Market Fun

Saturday we went to the Rochester Public Market.
I love that place.
I could have taken more photos, but I was busy shopping.
So perhaps next time.
It wasn't as cold as one would think because oddly enough our temps got up to 42 degrees that day, so we were quite comfortable.
But even in the colder weather they have blowers sending hot air around to various spots throughout the market - both in the "shed" and also outdoors under the overhang.
The market is shaped like a large horseshoe, and then there are open areas on the end where some food vendors and other produce vendors are selling their wares, as well as some food carts. In the shed which has people with reserved spots such as some butchers, some farmers selling beef and poultry, the Pierogie Guy, Pappardelle's pasta, the Hanzlian sausage guys, and the list goes on.
I stopped to get some sausage from the sausage guys, and after trying a sample (who doesn't love a free sample?) the guy was trying to tell me about their different sausages.
I said to him, "You don't have to sell me on how good your sausage is. I've had it before, and I want some more now."
Rude?
Perhaps.
Truthful?
Absolutely.
They do make some amazing sausage.
Right next to him was the indoor stand for Juan and Maria's Empanadas. They have a permanent stand outdoors too, but the inside one was new.
And who was working it? Why, Juan himself.

There he is on the right. I guess you could tell because his shirt reads, "Juan."
Very nice guy, and we just absolutely love their empanadas. (He's originally from Chile, in case you're wondering, but as a Rochester resident he and his wife is very involved in the community here.)
We each had a breakfast empanada, and the baby girl enjoyed hers with some Spanish mayonnaise.

You know she just loves having her picture taken while she's eating.
That's the thing about the Public Market, it's more of an experience than a shopping expedition.
There are buskers and wineries, handbags and 50 pound bags of potatoes for $10-$11 (seriously), and so much more.
Here's a guy playing his accordion outside:

And here's a bread stand (I bought some of the garlic chèvre at the end on the right - beyond delicious):

We don't go every weekend, but even in the winter there is still fresh produce, as well as some produce that you know is coming from, well, somewhere else. Honestly, we don't grow mangoes in Rochester. In the summertime I make it a point to buy only local produce and support local farmers.
It's the least I can do - but it's something we all should do.
Next time we go I'll try to take more pictures because who doesn't like to see 50 pound bags of onions, I ask you.

Discoveries

It's always amazing to discover something that's old especially when you feel as if this special thing is brand new.
This happens with books, music, and yes, even knitting patterns.
(Although to date I've yet to knit a Clapotis, and that is so 10 years ago, yet new-ish to me still because I've never made one.)
There has been a lot of music that I've discovered long after an artist has been around, but even though I feel a bit behind the power curve, I still enjoy it because quite frankly it may bring me pleasure.
Often it seems as if something is discovered in an almost serendipitous way, as if the entire world is colluding to ensure you (or me, or whomever) finds that special book, or music, or whatever.
I could say that this special place of honor in my life belongs to Cookie Butter:

And I'd have to tell you that this is the truth.
Cookie butter is beyond delicious, and sinfully bad for you.
Funny story - I was in Trader Joe's buying some, and the girl who was checking out my groceries said:
"Oh, I am addicted to this Cookie Butter."
"Really?" I said.
"Yeah, it's so good."
Wondering just what I was going to eat it on (although I'd had it on a hot wafel at the Public Market - now there's a story for another time), I asked her, "What did you eat it on?"
With no irony, she replied, "On a spoon."
Now that was a fabulously enlightening conversation.
But this one is not about cookie butter (but if you love yourself, and are not diabetic, eat some).
It is about a certain Flapper who solves mysteries in Australia, otherwise known as Phryne (that's Fry-knee) Fisher.
In November, I was reading reviews on Audible about the latest book by Kerry Greenwood who writes the Phryne Fisher series. As I had never heard of this series before, I thought, gosh, there are a lot of people gushing about these books, I'll have to check it out.
Over to Amazon I surfed, and surprise, surprise, the first book in the series, Cocaine Blues, was free!
If you hurry over, it might still be.
Then just a few weeks ago my friend Mel from Australia, who loves vintage clothing, posted a picture of a still from a television series filmed down under.
Want to guess what it was?
You got it - Phryne Fisher masquerading now as Miss Fisher (apparently she's only Phryne if you're nasty)!
Tonight, being curious, and having finished the first book in the series and knowing there was a TV show that I couldn't watch, I went to imdb and checked the page out of general curiosity.
Lo and behold, on imdb someone posted information about Acorn TV.
I knew about the catalog - I've received it in the past, but the prices were just a bit too high for me.
Did you know, however, that they offer an online service (free two-week trial!) and one of the series they are showing this month is...you got it - Miss Fisher!
That's our girl.
So let's recap our discoveries:

1. Cookie butter is sinfully good and best served on a spoon
2. Not all free books from Amazon are crap
3. You can now mainline your Brit TV

Please be sure to make these discoveries your own. I am merely here to facilitate.

NYC, Part One

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New York City.
The Big Apple.
Did you know that even though I grew up in New York State, I never visited NYC until I was 23 years old.
Hard to believe, isn't it?
My family just didn't travel like that, it's not something we did. Actually we never even took family vacations.
Don't worry, I'm not feeling deprived, just making a statement.
Hubby, however, grew up in NYC.
He loves being there although he's not quite so sure if he'd want to raise his kids there (and let's be honest, we certainly don't make enough money to live there either).
Although it would be nice. I don't mind the city, and I don't mind the country. I'm happy in either place.
We left Major Knitter's and drove quite easily into the city having left Connecticut well after rush hour.
We're so smart, aren't we.
After checking into our hotel we left our bags and went out.
With only one day to be in the city, we had some things to do.
Sadly, no yarn shop adventures for me.
I used up my opportunity a year and a half ago when I made everyone go to Purl Soho and Lion Brand Yarn Studio. 
That's okay, I have enough yarn to see me through this lifetime (but don't tell hubby I said that).
We had a nice room at the Marriott Residence Inn on 6th and 39th. I'd go back there again - it's four/five blocks down to Macy's, and within walking distance of many theaters and Times Square. Plus the breakfast was huge (and free).
Of course the city view while amazing...

...is not always necessarily pretty.
That's okay, we didn't come to NYC to sit in a hotel room.
We only had part of the day and the night to do what we wanted to do.
What we did was eat lunch, get tickets for our show, and then went out to dinner with the SIL.
Now my sister-in-law just turned 50 on March 1, and you certainly wouldn't know it.
Here she is on the left.

Here are pictures of us at dinner.
Of course the fat girl got in the pic at the end.
Ugh.
The woman on the far right is a childhood friend of hubby and the SIL - they grew up on the same block together, so this was the first time in 30 years that hubby has seen her.
We had dinner at Carmine's Restaurant - it was delicious, but man that place was packed.
They serve the food family style, all on big platters that you share, and that's fun, but it is a popular place.
I'd go back. Anyone want to join me?
After dinner we went to our show, but that you'll have to hear about tomorrow.
A domani! (as they'd say at Carmine's)

Finding a Supplier

We all have our addictions, and some of us are very particular about the foods we eat.

You know that's not me.

There is one thing, however, that I adore: Fresh Eggs.

Little did I know that my friend Kim, whom I met and subsequently befriended through some very interesting circumstances along with the knowledge that we share similar opinions about many pleasures (books), raises chickens.

This week I bought some.

Aren't they lovely?

If you've never had fresh eggs, and have only used the ones sold in stores that are weeks, months, years old, then you are missing out.

As Kim said, "Using a tropical fruit analogy - our eggs [the yolks] look more like oranges than lemons."

She's right.
I now have a standing order for 18 eggs a week.
I have a supplier.
I'm so happy.

We Are Where We Eat

Proudly representing the Garbage Plate region of NYS.
Although every once in a while we head past that line into the Buffalo Wings region just to savor a Beef on Weck (as one columnist believes the region could also be called).
And the Wine region most certainly infiltrates our region if only to sell their wares at the Public Market (and probably grab some garbage plates).
So has Labatts (but I never ever drink Blue light for personal reasons).
Life is good.
So is food.
And since we're going all regional, here are a couple of videos that identify regional dialects and vernacular as well.
Sorry for the curse words, but that's how some people roll.



Can someone head to Timmy's for a dozen Timbits for me too?
And here's our region.
There will be a test after to see how many times garbage plates were discussed.

Did you get it?
I say six - four times outright, once asking about meat hot sauce, and lastly discussing Nick Tahou's.
Yes, this was a trick test.

...and we might not even watch the game!

Football is such an American sport.
American football that is.
Football, or Fußball, is a more popular sport in every other country.
We call it soccer.
Sure, they play American football in other countries, but they do identify it that way - as American football.
I didn't just make up that term.
Now have you ever wondered why American women are such amazing soccer players, but the men can barely get past the quarterfinals of the World Cup?
Consider that, and get back to me.
My husband, being from South America, can tolerate American football, but futbol is his beautiful game.
When I was growing up the TV was always tuned to football (and now I'm talking about American football, just so you're clear).
I enjoyed football then too.
How could you not?
Football is so ingrained in American culture, and it's become more of a social activity than enjoying it for pure sport.
And let's be honest - games take for-ever.
I thought last Sunday's Shoe comic strip really captured the essence of how long a game actually takes:

Look away from the field during a soccer game for even a few seconds and you can miss a lot.
Look away from the football field, and, well, I think we're clear on what you've missed.
(For those keeping score, it's either nothing, or not a heck of a lot.)
Football, then, is about sitting around a room for a long period of time, watching television, and, here's the best part, eating food.
Wait, I didn't even mention the commercials!
I've decided that tonight, however, I am prepared to enter into the festivities, so I will be making the following:

1. Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
2. Buffalo Chicken Dip
3. Buffalo Chicken Wings

Wait, hold on, I'm sensing a theme here...it's...nope, don't see it.

Let me know if you find something - oh, wait, I see, I forgot to tell you that there are plenty of fresh veg for the dip.

Silly me.

Last year we ordered pizza from a local place, and they were so busy that this year I am not going to do that again. I had to wait about 20 minutes once I was there, and their waiting area is very small, and was filled with a lot of angry people who just wanted their pizza and to get home because the game was on!

For them, apparently, it's not just about food and commercials, they want to watch the game too (and drink beer). This year the pizza place is offering a free tray of nachos and dip with the purchase of pizza, and as enticing as that sounds, I still think I'll skip it.

In my family, well we'll have the food, and we'll have the beer, but will we be watching the game?

It is the Super Bowl after all.

I hate to alienate so many of my loyal followers (I count at least ten) who are total football fans, but it's not likely.

Hubby is all about futbol 24/7, and even as I write this (which is 6:55 AM on a Sunday morning), he is watching Lazio vs. Genoa on Fox Soccer Channel.

Oh we'll know who won (hopefully the Giants), but I can't even tell you right now if it will be on in our house.

But we'll be eating.

You can count on that.

Now Go With Me On This

It's February, and I haven't gotten sick once this winter.
That, my friends, is highly unusual.
Do you know why I think that is?
Well in referring back to my plan at the beginning of the year, I have made it a point to bring my lunch to work almost every day. In addition, we have not been eating out nearly as much as we usually have. Although when we eat out, we usually eat in, meaning we'll get pizza and wings, watch a movie, and all is right with the world.
Last night after my eldest daughter commented on how bad my hair looked, she also noted that it looked like I had lost weight.
Well first, thanks a lot, and second, thanks! But to be fair, I was wearing black, and the lights were dim in the lobby of the building, so what she might have thought was shadow was actually an extension of my hips and a**. But thanks again anyway. I kind of think so too.
For my red headed friend and I, bringing lunch to work has become almost a support group of sorts for each other. Sure we enjoy the occasional pizza on a Friday when we and our co-workers gather around the counter, ensuring that our collective girth maintains the upright position of said one ton counter, and subsequently gorge ourselves.
The rest of the time, however, we eat at our desks.
And we eat (relatively) healthy meals!
I have used a vegetable stock recipe that my red headed friend has been using for years as the basis for most of my chicken or turkey soups (maybe she'll share it with us?), but I like a good cream soup too.
Not being lactose-intolerant is a blessing, and if you are, my apologies for this blatant appreciation of foodstuff that derives from cow's milk.
I love Panera Bread - mostly for their bacon turkey bravo sandwiches, but also because I love their broccoli soup.
Because they are an extremely expensive eatery (at least I think so, $60 or so for five people? that's high in my book, but what do I know, I'm sooo provincial), and also because the closest restaurant is 12 miles away, I don't eat there as much as I used to (like when we lived in Northern Virginia and thought nothing of driving 12 miles in very heavy traffic to go places). New York State will change you (or maybe it's the cold weather and the desire to hibernate...or laziness).
So when I picked up a big bag of broccoli at the local farm market just before Christmas, I knew that I wanted to make some broccoli soup. After all, I have a freezer to fill.
It was late broccoli, and they were labeled as seconds (meaning, I think, some parts were starting to become a tad discolored, or yellow), but a bag with about 10 heads of broccoli cost about five dollars or so.
I came home and immediately started looking for a good broccoli soup recipe - cheese in the soup was not necessary, but I wanted a creamy soup.
I found this one on Allrecipes:

Best Broccoli Soup
By Carolyn Weinberg

2 cups water
4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt


In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, bring water to boil. Add broccoli, celery and carrots; boil 2-3 minutes. Drain; set vegetables aside. In the same kettle, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually add the broth and milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 1 minute. Add vegetables and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.


What I like about the Allrecipes site is that you can also manipulate the ingredients to reflect amounts required for a larger, or smaller number of servings. For the first batch I made enough soup to feed 25 people.
Why? Do I have to tell you again? Really? I have a freezer to fill, folks.
So the first batch I thought was very, very good.
But my second batch was even better.
Yes, I had that much broccoli. Oh, and there was some leftover for a casserole. It was quite a lot of broccoli.
Into the second batch I added some cheese, and pieces of potato.
That batch was as good as, or even better than, Panera's.
Why go out, when you can make it at home.
Now back to the healthy part.
I haven't gotten sick this winter, not once (don't say "yet," don't say it!).
Part of me believes that this is for several reasons:

1. The only hands that touch my food are mine. Granted, I won't be getting an A+ rating from the Health Department, but I am used to my own germs.
2. Eating fewer processed foods of unknown origin. Well, they are being "processed", but mostly by me. 
3. Have you seen what they've been putting in McDonald's burgers?
4. I've been saving money on my grocery bill, and that, my friends, is less stressful overall.
5. We've hardly had much of a winter - January temps in the 40s and 50s? Yes, I know, sickness is spread by germs, not the weather, but it's really been a strange winter. It could be that we're not locked inside quite so much like normal when our offices become germ gestation stations.

So no flu so far, no colds, maybe a little post-nasal drip, but it hasn't turned into anything worse.

I'm hopeful.

And of course I do realize that I have probably just jinxed myself.

Well, being sick does mean that I can enjoy more soup, right?

Pinterest - I don't know whether to hate it, or love it

I think I'll go with love it.
Pinterest.
The newest mind suck.
Or rabbit hole.
Call it whatever you want, but anyone I know who is on Pinterest can't help but be led along one path, only to divert to another path, and then down another.
It's the "Look! A Squirrel!" reaction for humans.
Today I found my latest obsession, and in my obsessive way decided to share it.
This is so awesome - Mason Jar Meals, as shown on the Big Red Kitchen blog.
Oh, I'm in LOVE with the idea of cooking meals ahead and storing them in mason jars.
If you remember, I have plenty of mason jars due to my last obsession with canning (that was before all the freezing).
And my mother gave me all of her canning supplies, in addition to what I purchased, so I have about two racks in the back room filled with jars and lids.
Yes!
I would also imagine that since you're just putting your meals in the fridge and not canning them, you could reuse the lids. You know that with canning once that seal on the lid has been used you can't use the lid again.
So in love.
I'm totally cleaning out my fridge (more so than I've already done) and making some mason jar meals.
Of course the hubby has to poke that pin in my Pinterest balloon and tell me, "So what do you need all your Tupperware for?"
I hate it when men inject common sense into a conversation.

On Today's Menu....

....applesauce.

I love apples.
And I love applesauce.
I have a good friend who makes apple butter every year, but we're still working our way through some jam, and as much as I'd love to make it I know that it probably wouldn't get eaten.
But perhaps next year.
Pumpkin butter too, yum.
Today, however, I was using up the last of our apples.
Well, our apples that we bought, not that we harvested.
Although that might be a good future occupation...hmmm....that and a Christmas tree farm.
I tried to use the apple peeler corer slicer, but since the skins were getting soft it wouldn't work, so I spent a good hour peeling, coring and slicing 18 apples by hand. I am making a triple batch.
Next year I'll use up the apples sooner when their flesh is firmer.
There are lots of recipes for chunky applesauce out there, but I've taken mine from The Dutch Oven Cookbook.
Of course then I modified it.
So here's how I make my applesauce, at least this version, modified from the published version:

Six apples of whatever flavor the farmer's market has, or of your choosing, and cut into chunky pieces
1/4 - 1/2 cup of sugar (I like a lot of sugar)
juice of one orange
the zest of one orange (or as much as you'd like to get from there)
one cup of water
one teaspoon of cinnamon (I like a lot of cinnamon too)
1/8 or so teaspoon of allspice
1/8 or so teaspoon of nutmeg
one cinnamon stick

Heat over medium heat until it starts to sound like it is boiling, and then lower heat to simmer and simmer the mixture uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the flavor sufficiently permeates your house, or until it cooks down long enough to mush, but with enough chunks of apples left in there. (Perhaps I should say, until it's at the desired consistency.) Remove cinnamon stick before serving. Cool slightly and serve warm, or freeze, or refrigerate. Bring for lunch and tease your friends with just one small taste.

Okay, so Julia Child I'm not.
You won't see a cookbook in my future, but I'm telling you this stuff is good.
Well, my youngest and the hubby don't seem to think so, it's too sweet for them, but my oldest has a much more discerning palate, and he echoed my thoughts -- it tastes like apple pie filling!
So what I think I will do with some of this applesauce is use it for handheld apple pies - like empanadas, or pasties - choose your regional name for whatever you call them. Think Hostess fruit pies.
Yum.
You could even add raisins or nuts to the mixture if your heart desires.
Lovely stuff.
Happy Saturday!

Sure I'll Eat That Ham

Thank you, dear farmer, for the lovely Christmas ham, but please don't plan on raising those nasty smelling animals so close to my house.
Now I don't necessarily feel that way.
During several years of my childhood there was a pig farm just downwind of where I lived, and on a warm, windy summer day when those breezes were blowing in from Canada they would bring along the fresh scent of pig.
Was it gross?
Certainly, but having grown up in an area where there is a lot of farming (whether it's animal or vegetable/fruit/grain), you get used to the smells.
Rotting cabbage in the fall?
We've got it.
Cow manure?
Not as prevalent as it used to be, but in certain spots you can get it.
(We also have ICE cruising the area at all times looking for illegals, although how diligent they are only their records would show, but based upon the recent stabbing in a Wal-Mart parking lot, I'd say not very. That's a blog post for another time though. We're here to talk about pigs.)
Farming, to be exact.
We need farmers.
There is no argument against this.
How else do we expect to have food?
With farms close by you can always eat fresh (or can/freeze it and save it for the long hard winter).
But Americans are a funny, selfish lot.
We don't mind finding our food in nice shiny wrappers at the grocery store, but we certainly don't want any stinky reminders of where that pretty food comes from.
Farmers can farm, as long as they keep the smell downwind.
That's why I have sympathy for this particular farmer.
I can appreciate the plight of the people across the street, but certainly the town needs to pay attention to how they're encroaching on agricultural land.
And really, do they need more housing?
No, we need more pigs.
Or farmland.
Support your local farmer.
That's all.
Now I'm down off my soapbox.

In the year of living frugally

Every year new resolutions are made by so many people.
Personally I think you can start each new day with a resolution, or each week, etc., but there's something about kicking off a new year with new goals.
This year I am attempting to live more frugally.
Something, I might add, that I should have been doing for years.
Alas, better late than never.
Now my latest guilty pleasure (but is it really pleasurable?) is watching the show Hoarders on Netflix.
Wow, way to make me repulsed, feel superior, horrified, and saddened all at the same time, A&E. You go.
As I forced my way through show after show I began to recognize certain of these compulsive traits in my own behavior.
For me, however, my brain is wired differently - I can throw stuff away once I get off my lazy butt and do it. And garbage belongs in the trash can, and not on my floor. Yuck.
I do hoard food though.
Last year (or was it 2010?) I bought a big freezer at Lowe's and as it was on sale, had free delivery, and combined with my military discount (10%) I got a really good deal.
I proceeded to fill up all 20 cubic feet.

That's a lot of space to fill, but by golly I did it.
And then there was the pantry.
I live in an old house, ergo I have a really big pantry.
Closet space is sucky, but room for food storage? I've got it in spades.
Is that full too?
Sho nuff.
And books, wowee, do I have books.
So many - and in so many places - that I checked out a book from the library because I couldn't find my copy in the house.
It's here somewhere, I'm sure, but where?
Yarn is everywhere too, but let's not go there shall we.
My new year's resolutions couldn't have come at a better time. (Like at the beginning of the new year - odd how that happened.)
They are simple enough in theory, but it's the execution of them that kicks my butt.

1. Create a meal plan. And stick with it. There is enough food in the freezer for several, a lot, too many meals, so go through that and figure out what to eat each day. Now as my red-headed friend would say it's probably better to create meal ideas instead of identifying them with specific days, but we hadn't had a chance to huddle over my idea since we were on break. I do see the genius of her plan, however, I had already enacted mine. So far, so good. The meal plan has accomplished several goals: (a) I have spent less money (only $36 to be exact) on eating out in two weeks; (b) we have been eating good, wholesome meals from the food that is on hand; (c) my grocery bills are 50% less than what I normally spend/waste every two weeks. What will I do when my private stock is depleted to dangerous levels? The hoarder in me is avoiding thinking about that, but I do know that Fort Drum will be holding their first commissary case-lot sale in May. The way my luck goes it will probably be the weekend we have Commencement, and you know I'll be stressed with that. But yes, I will drive three hours (or so) for a case lot sale, and this time I'm bringing the truck. The last few we went to my Subaru was completely filled except for the front two seats. Don't judge.
2. Buy no new books. Or old ones. Or any! This one is just as tough. My theory has always been that since I work hard for my money (a la Donna Summer), I should be able to treat myself. Thank you Amazon Prime for enabling me with even faster shipping. So I have been going to the library. Like this is a new concept, right? But I've been checking out cookbooks, and trying recipes, and getting free books through my Kindle, and deleting any emails I get from Crafter's Choice, Barnes and Noble, Interweave Knits, Amazon, etc. STOP TEMPTING ME! I will resist. I'm kind of digging the cookbook from the library thing because I try a recipe, and if it's a success I actually write it down on a recipe card. Remember those things? Sure, from back in the stone age. And let's be completely honest - I also own about 40 hundred cookbooks (that's a pretty accurate count), so I should be using those too. And a big shout out to online recipe sites such as allrecipes. Love it. You're the best. Plus, I work at a college - did I tell you how long we can check out books for? A year. Yes, 365 days. And then if they're not returned - automatic renewal. Love it! Apparently the librarians know that faculty (which I'm not) get cranky if asked to think outside their bubble, so they've afforded this courtesy to all faculty and staff. Talk about blessings! And free Inter-Library Loans! WorldCat is our oyster.
3. Impose immediate yarn diet utilizing the same principles as the meal plan. Somehow writing things down helps keep me focused, so it's good for me to think about what I want to make. How many times have you seen a project, bought the yarn, and then by the time it gets into your home you forget what you were going to make? Raise your hand, I can see you out there. Of course I signed up for the Valentine's Day yarn swap through Natural Suburbia. It's not like I'm buying for myself, right? I'm purchasing a gift of some sort for my swap partner. (Hoarders always have a remarkable ability to rationalize any situation.) Knit, knit, knit, and listen to audiobooks courtesy of the Monroe County Library System. You rock. Now see how two of my resolutions meld together? I'm so awesome.

And here we are in the middle of January - so far, so good. I'm feeling good about everything, enjoying the idea that I don't have to come home and stare into the fridge/freezer and decide what to make. Or give up and get McDonald's. Did I tell you my pants are not as tight? Hmmm...I wonder if there's any correlation here. Let me ponder.

I'll have to continue to monitor my progress, and I'm sure I'll backslide, but I am resolute!

What have you resolved to do this year?

Finding Comfort in Food

It's difficult to lose weight when the phrase, "Comfort Food" carries so much (no pun intended) weight. Being an emotional eater, and looking to food for relief, or pleasure, is dangerous.
I know that when I am upset there are certain foods that instantly make me feel better. When talking about the pleasure principle, for me, nothing makes me feel better than peanut butter and crackers.
It's gotten to the point where even if I'm not upset, eating some crackers and peanut butter brings back the impression that I was upset, but now am feeling better, and I draw comfort from this.
As with anything, I can't eat too many, but even a quick consumption of a package of Ritz crackers makes me feel fully emotionally replete.
Being driven to consume certain foods based upon a visual stimulus is even worse.
How bad are fast food commercials when you're trying to diet?
Those commercials are the worst because even if you don't like Wendy's (which I don't), there's nothing more tempting than seeing a commercial for a Wendy's double burger (or anything) and then feeling compelled to go get one RIGHT NOW.
Then there is the olfactory stimulation that makes us crave certain foods
For instance, does the smell of freshly popped popcorn instantly take you to the theatre where you want to comfortably settle in for a film?
I cannot go to the theatre and not get popcorn. It's virtually impossible. Yes, I've done it a few times, but it's hard for me to focus on the film without my hands having something to do (knitters get this, I'm sure).
And the smell of popcorn literally drives me crazy.
And then we have the memories that are the most dangerous of all - the situational comfort food.
Does the thought of a snowball fight, or building a snow fort make you crave chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa?
When someone mentions a Sunday dinner, does your mind immediately conjure up fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese?
The worst thing to happen, however, is to eat just because it's there.
I can't tell you how many times while at work, or reading, or watching a movie at home, I've opened a bag of crackers, totally ignored the serving size, and started munching away only to look up a short while later and find that three quarters of the bag is gone!
Potluck dinners, or all you can eat buffets are like mined battlefields.
So much to try, and all these good foods - its impossible not to go back up for just one more round.
Even literature is filled with images of families eating meals, and celebrations filled with ritual feasts.
We probably need look no further back than our religious rituals to see how closely intertwined food is with the rite. Look at our holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter - even the supermarkets know what to stock. Have you ever bought Halloween candy in September, just so you're ready, and then found that you have to buy more because the first batch has been consumed? By you?
The only place where I am safe from consuming food is when I'm drinking beer.
This is hardly a plus, since beer  has never been considered a valid diet aid, but I just can't mix my vices, so I don't even eat peanuts (not that they serve them anymore) when I drink.
I believe there was a cartoon character who said, "When I drinks, I drinks, and when I eats, I eats."
Or maybe that's just something I made up in my head when I was drinking (not that I really do a lot of that, so don't worry).
Life with food cravings is tough, and I wish there was some magic pill that would shut off my food stimulation switch.
I do realize, however, that finding comfort in food is all about mental satisfaction, and has nothing to do with a physical need.
I just have to remind myself that food is not there to make me emotionally well.
But dang, it sure does taste good

I'm on a roll

That's right.
A Roll.
I'm on one.
Not to eat, but because my knitting has been moving along quite well.
(Hope I don't jinx myself!)
One pair of socks finished, four other pairs on the needles, and one new pair started.
Still love the Kitchener Stitch.
I don't mind getting to the end of my socks because the Kitchener Stitch does not baffle me.
I actually understand it!
Math - that I don't get - but the Kitchener Stitch - that I get.
Perhaps we were related, Earl Kitchener and I.
Speaking of food, and being a kitchener (see link above)....now we were, weren't we?
Remember?
Way up there!
Rolls - Food - Kitchener - get it?
I got a wonderful cookbook in the mail last week.
I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but Wow - and I mean WOW!
The recipes in here are for some good, down home, simple cooking.
And the front cover pictures my favorite comfort food:

Odd, don't you think, that they called it Simple Comforts especially with a picture of some wonderful tomato soup and grilled cheese on the cover - it's like they knew!
Oh yummy, yummy, yummy.
And the cost is not all that high - I got my copy through Amazon (and no, this is not a shameless or paid plug).
Just sharing the love.

Kinder Eggs

Straight from Canada.
Do we get them for the chocolate, or for the toy inside?

Julia

DN2 and I went to see the movie Julie and Julia this week.
I read the book a few weeks ago, and I wanted to see Meryl Streep portray Julia Child.
Growing up Julia Child was a fixture on our tv, not that my mother ever cooked her dishes. No, she just loved her style.
There may be some of her cookbooks, I'll have to check.
My mother laughed along at the original viewing of Dan Ackroyd's SNL sketch of Julia Child, seeing the humor, but knowing it was done not out of maliciousness, but because Julia was unique.
We've even been to see her kitchen at the Smithsonian.
In the movie the focus was definitely on Mrs. Child over Mrs. Powell, and I think that was a more interesting story.
Buoyed by our common interest in Julia Child, DN2 and I searched eBay and Amazon for Julia Child DVDs and books.
Wow!
Have you checked out the prices lately?
Apparently everyone else is interested in a Julia Child revival as well!
There's even a reissue of Mastering the Art of French Cooking that is a movie tie-in!
Marketing.
Wow.
Anyway I think we'll try the infamous Boeuf Bourguignon recipe first before we drop too much money.
It's free on the Knopf Doubleday website.
Check it out.
And let me know what you thought of the movie.
Do you revere Julia Child?
Did you like the book or the movie better?

Adventures in Canning

Last night I took care of something that I simply had to do because I couldn't let fresh carrots go to waste.
So I cut up those carrots, cut up some pears, and then I added pineapple, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Can't you just smell the cloves?


Delicious.
After it boiled for 20 minutes I added powdered pectin and sugar:


A lot of sugar.
Can you guess what it is?
You've had plenty of hints.
Give up?
Okay, I'll show you.
This is the final product:


It's Carrot Cake Jam!
Well, and Carrot Cake Conserve too.
Do you know what a conserve is?
It's a jam with nuts in it, that's the only difference.
Pretty simple, eh?
I'm excited to try this, but I'm also dreading finding room for it.
One of the reasons I haven't been blogging much this summer is because I've found a new summer obsession: canning.
Here's a list of all I've created so far this summer:

Danish Cherry Sauce - Cherries in sugar syrup with cinnamon and almond extract
Spirited Apricots - sliced apricots in sugar syrup with rum
Raspberry jam
Old-Fashioned Strawberry jam - no pectin, just sugar and fruit (took Hours to do but it is the best, by far)
Summer Solstice Preserves - blueberries and cherries
Victorian Barbecue Sauce - rhubarb, raisins, brown sugar-based sauce
Black Forest Preserves - cherries, sugar, and chocolate
Blueberry Pie Filling
Crushed Tomatoes
Strawberry Freezer Jam
Raspberry Blackberry Freezer Jam
Carrot Cake Jam - carrots, pears, pineapple, spices
Carrot Cake Conserve - same as above but with walnuts

You know this has meant hours of labor in the kitchen, but I think the end product is worth it.
Well here, I'll show you:




For some people this might not be a lot, but you have to realize that I have never canned before, so this whole process is totally new to me.
My mother gave me all her canning supplies, as well as her jars, so that has helped, but it's all been one big food experiment, and I love it!
(I don't know how it all tastes, but we live in hope that come December when we open a jar the taste will remind us of the rainy summer day on which it was made when all the ingredients were fresh from the market. And yeah, rainy, because that's ALL it's done this summer.)
The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving has been my guide throughout this process.
Indispensable.
And just think, it's only July - apples haven't even been harvested yet!

Dinner

Last night we had a wonderful dinner.
DN1 made pesto:



It was so good, the basil taste was so fresh it was unbelievable!
Of course it was fresh, because she sat there and picked off 2 cups of basil leaves from the plant, and then ground it up in the blender with pine nuts.
I love basil, it is definitely my favorite spice, so of course I had to add a bunch (or rather more than the recipe called for) to the bolognese sauce I made:



We served both sauces (separately, of course) with the ravioli we buy from the Public Market.
This ravioli is so delicious, and so filling, that I can only eat three, okay four, before I'm as full as a tick.
Wonderful stuff, and they fill it with great ingredients. DN1 had feta and spinach last night, I had 3 cheese, and then meat, and we've also tried gorgonzola and some other flavors.
The stuff isn't cheap, but it's the best I've had.
I'll let you know when we're cooking again so you can come on over.

Chicken

This weekend I made some brown sugar barbecue chicken using a recipe from Wegmans.
It was really good, and the picture actually looks like how the chicken came out.

And it tasted even better.
Yum, yum.
This is definitely a recipe I will use again, although with a bit more preparation time, because marinating for 6-8 hours, and then cooking for another 2 is an all-day event.
It was worth it, but really, all day.
Or maybe a work day.

Saturday Night's Alright for....Pasta

We like to eat spaghetti dinners on Saturday night.
Not the ones you get from a fundraiser, just what you make at home.
It's kind of a tradition.
We used to eat spaghetti and listen to Prairie Home Companion on Saturday nights.
Lately I haven't been listening to the show as much, and I miss it.
That's not what I'm here to talk about though.
I'm here to talk about pasta.
DN1 is always on a pasta kick - she loves pasta with vegetables.
We used to eat spaghetti with tuna (and parmesan cheese) - sounds weird, but it's good, and of course inexpensive.
You could make the dish better by adding butter, but it's still quite satisfying without it.
Locally we have a Barilla plant, and there was an article on one of our tv stations that talks about how good things are for the pasta industry right now, because it is a low-cost alternative meal.
Here's the article - and there's a video too if you care to watch it.
Interesting that they say their sales have increased by 15%, and that overall pasta sales are up 20% in the past year.
The Barilla plant is actually hiring - strange for this area at a time when Kodak just laid off another 1,000 employees.
Well, it's Saturday, and it's time for me to support the local economy, so I need to get to the store to stock up on Barilla.
I like my spaghetti thin, not thick.
How about you?

Thursday Quiz - What's a snowy day without comfort food?

Yesterday was a heck of a snowstorm.
No going out to get lunch for me.
And I've been bringing my lunch lately, mostly to save money, but also because the cafe next door carries the same thing everyday and who wants to pay over $3.00 for a tuna sandwich.
Fortunately I had made a big batch of macaroni and cheese on Saturday.
DH didn't care for it too much because I was serving a meatless meal, and the kids didn't like it either because it didn't come from a box and was orange in color.
Too bad for them - more for me.
I thought it was delicious, albeit a bit smoky due to the fire.
Well I had overloaded the pan, and I thought it wouldn't run over.
There I go thinking again.
So it did, and there were flames, and smoke, and you know the drill.
Now I have to clean that side of the oven - the non-self-cleaning oven.
Yuck.
Anyway, it was a perfect day yesterday for some comfort food, and everyone was eyeballing my mac and cheese.
I didn't share - maybe the next non-smoky batch.
Soup is also a wonderful comfort food, and here's today's quiz about soup.

You Are Chicken Noodle Soup

You are a traditional and conservative person. You value the past, and change frightens you. You are very loyal, especially to your family. You prefer a low-key life, with lots of time spent at home. You like soup because it's easy, quick, and cheap. You tend to have a favorite soup you stick to. Why change a good thing?

What Kind of Soup Are You?

I'm surprised I'm not tomato soup, because that's actually my favorite, but I must be wrong, because a five question quiz couldn't be inaccurate in its assessment.
Or could it?
What's your comfort food?

Updated: Speaking of comfort food, have you seen this latest dish? I can feel my arteries clogging just looking at pictures, and you know I love my bacon.