaise, which he will not eat).
Yay, he liked it!
Time for another one!
When I posted several days ago, I had plans to write again either later that day or early the next morning. I did try to write then, but life intruded and we got terribly busy and all of my plans sort of went downhill from there and I really should schedule my time better, except that seems impossible sometimes with kids/pets/friends/crafting/cooking/the holidays/my wonderful husband, etc., and I want to be clear that I am not complaining, and am deeply grateful for that sort of "problem".
And aren't I the Queen of the run-on sentence?
So, without further ado, here is last week's post, today. Fresher than fresh!
When I was about six or so, my dad gave me a book of poems for children. I can only remember a few of the poems in the book; The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe and The Duel, by Eugene Field. I liked The Raven, even though it was terribly scary, but I loved The Duel, because it was funny and silly.
I would imagine that most children have heard it, even if they may not know it by name. It starts like this:
The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
'T was half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t' other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.
(I was n't there; I simply state
What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)
You can find the entire poem here(^) or download the book Love-Songs of Childhood, by Eugene Field(^) here at Project Gutenberg ( free - the book is many decades out of copyright).
Eugene Field wrote also wrote the poem Wynken, Blynken, and Nod(^), which starts off:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one nightI was reminded of Eugene Field and his poems when I thought of Clement Moore's A Visit from St. Nicholas(^), which begins:
Sailed off in a wooden shoe,—
Sailed on a river of crystal light
Into a sea of dew.
“Where are you going, and what do you wish?”
The old moon asked the three.
“We have come to fish for the herring-fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we,”
Said Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.
’T WAS the night before Christmas, when all through the houseWhen I think of sugar plums, I think of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet, of course, but also think of this poem by Eugene Field, The Sugar-Plum Tree (see where we're going with this?)
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that ST. NICHOLAS soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
Have you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree?Sweet poem, right? But what are sugarplums? I had no idea until I looked them up. I vaguely thought that they might be something along the lines of an English boiled pudding or maybe candied plums, I wasn't really sure. So I went to the encyclopedia and... got two different answers.
'T is a marvel of great renown!
It blooms on the shore of the Lollipop sea
In the garden of Shut-Eye Town;
The fruit that it bears is so wondrously sweet
(As those who have tasted it say)
That good little children have only to eat
Of that fruit to be happy next day.
When you've got to the tree, you would have a hard time
To capture the fruit which I sing;
The tree is so tall that no person could climb
To the boughs where the sugar-plums swing!
But up in that tree sits a chocolate cat,
And a gingerbread dog prowls below--
And this is the way you contrive to get at
Those sugar-plums tempting you so:
You say but the word to that gingerbread dog
And he barks with such terrible zest
That the chocolate cat is at once all agog,
As her swelling proportions attest.
And the chocolate cat goes cavorting around
From this leafy limb unto that,
And the sugar-plums tumble, of course, to the ground--
Hurrah for that chocolate cat!
There are marshmallows, gumdrops, and peppermint canes,
With stripings of scarlet or gold,
And you carry away of the treasure that rains
As much as your apron can hold!
So come, little child, cuddle closer to me
In your dainty white nightcap and gown,
And I 'll rock you away to that Sugar-Plum Tree
In the garden of Shut-Eye Town.
Hundreds of years ago, sugarplums were small fruits, seeds or nuts, heavily candied with sugar (think: candied cherries in fruitcake). So candied plums were sort of right.
Now, though, and for some time, Sugarplums have come to mean dried fruit and nuts, chopped coarsely and mixed with spices and vanilla, then dredged in sugar. That's it.
Essentially, sugarplums are fruitcake without the cake; ideal for people who can't or don't eat wheat. I reviewed a couple dozen recipes before making my own, and ended up making mine with the fruit I would use to make fruitcake if I still baked with wheat. The only fruit I left out were the candied cherries, because they don't seem at home with the rest of the fruit I used.
Add them if you'd like, as well as any other fruit or nuts you prefer.
Sugarplums1). Chop nuts and dried fruit to a uniform small coarse size using a food processor or by hand, add to large bowl.
1 cup almonds
1 cup pecans
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup raisins
½ cup prunes
1 cup dates
1 cup apricots (which the SuperCat calls Leprechauns)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
2 tablespoons candied ginger
(or) 1 teaspoon dried ginger
2 small seedless clementines (tangerines)
(or)
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
½ cup shredded coconut
sugar to coat (it took about ½ cup)
Optional: either add or substitute 1 scant tsp orange oil or orange extract for orange peel.
2). Peel tangerines, add pulp to bowl, reserve half of the peel.
3). Scrape the inside of the remaining peel to remove pith, then finely chop peel, and add to bowl.
4). Add spices and vanilla.
5). Add orange oil or orange extract if desired. We really like the flavor of orange and add both the peel and the orange oil, which can be found in the spice aisle.
Everything in the mixing bowl, ready to mix
7). Roll into ¾ inch balls, dredge in sugar.
Sugarplums with vintage deer & cookie jars
Yield: Makes about 3 dozen sugarplums.
Close-up of finished sugarplums.
It took me only about 20 minutes to make a double batch (about 6 dozen).
They were quick and so delicious!
My
He's almost always a good sport when it comes to trying out my recipes
(unless they have mayonnaise, which he will not eat).
Yay, he liked it!
Time for another one!
Namaste.
Current Mood:
Busy in the kitchen
Current Mood:
Busy in the kitchenMonday, December 15, 2008
excuses, excuses, excuses
I had meant to blog Friday night, but while I was out running errands Friday afternoon, Dan was calling his parents and arranging a date with me for Saturday afternoon. When I got home, I discovered that they'd agreed to keep SuperCat for the afternoon and that we'd be able to spend several hours together.
How can a girl turn down a date with the best guy in the world?
I couldn't.
And so Friday night, instead of writing, I did a lot of the things I had planned to do Saturday morning like: clean the kitchen, and work on Christmas crafts. I was still behind when I finished, but I was behind when I started, so I think it all evened out somehow.
Saturday morning we took Supercat to her grandparents, where she stayed to help them decorate their massive fresh-from-the-snowy-forest Christmas tree and we left for lunch. There are a large handful of restaurants in their little town, but since I don't eat wheat, most were out of the question. We settled on Chili's.
Normally, I prefer non-chain restaurants, and I honestly didn't think Chili's had anything I'd be able to eat, and had already mentally decided on a plain salad (sigh), but once inside, was really surprised. First, they have a menu specifically for Celiacs, which changes frequently and how awesome was that? Second, they describe on the menu what needs to be done to tweak regular menu items so that they can be made safe. They did all of the hard work ahead of time.
For example: I know that croutons have wheat in them, so it's easy to ask for them to be left off, but if the waitstaff isn't well informed, it's difficult to figure out if say, the veggies are dusted with seasoning that has flour, or exactly what the salmon is crusted with. Instead, the waiter was super helpful, answered every question knowledgeably, and as a result we had a stress-free, leisurely meal. Here's Chili's allergen menu(^) (alert: it's a .pdf file), in case you ever wondered what people with food allergies do when they go out to eat.
The service and the food were both great. I had a salad, a steak and veggies, which were all prepared the way I had asked. Dan had the habanero ribs.
We split a frosty chocolate milkshake for dessert and laughed and talked about html standards and and funky conspiracy theories.
We talked about a port knocking application that showed up on my phone's marketplace. I always laugh when I hear the words, cause they sound vaguely obscene. What it really is: remotely opening external ports on a firewall by making connection attempts on certain closed ports. It's the computer geek version of knocking shave and a haircut to gain entry into the all-boys club. Enabling port knocking prevents hackers from getting in easily, because they can't knock on just one port (door) to get in. They have to knock on several to enter just one, and it has to be in the right sequence.
I also always giggle when he mentions "IPTables", the firewall in the Linux operating system, but which to me sounds like the sorts of names Bart makes up when he prank calls Moe's Tavern on The Simpsons. From the episode Some Enchanted Evening:
Moe: Moe's Tavern.
Bart: Hello, is Al there?
Moe: Al?
Bart: Yeah, Al. Last name: Coholic.
Moe: Lemme check... [calls] Phone call for Al. Al Coholic. Is there an "Alcoholic" here? [bar denizens laugh] Wait a minute...[to phone] Listen, you little yellow-bellied rat jackass, if I ever find out who you are, I'll kill ya!
IPTables reminds me of that. I need to grow up.
I took pictures of him while we chatted and ate. He doesn't always want his picture taken, but he's usually a pretty good sport about it:
He finally gives in to the picture taking
After lunch... well, the small town where his parents live is just that: small. Not much to do, but we were committed to staying out for the several hours we'd booked, so we ended up at Wal*Mart, picking up a few small things, looking at all the electronic gadgetry, and marveling at the zillion-and-one flashy Christmas decorations. We made fun of the truly horrible Bratz Dolls (it looks like they are going away in January, don't cha know?(^), and saw what was new in sporting goods. We tried to find wooden skewers (they were out) and did find a new coffee maker to replace the old, busted coffee maker, and so on until it was time to check out and go get the SuperCat.
When we got there, SuperCat was so excited! She'd had a great time helping with the tree, and she had done a very good job. On the way home, she fell asleep, tuckered out.
We were happy, too. It's important to spend alone time together once in a while, even if it's just to walk around Wal*Mart and look at stationary and talk and pick out new coffee makers.
So that was Saturday.
Sunday I sewed. I sewed and sewed and sewed, mostly by hand, mostly small dolls for small doll houses for Christmas. I'd take pictures, but it's late and I'm tired and the light is bad.
I absolutely positively will tomorrow.
In the meantime, here's a picture of the parking lot at Target I took tonight while Dan ran in. It was 3 degrees below zero, and just starting to snow (again).
It felt bleak and dismal.
It looks like the set from Alien.
You know, when they're on the planet and find the alien for the first time?
How can a girl turn down a date with the best guy in the world?
I couldn't.
And so Friday night, instead of writing, I did a lot of the things I had planned to do Saturday morning like: clean the kitchen, and work on Christmas crafts. I was still behind when I finished, but I was behind when I started, so I think it all evened out somehow.
Saturday morning we took Supercat to her grandparents, where she stayed to help them decorate their massive fresh-from-the-snowy-forest Christmas tree and we left for lunch. There are a large handful of restaurants in their little town, but since I don't eat wheat, most were out of the question. We settled on Chili's.
Normally, I prefer non-chain restaurants, and I honestly didn't think Chili's had anything I'd be able to eat, and had already mentally decided on a plain salad (sigh), but once inside, was really surprised. First, they have a menu specifically for Celiacs, which changes frequently and how awesome was that? Second, they describe on the menu what needs to be done to tweak regular menu items so that they can be made safe. They did all of the hard work ahead of time.
For example: I know that croutons have wheat in them, so it's easy to ask for them to be left off, but if the waitstaff isn't well informed, it's difficult to figure out if say, the veggies are dusted with seasoning that has flour, or exactly what the salmon is crusted with. Instead, the waiter was super helpful, answered every question knowledgeably, and as a result we had a stress-free, leisurely meal. Here's Chili's allergen menu(^) (alert: it's a .pdf file), in case you ever wondered what people with food allergies do when they go out to eat.
The service and the food were both great. I had a salad, a steak and veggies, which were all prepared the way I had asked. Dan had the habanero ribs.
We split a frosty chocolate milkshake for dessert and laughed and talked about html standards and and funky conspiracy theories.
We talked about a port knocking application that showed up on my phone's marketplace. I always laugh when I hear the words, cause they sound vaguely obscene. What it really is: remotely opening external ports on a firewall by making connection attempts on certain closed ports. It's the computer geek version of knocking shave and a haircut to gain entry into the all-boys club. Enabling port knocking prevents hackers from getting in easily, because they can't knock on just one port (door) to get in. They have to knock on several to enter just one, and it has to be in the right sequence.
I also always giggle when he mentions "IPTables", the firewall in the Linux operating system, but which to me sounds like the sorts of names Bart makes up when he prank calls Moe's Tavern on The Simpsons. From the episode Some Enchanted Evening:
Moe: Moe's Tavern.
Bart: Hello, is Al there?
Moe: Al?
Bart: Yeah, Al. Last name: Coholic.
Moe: Lemme check... [calls] Phone call for Al. Al Coholic. Is there an "Alcoholic" here? [bar denizens laugh] Wait a minute...[to phone] Listen, you little yellow-bellied rat jackass, if I ever find out who you are, I'll kill ya!
IPTables reminds me of that. I need to grow up.
I took pictures of him while we chatted and ate. He doesn't always want his picture taken, but he's usually a pretty good sport about it:
Don't go toward the light! You'll miss lunch!
He finally gives in to the picture taking
After lunch... well, the small town where his parents live is just that: small. Not much to do, but we were committed to staying out for the several hours we'd booked, so we ended up at Wal*Mart, picking up a few small things, looking at all the electronic gadgetry, and marveling at the zillion-and-one flashy Christmas decorations. We made fun of the truly horrible Bratz Dolls (it looks like they are going away in January, don't cha know?(^), and saw what was new in sporting goods. We tried to find wooden skewers (they were out) and did find a new coffee maker to replace the old, busted coffee maker, and so on until it was time to check out and go get the SuperCat.
When we got there, SuperCat was so excited! She'd had a great time helping with the tree, and she had done a very good job. On the way home, she fell asleep, tuckered out.
We were happy, too. It's important to spend alone time together once in a while, even if it's just to walk around Wal*Mart and look at stationary and talk and pick out new coffee makers.
So that was Saturday.
Sunday I sewed. I sewed and sewed and sewed, mostly by hand, mostly small dolls for small doll houses for Christmas. I'd take pictures, but it's late and I'm tired and the light is bad.
I absolutely positively will tomorrow.
In the meantime, here's a picture of the parking lot at Target I took tonight while Dan ran in. It was 3 degrees below zero, and just starting to snow (again).
It felt bleak and dismal.
It looks like the set from Alien.
You know, when they're on the planet and find the alien for the first time?
Namaste.
Current Mood:
(freezing)
Current Mood:
(freezing)Friday, December 12, 2008
The Buddhist Cow Says Mu
How can you possibly go wrong with a quiz that contains an awesome question like Do you like waffles? From the Thursday Thunks meme, on Friday morning (of course).
1. Do you like waffles?
I love waffles! There are really great gluten-free waffles on the market, made by Van's(^). Sometimes we make it using GF baking mix. I haven't made them from scratch yet. When I was still eating wheat I have to admit that the best waffles I ever made were made with Jiffy Mix(^) and the worst I ever made were made totally from scratch using the recipe in The Joy Of Cooking. They were way too greasy. Yuck.
The ones from Vans are great because they're, well, great - they taste like waffles, not too sweet or funky due to the lack of flour. And because they are in the grocery store, vs going to the health food store. And because they aren't expensive. A lot of gluten-free food is pretty expensive. There are several factors involved - testing, cleaning equipment, smaller batches, costly ingredients.
It's spiffy to find things that aren't expensive, taste good and are easy to find.
We like Waffles so much that we have a cat named Waffles. Our Waffles was actually named after Fern's cat Waffles, though. Fern doesn't have an accessible blog at the moment, but when he does, I'll link to it. He's one of the most important people in my life; the brother I now have, a best friend, and a confidant. As wonderful as Fern is, and while his cat is no doubt awesome, scientifically speaking, our Waffles has been determined to be the best cat on the planet.
Waffles:
Waffles on the bed
More Waffles. Doesn't he have the sweetest face?
2. Name 3 things that is within your reach right now, excluding anything to do with your computer/laptop.
A water bottle, a lamp shaped like the Eiffel Tower, and my camera.
3. Do you hang laundry out on a line outside?
Rarely. I often hang it in the laundry room to dry. In Colorado, the air is so dry that even inside, clothes dry in a just few hours.
4. Loss of vision, ability to speak or hearing - which do you choose? (you have to choose one....)
I've already lost some hearing in my right ear due to a childhood injury, and I'd be ok with losing the rest. Well, not ok, but it would bother me less than the other two. I watch closed captioned TV and can read lips, so it wouldn't be much of a shock to lose my hearing, whereas I can't fathom losing my vision or the ability to speak.
5. On a scale from 1 - 10, how are your computer skills?
Well, compared to my husband, pretty poor. His skills go to eleven, as Nigel Tufnel(^) would say. But compared to your average user, probably about an 8 with PCs; a 6 with Macs; and maybe a 4 with Linux.
This is the place where I tell you I intend to become more adept at Linux, like I always do. The truth is, it isn't Linux's fault - it's mine. Linux is not hard to learn at the user level, I'm just really busy with the SuperCat. I am at a point where I could use Linix 24/7 at the user level, but I would like to know a lot more and not have to rely on Dan for technical support.
On the plus side, I did dump Windows off my desktop machine, and my laptop now dual boots, so I am making measurable progress. Yay, progress.
6. Do you volunteer or donate to anything around the holidays?
I used to volunteer a lot, but haven't for a while, and am ok with that for the time being. My time is best utilized at home and probably will be for the foreseeable future. I will return to volunteering, eventually though, as I do miss it. We do donate to the ARC(^), which does a lot of good work.
7. If a person receives a DUI while in government office, should he lose his/her position?
I don't have enough information to make a decision.
Was the person elected, appointed or hired?
Does their job involve passing legislation involving drunk driving? Are they otherwise in a decision-making position?
Without more information, I can't answer.
Which totally brings us to MU!!!!! My friend Ben shared the concept of Mu a couple of weeks ago, and I was delighted to read about it.
Mu, where have you been all my life?
Mu (in Japan and Korea) or Wu (in Chinese) means "none", "without", and "no meaning". Mu is the answer to give when there is no correct answer possible or when there isn't enough information to give any answer at all. When "yes" and "no" are both wrong, "Mu" may be the answer.
Mu has a place in Buddhist philosophy as a kōan. A kōan is an often paradoxical question, story, riddle or statement that makes you think about things intuitively that may not be thinkable any other way.
These are kōans:
This is Mu:
marvel at the awesomeness of Mu
8. Do you take vitamins?
I administer vitamins in the form of Flintstones Chewables (now with Betty), and I take one occasionally, but generally no.
9. Do you wear fingernail polish?
My hands are too often in and around craft materials and water to have polished nails. I keep my nails clean but not polished since they'd chips too frequently to look neat for very long. My toenails are polished, though. Bright pink at the moment.
10. If every flower in the world only grew into one color, which color would you want?
The color of blue hydrangeas in the shade on a late summer afternoon. How's that for specific? I love hydrangeas and everything they represent - the bounty and beauty of summer flowers, and the languid warmth of late afternoons as the shadows grow. Hydrangeas made up the bulk of my bridal bouquet and I can't wait to grow them again.
Beautiful blue hydrangeas
Stock Photo from the morgueFile, image information found here(^)
1. Do you like waffles?
I love waffles! There are really great gluten-free waffles on the market, made by Van's(^). Sometimes we make it using GF baking mix. I haven't made them from scratch yet. When I was still eating wheat I have to admit that the best waffles I ever made were made with Jiffy Mix(^) and the worst I ever made were made totally from scratch using the recipe in The Joy Of Cooking. They were way too greasy. Yuck.
The ones from Vans are great because they're, well, great - they taste like waffles, not too sweet or funky due to the lack of flour. And because they are in the grocery store, vs going to the health food store. And because they aren't expensive. A lot of gluten-free food is pretty expensive. There are several factors involved - testing, cleaning equipment, smaller batches, costly ingredients.
It's spiffy to find things that aren't expensive, taste good and are easy to find.
We like Waffles so much that we have a cat named Waffles. Our Waffles was actually named after Fern's cat Waffles, though. Fern doesn't have an accessible blog at the moment, but when he does, I'll link to it. He's one of the most important people in my life; the brother I now have, a best friend, and a confidant. As wonderful as Fern is, and while his cat is no doubt awesome, scientifically speaking, our Waffles has been determined to be the best cat on the planet.
Waffles:
- is incredibly empathetic and always comes and lays with us if we're not feeling well or could use some cheering up.
- sleeps with us, and is never too warm.
- lets the other kitties eat first.
- roars when he purrs.
- is huge, really long and muscular.
- defends other kitties against the scourge that is the dog.
- loves his mommy.
- has his own following on MySpace.
Waffles on the bed
More Waffles. Doesn't he have the sweetest face?
A water bottle, a lamp shaped like the Eiffel Tower, and my camera.
3. Do you hang laundry out on a line outside?
Rarely. I often hang it in the laundry room to dry. In Colorado, the air is so dry that even inside, clothes dry in a just few hours.
4. Loss of vision, ability to speak or hearing - which do you choose? (you have to choose one....)
I've already lost some hearing in my right ear due to a childhood injury, and I'd be ok with losing the rest. Well, not ok, but it would bother me less than the other two. I watch closed captioned TV and can read lips, so it wouldn't be much of a shock to lose my hearing, whereas I can't fathom losing my vision or the ability to speak.
5. On a scale from 1 - 10, how are your computer skills?
Well, compared to my husband, pretty poor. His skills go to eleven, as Nigel Tufnel(^) would say. But compared to your average user, probably about an 8 with PCs; a 6 with Macs; and maybe a 4 with Linux.
Tux, the Linux Mascot
This is the place where I tell you I intend to become more adept at Linux, like I always do. The truth is, it isn't Linux's fault - it's mine. Linux is not hard to learn at the user level, I'm just really busy with the SuperCat. I am at a point where I could use Linix 24/7 at the user level, but I would like to know a lot more and not have to rely on Dan for technical support.
On the plus side, I did dump Windows off my desktop machine, and my laptop now dual boots, so I am making measurable progress. Yay, progress.
6. Do you volunteer or donate to anything around the holidays?
I used to volunteer a lot, but haven't for a while, and am ok with that for the time being. My time is best utilized at home and probably will be for the foreseeable future. I will return to volunteering, eventually though, as I do miss it. We do donate to the ARC(^), which does a lot of good work.
7. If a person receives a DUI while in government office, should he lose his/her position?
I don't have enough information to make a decision.
Was the person elected, appointed or hired?
Does their job involve passing legislation involving drunk driving? Are they otherwise in a decision-making position?
Without more information, I can't answer.
Which totally brings us to MU!!!!! My friend Ben shared the concept of Mu a couple of weeks ago, and I was delighted to read about it.
Mu, where have you been all my life?
Mu (in Japan and Korea) or Wu (in Chinese) means "none", "without", and "no meaning". Mu is the answer to give when there is no correct answer possible or when there isn't enough information to give any answer at all. When "yes" and "no" are both wrong, "Mu" may be the answer.
Mu has a place in Buddhist philosophy as a kōan. A kōan is an often paradoxical question, story, riddle or statement that makes you think about things intuitively that may not be thinkable any other way.
These are kōans:
- what is the sound of one hand clapping?
- when you can do nothing, what can you do?
- what is the color of wind?
- If you have ice cream, I will give you some.
If you don't have ice cream, I will take it away.
That, of course, is the famous ice cream kōan by Jack Kerouac
This is Mu:
marvel at the awesomeness of Mu
8. Do you take vitamins?
I administer vitamins in the form of Flintstones Chewables (now with Betty), and I take one occasionally, but generally no.
9. Do you wear fingernail polish?
My hands are too often in and around craft materials and water to have polished nails. I keep my nails clean but not polished since they'd chips too frequently to look neat for very long. My toenails are polished, though. Bright pink at the moment.
10. If every flower in the world only grew into one color, which color would you want?
The color of blue hydrangeas in the shade on a late summer afternoon. How's that for specific? I love hydrangeas and everything they represent - the bounty and beauty of summer flowers, and the languid warmth of late afternoons as the shadows grow. Hydrangeas made up the bulk of my bridal bouquet and I can't wait to grow them again.
Beautiful blue hydrangeas
Stock Photo from the morgueFile, image information found here(^)
I have a busy day of sewing ahead of me, and will try to post some pictures f my work later this evening.
Until then,
Namaste.
Current mood:
(busy)
Current mood:
(busy)Friday, December 5, 2008
Yikes!
Yikes!
I have been so busy the last few weeks. My darling husband's birthday. My first gluten-free Thanksgiving. A dental appointment, followed by another dental appointment (which was the last one, thankfully - at least till next time). A bunch of family birthdays. All of the things that make life good (minus the dentist).
So, let's see: Thanksgiving was wonderful. One of the nicest things about Thanksgiving, in fact one of the nicest things, period, ever, was that we went to dinner at the home of some dear friends and almost everything was GF. How awesome is that? The gravy was made with corn starch, the meats were GF, the salad was GF, the green pistachio fluffy stuff was GF (how I love that stuff), and they even purchased crackers that were gluten free! And, added bonus: I'd never had or even seen the brand before, but they were so good I went out the weekend after Thanksgiving and purchased two huge boxes.
Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers(^). Smoky, crunchy, really rich whole-grain taste. OMG-they-were-awesome.
But back to dinner: I was deeply touched that our friends went to so much trouble on my account, and I will never forget their kindness.
I wish I had photos to share, but we had such a good time talking and eating and having fun that my camera stayed in my handbag.
I brought my own stuffing, which my husband made, using home-baked GF bread. It was (at best) only meh; he followed the recipe I'd found, but it was too... something. The spices were wrong, I found it too sage-y. He did an excellent job, so no complaints there. I chose the wrong recipe, which I won't mention here because it came from another blogger's site. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it - I am just not a sage person, and haven't been since I participated in sausage making when I was a kid. Yuck. Phooey. We will try again, of course. We both love stuffing, and it was really, really close.
I happily ate it anyway, of course, because the gravy was soooo perfect. Even a sage overdose couldn't subtract from the joy of eating such wonderful holiday food with friends and loved ones. The ham and turkey were incredible. The candied sweet potatoes were sublime, baked in brown sugar syrup and then topped with marshmallows in the last few minutes to give them a soft/crunchy/toasted top.
I didn't have pie, because I forgot to bring any. I said I would bring some. I planned on it, but promptly forgot it in the do-you-have-the-diaper-bag-have-you-walked-the-dog-where-are-my-shoes frenzy to get out the door and to their house on time. I actually baked a really nice pumpkin pie, and left it at home.
When I baked my first post-gluten pumpkin pie, I experimented with a cookie crumb crust using Mi-Del gluten-free ginger snaps(^). Substituting the ginger snaps for the graham cracker-based recipe really wasn't right, though and the crust turned out ok, but a bit too buttery. I'll do it again, but with less butter.
The pie was awesome, though, because the filling was incredible. Here is my recipe:
Not really. That's the recipe I start with, but it is never the one I end up making. I added 1/4 cup of finely chopped candied ginger (shades of James Beard's famous recipe). And I double all of the spices (at least) and add ground cloves (about 1/2 teaspoon).
It was delicious. It was spicy. It was forgotten. But I happily "made-do" with Watergate Salad.
Watergate Salad reminds me of family reunions and potlucks. Easter at my grandmother's house. According to Wikipedia(^), it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the famous Watergate complex of Nixon fame, so that's a puzzler. Here's a pretty standard recipe. If it's important to you, it's easy to find pudding mix, marshmallows and whipped topping that are gluten-free.
So, that's what I've been up to. That and making tutus, sewing dolls, working on various other craft projects, making an advent calendar, getting my Christmas tree up, and so on.
Until later.
Namaste.
I have been so busy the last few weeks. My darling husband's birthday. My first gluten-free Thanksgiving. A dental appointment, followed by another dental appointment (which was the last one, thankfully - at least till next time). A bunch of family birthdays. All of the things that make life good (minus the dentist).
So, let's see: Thanksgiving was wonderful. One of the nicest things about Thanksgiving, in fact one of the nicest things, period, ever, was that we went to dinner at the home of some dear friends and almost everything was GF. How awesome is that? The gravy was made with corn starch, the meats were GF, the salad was GF, the green pistachio fluffy stuff was GF (how I love that stuff), and they even purchased crackers that were gluten free! And, added bonus: I'd never had or even seen the brand before, but they were so good I went out the weekend after Thanksgiving and purchased two huge boxes.
Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers(^). Smoky, crunchy, really rich whole-grain taste. OMG-they-were-awesome.
But back to dinner: I was deeply touched that our friends went to so much trouble on my account, and I will never forget their kindness.
I wish I had photos to share, but we had such a good time talking and eating and having fun that my camera stayed in my handbag.
I brought my own stuffing, which my husband made, using home-baked GF bread. It was (at best) only meh; he followed the recipe I'd found, but it was too... something. The spices were wrong, I found it too sage-y. He did an excellent job, so no complaints there. I chose the wrong recipe, which I won't mention here because it came from another blogger's site. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it - I am just not a sage person, and haven't been since I participated in sausage making when I was a kid. Yuck. Phooey. We will try again, of course. We both love stuffing, and it was really, really close.
I happily ate it anyway, of course, because the gravy was soooo perfect. Even a sage overdose couldn't subtract from the joy of eating such wonderful holiday food with friends and loved ones. The ham and turkey were incredible. The candied sweet potatoes were sublime, baked in brown sugar syrup and then topped with marshmallows in the last few minutes to give them a soft/crunchy/toasted top.
I didn't have pie, because I forgot to bring any. I said I would bring some. I planned on it, but promptly forgot it in the do-you-have-the-diaper-bag-have-you-walked-the-dog-where-are-my-shoes frenzy to get out the door and to their house on time. I actually baked a really nice pumpkin pie, and left it at home.
When I baked my first post-gluten pumpkin pie, I experimented with a cookie crumb crust using Mi-Del gluten-free ginger snaps(^). Substituting the ginger snaps for the graham cracker-based recipe really wasn't right, though and the crust turned out ok, but a bit too buttery. I'll do it again, but with less butter.
The pie was awesome, though, because the filling was incredible. Here is my recipe:
Pumpkin Pie
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkinSo basically your back-of-the-can/box/jar pumpkin pie recipe, right?
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (I use fat-free)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt (half the time I forget the salt, and it's fine).
1). Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2). Mix everything together
3). Pour it into the crust
4). Bake for 15 minutes.
5). Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F
6). Bake 35 to 40 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
7) Cool.
8). Serve with whipped cream.
9). Refrigerate leftovers.
Not really. That's the recipe I start with, but it is never the one I end up making. I added 1/4 cup of finely chopped candied ginger (shades of James Beard's famous recipe). And I double all of the spices (at least) and add ground cloves (about 1/2 teaspoon).
It was delicious. It was spicy. It was forgotten. But I happily "made-do" with Watergate Salad.
Watergate Salad reminds me of family reunions and potlucks. Easter at my grandmother's house. According to Wikipedia(^), it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the famous Watergate complex of Nixon fame, so that's a puzzler. Here's a pretty standard recipe. If it's important to you, it's easy to find pudding mix, marshmallows and whipped topping that are gluten-free.
Watergate Salad
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1). Mix everything except the whipped topping together in a bowl. The pudding mix will make everything else a creepy green color. Ignore this.
2). Once everything is well-mixed, gently fold in the whipped topping.
3). Refrigerate.
4). Use sugar-free pudding mix and reduced-sugar whipped topping if you'd like.
5). Serve and hear everyone happily exclaim, "Oooooh! The green stuff!"
So, that's what I've been up to. That and making tutus, sewing dolls, working on various other craft projects, making an advent calendar, getting my Christmas tree up, and so on.
Until later.
Namaste.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Attack of the Domo-Kun! (Birthday Party, Part II)
In addition to making Totoro cupcakes (see post below), we made Domo-kun brownies for the combined SuperCat/Daniel's dad's birthday/Halloween party. Who doesn't like brownies? Who doesn't like Domo-kun? I looked around the web and didn't see any food that was Domo-Kun related, so I created these. The brownies were a natural for Domo-kun's body, and the rest was easy to figure out.
When I was diagnosed with Celiac and could no longer eat wheat, I stopped baking for a while. I could no longer just "make" our favorites because it isn't possible to simply substitute any one type of flour for wheat flour. Wheat flour gives food a unique flavor, texture, and taste to food that nothing else really has.
When I started baking again, I started with mixes. My favorites are Bob's Red Mill(^), and Whole Foods' 365 private label(^) gluten-free products.
I am a pretty accomplished baker with wheat flour, but still resort to "mixes" once in a while as I learn to navigate gluten-free waters. One great thing about eating a gluten-free diet is that many of the mixes I've used have fewer processed ingredients. This is because who really wants high fructose corn syrup in everything?
The brownies we had for our party were gluten-free from a mix. We added some extra high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, and used real butter, both of which made them taste a lot closer to "homemade".
Gluten free brownies taste at least as good as "regular" brownies. I like to serve mine about 8 hours after they've cooled, to reduce any chance of them having a grainy texture. After about 8 hours, though, no one I have ever served them to could tell the difference.
If gluten-free isn't a concern and you'd like to make these, use your favorite brownie recipe, or the boxed mix of your choice.
About Domo-kun: Domo-kun is sort of short for "dōmo, konnichiwa!" which means "hello, there!" in Japanese, but can also mean "Hello, Domo!" "Kun" in Japanese is an honorific used for young men. So, sort of a pun, and a play on words.
Domo-kun is the mascot of Japan's NHK television station(^), sort of the way NBC has the peacock. We get stuck with a peacock and that goofy CBS eye; the Japanese have this happy fuzzy monster who lives in an underground cave with a rabbit named Mr. Usaji (a play on the Japan words for rabbit "usagi" and old man "jii").
The TV-watching public in Japan get the better deal, I think.
If you decide to go to their website and see Domo-kun at the link provided above, click through his world. At the end, the fine folks at NHK have a bunch of cool Domo-kun wallpaper and Java widgets.
Recently, the US department store chain Target brought Domo-kun to the US in the form of Halloween toys. I was happy to see Domo-kun, but a bit miffed that there were only a limited number of toys, and that almost all of the items used in their advertising (a Domo-kun Halloween pumpkin, for example) were never available in stores.
Not to worry - I'm already working on my own Dono-kun pumpkin for next year. We tend to theme our pumpkins, so next year will be Japanese icons. You'll have to wait to see what else we come up with :)
Yay that Target had anything Domo-kun related.
Phooey that they didn't even have the stuff in their own in-store pictures, though.
Back to the brownies.
After the brownies were cool, we cut them into blocks roughly 1½ by 3 inches.
We placed the cut brownies on a platter and used mini-Tootsie rolls for arms and legs, attaching them by pushing them gently into place on each brownie.
Next, we placed a rectangle of cut strawberry fruit leather where the mouth would be. I cut the fruit leather using clean scissors. Fruit leather or "fruit rollups" are available in pretty much every grocery store on the planet.
Then, we placed two rows of teeth, made from a flattened bit of roled fondant left over from the Totoro cupcakes onto the top and bottom of each mouth. To make the teeth with fondant, thinly roll out the fondant, then use a sharp knife point to cut the teeth. We allowed the fondant to set up lightly covered with paper toweling overnight before we used it to decorate the Domo-kuns.
If you would like to make these but don't want to purchase or make fondant, a rolled out piece of white taffy cut to size would be a fine substitute.
After that, we pushed semi-sweet chocolate chips into his "head" for eyes, and that was it. Done. The one thing I would have done differently is that I would have used brown M&Ms for eyes if I had had them. They are slightly larger and shinier, and would have looking a bit better in my opinion.
Here they are (click each for the larger size)
This was our menu:
Wild antelope burgers (from my hunting husband)
Organic uncured buffalo dogs
Bratwurst
Tomatoes
Onions
Lettuce
All sorts of condiments
Wheat buns (I just skip the bun if I want a burger and use a fork)
Hash brown casserole
Twice-baked stuffed potato
Tossed salad greens with veggies
Chocolate cupcakes with fondant Totoros
Domo-kun double-chocolate brownies
Several different delicious ice creams.
Everything was wonderful, and we had great company. Dan and his dad did the grilling, his mom made the salad, the hash brown casserole and the twice-baked double-stuffed potato (made after she noticed gluten in one of the casserole ingredients).
We were joined by the SuperCat's grandparents, her aunt and uncle, her two cousins, some dear friends. It was a lovely day to celebrate.
I have to say, these were so incredibly easy that I will certainly make these the next time I bake brownies because they add only a few short minutes to the process, but were so much fun to make and eat.
Namaste.
When I was diagnosed with Celiac and could no longer eat wheat, I stopped baking for a while. I could no longer just "make" our favorites because it isn't possible to simply substitute any one type of flour for wheat flour. Wheat flour gives food a unique flavor, texture, and taste to food that nothing else really has.
When I started baking again, I started with mixes. My favorites are Bob's Red Mill(^), and Whole Foods' 365 private label(^) gluten-free products.
I am a pretty accomplished baker with wheat flour, but still resort to "mixes" once in a while as I learn to navigate gluten-free waters. One great thing about eating a gluten-free diet is that many of the mixes I've used have fewer processed ingredients. This is because who really wants high fructose corn syrup in everything?
The brownies we had for our party were gluten-free from a mix. We added some extra high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, and used real butter, both of which made them taste a lot closer to "homemade".
Gluten free brownies taste at least as good as "regular" brownies. I like to serve mine about 8 hours after they've cooled, to reduce any chance of them having a grainy texture. After about 8 hours, though, no one I have ever served them to could tell the difference.
If gluten-free isn't a concern and you'd like to make these, use your favorite brownie recipe, or the boxed mix of your choice.
About Domo-kun: Domo-kun is sort of short for "dōmo, konnichiwa!" which means "hello, there!" in Japanese, but can also mean "Hello, Domo!" "Kun" in Japanese is an honorific used for young men. So, sort of a pun, and a play on words.
Domo-kun is the mascot of Japan's NHK television station(^), sort of the way NBC has the peacock. We get stuck with a peacock and that goofy CBS eye; the Japanese have this happy fuzzy monster who lives in an underground cave with a rabbit named Mr. Usaji (a play on the Japan words for rabbit "usagi" and old man "jii").
The TV-watching public in Japan get the better deal, I think.
If you decide to go to their website and see Domo-kun at the link provided above, click through his world. At the end, the fine folks at NHK have a bunch of cool Domo-kun wallpaper and Java widgets.
Recently, the US department store chain Target brought Domo-kun to the US in the form of Halloween toys. I was happy to see Domo-kun, but a bit miffed that there were only a limited number of toys, and that almost all of the items used in their advertising (a Domo-kun Halloween pumpkin, for example) were never available in stores.
Not to worry - I'm already working on my own Dono-kun pumpkin for next year. We tend to theme our pumpkins, so next year will be Japanese icons. You'll have to wait to see what else we come up with :)
Yay that Target had anything Domo-kun related.
Phooey that they didn't even have the stuff in their own in-store pictures, though.
Back to the brownies.
After the brownies were cool, we cut them into blocks roughly 1½ by 3 inches.
We placed the cut brownies on a platter and used mini-Tootsie rolls for arms and legs, attaching them by pushing them gently into place on each brownie.
Next, we placed a rectangle of cut strawberry fruit leather where the mouth would be. I cut the fruit leather using clean scissors. Fruit leather or "fruit rollups" are available in pretty much every grocery store on the planet.
Then, we placed two rows of teeth, made from a flattened bit of roled fondant left over from the Totoro cupcakes onto the top and bottom of each mouth. To make the teeth with fondant, thinly roll out the fondant, then use a sharp knife point to cut the teeth. We allowed the fondant to set up lightly covered with paper toweling overnight before we used it to decorate the Domo-kuns.
If you would like to make these but don't want to purchase or make fondant, a rolled out piece of white taffy cut to size would be a fine substitute.
After that, we pushed semi-sweet chocolate chips into his "head" for eyes, and that was it. Done. The one thing I would have done differently is that I would have used brown M&Ms for eyes if I had had them. They are slightly larger and shinier, and would have looking a bit better in my opinion.
Here they are (click each for the larger size)
This was our menu:
Wild antelope burgers (from my hunting husband)
Organic uncured buffalo dogs
Bratwurst
Tomatoes
Onions
Lettuce
All sorts of condiments
Wheat buns (I just skip the bun if I want a burger and use a fork)
Hash brown casserole
Twice-baked stuffed potato
Tossed salad greens with veggies
Chocolate cupcakes with fondant Totoros
Domo-kun double-chocolate brownies
Several different delicious ice creams.
Everything was wonderful, and we had great company. Dan and his dad did the grilling, his mom made the salad, the hash brown casserole and the twice-baked double-stuffed potato (made after she noticed gluten in one of the casserole ingredients).
We were joined by the SuperCat's grandparents, her aunt and uncle, her two cousins, some dear friends. It was a lovely day to celebrate.
I have to say, these were so incredibly easy that I will certainly make these the next time I bake brownies because they add only a few short minutes to the process, but were so much fun to make and eat.
Namaste.
Monday, October 13, 2008
A food meme
This arrived in my email box, and it looked cute, so I thought I would answer the questions. At the end, a quote.
So, Allez cuisine!
1. How do you like your eggs?
Over easy, hard boiled, or scrambled with onions, garlic, and cheese. There are very few dishes than onions, garlic and cheese can't fix. When I was a kid, I liked scrambled eggs with catsup. That sort of makes me nauseous to think about now.
2. How do you take your coffee/tea?
Iced tea Splenda'ed within an inch of it's life. I almost never drink coffee, but when I do, it has to have a lot of cream and artificial sweetener.
3. Favorite breakfast food?
Crisp bacon. There is nothing better than bacon. Nothing. I like oatmeal, too. But bacon is the Food of the Gods.
4. Peanut butter?
What about it? Oh, yeah. Well, I don't eat a lot of it, because I no longer eat bread and that is how I usually ate peanut butter. But, I still buy it for the kids and the hubby. Their favorite is the peanut butter at Whole Foods that comes from the grinder mixed with honey. You would not believe how good that stuff is. While we're on the subject though: if you ever get a chance, try Macadamia nut butter. You will not be disappointed.
5. What kind of dressing on your salad?
Newman's Own Lighten Up Honey Mustard Dressing. It's delicious, and has a pretty good nutrition profile(^).
6. Coke or Pepsi?
Diet Pepsi. Srsly.
7. You’re feeling lazy. What do you make?
Spam Musubi. It's basically Hawaiian Spam sushi. It's a very popular snack dish in Hawaii, so much so that Hawaiians consume the more Spam per-capita than anyone else (well, the Hawaiians along with the Guam-ish(^).
It's cool because even people who don't like or can't eat raw sushi like it.
Here's my recipe for Spam Musubi
You'll need:
1 can of Turkey or Lite Spam
1-2 sheets of Nori
1/2 cup terriyaki sauce (or make your own)
1). Prepare sushi rice according to whatever directions you prefer, or use the ones on the rice package, your choice. Either way, skip the sugar and vinegar at the end.
2). Once the rice is cooking, decant a tin of Spam(^).
Isn't it pink? Marvel at the pinky-meatiness.
We prefer Turkey Spam, but we haven't been able to find that for a while, so now we use Spam Lite. It has 50% less fat & 33% fewer calories. We don't use Armour Treet(^), because it has gluten. If gluten isn't an issue for you, and you like it, feel free.
You could use "regular" Spam, but it'll be pretty salty when you're done.
3). So, there you are with your block of Spam, marveling at it. Seems a shame to whack it up, but that's what you are going to do. Cut it into 8 or 10 equal slices with a sharp knife. I sometimes score one side of each piece lightly with a knife to make a diamond pattern. It looks pretty when it's cooked.
4). Fry the slices at medium heat with a spray or two of Pam. When it is nicely browned and crispy, flip over to cook the other side and add a half cup or so of teriyaki sauce to the pan, making sure it covers the pieces. Allow to cook for a few more minutes, and when the sauce starts to cling to the Spam and thicken, remove from heat.
(BTW: You can make teriyaki sauce yourself if you like, but I usually use LaChoy brand, which is gluten free. I make enough dishes from scratch because of Celiac Disease to appreciate the time savings of using ready made, but if you'd like to make it, the recipe follows).
5. While the spam cooks, cut the sheets of Nori into strips about an inch wide, and the length of the sheet.
6). Ding! Rice is done! If it isn't, wait. When it is, proceed. Press your rice tightly into mounds using wet, clean hands, a Musubi mold, or a large cookie cutter (we often use one in the shape of a bear or piggy head).
7). Set a piece of cooked Spam on top of each mound, and wrap with a piece of Nori, sort of like a belt. Nori is what dried seaweed for sushi is called in Japan. It is sold pretty much everywhere at this point - even Wal*Mart sells it in their little Asian section. Nori generally comes in sheets in a package of a dozen or so. Use scissors to cut it into strips.
8). Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
One can of Spam plus rice and nori is enough to feed our family (usually 4 for dinner) when we add a small salad, veggies, or cooked fruit. One thing that's fun is to cook pineapple rings in the teriyaki sauce left over in the pan. I usually throw in a bit of brown sugar. The rings will be sweet/salty and go well with the whole Hawaiian theme.
There are more ways to mold rice than I could possibly tell you about. As mentioned above, you can use a plain cookie cutter, set on the cutting board, and press the rice into it until it is perhaps half an inch high. Remove the mold and you have a base for your Spam. If you'd rather, many Asian markets carry rice molds. They run 3 or 4 dollars and you can get them in various shapes. If you are extra lucky, and have a Hawaiian market, you might even find a dedicated Musubi mold.
Some people apparently cut the bottom of the spam can out, and use it to mold the rice. It is the same size as the Spam, so it has that going for it, but the jagged edge never seemed worth the risk.
Finally, we sometimes include adding a drop or two of food coloring to the rice, for colored rice. Nothing like pink piggy shaped rice with spam on top :)
Teriyaki sauce:
16 oz soy sauce (we always use San J Gluten Free Tamari(^). Tamari is a type of soy sauce. San J's is the most like "regular" soy sauce we actually like it better)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup dry sherry
Mix all together in a non-reactive pan, heating until the sugar is melted. Remove from heat and store in a clean glass jar.
OK, back to the quizzy/meme thing:
8. You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?
I usually don't, because there aren't any to-go places that serve gluten-free pizza. Except wait a minute! What's this? I was reading a local GF list and someone mentioned tht a new chain opened that served gluten free pizza. So I usually make a Chebe bread (GF-bread mix) pizza crust, with pepperoni and olives on top.
9. You feel like cooking. What do you make?
Usually Vietnamese Summer Rolls (recipe later) or Vietnamese Bun Bowls. I almost always have cooked chicken & veggies in the house, and they are easy and quick to throw together.
10. Do any foods bring back good memories?
Yes. Fried shrimp remind me of my dad. Orange creme truffles remind me of Halloween. Slices of bananas on 'Nilla wafers with cold milk remind me of my dad coming home from work late. He and I would lay out the wafers, put the banana slices on them, pour the milk, then sit down and eat and talk.
11. Do any foods bring back bad memories?
Not really. None that I can think of. So, unless I have suppressed something awful, I can't think of anything.
12. Do any foods remind you of someone?
See above. Fried shrimp reminds me of my dad. Eclairs remind me of my grandmother. Divinity fudge reminds me of my dad. Hot anything reminds me of my husband.
13. Is there a food you refuse to eat?
Boiled Brussels Sprouts, aka Devil Cabbages. Mushy, icky, squishy, stinky gross. I won't eat them, I won't serve them, I refuse to acknowledge their right to exist.
14. What was your favorite food as a child?
Fried shrimp with cocktail sauce.
15. Is there a food that you hated as a child but now like?
No, I was pretty good about eating whatever I was served when I was a kid.
16. Is there a food that you liked as a child but now hate?
I don't hate them, but I used to love Lima beans. I don't love them anymore. No idea why.
17. Favorite fruit and vegetable?
Fresh strawberries and fried okra.
18. Favorite junk food?
Anything chocolate.
Except ice cream.
I don't really like ice cream.
19. Favorite between meal snack:
Chex Mix. I think it is my favorite non-chocolate food. After I was diagnosed with Celiac, I couldn't have it anymore, but a few months ago, the good people at General Mills made Rice Chex gluten-free(^), so I make it with Rice Chex only now and it is delicious. And yes, Rice Chex had gluten. Corn Chex still does. Rice Krispies still has it. The gluten is hidden in the barley malt, which is a natural flavoring. Bless the good people at General Mills.
20. Do you have any weird food habits?
Depends. Is bananas, mayonnaise and peanut butter sandwiches weird? How about green banana sliced on Nacho Cheese Doritos? Ok, the second one is weird even to me.
21. You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?
Salads. Rice cakes.
22. You’re off your diet. Now what would you like?
A nice aged steak. Medium rare, but more toward the rare than the medium.
Lobster with drawn butter.
Butter chicken and rice.
White chocolate mousse. Regular chocolate anything.
23. How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?
How hot can they make it?
24. Can I get you a drink?
Sure.Gin and Tonic, please. Or a nice single malt scotch.
25. Red or White Wine?
Red. White gives me a horrid headache. My husband is the same way.
26. Favorite dessert?
Pecan pie.
27. The perfect nightcap?
Bailey's Irish Cream and a kiss from my sweetheart.
Namaste.
=^..^=
The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. ~ G.K. Chesterton
So, Allez cuisine!
1. How do you like your eggs?
Over easy, hard boiled, or scrambled with onions, garlic, and cheese. There are very few dishes than onions, garlic and cheese can't fix. When I was a kid, I liked scrambled eggs with catsup. That sort of makes me nauseous to think about now.
2. How do you take your coffee/tea?
Iced tea Splenda'ed within an inch of it's life. I almost never drink coffee, but when I do, it has to have a lot of cream and artificial sweetener.
3. Favorite breakfast food?
Crisp bacon. There is nothing better than bacon. Nothing. I like oatmeal, too. But bacon is the Food of the Gods.
4. Peanut butter?
What about it? Oh, yeah. Well, I don't eat a lot of it, because I no longer eat bread and that is how I usually ate peanut butter. But, I still buy it for the kids and the hubby. Their favorite is the peanut butter at Whole Foods that comes from the grinder mixed with honey. You would not believe how good that stuff is. While we're on the subject though: if you ever get a chance, try Macadamia nut butter. You will not be disappointed.
5. What kind of dressing on your salad?
Newman's Own Lighten Up Honey Mustard Dressing. It's delicious, and has a pretty good nutrition profile(^).
6. Coke or Pepsi?
Diet Pepsi. Srsly.
7. You’re feeling lazy. What do you make?
Spam Musubi. It's basically Hawaiian Spam sushi. It's a very popular snack dish in Hawaii, so much so that Hawaiians consume the more Spam per-capita than anyone else (well, the Hawaiians along with the Guam-ish(^).
It's cool because even people who don't like or can't eat raw sushi like it.
Here's my recipe for Spam Musubi
You'll need:
1 can of Turkey or Lite Spam
1-2 sheets of Nori
1/2 cup terriyaki sauce (or make your own)
1). Prepare sushi rice according to whatever directions you prefer, or use the ones on the rice package, your choice. Either way, skip the sugar and vinegar at the end.
2). Once the rice is cooking, decant a tin of Spam(^).
Isn't it pink? Marvel at the pinky-meatiness.
We prefer Turkey Spam, but we haven't been able to find that for a while, so now we use Spam Lite. It has 50% less fat & 33% fewer calories. We don't use Armour Treet(^), because it has gluten. If gluten isn't an issue for you, and you like it, feel free.
You could use "regular" Spam, but it'll be pretty salty when you're done.
3). So, there you are with your block of Spam, marveling at it. Seems a shame to whack it up, but that's what you are going to do. Cut it into 8 or 10 equal slices with a sharp knife. I sometimes score one side of each piece lightly with a knife to make a diamond pattern. It looks pretty when it's cooked.
4). Fry the slices at medium heat with a spray or two of Pam. When it is nicely browned and crispy, flip over to cook the other side and add a half cup or so of teriyaki sauce to the pan, making sure it covers the pieces. Allow to cook for a few more minutes, and when the sauce starts to cling to the Spam and thicken, remove from heat.
(BTW: You can make teriyaki sauce yourself if you like, but I usually use LaChoy brand, which is gluten free. I make enough dishes from scratch because of Celiac Disease to appreciate the time savings of using ready made, but if you'd like to make it, the recipe follows).
5. While the spam cooks, cut the sheets of Nori into strips about an inch wide, and the length of the sheet.
6). Ding! Rice is done! If it isn't, wait. When it is, proceed. Press your rice tightly into mounds using wet, clean hands, a Musubi mold, or a large cookie cutter (we often use one in the shape of a bear or piggy head).
7). Set a piece of cooked Spam on top of each mound, and wrap with a piece of Nori, sort of like a belt. Nori is what dried seaweed for sushi is called in Japan. It is sold pretty much everywhere at this point - even Wal*Mart sells it in their little Asian section. Nori generally comes in sheets in a package of a dozen or so. Use scissors to cut it into strips.
8). Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
One can of Spam plus rice and nori is enough to feed our family (usually 4 for dinner) when we add a small salad, veggies, or cooked fruit. One thing that's fun is to cook pineapple rings in the teriyaki sauce left over in the pan. I usually throw in a bit of brown sugar. The rings will be sweet/salty and go well with the whole Hawaiian theme.
There are more ways to mold rice than I could possibly tell you about. As mentioned above, you can use a plain cookie cutter, set on the cutting board, and press the rice into it until it is perhaps half an inch high. Remove the mold and you have a base for your Spam. If you'd rather, many Asian markets carry rice molds. They run 3 or 4 dollars and you can get them in various shapes. If you are extra lucky, and have a Hawaiian market, you might even find a dedicated Musubi mold.
Some people apparently cut the bottom of the spam can out, and use it to mold the rice. It is the same size as the Spam, so it has that going for it, but the jagged edge never seemed worth the risk.
Finally, we sometimes include adding a drop or two of food coloring to the rice, for colored rice. Nothing like pink piggy shaped rice with spam on top :)
Teriyaki sauce:
16 oz soy sauce (we always use San J Gluten Free Tamari(^). Tamari is a type of soy sauce. San J's is the most like "regular" soy sauce we actually like it better)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup dry sherry
Mix all together in a non-reactive pan, heating until the sugar is melted. Remove from heat and store in a clean glass jar.
OK, back to the quizzy/meme thing:
8. You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?
I usually don't, because there aren't any to-go places that serve gluten-free pizza. Except wait a minute! What's this? I was reading a local GF list and someone mentioned tht a new chain opened that served gluten free pizza. So I usually make a Chebe bread (GF-bread mix) pizza crust, with pepperoni and olives on top.
9. You feel like cooking. What do you make?
Usually Vietnamese Summer Rolls (recipe later) or Vietnamese Bun Bowls. I almost always have cooked chicken & veggies in the house, and they are easy and quick to throw together.
10. Do any foods bring back good memories?
Yes. Fried shrimp remind me of my dad. Orange creme truffles remind me of Halloween. Slices of bananas on 'Nilla wafers with cold milk remind me of my dad coming home from work late. He and I would lay out the wafers, put the banana slices on them, pour the milk, then sit down and eat and talk.
11. Do any foods bring back bad memories?
Not really. None that I can think of. So, unless I have suppressed something awful, I can't think of anything.
12. Do any foods remind you of someone?
See above. Fried shrimp reminds me of my dad. Eclairs remind me of my grandmother. Divinity fudge reminds me of my dad. Hot anything reminds me of my husband.
13. Is there a food you refuse to eat?
Boiled Brussels Sprouts, aka Devil Cabbages. Mushy, icky, squishy, stinky gross. I won't eat them, I won't serve them, I refuse to acknowledge their right to exist.
14. What was your favorite food as a child?
Fried shrimp with cocktail sauce.
15. Is there a food that you hated as a child but now like?
No, I was pretty good about eating whatever I was served when I was a kid.
16. Is there a food that you liked as a child but now hate?
I don't hate them, but I used to love Lima beans. I don't love them anymore. No idea why.
17. Favorite fruit and vegetable?
Fresh strawberries and fried okra.
18. Favorite junk food?
Anything chocolate.
Except ice cream.
I don't really like ice cream.
19. Favorite between meal snack:
Chex Mix. I think it is my favorite non-chocolate food. After I was diagnosed with Celiac, I couldn't have it anymore, but a few months ago, the good people at General Mills made Rice Chex gluten-free(^), so I make it with Rice Chex only now and it is delicious. And yes, Rice Chex had gluten. Corn Chex still does. Rice Krispies still has it. The gluten is hidden in the barley malt, which is a natural flavoring. Bless the good people at General Mills.
20. Do you have any weird food habits?
Depends. Is bananas, mayonnaise and peanut butter sandwiches weird? How about green banana sliced on Nacho Cheese Doritos? Ok, the second one is weird even to me.
21. You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?
Salads. Rice cakes.
22. You’re off your diet. Now what would you like?
A nice aged steak. Medium rare, but more toward the rare than the medium.
Lobster with drawn butter.
Butter chicken and rice.
White chocolate mousse. Regular chocolate anything.
23. How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?
How hot can they make it?
24. Can I get you a drink?
Sure.Gin and Tonic, please. Or a nice single malt scotch.
25. Red or White Wine?
Red. White gives me a horrid headache. My husband is the same way.
26. Favorite dessert?
Pecan pie.
27. The perfect nightcap?
Bailey's Irish Cream and a kiss from my sweetheart.
Namaste.
=^..^=
The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. ~ G.K. Chesterton
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