Moxie Musings

Northwest Cabbage Slaw

2011-08-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is my go-to recipe to take when invited to a BBQ or potluck. It's asked for frequently, and with good reason! DeNise asked me to share the recipe yesterday, so I've done my best to write it down. This recipe has evolved, kind of from a recipe I used to make that started with raw ramen noodles and cabbage. One night I decided to make cole slaw to go with something BBQ'd, but there was one little problem....I despise mayonaise! So I decided to use an oil & vinegar dressing similar to the one I sued on the ramen salad and it got good reviews. This recipe evolved from those initial attempts. If you keep the ingredients on hand, this salad goes together really fast, especially if you buy the pre-shredded cabbage and toasted almonds.

1 small head of cabbage, shredded (OR 1 bag of shredded cabbage, NOT the angel hair variety)

1 bunch of green onions, cleaned and sliced finely

½-1 whole bunch of cilantro, or to taste, chopped finely

¼ -1/2 cup craisins, chopped

¼-1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1 jalepeno, chopped finely

Prepare vegetables and add to large bowl. Toast almonds in a dry pan on stovetop (or buy them already toasted). While the almonds cool, chop and add the craisins to the salad mixture. Add the almonds when they are fully cooled. Mix well.

Dressing:

3 T rice vinegar

1 T good light olive oil or grapeseed oil

Salt & pepper

¼ t cumin

¼ t coriander

1 t. sugar

Whisk until sugar is dissolved and pour over salad. Mix well.

Nancy's Black Cake

2011-08-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Aunt Nancy for this recipe! I sure hope at some point you decided to share it with your sister!!
I am not usually a big fan of chocolate cake--it's typically too dry for me, but this cake is moist, easy and awesomely chocolately! This is maybe the simplest "scratch" cake I've ever made.

Butter a 9" x 13" pan, then sprinkle cocoa powder like you would flour, coat the pan and pour out the excess. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the following ingredients well.

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 t. vanilla
2 squares (2 oz) baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup milk + 1 t. vinegar
1 cup boiling water + 1 t. baking soda
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
3/4 t. salt

Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Frosting

Melt together:
5 T. sugar
2 T. butter
3 T. evaporated milk

Bring to boil, then remove from stove and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Beat till smooth and pour over hot cake.

Picnic!

2011-06-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

One of the best things I've ever bought at a charity auction was a picnic basket. Technically, I've bought TWO picnic baskets--the first one was wicker and oh-so traditional looking, but not very practical. The second looks like a piece of soft-sided luggage, but holds everything you might need for picnicking! We like head east on Memorial Day Weekend, betting that the east side has some of the elusive sunshine that we don't often get over here (reliably, anyway) until July or so. The hubby and I like road trips. When I bought the first picnic basket and lugged it along on a road trip/wine tasting trip to Kelowna, BC, he thought it was a silly thing to bring along, and that we wouldn't use it. After a stop at a gourmet grocery and a nice little picnic on the patio outside our hotel room, he changed his tune. Now, he always asks if we're bringing it along when we head out for a few days. This last weekend, we drove over to Pendleton, OR, then hit Walla Walla, and the Tri-Cities for some wine tasting (and buying)! I prepared a few things to take along instead of just stopping at a grocery store and we ended up stopping at a great little park at Wallula Junction, right outside of the Tri-Cities. I wish that I would have taken a picture--the weather was picnic perfect, we had the park practically to ourselves,and the food was terrific!

Shrimp with *homemade cocktail sauce
*Cracked pepper flatbread
White bean dip
*Baby carrots & sliced cucumbers
Asiago bread
Artichoke heart tapenade
*Pickled asparagus
Grapes
Smoked Gouda
Blue Cheese
A nice red-blend wine

* From my kitchen--watch for the recipes!

Rosemary-Lemon Flatbread

2011-05-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Lately, the bread basket at several restaurants I've been to has been filled with different kinds of wonderful, crispy flatbreads so I decided to try my hand at making some at home. I've made this twice now, and it is SUPER easy, even for a cook who isn't a great baker, like me! And it keeps really, really well in a sealed container. Today I rescued the last two pieces from my last batch, sprinkled a little Italian blend cheese on them and broiled them in the toaster oven, then added slices of tomato. Next time I'm going to add a little basil as well. Tonight I served this alongside Chicken Curry and Coconut Rice. This is really a quick recipe and very satisfying to make! Enjoy!!

Rosemary-Lemon Flatbread

1-3/4 c. flour
1 T. chopped rosemary
1 t. lemon zest
1 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 c. water
1/3 cup olive oil
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a large baking sheet on the middle rack to preheat.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, rosemary, lemon zest, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and add water and oil. Mix with wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times. Don't overwork the dough.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Set aside two and wrap in plastic while you work with the first. Roll out one piece on a sheet of parchment paper into about a 10 inch round. No need to make it perfect. Dough should be thin and even.

Lightly brush with a bit of oil and sprinkel with sea salt. Slide the dough and parchment onto the preheated baking sheet. Bake until pale golden and browned in spots--8-10 minutes. Place bread and parchment on a rack to cool, return the baking sheet to the oven and make the other two rounds the same way. When it is cool, break into pieces and serve!

Keeps for several days in an airtight container.

Rosemary-Asiago Gnocchi

2011-05-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

1-1/2 lbs russet potatoes

1/2 cup flour
1/4 c. grated Asiago cheese
2 egg yolks
1/4 t. allspice
2 T. finely chopped rosemary
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Boil potatoes whole until soft enough to mash--20-40 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. When they are tender, remove from water and cool until you can handle them. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Run through a potato ricer into a mixing bowl. Add flour, cheese, egg yolks, allspice, rosemary, salt & pepper and mix well. Add more flour if needed.

Flour your hands, pick up a chunk of dough and roll it into a rope about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Cut the ropes into 1/2-3/4 inch lengths, flouring the pieces as you go. Place the pieces on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until ready to cook.
To cook: Place gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water. They will rise to the top when they are done. Remove from the pot with a large slotted spoon.

Cheese sauce

1 cup milk
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. grated cheese asiago cheese.

Mix milk and cornstarch, heat until thickened. Remove from heat and add cheese. Mix until blended.
Mix with gnocchi to serve.

Cheesy Artichoke Dip

2011-03-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

I just heard that today is National Artichoke Heart's Day! In honor of one of my favorite vegetables, I thought I would share my recipe for hot cheesy artichoke dip! This is one of my go-to dishes for parties and potlucks--I almost always have the ingredients on hand and it never fails to impress. Mmmmmm, cheesy goodness!!!

4 cans cheddar cheese soup

1 cup shredded cheese—use cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, or Italian blend, depending on what you like or have on hand

1 cup milk

1 small package cream cheese

1 large can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 large can diced green chiles

Dump all ingredients into a small crockpot and heat till warm.

Serve with cubed Hawaiian or sourdough bread, flatbreads and/or crackers

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

There is much to be thankful for this year. Thirty thanksgivings ago, I welcomed my firstborn, Sara, into the world. Although she doesn't often celebrate her birthday on Turkey Day, I am reminded of one of the most special days of my life every year on Thanksgiving. Happy Birthday, tomorrow, Turkey Girl!

Yesterday, we shared Thanksgiving with very good friends and family. Around here, it's like Thanksgiving Day cook-off! We shared some good wine, some great food, and good laughs!

A few of the recipes:

Cranberry Chutney

I really, really, despise the stuff that comes out of the can, so a few years ago, I found a recipe that I tweaked a bit and here is the result. It's great with dinner, but especially good on those next day turkey and cream cheese sandwiches! This is so easy and so good that you will never tolerate that canned stuff again!

1/4 c dried apricots, finely chopped
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c golden raisins
1 c water
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 t grated lemon zest
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c chopped crystallized ginger (don't leave this out! Find it in with the spices or cheaper in the bulk food bins)
1/2 t red pepper flakes (doesn't make it spicy, just brings out the flavors of the fruits)

Combine apricots, brown sugar, raisins and water in a small pan; bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries, apple and lemon zest; simmer for 10 minutes more.
Stir lemon juice, ginger and pepper flakes into the mixture, then remove from heat.
Cool on the stovetop, then refrigerate or serve at room temperature.

Oven Roasted Bacon-Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Serves 8-10

This recipe has earned the approval of several friends and family members who normally turn their noses up at the little cabbages.

2 lbs brussells sprouts
1/2 lb bacon, sliced thinly crosswise
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
3 T. good balsamic vinegar
6-10 cloves roasted garlic
2-3 t sugar
Salt and coarsely ground pepper

Line a baking dish with foil, add the garlic cloves and a bit of olive oil. Roast in a 350 degree oven about an hour, or until very soft. Set aside.
Put the bacon in a large frying pan and fry until crispy, adding the onions when the bacon is about halfway done. Set aside.
Remove the stem ends from the sprouts and cut in half, then place them in a large baking dish. Add the garlic and the bacon/onion mix. Drain off a bit of the bacon grease first if you like. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper and roast for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees--the sauce should be dark and carmelized.

Northwest Waldorf Salad
6-8 servings

I got the original recipe from Cooking Light magazine, and of course, tweaked it a bit. This is a nice way to add local produce to the holiday spread and it's healthy, too!

3/4 c finely sliced celery
1/2 c chopped dried cherries
1/2 c chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 c plain, low-fat Greek yogurt (or just use plain yogurt)
1/3 c low-fat sour cream
2-3 T agave sweetener (honey would also work)
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 t salt
2 firm Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled cored and chopped

Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl. Combine yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and sweetener and whisk until smooth. Pour over celery mixture. Add pears and apple and toss gently to mix. Chill at least 1 hour.

Gingerbread Pudding

Hands down our favorite dessert--the one my husband asks for on his birthday--even though that is just two days before Christmas! We first had a similar dish at the 42nd Street Cafe at the beach and liked it so much I just had to try my hand at making it! Make the gingerbread a day early and leave it on the counter to dry out a bit before cubing it up for the pudding! In a pinch, I suppose you could use a gingerbread mix to make the pudding, but I admit I haven't tried that.

Gingerbread:
2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c milk
2 t ginger
1 c molasses
2 t baking soda
1/2 c butter
2 eggs
1/2 c brown sugar

Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and ginger in a large mixing bowl. Heat the butter, molasses and brown sugar on low heat until the butter is melted and mixed with the other ingredients. Stir the milk, eggs and melted mixture into the flour mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 9" x 13" cake pan and bake at 325 for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.

To make into pudding.

Cut the gingerbread into 1" cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together 3 eggs, 1 c milk and 1/2 c sugar and add to the gingerbread pieces until coated thoroughly, then return to the cake pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with caramel sauce, whipping cream, or both!

Caramel sauce:
1/2 c butter
1 c heavy whipping cream
1 c brown sugar

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the brown sugar and mix well. While still heating, slowly add the whipping cream and continue to mix until the sauce has absorbed all the cream. Remove from heat and serve over the gingerbread pudding. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers to use over ice cream or in your coffee drinks!

So those are just a few of our Thanksgiving Day staples. I got hungry while typing this, so I am heading for the kitchen to pull some leftovers out of the 'fridge for breakfast!

More, please!

2010-10-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

After a day of cooking things to take on our beach trip this weekend, I opened the refrigerator to look for inspiration for dinner. A package of recently purchased ground turkey breast and lots of veggies at the "need to use quickly" stage were what I found, so I decided to try and create something similar to a childhood dish that my grandmother and aunties made frequently and the family called "More." I'm fairly certain that it never tasted quite like this in the 60s, but it made a large pot of yummy goodness, AND I was able to put some in the freezer for those nights when inspiration doesn't come so swifty!
Here's my take on it!

More

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 lb. ground turkey or hamburger ( I used ground turkey breast)
1-2 chopped peppers--I used a small green one from the garden and a large red one
2 small zucchinis, chopped
1 c. or so sliced mushrooms
1 small eggplant, cubed
3 sprigs of basil, chopped (use kitchen shears to make this easier)
1 quart or large can of tomatoes

2 cups dried wide noodles

Brown the garlic, onions and meat, drain any grease. In a large stir fry pan, saute the peppers for two minutes, then add eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms and saute for another minute or two. Add the basil and tomatoes and simmer until thickened. In the meantime, boil the noodles about 7-8 minutes. Combine the meat, veggies and noodles and serve topped with a sprinkle of your choice of cheese--I used the shredded Italian mix!

Caution! This makes a lot of pasta! It's great for leftovers or stick some in the freezer for a quick dinner. Enjoy!

Crockpot Pork & Green Chile Stew

2010-09-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Fall weather always makes me crave warm, spicy food. Here's my take on a recipe that I've seen a few times, but am trying today for the first time. It smells fabulous!

2 T. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

Small Pork tenderloin, cut into 1” cubes

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks

3 poblano peppers, cut into 1” pieces

½ t. cumin

¼ t. ground coriander

1-1-1/2 lbs small potatoes

Optional: carrots

Season pork and brown pork and garlic in olive oil. Place browned meat and garlic in crockpot. Add broth to deglaze pan and then add it to the crockpot. Place the rest of the ingredients in the crockpot and cook on high for about 6 hours.

If you like it hotter, add a few other peppers, such as jalepeno. For a smokier flavor, add a canned chipotle or a bit of liquid smoke. A bit of frozen corn, added at the end of cooking would be good in this, too.

Serve with fresh tortillas if you can find them, sour cream and cilantro.

Gazpacho

2010-07-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a great recipe for hot summer nights---it's a cold, tomato-based soup.

Gazpacho

1 large bell pepper, any color
1 english cucumber
1 large tomato
1/2 sweet onion, such as Walla Walla, Maui, or Vidalia

1 ripe avacado

Chop vegetables and place in large bowl.
Add:

2 T. finely chopped cilantro
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. cider vinegar
2 t. balsamic vinegar
1 t. seasoning salt
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. chipotle chile powder

Toss with vegetables and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

Add:
1 large bottle V-8 juice

Season to taste with Tabasco. Garnish with extra cilantro leaves.

You can also add salad shrimp to the soup or serve it on the side.

Braised Balsamic Chicken

2010-06-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

I made a Mediterranean-style dinner last night. I had chicken defrosting and knew I wanted to use some packaged polenta that I had on hand, so I went looking for a recipe that would complement it. The sherbet & sorbet recipes follow, also. Here you go, with a few personal adaptations, of course!

Braised Balsamic Chicken

6 Chicken Breasts, boneless & skinless
NOTE: I substituted chicken tenderloins and used about 10-12
Garlic salt (I like fresh ground garlic sea salt)
coarsley ground pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 sweet onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar--buy the best you can afford--Costco's is pretty good
1-small can diced tomatoes
1 t. dried basil
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried rosemary
1/2 t. dried thyme

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet, brown the onion and the chicken.
Mix tomatoes, vinegar and seasonings in a bowl, then pour over the chicken and onions. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is done (145 degrees) and the tomato sauce is thickened.

Polenta

I cheat and buy the stuff at TJs in the tube. Slice it off and brown in a skillet brushed with olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet and top with grated asiago cheese. Broil to melt the cheese. Serve with extra sauce from the chicken.

Three Bean Salad

1 can dark kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can green beans
3 T. seasoned rice vinegar
1 T. Extra virgin olive oil or other light oil
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. seasoned salt or garlic salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/8 t. Mrs. Dash seasoning

Drain and rinse all the beans, then place in bowl. Whisk together the remaining ingredients until the sugar is well disolved and add to the bean mixture. Refrigerate until about 20 minutes before serving.

Raspberry Sherbet

1-12 oz bag frozen raspberries, at least halfway defrosted
1 c. non-fat half and half
sugar to taste (about 1/2 cup or more)

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor for about 30 seconds. Add mixture to ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Mango Sorbet

1 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
1 lb. bag frozen mangoes

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is clear. Remove from heat and cool in refrigerator.
Allow mangoes to thaw while syrup is cooling, about 30-45 minutes.

Combine the syrup and the mangoes in a food processor and process until smooth (about 30 seconds) If mixture is cold, process in ice cream maker immediately. If it isn't cold, refrigerate, then process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

You may serve both of these immediately if you are pressed for time, but I like to put the finished product in a container with a lid and freeze for at least a couple of hours before serving.

There you have it, folks--my mediterranean inspired dinner! I served it with a wine from a local winery--2005 Capstone Unicus. If you don't happen to have that one in your wine cellar, try a Washington or Coastal California Zinfandel or any "big" red wine. I also served the Asiago bread from Safeway bakery, warmed in the oven while the chicken cooked. Enjoy!!

Memorial Day

2010-05-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

The ritual was one that she had performed since childhood--filling the car with whatever flowers happened to be blooming in the yard on Memorial Day,"Decoration Day," weekend. She wasn't sure why she still did it--all the other relatives who cared were long gone, but, then again, maybe that WAS why she did it. Driving up the rutted gravel road to the old cemetery brought back childhood memories.

Most of my father's relatives were dead before I was born, and they were held in greater esteem than any of the living relatives. My great-aunt was adamant that we know that these dead people had lived greater lives than we could ever hope to, and in a time that was much greater, simpler and harder than ours. The family matriarchy was the dominion of the iron-fisted, acerbic sisters, my grandmother and great-aunt Nellie, her younger-by-only-two-years sister. From the time I was about four, several times a year, but most importantly on "Decoration Day," they would load their gardening tools, my cousin and I into the old Buick and head to the Oddfellows Cemetery to tend the family plot.

We would wander through the cemetery for a while, but eventually our attention would be called away from our morbid grave games to pay our respects to the dead relatives. The would come the stories. Detailed, sometimes vivid descriptions about how each of these people came to be here that fascinated me and horrified my cousin. She didn't do well with things like that. While I thrived on hearing the stories like the one about my grandmother's brother Ralph, who, it was told, had an operation and died from the ether. My poor cousin would turn pale and rush to the car, escaping into the safety of the backseat. Ether, I was told, is what they used to knock you out so that the operation didn't hurt. I imagined that operations took place somewhere like the Frankenstein's labratory I had seen in the movies. While my grandmother told these stories in her matter-of-fact manner, my great-aunt seemed amused and almost delighted in seeing us squirm.

The trips were never described as "going to the cemetery," but as "going to see Mama and Papa," or "going to visit Ralph and Ester." No one in the family questioned it, or seemed to think it was the least bit odd that we going to see dead people. Sometimes the sisters spoke to them, filling them with the latest family news and gossip. Although I never asked either of them about death, my sense of death, as a child, was htat it was a temporary situation, and that, in time, they would get over it.

My peculiar sense of the dead continued at home. Home was my grandmother's house where I lived with her and my father. A big old house that had once held four apartments; we lived mostly downstairs in the space that had once been two of those apartments. When I would ask my grandmother about my grandfather and my father's little sister, she would tell me that they were with the man upstairs. I thought she meant upstairs in the unused apartment, so I sneaked up the stairs to look for them. I could use someone to play with. I wasn't supposed to be up there, and when she caught me, my explanations were met with silence. I thought it was pretty neat that we kept dead people in our upstairs and I told all the kids in my kindergarten class about them.

In another part of the house, my father had mounted the head and horns of a deer over the doorway. Unfortunately it was between me and the bathroom. I just knew that the deer wasn't really dead, but just marking time on our wall, and that it might come back to life just as I walked under it. After I had peed my pants a couple of times, someone figured out that I was afraid of the deer and took it down.

Many years later, when I was a young bride, the news came that my father had died. I went to his house, my grandmother's house where I had grown up and before anyone else arrived, I checked the apartment upstairs, just in case.

Hispanic Barbie

2010-05-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

In the previous post, you might have noticed the picture of the pretty salsa that I served on Cinco de Mayo. Behind the salsa in the photo is something I bring out of the closet once a year, but has come to mean a great deal to me. I call her "Hispanic Barbie," but she is actually a barbie head and arms atop a styrofoam tortilla warmer that is covered in ruffles and lace to form the senorita's dress. She was a gift several years ago from the wife of one of our employees who knew for my love of Mexican food. I was speechless when I was presented with Hispanic Barbie. What the heck was I going to do with it? It vaguely reminded me of the doll heads with crocheted dresses that were intended to cover a spare roll of TP and sit on the toilet tank at Grandma's house. Although I can't recall the woman's name, I do remember the sparkle in her eye when she gave it to me, the "jefe's senora"(boss's wife). I thanked her in my pathetic college spanish and resolved to find a way to display the gift.

If you've been to my home, you might have noticed that I like to decorate the dining table for the appropriate season/holiday, etc. My daughters will tell you that "like" is an understatement and that my fascination with it borders on eccentric. Heh. I own tablecloths, placemats, napkins and rings, and centerpieces for practically any occasion. Hispanic Barbie would be a centerpiece for Cinco de Mayo! It's a great holiday to haul out my brightly colored table linens and my much loved vintage Fiestaware.

So once a year I haul out this wonderful centerpiece and remember the love with which she was given. It is a nice feeling.

Super Secret Kick Ass Salsa

2010-05-06T09:54:00.001-07:00

I haven't often shared my salsa recipe, partly because it has developed over the years and I have never really written it down, and partly because I get lots of compliments on it and am being kind of selfish :) But I have been giving it out quite often lately and it seems that I write it down a bit differently each time, so I thought that I would post it here and then just direct people here when they ask for it. So here it is!

This salsa is pretty quick to make and it is easy to have the ingredients on hand all the time in case you have unexpected company or a really big snack attack! This and a bag of tortilla chips are also my mainstay when invited to something potluck-like and I get asked to bring it quite often. A few years back I went on a houseboat vacation with 9 of my closest friends and we made a gallon of this salsa, chopped entirely by hand because we didn't have a processor. We consumed every bit of it and could have eaten a lot more! But be forewarned, some people have not been able to recreate my salsa, probably due to the haphazard way I cook! Adjust the heat to suit yourself--I make it hotter at home but tone it down a bit when I take it somewhere. I'll also soon be posting some other recipes, one for pineapple salsa and another for Chipotle Salsa (burn your eyebrows off HOT!!!) But in the meantime, here is Twylla' s Super Secret, Kick Ass Salsa! Enjoy!!!

1 large can diced tomatoes--I like to use organic--and when you have ripe tomatoes in your garden, use them either by themselves, or added to the canned

1 small can chopped green chiles

2 or more chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (buy a can in the Mexican foods section, use what you will and store the rest in a ziploc in the fridge or freezer until next time you need them) These are dried, smoked jalepenos and give the salsa its zing and smokey flavor

1 bunch green onions, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 bunch cilantro, stems cut off

Seasoning salt, or sea salt to taste

2t-2T sugar

Place all the above ingredients in a food processor (I like to place the fresh vegetables in first with the rest on top so that they process better) Process until you get the consistency you like.

Make sure and taste it before you take it out of the processor so you can adjust it if you want to.

End of the Season

2010-04-14T23:03:00.001-07:00

Tonight I watched the Trailblazer's last regular season game from my sofa within arms reach of a large box of tissue. Turns out it was a groaner, but I was disappointed to not be there in person. My husband took me to my first professional basketball game while we were dating, and it didn't take me long to become a pretty big fan of the Portland Trailblazers, or the "Jailblazers" as they came to be known. It was easy to lose interest there for a while, when the Blazers were in the news more often for some of the dumb antics of their players than for their expertise on the court. But the last few years have been very, very different for Blazers fans--we have a superstar, and a local one, at that--we have an owner who is deeply committed to the organization--we have a fan-freaking-tastic coach, and we have a deep, a VERY deep bench. To say that this year held a lot of challenges for the team would be a gross understatement. The team has been riddled with injuries to the point of being unbelievable, and when Joel Pryzbilla suffered a season ending injury, many fans thought that the Blazer's prospects for the playoffs were over. But this amazing team stepped up and met every challenge and ended their season tonight 50-32, just four wins short of their season last year, and as sixth seed in the West.

This weekend the playoffs begin, with the Blazers set to play Phoenix in the first round. Who knows what the playoffs will bring, especially with Brandon Roy's play being questionable since he sustained an injury while playing against the Lakers. What I do know is that this team has a lot of heart and I can't wait to watch them continue their journey no matter where it ends this season.

Spring in the Greenhouse

2010-04-08T09:39:00.001-07:00

I have a lot of experiments going on out in the greenhouse right now and they all seem to be going superbly! If you are on Facebook you might remember that I was searching for a waterbed heater a while back--odd...huh? I put a "wanted" ad on Craigslist and after a couple of disappointments actually managed to score 2 waterbed heaters. No, I'm not having a nostalgic moment, but I had been shopping for seed mat heaters for my greenhouse and found that they were terribly expensive. Seed mat heaters look a lot like waterbed heaters, as I recalled, and I thought that perhaps someone out there might have one for sale cheap. Not only were the heaters just half the price that ONE seed mat was, they are much bigger also! A very good score for a girl who LOVES a good bargain.

So the theory is that seedlings start much faster when bottom heat is applied to them. In the past I've used my greenhouse for many different things, but I haven't been big on starting seedlings. So I am starting quite a few seedlings right now and will likely have baby lettuce (mesclun) in just a few weeks! I typically spend quite a bit of money on plants each year, and my theory is that this will save me quite a bit. For now I'm growing lettuce, eggplant and cilantro because I have limited space for the vegetables. They have to be fairly close to the house or else the deer come up and feast upon them.

I just purchased a book that I read many years ago--Square Foot Gardening---and hope to incorporate more of the ideas from that book into my veggie crop this year. The idea is that you don't need a huge area for vegetable gardening and that a lot of space is wasted when vegetable gardens are planted in the traditional way. The methods in the book also reduce the amount of work required--that is always a bonus in my book!

I also ordered a variety of heirloom tomato plants from www.Burpee.com and just got notice that they are on their way. In MHO it is too early to set out tomato plants, so those bad boys will go into the greenhouse for awhile while we prepare a new raised bed for them. I've found a nice spot but I'm afraid it is going to require quite a bit of work to put a new bed in place there.

All the while I am also getting ready to put in a decorative flower bed out in front of the greenhouse--it's been pretty baren and weedy out there and it really needs some work. And I really need a few nice days so that I can get all my ambitious projects started!

Unemployment

2010-04-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

The unemployment thing was fun for a while. I got some much needed downtime after two years of full-time work, full-time school, part-time business partner, and part-time wife, AND had some quality time to get my thesis written. Then there was the new grandbaby (last June) and the youngest daughter's wedding (September) my step-daughter's return from overseas (November), and of course, the holidays. After the holdiays, the search got serious and I have been applying for jobs for which I am over-qualified, under-qualified, and not-even-close-to-qualified. Although I recently completed my masters in Manangement, all of my experience is in non-profit, education, and workforce development. I have had a few interviews and honestly thought I had a good chance at a couple of them, and in "normal" times I probably would have, but there are tons of qualified applicants out there right now. In the meantime, since I have some expertise in the area of job search, I have been helping out friends, friends of friends and sometimes complete strangers with resumes, cover letters, job search strategy, and whatever else might come up....each and every person I talk to is unprepared for the difficulty of today's job search. YIKES, if I'm having trouble, I can't even imagine what other people are going through.

5 Minute Sticky Buns

2010-04-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

I got my first microwave in 1980 when my lovely eldest daughter Sara was only a few weeks old. It was a thoughtful gift from her dad, who knew that the time I had previously spent preparing food had just taken a serious hit. He got it home after purchasing it and quickly realized that it was not going to fit on the counter tops of our 1940s era kitchen, so he set about building a stand for it. Believe me, it was HUGE by today's standards and cost a whopping $600--in 1980! I wonder how much that would be in today's dollars? Anyway, no one I knew had a microwave, but it came with a fairly hefty instruction manual and cookbook, so I set about trying my hand at cooking with the "Radar Range!"

One recipe that I used over and over again when my kids were little was this one for quick sticky buns--it is easy to keep the ingredients on hand and appears that you spent a lot more time on them than you really did! I "resurrected" the recipe and made them for Dwain and I this morning along with scrambled eggs, bacon, sliced mango & strawberries, and OJ. A very nice little Easter celebration!

5 Minute Sticky Buns

In a round glass casserole or Corningware dish combine:

3T. Butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
nuts or raisins if you like

Melt in the microwave and stir together well.

Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut 1 can of refrigerated biscuits into fourths, add to the mixture and stir gently to coat evenly. Microwave 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 minutes.

Tamale Pie

2010-04-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

Tamale pie is one of those foods that remind me of my childhood. Back in the 70s, I thought this was pretty exotic fare and my mom made a pretty good one. I think she got her recipe off the back of the Bisquick box or something. I saw this recipe the other day in a newsletter that I get from the Washington State Extension Agency and decided to try it. It didn't go together as fast as I might have liked--if you decide to make it on a work night, you might want to do some prep work the night before so you can just throw it together when you get home. I made some changes to the original recipe, of course, and I've noted those. Sorry I didn't think to take a picture when it came out of the oven, but I was SO hungry and it smelled so good that all I wanted to do was to dig right in! If anyone who makes this wants to send me a photo, I will be happy to post it. Enjoy!!

Tamale Pie

1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey breast to keep it low-fat, AND that is what I had on hand!)
1 can kidney beans (the original says black or pinto would also work, but I LOVE kidney beans)
2 T. cornstarch
1- 1/2 c. chopped onion
4 t. chili powder ( I substituted in 1 of the teaspoons with chipotle chili powder, which is available at Safeway and will make it quite a bit warmer with a smoky flavor)
1 clove garlic, minced
1- 28 oz can of tomatoes, diced (I buy the already diced ones)
1- 4 oz can green chiles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil, add meat, brown and drain off fat, if any. Add beans. Put cornstarch in a small bowl and add the juice drained from the tomatoes. Whisk together. Add to onion/meat/bean mixture over heat and stir well. Stir in
tomatoes, green chiles and chili powder. Cook until mixture is thick. Shouldn't take long.
Spoon into 13 x 9 pan . Spread cornbread topping over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cornbread topping

1- 1/2 c. cornmeal
1-1/2 c. flour
1-1/2 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
5 T. sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. + 2 T. oil

Put all ingredients in a bowl and stir briskly until just mixed. Pour over meat mixture and bake as above.

Mastery!

2009-10-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't been here for awhile. That's because I've been deeply engrossed with a project--completing my thesis to meet the final requirements for my Master's Degree! A little over a year and a half ago I began a program at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon. I had been researching several different programs for quite sometime, including online programs, and hadn't seen a program that I felt met my needs. The program I chose was part of Warner's ADP (Adult Degree Program), was accelerated, met one evening a week, and followed a cohort model. Most importantly, the program was called, Master's in Management and Organizational Leadership. This was a less specific degree than the Educational Leadership programs I had considered, but not as broad as my earlier attempt at a masters in Public Affairs. Perfect! So in February 2008, I met with a group of 18 people at Warner's East Campus. A few of that group didn't finish with us, but 13 of us will receive our degrees at a ceremony in December! And what a smart, wonderful group of people that I have had the privilege of knowing!

My family and friends have been right by my side throughout this journey and I couldn't have done it without their support. For the last 18 months, my schooling has taken precendent over vacations, dinners out, family events, shopping trips, and just about everything! Thank you for your patience, Dwain, Sara, Brynn, and Debbie most of all! Yesterday, the final group of 5 of us presented our theses for approval and all 5 were approved. A little celebration happened at a neat little Mexican restaurant called Dingo's. Its at 46th and Hawthorne in SE PDX. Thanks guys, it's been quite a ride!

Below is the dedication and acknowledgment from my thesis as one way of saying "Thanks" to everyone who supported me through this journey. Each and every one of you has a piece of my heart

Dedication

This thesis is dedicated to my husband, Dwain, my daughters, Sara, Cara, & Brynn, and the countless friends and other family members who made it possible for me to enroll in, attend and persevere through the intense months of my master’s program. Without their love and support, all I have accomplished here would not have been possible.

Acknowledgements

To my awe-inspiring team, the ‘Couv Crew—I thank you for being there without fail every step of the way.
Jamie, your constant calm, cool, and collected demeanor kept me grounded and on track through a great many rough moments. Your talents as the class party organizer, costume maker, and provider of food made our time together more enjoyable.
Michelle, your sense of humor, willingness to open your heart and your warmth and friendship have inspired me to do my best work. Thank you for leaning on me and letting me lean on you, too.
Christine, your ability to get to the heart of the matter and keep the group on track when we’d rather be doing other things has kept me focused during many group meetings. Your work habits and single-mindedness have kept me motivated and your drive for excellence created a higher standard for me.
To my instructors, most especially Dr. Roger Martin and Dr. Toni Pauls—thank you for believing in me when I was having a hard time believing in myself. Thank you for your patience, flexibility and sense of humor. You certainly needed it with this group.
To my friends—thanks for being available when I had a sliver of time to spend with you, and not being upset when I did not.
To my husband—thanks for your patience with my need for privacy, quiet, and for never complaining about what I was feeding you.
And finally, to my classmates, Brad, Jamie, Michelle, Christine, Joslyn, Sue, Jon, Scott, Jennifer, Andrea, Simone, Emily, and Donelle—thank you for your passion, dedication, humor, curiosity, sense of fun, and friendship—it has made this journey joyful, unique, and downright remarkable.

Chili Cook Off

2009-10-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

I had heard about a chili cook-off that an organization I belong to has every year and told my friend Debbie that I might like to do that. So of course, when it comes up, she called me and told me she had signed me up for it! So on Sunday I went to the grocery store for all the fixin's and yesterday spent the better part of the day cooking and tasting. Usually I make vegetarian chili, not because I'm a vegetarian, but because it is really, really good chili that has evolved over the years. My better half advised me that I probably shouldn't make the vegetarian version for anyone outside the household. I'm not sure whether I should be insulted or not ;) I was instructed to bring 5 or 6 quarts and I don't normally make that large of a quantity, so I will give you ingredients only, not amounts.

Not-Quite Vegetarian Chili
Turkey sausage (the kind that looks like keilbasa)
Kidney beans (for the large pot, I used dry, but for a normal batch I used canned)
Canned whole tomatoes
Canned chipotles in adobo sauce
Canned tomato sauce
Garbanzo beans
Sweet onions, sauteed
Red, yellow & orange bell peppers
Dried rosemary
sugar
cinnamon

Place the beans in a large pot and set aside.
Chop and saute the turkey sausage, remove it from the pan and add the onion, chopped, and saute until soft and clear. Add sausage & onion to the pot of beans. Chop and saute the bell peppers, also add these to the beans. Process the canned tomatoes with the chipotles and add to beans. Add tomato sauce and water until consistency is good. Season with a bit of rosemary, cinnamon and sugar. These will balance the heat of the chipotles, especially if you get it a little too hot! That's it! Easy--if you want to make it vegetarian, just leave out the sausage. The sausage gives it a rather smoky flavor that is nice.
To serve the two of us, with plenty of leftovers I use: 1/2 turkey sausage,2 cans of kidney beans, 1/2 can garbanzos, 1 smallish onion and one bell pepper. Adjust spices to taste.

Bread Salad

2009-10-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

Bread salad is a nice accompaniment for a light,

easy, weeknight dinner. I STILL have patio tomatoes ripening in the greenhouse, and fresh basil in my kitchen garden, so last night I made this simple little salad to go along with oven-roasted halibut with cheese sauce. The bread salad didn't sound very appealing, but is very tasty. Begin with a few small tomatoes and an english cucumber--cut them into bite-size chunks, add a handful of fresh mozzarella pearls, or cut similarly sized chunks of fresh mozzarella. Add some fresh basil

Lack of planning

2009-10-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I go to the idea cupboard and it is bare. Last night was a good example. With a hungry husband at my elbow, I rooted around and found a few staples in the freezer and pantry and came up with a meal that sated our hunger but would inspire no one. Frozen chicken breasts, frozen baby brussel sprouts and baby yukon gold potatoes. On another day I might have found a new chicken recipe or grilled the chicken, and added some fresh herbs to the potatoes, but on this day, I had little left to give, so I breaded the chicken with my old stand-by, Krusteaz, and threw it in the oven, added a little butter and balsamic and zapped the sprouts, and dropped the potatoes in a pot of boiling water. The outcome certainly wasn't a particularly pretty meal, or one that left us making sounds of pleasure, but the meal was a good example of what happens in many households at the end of a long day. It is likely that different circumstances of the day might have led to a different result, but I had a long, full day working on my thesis, and didn't have much brain power left to come up with something more interesting. There are a few hardy herbs still growing in my backdoor garden, along with a few tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse, so I will attempt to make good use of them over the next few days. My lovely eldest daughter and I were discussing the problem of "meal inspiration" today and agreed that sometimes meals get thrown together in the "5 o'clock" panic! She had the good idea of setting up a meal plan for a week or a month, thereby making life a bit easier when 5 o'clock rolls around, like it just keeps doing. Of course, with a new baby in the house, she has all the more reason to stay organized and on top of things.

Sushi!

2009-09-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

A good day, in my book, is any day that I get to have sushi, and today was one of those days. We drove to Vancouver late this afternoon to drop some things off with our accountant and to purchase a kitty carrier at PetSmart. Before we left, I looked for a couple of the restaurants on Yelp that I have been wanting to try. One of them was a "conveyor belt" style sushi place in Hazel Dell called Sushi Tsunami. The reviews were good and it turned out that it was right on our way. The sushi gods were smiling upon me. My dear husband, though, is not such a fan of sushi as I. He goes along because he sees how much I really love it--thank you, honey! The concept behind the conveyor belt sushi restaurant is that instead of a sushi chef who makes your sushi to order, a wide variety of sushi rolls around the room and each person is free to pluck what they want from the belt. Each plate is a different color and each color is a different price. Dwain ordered a bento dinner that had a salad, veggie tempura, teriyaki chicken & rice, and two pieces of what looked like California roll. We shared a plate of edamame and some sort of tempura appetizer that was very light & tasty. Then I rolled my sleeves up and got busy choosing: I had tuna, shrimp, octopus and yellowtail, and they were all very, very good. Curiously, at both of the conveyor belt sushi places I've visited I was surprised to see plates of sesame balls, which I thought were a Chinese dish and had previously had only at dim sum restaurants. Sushi and sesame balls at the same meal! How did I get this lucky? Oh, and Dwain's favorite part of the meal? Our whole meal was around $30, beverages and tip included. I'll be going back to Sushi Tsunami, and if you want to go, you'll find it at 7415 NE Highway 99, Vancouver, WA.

Fried Green Tomatoes

2009-09-27T19:17:00.001-07:00

Not only one of my favorite movies of all time, preparing and eating Fried Green Tomatoes is a fall ritual for me. Somehow, preparing and eating the last of the tomato harvest in this way marks a transition from the warm summer months to a cooler fall. My kids will tell you that I am a bit nuts about this dish. They didn't like tomatoes at all as children, and to eat the dastardly fruit before it was ripe must have seemed like lunacy. Yesterday at the Farmer's Market, Brynn was quick to remind me how I used to "make" my daughters eat them. I remember it a little differently, of course. My mother-in-law introduced me to fried green tomatoes when I was young and newly married and I've prepared them nearly every fall since. I played around with the recipe a bit this year and it turned out quite good. Tonight I served them with large scallops, fried, using the same coating mixture and mashed baby red potatoes.

Fried Green Tomatoes

4 or 5 large green tomatoes

Slice about 1/4" thick and set aside

Mix together:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 T. panko bread crumbs

1 t. sugar

1/2 t. each: chipotle chile powder, mesquite seasoning, & Johnny's seasoning salt

Cover bottom of heavy skillet with peanut oil and heat

Dredge tomato slices in flour mixture and fry, being careful not to burn.

Drain on paper towels before serving.

Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Sour cream

Chipotle Chile Powder

Mix as mild or as spicy as you like and serve with tomatoes

Hugo's Big Adventure

2009-09-27T11:35:00.001-07:00

Hugo the cat is about to have a big adventure. Hugo is a cat that Cara, my darling step-daughter adopted in Morocco shortly after she started her stint there two years ago. Cara has always seen herself as more of a "dog person," she tells me, but the tiny bundle of fur that was Hugo stole her heart and she soon found that she was unwilling to leave him when her Peace Corps service ended. People do not typically keep pets in Morocco. Cats and dogs roam the streets wild and are seen by most as a menace. Cara's Moroccan family was most surprised to see that the cat was tame, as most animals that they see are feral . So, soft-hearted cat-lover that I am, said "bring him home, he can live here." Now that her Peace Corps service is almost over, there have been many emails, instant messages, Skype sessions, and phone conversations concerning Hugo's Big Adventure. We weren't sure at first just how difficult it might be to bring a cat into the U.S. from Africa. There are rules, you know. But it hasn't proven to be as difficult as we thought--the normal (in the U.S. anyway) vaccinations, a health certificate, some kitty sedatives and we were set. Then we started thinking about the logistics of travelling such a distance with an animal whose species typically despises even a ride in an automobile. So today we are in search of the supplies that Cara will need to make sure Hugo can complete his great adventure: an airline approved carrier that will fit under the airline seat (Hugo's mom had quite a few specifications about this), a fold-up litter pan, ziploc bags of kitty litter, and "absorbent pads" for the bottom of the carrier. Kind of like shopping for all the stuff you need to send your kid off to camp. Or college. Hugo will probably be more comfortable in coach than the rest of the passengers on his flight from Northern Africa to his new home in Southwest Washington!

Tuscan Inspired Dinner

2009-09-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

What to do with all that beautiful food I brought home earlier from the Farmer's Market? A glance inside my refrigerator at the already defrosted chicken breasts gave me the appropriate shove in the right direction. Another look around and I spotted a half a dozen Bartlett pears that needed eating sooner rather than later. A chunk of Asagio cheese aced it. An Italian theme it would be. A no-brainer for the chicken. A quick marinade made from balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary and garlic flavored sea salt and it would be ready to grill. The pears? A salad, made from baby greens, heart of romaine, slivered red bell pepper, diced pear, and grated asagio. A dressing for this salad was a bit of a problem, but here's what I came up with. Sweet Moscato wine and EVOO, garlic sea salt, a pinch of sugar and a bit of lemon peel. Nope, I don't usually measure--I've learned over the years though, that dressings should be heavy on the acidic ingredient (vinegar, wine, etc.) and light on the oil. If I were measuring I might start with a quarter cup to one tablespoon. Two ears of yellow corn that I scored from the market went into a pot of water on the stove, and I found some Red Pepper/Artichoke Tapenade for the chicken in my pantry. Oh, and not to forget those beautiful red Anaheims that get grilled as well. Now, if Dwain would just get home, we could fire up the grill! I think I'll go down to the wine cellar and look for a bottle of Sangiovese. Sangiovese is the primary grape in Chianti, a wine from the Tuscany area of Italy, and a nice compliment to the meal I have planned. Cheers!

Farmer's Market

2009-09-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

I had the best of intentions to work on my thesis this morning, until my lovely daughter, Brynn called and asked if I'd like to go to the Farmer's Market with her. I go to the market quite often in the spring, for plant starts and during the summer, but it usually isn't something that I think of in the Fall. There was quite a variety of inspiration: corn, heirloom tomatoes, basil, and of course, pumpkins and gourds. I bought some Anaheim Chiles that had been allowed to turn red (they are a little warmer than the green ones) that will be good on the grill, some fresh corn, and some green tomatoes. Brynn bought some basil, corn, an aloe plant and some Greek Focaccia Bread that looked very good. Snide comments were made about the times that I "made" my children eat fried green tomatoes. I like them dredged in a 50/50 mix of flour and cornmeal, along with whatever spices sound good at the moment, then pan fried in a bit of olive oil. Seems that they might be good dipped in a chipotle-sour cream sauce, but I will also do a little research on dipping sauces before I make them.

Saturday Breakfast

2009-09-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried Greek Yogurt? I picked up some plain, Greek-style yogurt at Trader Joe's last week. The first time I had tried it was at a retreat at The Sleeping Lady Resort in Leavenworth, Washington(http://www.sleepinglady.com/). The Sleeping Lady is a really cool retreat center and famous for their breakfast "buffet." It is quite good and they make good use of their on-site organic garden. At The Sleeping Lady, a bowl of greek-style yogurt was served with reconstituted dried apricots. It appeared that they soaked the apricots in water and perhaps added some honey or agave to thicken the resulting sauce. I doubt that it needed sweetening though. So, this morning I was going to have a bowl of lovely northwest blueberries and spied the greek yogurt container sitting there in the refrigerator. Put a couple of dollops in a bowl and added the previously mentioned blueberries. I can tolerate and occasionally even enjoy regular yogurt, but this stuff is great! I am also going to try it with some of the blackberry jam I made last month mixed in, and it might be good where we might typically use sour cream.

Grilled Pizza--the Experiment

2009-09-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

I bought some fresh pizza dough the other day at TJ's, thinking that a grilled pizza would be a great way to use some of my end-of-the season garden bounty. I found several recipes and this helpful video on Allrecipes : http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Grilling-Pizza-Video/Detail.aspx

It makes it look easy, and even though I had my doubts, I proceeded to put things together for a grilled pizza tonight. Grilling pizza sounded like a great idea. A crisp, smoky, charred-just-a-bit crust. Mmmmm. But, let's get one thing clear. I'm a good cook, but I suck at most baking. Including bread. I even screwed up bread with the bread machine. So I was nervous going in, but watching the video made me confident that I could do it. The pizza dough was way too soft to attempt putting it on the grill, so I punted and put it on two baking trays in the oven. Made the kitchen very hot, since it was around 80 today. I made a fresh tomato sauce with oregano, marjoram and rosemary, a dash of sugar, and some mesquite grilling spice for a smoky flavor. I heated it a bit to give it a nice consistency before putting it on the dough. Then I added fresh mozzarella. I had a container of mozzarella "pearls," and used those. Then another addition from my garden, a bit of fresh basil. Toppings I used were shrimp, fresh mushrooms, sweet onion, and red bell pepper, but as you know, you can use most anything on pizza. Use your imagination. The final product was not what I had hoped for, but it was a passable homemade pizza. I think next time I will try grilling an already cooked Boboli crust.

Gorgeous Cupcakes!

2009-09-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Since I seem to be focusing on food, here's a picture of the cupcakes that Gabe's mom, Norma made for the wedding. They had a small cake for the cutting ceremony, but these were for the guests. The pansies on top were sugared and terribly yummy. Everyone was impresssed and the caterer even asked me who made them. So pretty!

Lots and lots of jalepeno ideas!

2009-09-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

I did a little research today about what to do with all my jalepenos. I could: freeze them, can them, pickle them, dry them, make them into jelly, or any number of interesting and tasty alternatives. This website: http://www.pepperfool.com/recipe_home.html has enough pepper recipes to boggle your mind. Me? I'm either going to make jalepeno jelly or a fun sounding recipe I found for Green Apple-Jalepeno Chutney. Here it is:

Green Apple- Jalapeno Chutney
1 1/2 pounds ripe green or yellow apples (about 4)
1 large papaya, seeded -- peeled and chopped
2 medium onion -- cut up
1 medium sweet red pepper -- cut up
8 jalapeno (about 1/2 cup) -- cut up
1 1/4 cups white or cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash, core & cut up apples. Use a food processor to chop the apples, papaya, onions, red pepper & jalapenos, processing the ingredients in about 5 batches. Or, finely chop with sharp knife. You should have about 6 cups total mixture.
In a 4-qt pot, combine the chopped fruits & vegetables, vinegar, sugar, raisins, mustard & salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
NOTES : Makes about 7 half-pint jars.

Food

2009-09-25T12:40:00.001-07:00

I made a comment on Facebook today that I needed ideas for things to do with all the jalepenos I have in the greenhouse, and it occured to me how often I make posts on FB about food. In this case, I have an abundant amount of jalepenos growing in my greenhouse, and wasn't quite sure what to do with them. I got some great suggestions: oven-roasting, freezing, jalepeno jelly, drying them into chipotle... I think that I will follow up on those ideas and post what I learn, and any recipes I find here.

The Wedding

2009-09-25T08:54:00.001-07:00

The wedding is over, my youngest daughter had the day of her dreams and is beginning her life with her new husband, Gabe. It's been an eventful few weeks. Brynn and Gabe got married at Hoffstadt Bluffs, which is a visitors center near Mt. St. Helens that the county owns and rents out for weddings. The weather here in SW Washington is usually pretty nice in September, but we had an exquisite day. Friends and family came together to celebrate and it really was a perfect day. Dwain and I even headed to the "after party" with the kids for awhile--that was fun.

Costco, Company and New Computer

2009-08-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was going to make a "quick" run to Costco with Debbie this morning, but she wasn't feeling well and I dinked around for a couple of hours deciding if I wanted to go by myself. Then I found out that Sara and Cameron (my lovely eldest daughter and grand-daughter) were coming this evening rather than tomorrow as I expected. So I threw a pork loin in the crock pot with onions, green chilies and a few spices and headed out. Of course a Costco trip is NEVER quick and I ended up buying a dock for my IPhone that I have been thinking about. When I got back to town I stopped and picked up my new desktop computer that a Jim Gray at Team Electronics built for me. I'm looking forward to getting it set up. He had the coolest thing in his shop--a computer built inside one of those red tool boxes--not the really huge ones, but the kind that you can carry around. He built it for a guy who has a red tool box in his business logo. Pretty cool. He was talking about building computers in other unique boxes like one of those old floor standing wooden radios. It seems that we have integrated computers in our lives to such an extent that customizing them in this way to fit our interests and lifestyles makes a lot of sense.
Sara and Cameron will be here soon, so I think it will be tomorrow before I set the computer up. I'm going to toast some Ciabatta rolls to serve the pork on and cook some corn on the cob. Yum.

Let's Begin!

2009-08-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about blogging for a while now, and was even more intrigued after watching Julie and Julia a couple of weeks ago. What a great movie! I was young when Julia Child was on television, but I remember seeing her occasionally. She was really "bigger than life" and I enjoyed learning more about her. My own life is all about change right now, so I thought that it might be interesting and helpful to try and chronicle it here.

I recently became unemployed after working at a community college for over eight years. Finding a new job here is the same as it is most anywhere right now--difficult at best. So finding a new job is part of the agenda. I'm also trying to complete my thesis for graduate school and finding it difficult to get moving on it. It has to be ready by mid-October and I am still dragging my feet.

Sunday was my 50th birthday. My best attempts at letting it slip by quietly were quashed by the people who love me and thought that I should have a celebration. The party was terrific and I got to spend a lovely evening with people who love me--well, at least like me enough to come by and drink wine with me! We barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs and everyone brought some kind of food--there wasn't a bare space on any counter in my kitchen! I opened and shared the last bottle of 2002 Maryhill Reserve Zinfandel that we have been saving for a special occasion. It was yummy and I got to share it with my favorite winos!