It’s getting cooler outside and the leaves are beginning to turn colors. Fall is so many people’s favorite time of year. I love all the new magazine covers that come out during this season. They brandish pictures of country roads, farms that have beautiful pumpkins and brightly colored mums to entice you to get outdoorsy. Many people head to the mountains to see God’s show and honestly if I could I would. As lovely as those covers are, they’re not the ones that get me going. My fall senses go into overdrive when I see those distinctive fall flavors in full color. You know the ones I’m talking about: hot apple pie with melting vanilla ice cream on top, or those pumpkin muffins with walnut crumb topping. THOSE are the fall colors that make me want to feed a crowd of hungry visitors. Spiced hot apple cider, crickets chirping at night, and front porch rocking are the sights, sounds, and smells of fall to me.
This past weekend I hosted a Crop and Cackle. It’s a scrapbooking retreat. Cropping is what they do to their pictures and cackling is the sound the ladies make when they are doing it! Eight ladies from Greensboro, NC came to spend three nights and days to work on their memory albums. These are some of the finest women you would ever want to meet. They have been “Cackling” here for about 5 or 6 years. They love my cooking and I love their appetites! Here was their menu:
Thursday Lunch: Pumpkin Curry Soup (see recipe)
Baby Green Salad Fresh Vinaigrette
Crackers with Cream Cheese and Olive Tapenade
Thursday Dinner: We enjoyed a meal at our local Mexican Restaurant
Yes even chefs like to eat out!
Friday Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Fresh Grapes
Link Sausage
Blueberry Juice
Friday Lunch: Italian Wedding Soup
Monte Crisco Sandwiches
Sweet Slaw (see recipe)
Saturday Breakfast: An Egg Casserole called – Angel Puff
Bosc Pears with Caramelized Pecans
Orange-Peach Juice
Saturday Lunch: Sesame Pork over White Rice
Fresh Sautéed Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Cookie Dough Brownies
Saturday Dinner: Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie
Steamed Sugar Peas
Fresh Baby Green Salad and Apple Salad for Connie
Saturday Dessert: Baked Apples stuffed with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar
Hot Vanilla Drink
Sunday Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy
Nectarine and Plum Fruit Salad
Sunday Lunch: Pan Seared Pork Chop
Steamed Green Beans
Tortellini Salad
Chocolate Cranberry Cashew Tort
I also want to give a shout out to my special helper Gabby, who came to enjoy the weekend with her mom, grand mom, great aunt, and several people who love her very much. Thank you Gabby!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Fall Cooking Retreat
Well they just left. Five fun and adorable ladies ranging from 25 to 44, who were either friends or friends of friends who came this weekend to relax and enjoy some time in the kitchen learning something new. The theme was a special dinner for their family, friends or just some one on one time with the person they love.
When they arrived on Saturday, I served them lunch:
Corn and Kielbasa Chowder (see recipe section)
Buttered Rutabagas
Sweet Slaw
Boston Cornbread
We discussed the dinner menu and then all piled into the van heading to WalMart.
I took them to the cookware section where they learned about different types of knives, appliances, pots and pans, and of course kitchen gadgets. At one point a shopper joined in thinking it was a store demonstration.
Then we went to the grocery side of the store where we talked about different kinds of foods and easy ways to prepare them. In the produce department, the ladies got to ask about various fruits and vegetables that they had never tried. We left there with a few “extras” in our shopping cart. So the bok choy, pineapple, mango, plantain, and artichoke were not on the menu, but they did end up on our plates.
Once we got back to the kitchen, the ladies donned their “Our Place Café” aprons and we began to prepare dinner. They learned how to sharpen their kitchen knives and how to hold it correctly. There was no blood – thank you God!
Our dinner menu:
Pumpkin Soup
Baby green Salad with fresh Vinaigrette
Roasted Chicken
Steamed Broccoli
Caribbean Carrots
Garlic Braised Bok Choy
Everyone got a turn at chopping, mixing, stirring and tasting. They even pressed the table linens and set a festive table for the evening. Everything was delicious!
Afterwards they were served desert: Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Sauce and Hot Vanilla (Kind of hot chocolate in reverse!)
They ladies spent the rest of the night on the porch enjoying the cool fall air until the fireworks started. Our annual fall festival was the same weekend and it always ends with a fireworks display. As soon as we heard the booms we raced upstairs and out the window to sit on our roof and watch the show! The stars were bright and the colors beautiful.
I gave out early, but the others took advantage of the time away from their families and stayed up late talking and having “girl time.”
In the morning we made brunch:
Hash Brown Casserole
Anytime Scones
Steamed Artichoke
Fresh Pineapple and Mango
Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Many had seconds, but as my youngest says “We do not judge.” It does my heart good to see people eat! More time on the front porch, pictures taken and time for goodbyes was the rest of the morning.
When they left one of my children said “I forget how much I enjoy having people here until we have them.” I must agree. The food was delicious, the company was delightful and a good time was had by all.
When they arrived on Saturday, I served them lunch:
Corn and Kielbasa Chowder (see recipe section)
Buttered Rutabagas
Sweet Slaw
Boston Cornbread
We discussed the dinner menu and then all piled into the van heading to WalMart.
I took them to the cookware section where they learned about different types of knives, appliances, pots and pans, and of course kitchen gadgets. At one point a shopper joined in thinking it was a store demonstration.
Then we went to the grocery side of the store where we talked about different kinds of foods and easy ways to prepare them. In the produce department, the ladies got to ask about various fruits and vegetables that they had never tried. We left there with a few “extras” in our shopping cart. So the bok choy, pineapple, mango, plantain, and artichoke were not on the menu, but they did end up on our plates.
Once we got back to the kitchen, the ladies donned their “Our Place Café” aprons and we began to prepare dinner. They learned how to sharpen their kitchen knives and how to hold it correctly. There was no blood – thank you God!
Our dinner menu:
Pumpkin Soup
Baby green Salad with fresh Vinaigrette
Roasted Chicken
Steamed Broccoli
Caribbean Carrots
Garlic Braised Bok Choy
Everyone got a turn at chopping, mixing, stirring and tasting. They even pressed the table linens and set a festive table for the evening. Everything was delicious!
Afterwards they were served desert: Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Sauce and Hot Vanilla (Kind of hot chocolate in reverse!)
They ladies spent the rest of the night on the porch enjoying the cool fall air until the fireworks started. Our annual fall festival was the same weekend and it always ends with a fireworks display. As soon as we heard the booms we raced upstairs and out the window to sit on our roof and watch the show! The stars were bright and the colors beautiful.
I gave out early, but the others took advantage of the time away from their families and stayed up late talking and having “girl time.”
In the morning we made brunch:
Hash Brown Casserole
Anytime Scones
Steamed Artichoke
Fresh Pineapple and Mango
Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Many had seconds, but as my youngest says “We do not judge.” It does my heart good to see people eat! More time on the front porch, pictures taken and time for goodbyes was the rest of the morning.
When they left one of my children said “I forget how much I enjoy having people here until we have them.” I must agree. The food was delicious, the company was delightful and a good time was had by all.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Weekend with Friends
Memorial Day often signals the opening of a local pool or a day of shopping, but rarely does it bring to mind what it was intended for – a day of memory for our troops past and present. Today I spent the day with friends and the traditional cookout. We were reminded of our troops in the simple pleasure of gathering and sharing food. The freedom we had to cross state lines and visit friends, to pray over our meal, to share ideas and thoughts, where to buy our food, what kind of food we ate and so on. All those small things we take for granted, but many paid and arm and a leg and a life so that we could have those freedoms. To me spending time with friends and family is a way I exercise my freedoms. The company, the conversation and the FOOD all work together to make memories that energizes us for life (or at least for a boost in our everyday routine!)
This Memorial Day has special meaning, because I have two young friends that have or are serving in Iraq. They Facebook and try and stay connected, but it isn’t always that easy. I wish that I could send this one friend a hot juicy burger hot off the grill and tell him “Thank you. This memory is for you.”
This Memorial Day has special meaning, because I have two young friends that have or are serving in Iraq. They Facebook and try and stay connected, but it isn’t always that easy. I wish that I could send this one friend a hot juicy burger hot off the grill and tell him “Thank you. This memory is for you.”
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Inspired Exhaustion
I know I need inspiration or new recipes when I start jazzing up boxed meals. In the last blog I encouraged you to "put down that box of Hamburger Helper" but I have a confession to make: lately I have used the double "H" often. But to my defense I am probably the only person who adds wine to the packaged sauces and who "doctors" with spices in the meat while browning.
The reason can only be exhaustion. I have been tired and it was easy. But I started noticing a pattern in my eating habits when I do this. I start eating and don't stop. It's like my body is craving real food and I keep putting things in my mouth hoping to satisfy this need. I also start drinking more sodas and my ankle swell - too much sodium. Finally when I hobble out from bed do I realize I have done this to myself.
So what do I do to remedy the problem? COOK! Cook real foods and drink water! I started out of this funk small - a fresh salad. Then the next night, chicken and vegetable over rice. And before I know it I'm searching my freezer and trying to match this with that.
Am I still tired? Yes, but now I have a little more energy because I'm eating a little better. And I took an armload of cookbooks up to my room to read at night. I'm on the poultry chapter right now, so I guess exhaustion can inspire!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Always start with mise en place.
Mise en place pronounced "mees in plass" is a French term for "put in place" and is used in the culinary world for gathering the ingredients, utensils, pots/pans, etc. for whatever recipe or service that you are about to prepare. In other words, it means to get everything out and ready to go, BEFORE you start to cook. This always means that you have to read the recipe (or instructions on the side of the box) before you begin cooking. I guess that's what I need to do before starting this blog. My good friend George (husband of one of my very best friends) helped me get started and said that I could spend a lot of time finding the right back drop, clipart, fonts and widgets to make this thing look just right. It can also be a huge diversion from what I actually set out to do which was write about cooking. But you don't wait til all the lights are green before starting your road trip.
I think in some ways the need for me to write has always been there. The need for me to eat, I was born with, but the need for me to cook arrived when I went to college. There I lived alone in a nice little house trailer own by an elderly lady who knew Moses personally. She wasn't really that old, but to a older teen she seemed so.
I was a picky eater to some extent: green beans, corn, broccoli, asparagus and artichokes were the only things that constituted as vegetables. The latter two were always smoothered in butter. But when I was alone, the need for me to eat won out and I started cooking. I found that I was willing to try new foods if I could prepare them myself.
I lived about 30 miles from my grandmother and would visit her every weekend. She was a great cook and loved having someone to cook for and with. We started eating Chinese food together and wanted to try making our own, so she bought me my first international cuisine cookbook. I started at the beginning and cooked my way through to the end! It was a great experience and we learned together how to shop in the "Ethnic" section of the grocery store. We even ventured out to an Asian Foodmarket for some hard to find ingredients. In between those trials, Sr. (my name for my grandmother) would fix old family favorites for me and share her recipes in her recipe box. She loved new recipes too and was a sucker for kitchen gadgets, something that has rubbed off on me 100%.
Thus started my culinary road. I have rarely strayed from cutting out new recipes and reading cookbooks from beginning to end like one reads a novel. God placed many great cooks in my path and sent me off on many an eating and cooking adventure that grew my skills in the kitchen.
But what have I to offer you? Me. Not all of me, just the part that knows how to cook. You see along these different roads I have travelled, I have heard the same thing over and over again. Mainly it is the disbelief that they(you) can cook well. Well to quote a famous TV chef "This isn't rocket science!" And I'm here to show you how or at least help you along the way.
My goal here is to help you gently put down that box of Hamburger Helper and try to make dinner from a recipe or from – now hold on to your seat – scratch using your own imagination. It’s not that hard and with a little guidance it can be very tasty.
Every few days I’ll post some recipes from either my cookbook or from my kitchen along with tips and techniques. I’ll also try and give you some shopping guidance too. You would be surprised how many people don't know how to pick a good pear from the produce section.
But for now your first assignment is to get your mise en place ready for learning. Until my next post….Bon Appetite!
I think in some ways the need for me to write has always been there. The need for me to eat, I was born with, but the need for me to cook arrived when I went to college. There I lived alone in a nice little house trailer own by an elderly lady who knew Moses personally. She wasn't really that old, but to a older teen she seemed so.
I was a picky eater to some extent: green beans, corn, broccoli, asparagus and artichokes were the only things that constituted as vegetables. The latter two were always smoothered in butter. But when I was alone, the need for me to eat won out and I started cooking. I found that I was willing to try new foods if I could prepare them myself.
I lived about 30 miles from my grandmother and would visit her every weekend. She was a great cook and loved having someone to cook for and with. We started eating Chinese food together and wanted to try making our own, so she bought me my first international cuisine cookbook. I started at the beginning and cooked my way through to the end! It was a great experience and we learned together how to shop in the "Ethnic" section of the grocery store. We even ventured out to an Asian Foodmarket for some hard to find ingredients. In between those trials, Sr. (my name for my grandmother) would fix old family favorites for me and share her recipes in her recipe box. She loved new recipes too and was a sucker for kitchen gadgets, something that has rubbed off on me 100%.
Thus started my culinary road. I have rarely strayed from cutting out new recipes and reading cookbooks from beginning to end like one reads a novel. God placed many great cooks in my path and sent me off on many an eating and cooking adventure that grew my skills in the kitchen.
But what have I to offer you? Me. Not all of me, just the part that knows how to cook. You see along these different roads I have travelled, I have heard the same thing over and over again. Mainly it is the disbelief that they(you) can cook well. Well to quote a famous TV chef "This isn't rocket science!" And I'm here to show you how or at least help you along the way.
My goal here is to help you gently put down that box of Hamburger Helper and try to make dinner from a recipe or from – now hold on to your seat – scratch using your own imagination. It’s not that hard and with a little guidance it can be very tasty.
Every few days I’ll post some recipes from either my cookbook or from my kitchen along with tips and techniques. I’ll also try and give you some shopping guidance too. You would be surprised how many people don't know how to pick a good pear from the produce section.
But for now your first assignment is to get your mise en place ready for learning. Until my next post….Bon Appetite!
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