It's been ages since I posted here. I've been busy this summer, though still enjoying my food!
Tonight, I needed to make a quickie dinner. Adam threw some water on for pasta, and I raided the CSA share and our garden. I chopped up:
2 fairytale eggplants (from the garden)
1 onion (from the CSA)
2 cloves of garlic (CSA)
1 tomato (farmer's market)
a bunch of basil and parsley (garden)
and sauteed it in olive oil, salt, and pepper. When the pasta was done, I threw it all together and dinner was done!
I also made some iced tea using loose black tea and mint from the garden, and I made a salad for the side using an itty bitty cabbage, some fennel fronds, a bit of fennel stem, and small yellow tomatoes, all from the CSA. I added salt, pepper & and a commercial dressing (an organic red wine vinaigrette) because I was out of time and we were hungry!
All in all, a nice, quick dinner made almost entirely from fresh & local ingredients! Yay!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
2011 CSA, Week 2
It's week 2 of the PVF CSA, and the shares are getting a bit bigger! This week we were told to choose 7 including at least one herb. We also have an egg share Today, we chose:
1 giant zucchini
a bunch of baby leeks
1 very large fennel bulb with fronds
a bag of lemon basil
a bunch of swiss chard
a bunch of kale
a small box of red & yellow cherry tomatoes
And of course a 1/2 dozen eggs.
We still have a little bit of the salad greens from last week, as well as some of the turnips. This is one thing that I really like about the market style CSA. If we just had a regular mini share, we might have ended up with more turnips or salad greens, which we really don't need right now. We picked items that we did not get last week, with the exception of the chard (which is so universally liked in this house that it only seems right to get more), so we should not find ourselves with too much of one item that we don't necessarily want a lot of. Now, as for the fennel, it's one of my husband's favorite things in the world, so as long as they look good, we'll probably continue getting them.
It was good to see that the number went up this week from 6 items to 7, and I can appreciate that they wanted you to take at least one herb.
We got a recipe for grilled fennel; I think I'll make it later in the week with fish and using the fronds to help season the fish. The kale will likely become chips. The chard, well, we'll see how we're feeling but I'm thinking egg pie :)
Oh and the kids totally went for the tomatoes. I had to grab the box away before they did to the tomatoes what they did to the peas last week!
1 giant zucchini
a bunch of baby leeks
1 very large fennel bulb with fronds
a bag of lemon basil
a bunch of swiss chard
a bunch of kale
a small box of red & yellow cherry tomatoes
And of course a 1/2 dozen eggs.
We still have a little bit of the salad greens from last week, as well as some of the turnips. This is one thing that I really like about the market style CSA. If we just had a regular mini share, we might have ended up with more turnips or salad greens, which we really don't need right now. We picked items that we did not get last week, with the exception of the chard (which is so universally liked in this house that it only seems right to get more), so we should not find ourselves with too much of one item that we don't necessarily want a lot of. Now, as for the fennel, it's one of my husband's favorite things in the world, so as long as they look good, we'll probably continue getting them.
It was good to see that the number went up this week from 6 items to 7, and I can appreciate that they wanted you to take at least one herb.
We got a recipe for grilled fennel; I think I'll make it later in the week with fish and using the fronds to help season the fish. The kale will likely become chips. The chard, well, we'll see how we're feeling but I'm thinking egg pie :)
Oh and the kids totally went for the tomatoes. I had to grab the box away before they did to the tomatoes what they did to the peas last week!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
What to do with Swiss Chard
If you belong to a vegetable CSA in Northern Virginia, you probably get a lot of swiss chard. I know we do! I am pretty sure we get chard all summer long, in fact.
So what to do with all of that chard? Well, first of all, know how it cooks up: unlike with some other greens, you can eat the stems. They have a similar texture to celery. If you get rainbow chard, you can end up with white, green, red, orange, and yellow stems, which can cook up really beautifully! The leaves are usually green but can be red as well. As with most greens, you can cook them up nicely with garlic & olive oil or butter.
But for something other than a side dish, you can try some Swiss Chard & Chicken Quesadillas for starters.
Or make some Swiss Chard pies! Here's a recipe:
Preheat oven to 350
Make your favorite pie crust. Or look online for a tasty crust and make it. Roll it out to 1/8" and cut into 6" rounds. Or, go get a refrigerated pie crust (not frozen!) and cut that into smaller rounds. Set these aside.
For the filler, you'll need:
1 bunch swiss chard
1 garlic curl or 2 cloves garlic
some onion or spring onion or scallion tops
3 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled
about 1T maple syrup
about 1T wine or apple cider vinegar
salt/pepper
Chop everything, keeping the chard stems separate from the leaves. Saute the chard stems, onion (or scallion), and garlic (or curls) in a little olive oil until they start to soften. Add the chard leaves, salt & pepper, and saute until everything is wilted. Remove from heat and add in the bacon, syrup, & vinegar.
Now, take your mini pie rounds. Add some of the mix, fold over, and crimp with a fork. Repeat for the rest of the rounds. If you have any leftover mix, refrigerate it for later use. You can always make more pie crust or use it in another recipe. Pierce tops of the pies to release steam. You may want to do an egg wash on these but it's not strictly necessary. Place on a baking stone or cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Delicious!
If you have leftovers, use them for breakfast! reheat them in a pan in the morning and add some eggs for a tasty omelette. You can use the same mix to go into a quiche or Egg Pie (just remove the squash/onion/garlic curl pesto from that recipe and replace with the mix from this one!)
You can generally use Swiss Chard in any recipe that calls for spinach, just remember that the chard will take a little longer to cook.
Do you have a favorite swiss chard recipe?
So what to do with all of that chard? Well, first of all, know how it cooks up: unlike with some other greens, you can eat the stems. They have a similar texture to celery. If you get rainbow chard, you can end up with white, green, red, orange, and yellow stems, which can cook up really beautifully! The leaves are usually green but can be red as well. As with most greens, you can cook them up nicely with garlic & olive oil or butter.
But for something other than a side dish, you can try some Swiss Chard & Chicken Quesadillas for starters.
Or make some Swiss Chard pies! Here's a recipe:
Preheat oven to 350
Make your favorite pie crust. Or look online for a tasty crust and make it. Roll it out to 1/8" and cut into 6" rounds. Or, go get a refrigerated pie crust (not frozen!) and cut that into smaller rounds. Set these aside.
For the filler, you'll need:
1 bunch swiss chard
1 garlic curl or 2 cloves garlic
some onion or spring onion or scallion tops
3 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled
about 1T maple syrup
about 1T wine or apple cider vinegar
salt/pepper
Chop everything, keeping the chard stems separate from the leaves. Saute the chard stems, onion (or scallion), and garlic (or curls) in a little olive oil until they start to soften. Add the chard leaves, salt & pepper, and saute until everything is wilted. Remove from heat and add in the bacon, syrup, & vinegar.
Now, take your mini pie rounds. Add some of the mix, fold over, and crimp with a fork. Repeat for the rest of the rounds. If you have any leftover mix, refrigerate it for later use. You can always make more pie crust or use it in another recipe. Pierce tops of the pies to release steam. You may want to do an egg wash on these but it's not strictly necessary. Place on a baking stone or cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Delicious!
If you have leftovers, use them for breakfast! reheat them in a pan in the morning and add some eggs for a tasty omelette. You can use the same mix to go into a quiche or Egg Pie (just remove the squash/onion/garlic curl pesto from that recipe and replace with the mix from this one!)
You can generally use Swiss Chard in any recipe that calls for spinach, just remember that the chard will take a little longer to cook.
Do you have a favorite swiss chard recipe?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
2011 CSA, Week 1
Once again, we decided to do our CSA with Potomac Vegetable Farms, and I have to say, I could not be happier. Well, I could be a little happier if we had had the money to do the regular share this year, but instead we did the mini share, because we were poor in February when we had to pay for it. It's ok though! Because PVF will have a farm stand later in the summer, and they are at the Reston Farmer's Market on Saturdays as well.
This year, they are doing an experiment, having the Wednesday group do a "market style" CSA. They set up the CSA room like a farm stand, and you get to pick your items. You get to choose based on your share size. So today, minis got to take 6 items, regulars got to take 8, and robust shares got to take 12. I took the kids in to the room and it was amazing! We also got eggs again this year because they are the best eggs ever. Micah decided he wanted:
kohlrabi (he picked a purple one). He did not know what it was but I told him it tasted like broccoli stems so he thought that would be a good pick.
salad turnips (it was a pint sized container with small salad turnips)
sugar snap peas
a bag of salad greens
a bunch of garlic curls
a bunch of swiss chard
Plus of course we picked up our eggs. Seeing the other items made me wish we could have had the regular share, because they had zucchini, leeks, spring onions, spring garlic, and a ton of herbs. But we're growing our own herbs this year, and like I said, we can supplement with the farm market this weekend. In fact, I had picked up spring onions and garlic at the market last week, so we actually did have some already.
Hana, who is the woman who runs the CSA, was present in the room when we were picking up, making sure everyone knew what to do since it was the first week. When I told Micah that there was swiss chard, he said, "Oh YES! I love Swiss Chard! It's my FAVORITE!!" She got a big kick out of that, and said "Oh my gosh, then you're with the right CSA!" It's a big joke among PVF people that we start and end very very leafy.
If the amounts of food are anything like last year, we should have more picks as the summer goes on. I'm really looking forward to it!
Oh and by the way, the sugar snap peas are already gone. We ate them for lunch with sandwiches. I got 5 of them and the kids ate all the rest.
This year, they are doing an experiment, having the Wednesday group do a "market style" CSA. They set up the CSA room like a farm stand, and you get to pick your items. You get to choose based on your share size. So today, minis got to take 6 items, regulars got to take 8, and robust shares got to take 12. I took the kids in to the room and it was amazing! We also got eggs again this year because they are the best eggs ever. Micah decided he wanted:
kohlrabi (he picked a purple one). He did not know what it was but I told him it tasted like broccoli stems so he thought that would be a good pick.
salad turnips (it was a pint sized container with small salad turnips)
sugar snap peas
a bag of salad greens
a bunch of garlic curls
a bunch of swiss chard
Plus of course we picked up our eggs. Seeing the other items made me wish we could have had the regular share, because they had zucchini, leeks, spring onions, spring garlic, and a ton of herbs. But we're growing our own herbs this year, and like I said, we can supplement with the farm market this weekend. In fact, I had picked up spring onions and garlic at the market last week, so we actually did have some already.
Hana, who is the woman who runs the CSA, was present in the room when we were picking up, making sure everyone knew what to do since it was the first week. When I told Micah that there was swiss chard, he said, "Oh YES! I love Swiss Chard! It's my FAVORITE!!" She got a big kick out of that, and said "Oh my gosh, then you're with the right CSA!" It's a big joke among PVF people that we start and end very very leafy.
If the amounts of food are anything like last year, we should have more picks as the summer goes on. I'm really looking forward to it!
Oh and by the way, the sugar snap peas are already gone. We ate them for lunch with sandwiches. I got 5 of them and the kids ate all the rest.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Easter Eggs
Wow, it's been a while since I wrote anything here. Hi!
It's just about Easter, and this year, we decided to try to dye eggs using natural dyes!
I had tried this many years ago with little luck, but this time, I had the internet! So, to add to the collected knowledge, I am sharing what I did.
Blue Eggs
Hard boil eggs first and set aside
Chop up one head of red cabbage, place in a pot, and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes. Strain into a bowl and keep the cabbage for eating (I just added salt & pepper and it was tasty). Add 2T vinegar and 2T salt to the mix and stir.
Add eggs carefully to the bowl and allow to sit overnight. They come out this gorgeous cobolt color. You can take them out sooner and be a lighter shade of blue. Note that the color does scratch so be careful! You can see some places where I scratched mine as I took them out of the dye bath.
Red Eggs
Hard boil eggs first and set aside.
Chop up three large beets or equivalent (peel them first so they will be tasty for eating). Place in a big pot and add 1.5 quarts of water, a big splash of vinegar, and a couple tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour. Remove Beets. (They will now be partially pickled and you can just add more seasoning to them for a tasty side dish.)
Add a splash more vinegar to the beet water, and add eggs to the water. In about an hour you'll have light pink eggs, and after 5 hours you'll have dark pink eggs like in the picture. Remove carefully. They don't scratch as badly as the blue but they are prone to fingerprints.
Yellow Eggs.
Hard boil eggs first and set aside
OK, so I tried to do this with collard greens and it was a disaster. Don't do that. Instead, boil water and add 2T vinegar, 2T salt, and about 1/4 cup of turmeric. Stir well and cool a bit, then add eggs. In 2 hours they will be a fairly bright yellow.
Orange Eggs
DO NOT BOIL EGGS FIRST!
You will need the papery part of onion skins. I used yellow onions for this. You should probably use muslin or cheese cloth too, but I used viva paper towels. No kidding. But they were perforated and 2 of them broke. So don't do that. Use muslin or cheese cloth.
Lay out a piece of muslin or cheese cloth. Take your raw egg and rub it down with vinegar (thanks for the tip, Martha Stuart!) Lay out a big piece of onion skin and place the egg on top. cover the rest of the egg with onion skin. Too much is OK. Too little is not so OK. Pull up all of the sides of the cloth and tie with a piece of string. place in water in a pan for boiling. When they are all done, start the water and allow to cook for about 20-25 minutes. Remove, cut strings, pull out eggs from the oniony mess. I hope that I get the chance in the future to do these right. Even with doing them wrong, they still came out a lovely shade of orange!
If you do any of these please let me know how they come out!
It's just about Easter, and this year, we decided to try to dye eggs using natural dyes!
 | |
| Eggs dyed without pellets! |
Blue Eggs
Hard boil eggs first and set aside
Chop up one head of red cabbage, place in a pot, and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes. Strain into a bowl and keep the cabbage for eating (I just added salt & pepper and it was tasty). Add 2T vinegar and 2T salt to the mix and stir.
Add eggs carefully to the bowl and allow to sit overnight. They come out this gorgeous cobolt color. You can take them out sooner and be a lighter shade of blue. Note that the color does scratch so be careful! You can see some places where I scratched mine as I took them out of the dye bath.
Red Eggs
Hard boil eggs first and set aside.
Chop up three large beets or equivalent (peel them first so they will be tasty for eating). Place in a big pot and add 1.5 quarts of water, a big splash of vinegar, and a couple tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour. Remove Beets. (They will now be partially pickled and you can just add more seasoning to them for a tasty side dish.)
Add a splash more vinegar to the beet water, and add eggs to the water. In about an hour you'll have light pink eggs, and after 5 hours you'll have dark pink eggs like in the picture. Remove carefully. They don't scratch as badly as the blue but they are prone to fingerprints.
Yellow Eggs.
Hard boil eggs first and set aside
OK, so I tried to do this with collard greens and it was a disaster. Don't do that. Instead, boil water and add 2T vinegar, 2T salt, and about 1/4 cup of turmeric. Stir well and cool a bit, then add eggs. In 2 hours they will be a fairly bright yellow.
Orange Eggs
DO NOT BOIL EGGS FIRST!
You will need the papery part of onion skins. I used yellow onions for this. You should probably use muslin or cheese cloth too, but I used viva paper towels. No kidding. But they were perforated and 2 of them broke. So don't do that. Use muslin or cheese cloth.
Lay out a piece of muslin or cheese cloth. Take your raw egg and rub it down with vinegar (thanks for the tip, Martha Stuart!) Lay out a big piece of onion skin and place the egg on top. cover the rest of the egg with onion skin. Too much is OK. Too little is not so OK. Pull up all of the sides of the cloth and tie with a piece of string. place in water in a pan for boiling. When they are all done, start the water and allow to cook for about 20-25 minutes. Remove, cut strings, pull out eggs from the oniony mess. I hope that I get the chance in the future to do these right. Even with doing them wrong, they still came out a lovely shade of orange!
If you do any of these please let me know how they come out!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
This post is not about food! It's about Holiday Cards!
It's true. I am writing about something other than food. Because Shutterfly is offering free photo cards to people who blog about which of their new holiday card styles they like. And since I was going to order cards from them anyway, well, you get the picture! Many thanks to Lady Ozma, who told me about this.
So for those of you who think I'm just spamming about Shutterfly, you, too, can blog about what cards you like and get 50 free ones. Info here: http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/
So here we go. I've actually been using Shutterfly for years. I have 2 Shutterfly share sites to share pictures with my family, and I make books just about every year. I have sent cards from them for birth announcements, Christmas, and birthdays.
I have also made calendars and note cards over the years. One year, I did a calendar of our trip to Hawaii, and gave it to my parents for Christmas (since they love Hawaii too). Another year, I did a calendar of our trip on the San Juan River. Still another year, I had a really cool idea: I got a bunch of blank note cards using photos of flowers I took in Hawaii. I probably had 5 different photos and got 15 of each. Then I put together my own packs of stationery, so everyone got a few of each photo and envelopes to go with them. They made a great extra gift for everyone, and I still receive them occasionally when people use them as thank you notes.
This year, they have a bunch of new Holiday Cards. Here are some of my favorites:
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/charming-little-trees-holiday-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495
Love this one. First, it's got that handmade card look, without me having to cut out little trees. And it says Happy Holidays, which makes it more universal, especially for my family. And you can have a picture on the inside as well as the outside! Hooray.
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/joy-magic-story-christmas-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495
Again, we've got season's greetings, which may be a cop-out for those who don't want to send out 6 different kinds of holiday cards. But still, love the places for all of the photos. It's kind of like a combined card and letter. Sweet. I'm also a big fan of the agey scrapbooky look.
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/tree-of-hope-american-lung-association-holiday-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495
This one gives a donation to the American Lung Association, which is a good thing. It's also simple and elegant.
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards/midnight-snowflakes-christmas-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495
I have a thing for snowflakes, and I love this one. Simple, elegant, and in blue and silver. I am pretty sure I am going to use this one myself, except that the kids are all wearing green in the pictures this year. We'll have to see how it looks.
For a somewhat less expensive option, you can go for the flat cards. I love this one:
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/oh-joy-joy-christmas-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93479
It makes me joyful.
If you want the links to the main parts of the site that you'll need, here they are:
Christmas Cards
Christmas Photo Cards
Calendars
Finally, they do still have the old style photo cards, but I do love the new 5x7 cards so much. I absolutely love that you can write whatever you want on the inside, from a one-liner to a short letter. I was planning on just sending off a single photo but now that I have seen these cards, we'll be sending out something much much cooler. So go check it out! And do forgive the trip away from food for a while.
So for those of you who think I'm just spamming about Shutterfly, you, too, can blog about what cards you like and get 50 free ones. Info here: http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/
So here we go. I've actually been using Shutterfly for years. I have 2 Shutterfly share sites to share pictures with my family, and I make books just about every year. I have sent cards from them for birth announcements, Christmas, and birthdays.
I have also made calendars and note cards over the years. One year, I did a calendar of our trip to Hawaii, and gave it to my parents for Christmas (since they love Hawaii too). Another year, I did a calendar of our trip on the San Juan River. Still another year, I had a really cool idea: I got a bunch of blank note cards using photos of flowers I took in Hawaii. I probably had 5 different photos and got 15 of each. Then I put together my own packs of stationery, so everyone got a few of each photo and envelopes to go with them. They made a great extra gift for everyone, and I still receive them occasionally when people use them as thank you notes.
This year, they have a bunch of new Holiday Cards. Here are some of my favorites:
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/charming-little-trees-holiday-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495
Love this one. First, it's got that handmade card look, without me having to cut out little trees. And it says Happy Holidays, which makes it more universal, especially for my family. And you can have a picture on the inside as well as the outside! Hooray.
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/joy-magic-story-christmas-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495
Again, we've got season's greetings, which may be a cop-out for those who don't want to send out 6 different kinds of holiday cards. But still, love the places for all of the photos. It's kind of like a combined card and letter. Sweet. I'm also a big fan of the agey scrapbooky look.
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/tree-of-hope-american-lung-association-holiday-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495
This one gives a donation to the American Lung Association, which is a good thing. It's also simple and elegant.
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards/midnight-snowflakes-christmas-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93495
I have a thing for snowflakes, and I love this one. Simple, elegant, and in blue and silver. I am pretty sure I am going to use this one myself, except that the kids are all wearing green in the pictures this year. We'll have to see how it looks.
For a somewhat less expensive option, you can go for the flat cards. I love this one:
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/oh-joy-joy-christmas-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93479
It makes me joyful.
If you want the links to the main parts of the site that you'll need, here they are:
Christmas Cards
Christmas Photo Cards
Calendars
Finally, they do still have the old style photo cards, but I do love the new 5x7 cards so much. I absolutely love that you can write whatever you want on the inside, from a one-liner to a short letter. I was planning on just sending off a single photo but now that I have seen these cards, we'll be sending out something much much cooler. So go check it out! And do forgive the trip away from food for a while.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Kitchen Update
So many people are asking for an update, so here it is.
We had a bit of a regression with the kitchen.
We decided that we really did not like the cabinet above the sink. It was hanging too low, and we could not put in the faucet that we wanted. We finally decided that we are going to take it out and replace it with 2 different cabinets. We went to Ikea yesterday to pick up these new cabinets and return the unusable doors.
We have to modify the over-microwave cabinet, as it is also too low hanging, and we would not be able to put a big pot on the stove (to make, for instance, pasta or beer). So that cabinet needs to come down and be modified. We returned those doors as well and will do a lift-up as we are doing for the modified over-fridge cabinet.
Speaking of the over-fridge cabinet, the hinge solution we had was not working very well. We need to find a new solution for this one as well as the over-microwave cabinet.
We are getting another pull-out spice rack, this time for the 6" space above the other one that we put in. I need to order it.
We found a good solution for the doors for the pull-outs--we will be using 2 6" x 15" drawer fronts. I was hoping to find a 6" x 30" drawer front to use, but Ikea doesn't make it. It's ok. It'll look good (and better than just using filler wood)
Because we have to re-do the over fridge cabinet, we have to wait to attach the cover panel that goes from it to the floor, to the lower cabinet on the other side. Because of that we can't get the granite yet.
So, everything is related to something else. We're getting it done, but there's been some bumps. Meanwhile, these are really end-of-project problems, so we're hoping we can get it all done soon.
We had a bit of a regression with the kitchen.
We decided that we really did not like the cabinet above the sink. It was hanging too low, and we could not put in the faucet that we wanted. We finally decided that we are going to take it out and replace it with 2 different cabinets. We went to Ikea yesterday to pick up these new cabinets and return the unusable doors.
We have to modify the over-microwave cabinet, as it is also too low hanging, and we would not be able to put a big pot on the stove (to make, for instance, pasta or beer). So that cabinet needs to come down and be modified. We returned those doors as well and will do a lift-up as we are doing for the modified over-fridge cabinet.
Speaking of the over-fridge cabinet, the hinge solution we had was not working very well. We need to find a new solution for this one as well as the over-microwave cabinet.
We are getting another pull-out spice rack, this time for the 6" space above the other one that we put in. I need to order it.
We found a good solution for the doors for the pull-outs--we will be using 2 6" x 15" drawer fronts. I was hoping to find a 6" x 30" drawer front to use, but Ikea doesn't make it. It's ok. It'll look good (and better than just using filler wood)
Because we have to re-do the over fridge cabinet, we have to wait to attach the cover panel that goes from it to the floor, to the lower cabinet on the other side. Because of that we can't get the granite yet.
So, everything is related to something else. We're getting it done, but there's been some bumps. Meanwhile, these are really end-of-project problems, so we're hoping we can get it all done soon.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Because Monica is my friend
I will participate in the redefining of Judith Griggs
And if you don't know what I'm talking about, here is an excellent version of the story.
And if you don't know what I'm talking about, here is an excellent version of the story.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Letter that I just sent to Chipotle
Good Evening.
Today I went to Chipotle on Sunset Hills in Reston for a take-out order. My family has eaten at Chipotle restaurants before, and we like it because we can control what goes into our meals. My husband is allergic to beans, and we like that we can see our meals being made, and ensure that he is not going to bite into a beef and bean burrito when he has ordered a beef burrito. His allergy is actually quite severe, but we have always felt comfortable eating at Chipotle because of the stated ability to see our food being made and the knowledge that the restaurants use safe food handling practices.
Tonight, as I was standing at the front of the line, the woman behind the counter was making either a phone or fax order--the orderer was not present. After placing rice and beans on the burrito, she placed shredded pork over the beans. Another woman behind the counter told her that it was supposed to be part pork and part beef, so she removed half of the pork (which had been in contact with the beans) and put it back in the bin that it came from.
Not a single person said anything. I told her that she had just cross-contaminated the food, and she looked at me like I had two heads. I obviously was not able to order food for my husband at that point; I had no idea if this had happened before (to the chicken or beef) or if it was only the pork that was contaminated.
In an era of allergies and other health issues, it is vitally important that food preparers be educated to not cross-contaminate food. I cannot imagine that it is the policy of Chipotle to correct incorrect orders by putting food back into their bins after they have already been added to a dish.
Thank you for your time.
Lynne Powell
Update:
Received this message from Chipotle:
Lynne,
Thanks for taking the time to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that your visit to our Reston restaurant yesterday was not impressionable. We shouldn't be depositing food back into their container after they have been incorporated into an order to avoid cross-contamination. Because the health and well-being of our guests is of utmost importance to us, we'll follow-up with our team at this location and make sure that this does not happen again.
We'd like to invite you back for a meal on us, if you'll willing to give us another try. Simply send me your mailing address, and I will send you a couple of free burrito cards shortly. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention so that we can address our team and correct this.
We hope to see you soon!
Sincerely,
Louisa
Louisa Fredrickson | Marketing Consultant
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Lynne Powell
Today I went to Chipotle on Sunset Hills in Reston for a take-out order. My family has eaten at Chipotle restaurants before, and we like it because we can control what goes into our meals. My husband is allergic to beans, and we like that we can see our meals being made, and ensure that he is not going to bite into a beef and bean burrito when he has ordered a beef burrito. His allergy is actually quite severe, but we have always felt comfortable eating at Chipotle because of the stated ability to see our food being made and the knowledge that the restaurants use safe food handling practices.
Tonight, as I was standing at the front of the line, the woman behind the counter was making either a phone or fax order--the orderer was not present. After placing rice and beans on the burrito, she placed shredded pork over the beans. Another woman behind the counter told her that it was supposed to be part pork and part beef, so she removed half of the pork (which had been in contact with the beans) and put it back in the bin that it came from.
Not a single person said anything. I told her that she had just cross-contaminated the food, and she looked at me like I had two heads. I obviously was not able to order food for my husband at that point; I had no idea if this had happened before (to the chicken or beef) or if it was only the pork that was contaminated.
In an era of allergies and other health issues, it is vitally important that food preparers be educated to not cross-contaminate food. I cannot imagine that it is the policy of Chipotle to correct incorrect orders by putting food back into their bins after they have already been added to a dish.
Thank you for your time.
Lynne Powell
Update:
Received this message from Chipotle:
Lynne,
Thanks for taking the time to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that your visit to our Reston restaurant yesterday was not impressionable. We shouldn't be depositing food back into their container after they have been incorporated into an order to avoid cross-contamination. Because the health and well-being of our guests is of utmost importance to us, we'll follow-up with our team at this location and make sure that this does not happen again.
We'd like to invite you back for a meal on us, if you'll willing to give us another try. Simply send me your mailing address, and I will send you a couple of free burrito cards shortly. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention so that we can address our team and correct this.
We hope to see you soon!
Sincerely,
Louisa
Louisa Fredrickson | Marketing Consultant
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Responded with:
Louisa,
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I would be willing to give Chipotle another try, but I am concerned about how long I should wait for the follow-up at this location to take place. Should I give it a week? Or will it happen sooner than that?
My mailing address is:
Lynne Powell
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Thank you again for your attention to this matter.
-Lynne Powell
Update:
Received this message from Chipotle:
Good morning Lynne,
I heard back from our area manager for Reston and he informed me that this would be addressed immediately with our crew. I will make sure that our team our there is in touch with you to assure you that we have properly followed-up with our team regarding your concerns, and that cross-contamination will not be an issue going forward. I am optimistic that you will hear from them soon.
And I will send the Powell family a Chipotle treat this morning—you should receive the cards next week J Come see us again soon!
-Louisa
And then received this message:
Hi Lynne,
I spoke with Alex (our General Manager at this store) yesterday and he already has addressed this with his managers and crew. I am really sorry you had to experience this. You can trust me in that this is definitely not the norm. You should feel free to try us at any point; as this should have been corrected immediately.
Again I am really sorry this had to happen to you, but I appreciate you taking the time to let us know about this.
Thanks,
Brian
I spoke with Alex (our General Manager at this store) yesterday and he already has addressed this with his managers and crew. I am really sorry you had to experience this. You can trust me in that this is definitely not the norm. You should feel free to try us at any point; as this should have been corrected immediately.
Again I am really sorry this had to happen to you, but I appreciate you taking the time to let us know about this.
Thanks,
Brian
So I thanked them both and am looking forward to my next trip.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Restaurants to which we will not return: Ariake in Reston
I never intended to post bad reviews here. This was supposed to be a place of love and sharing of food. But it is actually because of a food love affair gone sour that I am posting this today.
Ariake is a sushi restaurant in Reston, on Colt's Neck Road and Glade Drive. We started going there when it opened. This was well before Micah was born, and in fact, it was there that I went for my hush-hush pregnancy sushi. We have been going there for so long that we remember the things that used to be on the menu, that are not anymore, and that the waitresses will always bring for us because they remember us. Our children have always been welcome. We have always been welcome. Until tonight.
Here's a hint to restaurant owners out there: If you don't want children in your restaurant, don't provide high chairs. If a restaurant provides a high chair, I always make the assumption that we are welcome with our kids. In fact, when we entered today, there were two other tables with small children.
We ordered our food: a sushi/sashimi platter for two for Adam and me, another special roll, a cucumber roll for Micah, and agedashi tofu for Lillian. Drinks (beer for the adults and lemonade for Micah) were also ordered. We had, in fact, had a pretty rough week and wanted a nice dinner and a beer to try to make up for it.
Everything was generally fine. Lillian ate through most of her tofu and was working on some sushi. Micah was doing his dawdling thing that he does. Adam and I were gushing over the wonderfulness of the sushi. Lillian didn't get everything to her mouth; she's 14 months old. Too old to be feeding baby food (which we never did anyway), too old to be spoon or fork feeding her (which we also never did). She's a voracious eater who does, in fact, sometimes drop food on the floor. Just about all kids do. In most restaurants, we make an apology and leave a big tip. I usually try to do some cleaning up before we go.
Tonight, she was getting antsy, so I picked her up out of the high chair, and the owner's son came over to our table. As soon as I had her out of the chair, he moved the chair out of the way and started cleaning the dropped food. If that had been the end of it, I would have just assumed he was trying to be nice so I didn't step in tofu. Instead, he said, "I'm going to clean this up because it's grossing out the other customers."
"Excuse me?" I said
"It's grossing out the customers to see food on the floor."
"I see. Which customers are grossed out?" I said. "Is there a specific customer or do you mean to say that you are grossed out?
"um, um"
"I see. So you're grossed out because a BABY dropped food on the floor. And you couldn't keep it to yourself."
"It's gross to have food on the floor."
Then I turned to Adam and told him I was going to take Lillian for a walk outside. When I came back in he had brought the check to the table (we were no where near done with either the food or the drinks). I said that I wanted to talk to him and he told me that he didn't want to discuss it with me. We went back and forth a couple of times and he said we should go. He also, somewhere in there, commented that it was a family place. I'm sure.
One of our favorite waitresses was visibly upset. I commented to her that there are a lot of sushi restaurants in Reston and Herndon, and before I got to finish my statement (that we had been coming here for years now), he overheard and said "well you can go to them then."
I walked out. Adam did pay the bill (I wish he had not) and got a to go box to take the rest of the sushi home. I got in the car with Lillian and pulled up to the front door, then got out to help with Micah. Apparently the manager was also very upset (he knows us as well) because he followed Adam out, and was very insistent that the guy had no say in anything and was just the owner's son.
I said, "Yes but if he were a waiter who treated us that way, he would be fired. You do not use the words "grossed out" in front of people who are eating, especially when referring to their child."
The manager said, "yes"
I said, "But you can't fire him because he's the owner's son. And because he's the owner's son, he does speak for the business whether you say he does or not."
So, we're done with Ariake. DONE. We won't be returning there, except perhaps to drop a copy of this off to the owner.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Why we love Chik Fil A for kids, and one thing we don't love so much.
We are still eating out and we end up at Chik Fil A a lot, because it is yummy and really very good for kids. Here's what we love about our Chik Fil A. Note that all of the stores are independently owned & operated so your mileage may vary. Ours is the one on Sunset Hills Road in Reston, across from the Target. Anyway, here we are:
- Ambiance is pretty cool. There are flowers on the tables!
- Kids meals are lovely. You can replace fries with fruit, and the fruit is actual fresh fruit and not canned/syrup stuff. Both kids love the fruit and my bigger one rarely asks for the fries.
- The toy that comes in the kids meal is usually not particularly annoying. If you ask for the under 3 toy, it's actually a book. Recently we've gotten some educational stuff. Not too bad.
- They have lemonade as an option to drink, and it's real lemonade (I found pits in it last time we were there). It's a nice change of pace from the usual choice of soda or juice.
- If you happen to have a baby who is going to be eat off of the table, they give you a plastic table topper to use.
- If you walk in with a baby in one arm and a kiddo holding onto your other hand, they will take your food to your table and get a high chair for you, and make sure you're all set up. And, they'll come back and make sure you're ok and ask if you need a drink refill. That's pretty awesome.
- They have kid's events all the time. Like, on Monday mornings, you can bring the kids for breakfast and they have entertainment, crafts, story time, etc. And they have Family Night on Tuesdays.
- They have a nifty kid's play area.
So all in all, for the kids and me, it's a great place. Here's what we don't like:
- They cook in peanut oil.
Which means my husband cannot join us. I'm sure the flavor of everything would change if they changed the oil, but I don't think that it would change all that much, and it would open the place to far more people. It's pretty much my only complaint.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
CSA this week!
I traded weeks with Amy this week, so we got our share two weeks in a row. And boy was it an awesome one!
Tomatoes
Eggplant (SO MUCH EGGPLANT!)
Onions (about 6 of them)
Pole Beans
Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
Salsa Kit!!!
Chard
Arugula
Thai Basil
Raspberries (YAY!)
Eggs
There were a bunch of eggplants that had been left in the "take or leave" bin, so I got a couple of extra (they were small) in hopes that I can make a whole bunch of eggplant stuff for the freezer. I have offers of kitchen use from a few friends, and with all of the tomatoes and eggplant, I see both eggplant parmagiana and caponata in our near future. Also, if I can find the food processor, that Salsa Kit will be Salsa in no time.
I also think we will have to make some swiss chard empanadas. If I can prep them at a friend's kitchen, they will cook nicely in the toaster oven until I have a real oven again.
So yeah, really excited about this week's share.
Tomatoes
Eggplant (SO MUCH EGGPLANT!)
Onions (about 6 of them)
Pole Beans
Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
Salsa Kit!!!
Chard
Arugula
Thai Basil
Raspberries (YAY!)
Eggs
There were a bunch of eggplants that had been left in the "take or leave" bin, so I got a couple of extra (they were small) in hopes that I can make a whole bunch of eggplant stuff for the freezer. I have offers of kitchen use from a few friends, and with all of the tomatoes and eggplant, I see both eggplant parmagiana and caponata in our near future. Also, if I can find the food processor, that Salsa Kit will be Salsa in no time.
I also think we will have to make some swiss chard empanadas. If I can prep them at a friend's kitchen, they will cook nicely in the toaster oven until I have a real oven again.
So yeah, really excited about this week's share.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Kitchen Update
The kitchen project turned into a monster that we totally were not expecting, for a few reasons:
- underestimating how much help we would have from friends
- underestimating the extent of changes that would have to happen to kitchen infrastructure and of course
- having to add sub-projects after the start because of things that affected other things.
For instance, taking off the backsplash turned into a drywall/skim coating nightmare because we couldn't get the glue off the walls. Taking out the pantry left a big hole in the floor tiles that required a tile patch job. Deciding to switch from a range to a wall oven and cooktop, and adding a built-in microwave, required pulling another 2 circuits which meant cutting a giant hole in the wall. And then there was the planned removal of the soffit that turned into extending it out and adding lights because it had too much stuff in it.
But things are finally coming to a point where we can hopefully call some parts of the kitchen Actually Done. Here's where things stand:
- ceiling is done. This entailed scraping off the texture, sanding, priming, skim coating, sanding, priming, and painting. DONE. Gorgeous. Needs to be a little touched up.
- skim coating on the walls is done.
- painting is mostly done. Touch ups will be done after cabinet installation, since we expect to have to touch up after the installation anyway.
- patching the floor is done.
- Lights are installed and beautiful
- Wall cabinets on Wall 1 are done.
- Base cabinets for Wall 1 are assembled but need backs, cover panels, door hinges, and feet.
OK, so still to be done:
- touch up paint
- Construct & Install Wall cabinets on Wall 2 (sink wall)
- Construct & Install Base cabinets on Wall 2
- Construct & Install Wall cabinets on Wall 3 (oven wall)
- Construct & Install Base cabinets on Wall 3
- Construct & Install Pantry cabinet
- Over fridge cabinet, which is a PROJECT because Ikea did not have the right size cabinet. But I now have a PLAN and hope hope hope I really don't screw it up. If it comes out great I am totally going to post it to Ikea Fans.
- Install molding over and under cabinets
- Install covers under cabinets
- Install all doors, drawers, and handles
- Install interior fittings (lazy susans, etc)
- Install appliances (bring back electrician)
- Pick out granite slabs
- Get Granite people out here to measure and come back/install granite
- Plumbing hookups/stovetop install after granite is in
- And then we have a freakin' party because it will be done!
So we're getting there, but there's still a lot to do. Meanwhile, we have a little table that will hold a rice cooker or crock pot, so I can do a little cooking. Someone freecycled a toaster oven to me so I can do a little bit of baking in small batches. I just can't do anything that requires a stove at the moment! Argh!
But really, I never expected I could do as much of this myself as I did! I'm really proud of both me and my husband. We have the best contractor ever for things like pulling electrical and doing plumbing but we really did almost all of the cosmetic work ourselves. And Adam is now a drywalling pro. And he likes my overall plan for upgrading the whole house, and was even looking at bath vanities this weekend! HAHA awesome!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
CSA Goodness!
CSA pickup today and nearly everything can be eaten raw! Yay!
- Tomatoes. It said "take as many as you can eat in a week." Micah decided that was 10.
- Cherry Tomatoes. Because you can never have too many tomatoes
- Peppers. About 6 of them
- Carrots. Lots
- Beets, without the greens this time. Lots (will have to find a way to cook them)
- Lettuce
- cucumbers
- Okra (need to find a way to cook them too)
- sage
- basil. A LOT of Basil. To go with the tomatoes of course
- Eggs
I'm pretty sure I'm going to make some tomato salads. If I can figure out how to get the skins off, I will probably puree and freeze some of the tomatoes, too, since we still have some from last week too.
Plus, there's salad. Yummy yummy salad.
- Tomatoes. It said "take as many as you can eat in a week." Micah decided that was 10.
- Cherry Tomatoes. Because you can never have too many tomatoes
- Peppers. About 6 of them
- Carrots. Lots
- Beets, without the greens this time. Lots (will have to find a way to cook them)
- Lettuce
- cucumbers
- Okra (need to find a way to cook them too)
- sage
- basil. A LOT of Basil. To go with the tomatoes of course
- Eggs
I'm pretty sure I'm going to make some tomato salads. If I can figure out how to get the skins off, I will probably puree and freeze some of the tomatoes, too, since we still have some from last week too.
Plus, there's salad. Yummy yummy salad.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I don't like...
There are very few foods that we consider to be "food" in the United States, that I will not eat. I don't necessarily love every food there is to eat, but generally speaking, if you put it in front of me, I will eat it. I prefer not to try a few things that I can't wrap my mind around (like tripe or various other types of organ meat) but I've had things that other people I know think is yucky, like squid, octopus, sea urchin, sushi in general, etc, and as I said, for the most part if you put it in front of me I won't turn most foods down. I will turn down peanuts if I'm pregnant or nursing.
And I'll turn down watermelon.
I don't like watermelon. I know this makes me some kind of a freak, because EVERYONE likes watermelon. But I don't. And I'll point out that my mother in law doesn't either, which is something we can kind of bond over. I don't like the flavor. I don't like the texture. I don't like having to eat around seeds. I simply DISLIKE it. And somehow, people get weirdly annoyed at me when I don't want it.
I try it every so often. If they're putting out testers at the farmer's market, and it doesn't have seeds, I'll test out a piece to see if my opinion has changed. So far, it hasn't.
There was a short time during my last pregnancy when I liked watermelon. I think it is because I had it in a salad and it seemed to work as an ingredient better than it does on its own. But I was also pregnant, and you know, I also thought that pineapple and blue cheese tasted good together.
I know it's weird, but I also think that as someone who will eat just about anything, I am entitled to my little watermelon hatred quirk. And the thing is, I'll eat it if it's a matter of being polite, and I'll not enjoy it, and it will ruin an otherwise awesome dinner for me. Just so I can be polite!
There are certain circumstances under which I will eat watermelon and not absolutely abhor it. It has to be completely fresh and not over-ripe or under-ripe. It has to be crispy and not a drop mealy. It has to be nearly seedless or have only edible seeds. It has to be not refrigerated. I almost never come across a piece of watermelon this way.
Yesterday when we picked up our farm share, it included a watermelon. I kept it out of the fridge and cut into it for the kids after dinner. Alas. Seeds. I had a tiny piece that had no seeds, decided it was still not my thing, and gave the rest to the kids. My children ate half of a (small) watermelon on their own, all the while the 4-year-old asking me when I was going to have some. *sigh*.
So that's it. The food I don't like. Considering how many people I know who won't eat fruit or vegetables, I think I can live with the quirk.
And I'll turn down watermelon.
I don't like watermelon. I know this makes me some kind of a freak, because EVERYONE likes watermelon. But I don't. And I'll point out that my mother in law doesn't either, which is something we can kind of bond over. I don't like the flavor. I don't like the texture. I don't like having to eat around seeds. I simply DISLIKE it. And somehow, people get weirdly annoyed at me when I don't want it.
I try it every so often. If they're putting out testers at the farmer's market, and it doesn't have seeds, I'll test out a piece to see if my opinion has changed. So far, it hasn't.
There was a short time during my last pregnancy when I liked watermelon. I think it is because I had it in a salad and it seemed to work as an ingredient better than it does on its own. But I was also pregnant, and you know, I also thought that pineapple and blue cheese tasted good together.
I know it's weird, but I also think that as someone who will eat just about anything, I am entitled to my little watermelon hatred quirk. And the thing is, I'll eat it if it's a matter of being polite, and I'll not enjoy it, and it will ruin an otherwise awesome dinner for me. Just so I can be polite!
There are certain circumstances under which I will eat watermelon and not absolutely abhor it. It has to be completely fresh and not over-ripe or under-ripe. It has to be crispy and not a drop mealy. It has to be nearly seedless or have only edible seeds. It has to be not refrigerated. I almost never come across a piece of watermelon this way.
Yesterday when we picked up our farm share, it included a watermelon. I kept it out of the fridge and cut into it for the kids after dinner. Alas. Seeds. I had a tiny piece that had no seeds, decided it was still not my thing, and gave the rest to the kids. My children ate half of a (small) watermelon on their own, all the while the 4-year-old asking me when I was going to have some. *sigh*.
So that's it. The food I don't like. Considering how many people I know who won't eat fruit or vegetables, I think I can live with the quirk.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
We have been Tomatoed! Plus, the Kitchen is Nearly Ready For Cabinets!
Today when we arrived for our CSA pickup, there were 5 bins of heirloom tomatoes and a scale saying that mini-shareholders should take 2 lbs, Regular shareholders should take 3 lbs, and Robust shareholders should take 4 lbs. Three pounds of tomatoes should keep us going until the next pickup we have in 2 weeks (we are sharing our farm share with a friend this year)
We also have basil and parsley, many many onions, cucumbers, peppers, chives, eggs, cabbage, carrots, and a watermelon. All of which means I need to borrow someone's kitchen to make bruschetta, cucumber salad, and cole slaw. And more hard boiled eggs. My friend Amy was kind enough last week to allow me to boil a bunch of eggs at her house last week, so that all of these wonderful eggs do not go to waste. Here's hoping I can also make some egg salad while I'm at it.
In other Kitchen News, I am now fully baffled at why anyone would ever do a popcorn/textured ceiling. I've been told that it's easier than making the ceiling look nice and smooth. Well, I can tell you that I am an amateur and my ceiling is now Gorgeous. And it was my first one. When I get to the dining and living rooms, it will go much more smoothly, because now I know what I'm doing. Three weeks ago I didn't know what I'm doing. Now I do.
That's one of the reasons I love that we are doing the kitchen ourselves, even if it's a pain in the ass. I learned how to take down a stippled ceiling and make it look gorgeous. I learned how to make a wall made from 7 pieces of drywall look like a wall made from one. Soon I'll learn how to install recessed lights.
I just wish I could cook. But SOON. SOON we will be able to cook.
We also have basil and parsley, many many onions, cucumbers, peppers, chives, eggs, cabbage, carrots, and a watermelon. All of which means I need to borrow someone's kitchen to make bruschetta, cucumber salad, and cole slaw. And more hard boiled eggs. My friend Amy was kind enough last week to allow me to boil a bunch of eggs at her house last week, so that all of these wonderful eggs do not go to waste. Here's hoping I can also make some egg salad while I'm at it.
In other Kitchen News, I am now fully baffled at why anyone would ever do a popcorn/textured ceiling. I've been told that it's easier than making the ceiling look nice and smooth. Well, I can tell you that I am an amateur and my ceiling is now Gorgeous. And it was my first one. When I get to the dining and living rooms, it will go much more smoothly, because now I know what I'm doing. Three weeks ago I didn't know what I'm doing. Now I do.
That's one of the reasons I love that we are doing the kitchen ourselves, even if it's a pain in the ass. I learned how to take down a stippled ceiling and make it look gorgeous. I learned how to make a wall made from 7 pieces of drywall look like a wall made from one. Soon I'll learn how to install recessed lights.
I just wish I could cook. But SOON. SOON we will be able to cook.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Grillin'
We still don't have a kitchen. Over the last few weeks, we have been either eating out, microwaving, or grilling. It did occur to me that we have a few other items to use for cooking, namely a rice cooker (you can also steam veggies in it though I think I lost the steamer attachment) and a crock pot. Also, if I could find my Pampered Chef covered baker I could bake in the microwave, but I am not sure where I put it. But really, summer is a good time to redo your kitchen if you have a grill.
If I had been smart, I would have made some freezer meals that could be heated in the microwave long before the kitchen renovation started. As it is, I do have one freezer meal that fits the bill, so that will be ready to go on a rainy night.
Last night, I adapted my sausage & peppers recipe for the grill. It was easy.
You'll need:
Sausages (Sweet Italian is my favorite but whatever you like)
A large green pepper, cut into chunks
A large onion, cut into chunks
some fresh oregano (or dried if you don't have fresh)
some olive oil
skewers or a grill tray/basket (I have the Pampered Chef grill tray and it rocks)
Place peppers and onions in basket (or skewer), drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with oregano.
Start the grill and set to medium. Place sausages on one side, cover, and let grill for about 10 minutes.
Turn sausages and place the grill basket/skewers/tray on the other side. Grill for another 5-7 minutes. Remove veggies, and check to make sure the sausages are done. If they are, it's time to eat! If not, leave on for another few minutes until they are done.
Easy peasy. We made a container of Easy Mac as a side dish (remember, the tools we currently have are a Grill, a Microwave, a Crock Pot, and a Rice Cooker, so Easy Mac is an easy and cheap choice for a side dish!) and everyone enjoyed dinner! We have a giant cantaloupe from the Farmer's Market for dessert, and it was delicious too!
Next time I'll remember to take pictures.
If I had been smart, I would have made some freezer meals that could be heated in the microwave long before the kitchen renovation started. As it is, I do have one freezer meal that fits the bill, so that will be ready to go on a rainy night.
Last night, I adapted my sausage & peppers recipe for the grill. It was easy.
You'll need:
Sausages (Sweet Italian is my favorite but whatever you like)
A large green pepper, cut into chunks
A large onion, cut into chunks
some fresh oregano (or dried if you don't have fresh)
some olive oil
skewers or a grill tray/basket (I have the Pampered Chef grill tray and it rocks)
Place peppers and onions in basket (or skewer), drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with oregano.
Start the grill and set to medium. Place sausages on one side, cover, and let grill for about 10 minutes.
Turn sausages and place the grill basket/skewers/tray on the other side. Grill for another 5-7 minutes. Remove veggies, and check to make sure the sausages are done. If they are, it's time to eat! If not, leave on for another few minutes until they are done.
Easy peasy. We made a container of Easy Mac as a side dish (remember, the tools we currently have are a Grill, a Microwave, a Crock Pot, and a Rice Cooker, so Easy Mac is an easy and cheap choice for a side dish!) and everyone enjoyed dinner! We have a giant cantaloupe from the Farmer's Market for dessert, and it was delicious too!
Next time I'll remember to take pictures.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Porterhouse
Dear guy from Fertile Plains:
This is what we did with your porterhouse:
This is what we did TO your porterhouse:
Thank you. That is all.
This is what we did with your porterhouse:
This is what we did TO your porterhouse:
Thank you. That is all.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sausage and Peppers Revisited, with Calzone leftovers!
Last summer, I made a delicious meal of Sausage and Peppers from ingredients from our farm share and farmer's market. This year, I did the same, with a few changes, and had left overs, since it was just my kids and me having the food.
I may even call this version better.
For Sausage and Peppers:
1 package of good sweet Italian sausage (we got this from the Pork Guy (Fertile Plains))
2 thin skinned sweet green peppers, sliced thinly
1 bulb of a spring red onion, sliced
1 bulb of a spring garlic (this looks like a garlic with a scallion-like top on it, but when you cut into the head, it has no "skins" separating the cloves), chopped
leaves from 2 stems of fresh oregano
salt/pepper
scant cup of water
Brown sausages on all sides, remove from pan, slice into bite-sized pieces, and return to pan. Add pepper, onions, garlic, salt & pepper (to taste) and oregano, and mix. Add a scant cup of water to the pan and scrape anything there is from the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with a lid and continue cooking about 10 minutes more. Serve with pasta, or rice, or not :)
We had about half of the dish left over, and I was not sure what to do with it. Then I remembered something from my childhood: Sausage rolls! Of course, I had no idea how to make them. Mine came out more like a calzone but who cares? They were fantastic.
If you have one, go to Trader Joe's and get a pizza crust dough. It's in the refrigerated section near the cheese, and it costs .99. If you don't have a TJ's you'll have to make your own, or find another brand, but I have not had any as good as the TJ's ones. Also pick up a jar of TJ's marinara sauce (if you don't have any at home) and a bag of shredded mozzerella cheese (we used the lower fat version)
Let the dough sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Break into 2 pieces and work each piece into a round. Place rounds on a pizza stone. working on a 1/2 round, layer sauce, sausage and peppers, more sauce, and cheese. Fold over and crimp the edge, and pierce with a knife or fork to make vents. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.
My son had no idea that this was essentially the same dish that we had for dinner last night so YAY for hiding the leftovers!
I may even call this version better.
For Sausage and Peppers:
1 package of good sweet Italian sausage (we got this from the Pork Guy (Fertile Plains))
2 thin skinned sweet green peppers, sliced thinly
1 bulb of a spring red onion, sliced
1 bulb of a spring garlic (this looks like a garlic with a scallion-like top on it, but when you cut into the head, it has no "skins" separating the cloves), chopped
leaves from 2 stems of fresh oregano
salt/pepper
scant cup of water
Brown sausages on all sides, remove from pan, slice into bite-sized pieces, and return to pan. Add pepper, onions, garlic, salt & pepper (to taste) and oregano, and mix. Add a scant cup of water to the pan and scrape anything there is from the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with a lid and continue cooking about 10 minutes more. Serve with pasta, or rice, or not :)
We had about half of the dish left over, and I was not sure what to do with it. Then I remembered something from my childhood: Sausage rolls! Of course, I had no idea how to make them. Mine came out more like a calzone but who cares? They were fantastic.
If you have one, go to Trader Joe's and get a pizza crust dough. It's in the refrigerated section near the cheese, and it costs .99. If you don't have a TJ's you'll have to make your own, or find another brand, but I have not had any as good as the TJ's ones. Also pick up a jar of TJ's marinara sauce (if you don't have any at home) and a bag of shredded mozzerella cheese (we used the lower fat version)
Let the dough sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Break into 2 pieces and work each piece into a round. Place rounds on a pizza stone. working on a 1/2 round, layer sauce, sausage and peppers, more sauce, and cheese. Fold over and crimp the edge, and pierce with a knife or fork to make vents. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.
My son had no idea that this was essentially the same dish that we had for dinner last night so YAY for hiding the leftovers!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Kitchen Planning
Some of you may have been following along with my kitchen saga. Last year, we had a few people come to do estimates, and they all came in around $20,000. This year, after hearing that some of the same people had lowered their prices, they came in at $25,000. Thinking that I was never going to get a new kitchen, I went into a bit of a funk.
Then we learned about Ikea kitchens. And suddenly things started moving very quickly! So I thought I'd share how you go about doing an Ikea kitchen, at least for as far as we've gotten so far.
First, you go to Ikea. You really have to see it all in person to get a real feel for it. Go to Ikea, eat the meatballs, and then go looking. One interesting thing about the Ikea kitchens is that they are not all in one place (like, say, kids stuff or living rooms) but are spread out all over the store. So take your time and wander, and believe me, Something will attract your attention. Pick up a catalog. Go home.
Now go to Ikea online and (if you have a PC) use their kitchen design software. If you don't have a PC, you'll have to do it another way, or bring your information with you to the store. You'll want to measure your kitchen, complete with doors, windows, water, and electrical. If you think you might want to take out or move walls, soffits, etc, this is the time to see if you can (not once you are excited about doing something and then you find out that you can't!)
Put everything into the system and then start playing with cabinets. You don't have to be perfect. Just get your general layout done. You can change stuff later. Now go back to Ikea.
Now you want to go to the kitchen design center. This is where you pick out your cabinet fronts, countertops, handles, and appliances. A design expert will go over your design with you and help you to remember stuff that you might have forgotten. He or she will make sure that you won't have handles knocking handles, and make sure that everything will actually fit. You'll be confused when you're using the software yourself, but that's because you are not an expert. Your design expert will make sure that you have the right kind of cabinet for your microwave, have the fridge that you actually want to order, and have it all in the right colors. Then you can buy it! Or you can wait and sit on it for another 2 weeks like we did. I suggest the latter. It's a big purchase, and you probably want to take your design back home and make sure you have it all right (we made 2 major changes after taking ours home, and one minor one).
And then you can order everything. When you do so, they might have you take some stuff home with you that day. We brought home our new cutting board and 34 door/drawer handles. They also let us take with us one drawer front so that we could pick out paint colors. We should be getting a call soon with our delivery date, and then the real work will begin!
Then we learned about Ikea kitchens. And suddenly things started moving very quickly! So I thought I'd share how you go about doing an Ikea kitchen, at least for as far as we've gotten so far.
First, you go to Ikea. You really have to see it all in person to get a real feel for it. Go to Ikea, eat the meatballs, and then go looking. One interesting thing about the Ikea kitchens is that they are not all in one place (like, say, kids stuff or living rooms) but are spread out all over the store. So take your time and wander, and believe me, Something will attract your attention. Pick up a catalog. Go home.
Now go to Ikea online and (if you have a PC) use their kitchen design software. If you don't have a PC, you'll have to do it another way, or bring your information with you to the store. You'll want to measure your kitchen, complete with doors, windows, water, and electrical. If you think you might want to take out or move walls, soffits, etc, this is the time to see if you can (not once you are excited about doing something and then you find out that you can't!)
Put everything into the system and then start playing with cabinets. You don't have to be perfect. Just get your general layout done. You can change stuff later. Now go back to Ikea.
Now you want to go to the kitchen design center. This is where you pick out your cabinet fronts, countertops, handles, and appliances. A design expert will go over your design with you and help you to remember stuff that you might have forgotten. He or she will make sure that you won't have handles knocking handles, and make sure that everything will actually fit. You'll be confused when you're using the software yourself, but that's because you are not an expert. Your design expert will make sure that you have the right kind of cabinet for your microwave, have the fridge that you actually want to order, and have it all in the right colors. Then you can buy it! Or you can wait and sit on it for another 2 weeks like we did. I suggest the latter. It's a big purchase, and you probably want to take your design back home and make sure you have it all right (we made 2 major changes after taking ours home, and one minor one).
And then you can order everything. When you do so, they might have you take some stuff home with you that day. We brought home our new cutting board and 34 door/drawer handles. They also let us take with us one drawer front so that we could pick out paint colors. We should be getting a call soon with our delivery date, and then the real work will begin!
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