More cookery...

Yesterday was a smashing success. Our little freezer is packed full of delicious food (we had some taste tests) and more even that, the three of us had a wonderful time together, laughing and teasing and enjoying each other's company.

Tonight I'm making myself a cornish game hen. If I like this recipe, I'll make it again after WH gets back. I did make hens once before with mixed success so I thought it was time to try again. I've stuff the cavity with orange and rosemary and will make a sauce out of white wine, garlic and chicken stock. Here's the recipe, by the way.

The theme in the kitchen for 2010 is based on three principles: adventure, good planning and making use out of what we have. So we have been working on a project to develop a series of week-long meal plans that balance new recipes with old favourites, that allow us to cook new things about once a week and that involve a weekly survey of the food that is in our fridge, freezer and pantry and how we can incorporate those. Almost two months in, things are working out really well!

Except that the power just went out. If electricity ruins my game hen... I'm gonna be ticked.

Update - long power outage, but the food survived!

Gettin' ready to get my cook on!

Today is COOKING day.

Two friends, J and G, and I are getting together this afternoon to cook approximately 7 gillion meals that we can freeze to feed our families when we're too busy to cook something from scratch. On the menu are:

Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken en Croute (Freeze wonderfully and cook so amazingly from frozen)
Beef Stroganoff
Meatballs
Butternut Squash Soup with Sour Cream
Easy Pizza Spread

I did the grocery shopping last night, which included wonderful things like 7lbs of mushrooms, 24 chicken breasts, 9 boxes of chicken stock, and so on. I need to make one more stop at the grocery store today to get rotisserie chickens and to replace two containers of sour cream that came to a sad end on our driveway when we were unloading last night.

And by we, I mean MU and I. She provided great assistance in converting recipe measurements to grocery store units, suggesting replacements for Monterrey Jack cheese and generally keeping me from going off the rails when I couldn't find what I was looking for.
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We have been beset upon by fog this year in Prairie City and Prairie Hamlet, more than I can ever remember previously. It makes for nervous driving, but the frost on the trees that results is so beautiful. So I'm sitting here with my cup of hot coffee and the cats looking outside at a world that looks perfectly frozen.

Lovely.

Updates, Updates, Updates

What I've been up to: lots of work, getting ready for the beginning of concert season, trying to rest when I can, keeping up with both So You Think You Can Dance and So You Think You Can Dance Canada, being sat on by cats.

What I'm reading : Serious Eats. (Seriously, prepare to drool)

What I'm listening to: lots of Bach and lots of Mendelssohn, in preparation for Chamber Choir's first concert of the season.

And life rolls on...

There are lots of posts brewing, so hopefully I get some more time to blog more often.

Chilly and Chili

It's been a weird fall here in Prairie Hamlet.

Two weeks ago, it was +30C (86F for my American chums) and today it is -7C (20F) and there is the first dusting of snow on the ground. And WIND.

Because it was so hot so late in September, the leaves haven't really turned, and because the leaves haven't turned, they haven't fallen off. Until the last couple of days when, still green, they froze and dropped.

So it feels a little bit like we haven't had any autumn at all, that we've just skipped it. And I like autumn, not only because it can be so beautiful, but mostly because it's my opportunity to get the crankiness about the cold out of the way before the first flakes fall. Ah well.

Tomorrow is our annual hockey pool day, complete with traditional chili. We have some cleaning and tidying to do in the morning, and then the folks will arrive early in the afternoon and start picking teams at about 3pm.

And then Sunday is Canadian Thanksgiving!! So the turkey is thawing in the fridge and we got the rest of the grocery shopping done this evening. It's my first turkey here in the new house, and I'm looking forward to cooking it in a kitchen that's got great counter space! YAY!

My neglected blog

Oh poor blog; how I have neglected thee... Such is the current busy-ness of life, I suppose!

I'm sitting in the sunny living room this afternoon while WH plays what may be his last golf round of the year. I have a glass of champagne, and a cat sleeping behind my head on the back of the couch, and the TV humming along quietly in front of me.

And I'm thinking about being thirty, which I'll be, as of Tuesday. (Hurray for Michaelmas!)

Thirty is an age that excites me. I think about where I was heading into my twenties, not knowing what end was up, where I would be, what I would do, how I would get there, how I would pay for it, etc. etc. And here I am at thirty, married to my perfect partner, living in a house that I love, doing work that is challenging and fulfilling, enjoying a tremendously busy extra-curricular life of my own choosing, surrounded by the most amazing group of family and friends... What, on earth, could I possibly think to complain about? It is practically an embarrassment of riches...

Some of you may recall that WH and I have the same birthday, but because this was a big birthday for me, WH threw me a party last night. We had burgers and munchies, lots of wonderful things to drink, and many of the friends and family mentioned above were able to come and celebrate. What a blast! And the party even had an informal theme!

Let me explain...

I always wanted a Mr. Potato Head when I was a child. Of any toy, it was the one I craved the most. (MU would point out here that I never uttered this desire, which is probably true...) I hadn't thought about this yearning until a couple of months ago, when I said to myself, suddenly one day, "Dammit, I am almost thirty, and I WILL HAVE A MR. POTATO HEAD." So I asked WH for one for my birthday, and he came through, so now I have one. And my lovely friend S brought me the little mini Mr. Potato Head that comes with the doggie and kitty as well, so now I have FOUR Mr. Potato Head figures.

And to top it all off, our friend G baked this:I know, right?! Amazing!

Needless to say, I had a great time.

So on Tuesday, WH and I will both celebrate our birthdays and the year of our life that has now past. I can't wait to see what's to come down the road!

And now, my champagne glass is empty and the laundry needs pushing. Tra la la...

Dear Weight Watchers...

... In almost all ways, you are a fantastic program. I appreciate all the things that you do to allow people who are working to lose weight to eat as close to normally as possible. We have had WW in our lives for the last year, and have had lots of success.

That said, I have a concern with your Gnocchi with Pesto recipe. Low fat or not, you cannot make a pesto sauce with two tablespoons of water instead of the traditional oil. I know; I tried. And it tastes like sand.

And life is too damn short to eat sandy gnocchi.

Word.

Trader Tuesday: Rejuvenated Rice

It's almost impossible to make exactly the right amount of rice for two people. One of the most depressing things that I usually have to pull out of the fridge and throw away is the miserable lump of dried out leftover rice.

But recently, WH found a wonderful recipe for reconstituted rice, via the BBQ.

Take a long piece of aluminum foil and fold it in half to give it extra strength. Using your fist, make the foil into a pouch-shape. Spoon a serving of rice into the pouch and add half a small onion, chopped. Sprinkle with salt, and add a dash of Worcester sauce. Add some water... about a quarter cup for a cup of rice. Dab the rice with butter. Fold the corners of the pouch together to form a closure. Place the pouch on the BBQ for 20 minutes.

And voila! Beautiful, moist, flavourful rice!

Trader Tuesdays: The Apple Blue Cheese Pizza

The apple blue cheese pizza is too good not to share. It's from the Blue Flame Kitchen Favorites Cookbook.

I use individuals pre-baked pizza crust, usually found in the deli department of your local grocery store. I had a hard time finding them the first time , so you may have to ask somebody. Brush with olive oil. Thinly slice an apple, and lay the slices on the crust. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese on the apple. Top with grated Monterey Jack cheese and chopped walnuts. Bake according to the instructions provided with the pizza crust, usually something like a 400F oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese melted.

Could I bone a duck?

MU and I went to see Julie & Julia on Monday night.

Thoroughly wonderful. I have heard that the book by the same title was a trifle annoying -- perhaps along the same vein as this one -- but the movie is simply delightful. Meryl Streep is an absolute treasure.

And of course, the movie has got me wondering how I would fare doing a similar experiment. Could I cook through the entire Mastering the Art of French Cooking, both volumes?

Could I put a lobster out of its misery?

Would I burn the Boeuf Bourguignon?

Do I crowd my mushrooms?

Could I bone a duck?

On Bakeries

At The Wee House, we were sadly bereft of a good local bakery. There was a bakery at the local chain grocery store but never once in the two and a half years that we lived there did I have a good experience at that bakery. There was the time that the woman working on the other side of the counter (about 3 feet from me) just kept working and pretended I wasn't there. There was the time that the two employees argued about which one of them had to serve me. There was the time that they dropped my desserts on the floor... It was a sad, sad place.

And I'd like my bakery to be a happy place.

WH and I were out for one of our exploratory walks in the neighbourhood surrounding one-oh-six the other day and came across an actual honest-to-goodness, up-at-5am-baking-for-the-community, not-cakes-and-cupcakes-but-actually-bread, BAKERY.

The bakery was closed at the time of our first discovery, but we were up like a shot the following Saturday morning and headed in its direction. One cinnamon bun and one chocolate croissant later, we have found a new Saturday morning routine: a lovely walk followed by delicious fresh breakfast. Sunday morning I ventured that way again to find some beautiful rolls for family dinner.

To top it all off, the customer service at this little local bakery is stellar; they are friendly, warm and kind people.

And we feel profoundly welcomed and very, very happy.

You bet I did.

Given the choice this morning between vegetables, fruit, sandwiches and cake left over from a retirement part on Friday afternoon, I had cake. And not just any cake, but the corner piece with all the icing. At 9:30 in the morning.

And I'd do it again.

Because I like cake.

So THERE.

Trader Tuesday: Blue Menu

In Canada, we have a Big Chain Grocery Store where WH and I do most of our big-order grocery shopping. BCGS sells a line of healthy food called President's Choice Blue Menu, and I wanted to take the opportunity today to share some of our favourite items off of it.

1) Butter Chicken: The product line includes a frozen meal and a jar of the sauce in order that you can make your own meal with the same flavours at home. This is a particular favourite of WH, and is far more interesting than the standard frozen lunch.
2. Much like #1 above, the Indian Korma comes in a frozen meal or in a jar of sauce. The only downside of the sauce is that it is dairy-based, so once you've opened the jar, you have to use it all within just a few days. We make big batches of chicken for a week's lunches with this.

3. This apple-berry crumble is amazing. Individual portions that you heat up in the microwave for a couple of minutes make for a really lovely and easy dessert. We have topped this with a scoop of berry sherbet for extra yumminess.

4. Chocolate Ice Cream! How can you go wrong?

Recipe for a Nice Evening

1 Dijon-encrusted rack of lamb (I'm pretty sure that this is what I would cook if I was ever on Hell's Kitchen and had to cook my "signature dish")
1 heaping dish of mashed potatoes
1 bunch of asparagus
1 bottle of nice wine from Washington
2 scoops of chocolate ice cream
2 cuddlesome cats
1 project (hanging curtains)
1 Victor Borge Special

... a pretty nice way to spend the first evening we've had at home together in a long time.

Trader Tuesdays: Our Chili

This is the chili that WH and I make. It's ideal for feeding the two of us lunches over a busy week, or feeding 10 guys picking hockey teams for our pool. It's easy and straightforward and yummy.

1. Brown between 1 and 2 lbs of ground beef. I use lean or extra-lean. I often add salt, pepper and the first dose of chili powder here, but if you wait until the whole chili is assembled, that's ok too. Drain the fat, and add the beef to the slow-cooker.

2. To the slow-cooker, add some quantity of beans. (Make sure to drain liquid from cans first!) We often just use a can of mixed beans, but this last time, I put in a can of kidney beans and a can of chick-peas. I like lots of beans. The older I get, the more I appreciate a good bean. Adding extra beans to this recipe has the added benefit of absorbing liquid to keep the recipe from getting too soupy.

3. Also to the slow-cooker, add:

• one chopped sweet pepper
• one cup of frozen corn
• some sliced mushrooms

4. Add one jar of tomato-based pasta sauce, and a significant quantity of salsa. These are both excellent ways to get other interesting things into the chili, depending on what kind of pasta sauce and what kind of salsa you add!

5. Get serious about seasoning. Salt, pepper, chili powder (don't be shy), and I also add garlic.

Cook in slow cooker for at least 4 or 5 hours; longer is fine. If you have the opportunity, stir and taste for chili-ness.

Note that for this recipe, pretty much any ingredient can be replaced with something else. For example, if you don't eat beef, use ground turkey. Don't like sweet peppers or mushrooms? Zucchini, onions or eggplant. Can't find pasta sauce and/or salsa? Canned tomatoes (with liquid) and some tomato paste work too.

The only things that really need to be present are the beans and the chili powder. Beyond that, do whatever you want!

We top our chili with cheddar cheese, but sour cream is nice too.

Trader Tuesdays: Things in My Kitchen that I LOVE

Makes the Best. Popcorn. Ever. I don't have this model exactly, but it's close. I will never make microwaved popcorn again. Not sure what I ever did without my cast-iron frying pan.
Every day that I get to use Lock N Lock containers makes me happier than I was the day before.
I have this in black. It's a joy.

Trader Tuesday: A Picture

WH is on his winter break from teaching this week, which has given him the freedom to be creative in the kitchen. This was dinner tonight.

Trader Tuesday: Jelly Beans

This is a perfect recipe when you have loads to do at work, you're tired and your email is out of control.

Dig through purse until you find the elusive $2 that you know is hiding at the bottom. Celebrate finding the $2 an inappropriate amount.

Leave your office without a coat and dash across to the student association building next door. Proceed to student association mini-mart.

Find the rack in the mini-mart that contains all of the bags of candy.

Locate Jelly Beans.

Take Jelly Beans to the front counter and give awkward undergraduate clerk your $2.

Return to office with Jelly Beans.

Relish them.

Trader Tuesdays: Crab Dip

So this morning's Trader Tuesday offering is based on the wonderfulness of the little guy on the right in this picture:
Many brands of crockpot come with this kind of mini version and when it comes to warm dips for parties, there is nothing better! In addition, I have never taken ours to a party where someone didn't comment on how ADORABLE it was, so.. you know... that's a bonus.

So in honour of the mini crock pot, here's my recipe for crab dip, which I took from the Company's Coming 3-in-1 Entertaining Book.

8 oz softened cream cheese
1 Tbsps of dry white wine (I have used apple cider vinegar before, which is nice.)
2 Tbsps of mayonnaise
1/4 tsp of prepared mustard
2 tsp of dried onion
salt to taste
1 can of crab meat, drained, with cartilage removed

Place first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat well. Fold crab meat into mixture until combined. Heat in a double boiler over simmer water until heated through.

Et Voila! Into the ADORABLE mini crock pot it goes! I have found that when I take this to parties, it does need to be stirred every once in a while to keep from getting dry around the edges of the pot.

I usually make my own pita chips to accompany this dip. Cut whole pitas into eighths. (Scissors is easiest.) Separate each piece along the fold to make two thin pieces. Lay the pieces out on a baking sheet with the outside facing up. Spray with vegetable oil and then sprinkle with a mixture of spices to suit you. I use salt, pepper, garlic and paprika, but you could add cayenne if you wanted something spicier, or nutmeg if you wanted something sweeter, etc. Bake until crispy, about 10-12 minutes at 350F. A whole bag of pitas makes about four trays worth of chips, definitely enough for a party!

Trader Tuesdays

Honestly, I can't think of anything today. I made a great mushroom and sausage stew last week that was fantastic, but I want to make sure I get the proportions right because the recipe came from the WW 20-minutes meal cookbook, so quantities are important. Look for that next week, I hope...

In the meantime... are you the kind of person that keeps old bananas in your freezer waiting to bake something with them? I am that kind of person. Except, I don't usually get around to the second part, i.e. the baking something. So I'm looking for inspiration. What do you do with the rotten bananas in your freezer??????

Pantry Product Replacement Challenge

So, Maureen over at fotos by Meg has launched what I think is a really cool culinary challenge that involves choosing an item in your pantry and then replicating that item from scratch! I've signed up to play along because WH and I eat a lot of pre-made frozen dinners and I've always thought that we could make our own if we were just a little bit more organized and determined about it. This challenge seemed like a great way to go about it. I encourage you to read more about the challenge at the link I've provided! If you participate, post on your blog what you've chosen and how you went about replicating it. Recipes, people, recipes!!

And don't feel restricted to food! If you're the kind of person who makes your own cleaning products, soap, etc., post about that too!!

Have fun!