Cabbage

Did you know there was more than one way to cook a cabbage? Well, I am here to tell you that when I searched the word, there were more than 200 recipes. There was cabbage soup, cabbage pudding, purple cabbage, fried cabbage, baked cabbage. Who knew there was so much to choose from. What's a girl to do? In the end, I found a recipe that included alchohol. Of course, I did not feel like stopping by the store so I had to loose the wine and include all the other ingredients so just imagine what it would have tasted like had I had the wine. With the smoked turkey sausage, FABULOUS!!!!!!

I am here to tell you that something can be said for this vegetable thing. My child is even all into this. This evening, he even asked if he could choose vegetables at the Farmers Market this weekend so that I could cook them next week. SUCCESS!!!!!! This cooking vegetables is starting to turn into a real family affair! Hey, remeber that TV show from long ago? I used to have a crush on the curly hair kid. Oh, there I ago digressing again. Anyway, another successful night with another successful cooking adventure. Simply put, I cut up cabbage, added a little olive oil to the skillet. I sauted the garlic and shallots and added the cabbage and added a few tablespoons of water and let the cabbage cook slowly. I added kosher salt, red pepper flakes and that seasoning you add to cabbage--it slips my mind now. My child is talking to me about PAR!!!! I thought I could two do two things at once, I guess I was wrong!

Parsnips?

Whoever thought I would eat so many vegetables in my life much less be cooking them? Last week, I made a grocery list as I flipped through the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, yeah, I know, so much for a diet but, look I can try to make it work for me especially if I cut back on the butter! Anyway, once again, I digress. So, as I make this grocery list a picture in the book grabs my attention. It's something called a parsnip. It's mixed with carrots and sweet potatoes and it's baked with olive oil, salt and pepper. I add this funny vegetable to the list.

This evening, I decide to make this dish except when I grap the parsnip, I don't know what to do with it. I mean what do you do with this yellow looking squiggly thing? Do I peel it first? Chop it? cut it? What the hell do I do with it? The Barefoot Contessa tells me that I am to cut it in circles or squares but do I peel the damn thing first? So, what is a girl to do? I called my friend and she told me to peel it with a vegetable peeler (my knives are dull). A vegetable peeler? This is getting worse. I don't own that either so, I just start peeling with my dull knife and then I do what I do best, pretend it's okay and by George, I made roasted vegetables! They were excellent. Before Len and I could saute brussle sprouts and cook the meat, we were eating the parsnips and roasted sweet potatoes! The only bad part was that I felt guiltly about enjoying them so much. You see, I was not supposed to eat this so I had to work out. It's nothing but a weight thing baby!

What's Up with The Food Processor?

I'm back! For all of you who thought I disappeared, I'm back and I'm back full force. Let me tell you, it has been a week full of surprises. Not only did I cook, but I used my Cuisinart that was purchased a few months ago. Yes, that's correct, don't fall off your chair, I actually pulled it off the shelf and used it.

The journey bagan last week whenI had a day off and decided to make little personal meatloafs (oh, did I mention I also joined a weightloss competition?). Sorry, I digressed. Anyway, the recipe called for onions to be diced and I decided that I would use the food processor. Well, as would be my luck, instead of dicing, I made a purree. So, what's a girl to do? I could have dumped the onions but instead, I drained the liquid and browned the onions! The miracle was that somehow it worked. And, guess what, for a family that hates onions in their food, they could not taste it. Oh by the way, the meatloaf rocked.

Fast forward to Sunday, when it appeared that my weight was going in the wrong direction --up instead of down-- I had to take drastic measures. It was time for my family to eat lots of protein and vegetables. So, we had vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also found one vegetable to try that while it might not have been tuly a diet " material recipe, it was a vegetable my family did not normally eat. BUTTERNUT SQUASH! In fact, I used the recipe from the Bareffot Contessa Back To Basics Cookbook. The recipe called for the squash to be diced and cooked in the oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. So far so good. Well, once that was done, you transfer it to the food processor to whip it to a potato like consistency. Great, I used the processor last week so what could go wrong? I added the squash to the processor and flip the switch and nothing happens. I mean nothing! After 10 minutes and a few choice words, I transfer it to a bowel and use the mixer. What's up with the food processor????? Okay, could it be that I was not supposed to use the Barefoot Contessa recipe because of the half and half? Could it be that I am a food processor idiot? What gives with my expensive Cuisinart?

After all of that, the squash did tuirn out great. We had fresh green beans with smoked turkey and cornish hens (not one per person). Cut the meat uo and eat more of the vegetables. The plates looked fantastic and diiner was enjoyable. I must say I am getting better with the seasoning but I still have to ask what's up with the food processor?

OFF UNTIL SEPTEMBER 21ST

No Dinner Tonight

Hubby made dinner this evening. I did not get home until 7:45. Check back in a couple of days for more adventures in cooking.

P.S. I am going to the store and have received from great recipes from friends!

Until our next adventure...

Do You Say Quack or Cluck?

When I started this adventure, little did I know that referring to chicken as quack instead of cluck would cause so much smack! Leave it to me to make such a mistake. Look, either way it goes, they are both from the bird family (I really started to say fowl or something else but, that might have been wrong too). Believe me, I know the difference in a duck and chicken. Now, when it comes to cooking them, that is a completely different story. (Don't even think about it---I don't want to know how to cook a duck. Hell, I am just coming up with creative ways for chicken.)

I am not trying to be like Julie from the movie Julie and Julia. I just like writing this blog. What Julie and I have in common is meeting the crossroads of life, trying to determine where we belong--at least that is what I took from the movie. What we do not have in common is that I don't want to cook every recipe from a cookbook. Why do I need to, my confidant and other friends provide me with interesting recipes and that is what this blog is about. Interesting recipes and how I can screw them up!!!!!

Now, tonight I had a great chicken recipe but, me being me, I forgot the most important ingredient BREAD CRUMBS!!!!! So, I cooked the chicken slowly on top of the stove and when it was done, the skillet had a few drippings (this was not fried chicken but tenders cooked in olive oil with a little wheat flour for substance) so I thought I would try gravey and by george it worked!!! Yes, I accomplished something very important. GRAVY!!!!!!!!!!!! Who knew this could come from me. There was only one problem, I don't think my husband and son enjoyed it. You see, as I was enjoying my chicken with vegetable pasta they put the plates on the counter with half eaten food. Too bad, I MADE GRAVY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good Glorious Food

First, I want to say that I was very excited that I received a post to one of my blogs. It really made my day. The problem I am having now is that I don't know how to thank the person who responded. In addition to cooking, I have to figure out how to blog. Of course it is just another item to add to a long list of items to do or learn to do. So, I am thanking anyone who reads this blog in advance until I can figure out how I am to respond to a comment (do I just add a comment to my blog thanking you for your comment?).

I did not get to cook today!! I think I was a little depressed about it. My uncle and cousin came through on their way to Detroit and my uncle wanted to take us for a bite to eat. Actually, he is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever known but I really wanted to cook for him. So, what was I going to cook? Beef Bolganese (is that how you spell it?) Yeah, that's right, good ole pasta and meatballs.

Food, glorious food! I really adopted that line from the play/movie Oliver! That sums up my obsession with food these days. Last week I purchased a magazine with recipes so that I would have something to cook. Can you believe I even look forward to gettting home to cook? So, I'll never be Julia Child, Rachel Ray or Martha! Who cares, I just want to be me and cook, taste and sample everything I possibly can. Maybe instead of Food, Glorious Food!, I should be saying Hips, Glorious Hips!!!

SURPRISE!

I'm back!!!! I bet you thought I actually gave up cooking after a few days. No way! I will tell you that I am going to be really watching what I eat because I am joining a weight loss competition. Until then, I have eaten everything I wanted but, not without a lot of guilt.

During the 4th of July we spent the holiday with friends and I was determined to make baked beans and cole slaw. To may a long story short, somehow the slaw had too much heat and their 4 year old cried because his mouth was too hot. So, this weekend, I decide to try it again. I left out the paprika and it did not have kick like it did the last time. So, maybe it was the paprika that made my poor little friend cry! Who knew that paprika could have thay type of kick. I also worked on my baked beans, okay, so I cheated and used Bushes Baked Beans! Whoever said my venture into cooking was going to be homemade. Although this time I did decide to make the [potato salad instead of buying it from Publix. I must say, it was very good. I just need to add a little salt. I wonder if all cooks go through this? You know, adding the correct seasoning?

This will be a challenging week for me. I am joining a weight loss competition and I have to be more accountable with Weight Watchers. Oh, what's an old woman to do??????

Quack Quack

This evening, I mentioned to my meal planner that I wanted to make a Mexican dish with ground beef. We came up with a quick meal with ground beef as the main ingredient. Well, I after ending the call with her that we had chicken at home so instead of moo tonight, it would be quack!

So, all on my own, I decided to smother chicken breast strips in onions and place it over wild rice with brussell sprouts on the side. It actually turned out to be a quick easy meal. I never knew slicing an onion could be so quick and easy. I imagined I was on the Food Network (once again, I digress) and worked my dish! I than plated -- is that the correct term for serving the dish? The only probelm is that on a white plate, it was not enough color on the plate. Also, I did notice that I have gone to the other as far as seasoning goes. As you may recall last week I mentioned too little seasoning and tonight I was in seasoning hell. That's right, way too much salt!!!!! And, you know what this means for me, more water weight gain! At least that is the excuse I will use tomorrow when I can't get into another pair of pants!

Bean, what is your name?

I have a secret weapon planning my meals each evening. You see, each day, I make a phone call for assistance in helping me decide what I can cook that will be easy, tasty and quick. For the past few days, I have had an ideal meal in mind. Knowing that I LOVE beans, it was suggested that I cook October beans in chicken broth with smoked pork chops added in the pot for flavor. Add corn bread to the meal and you have a cozy dinner. Boy, what a meal!
This morning, I got out of bed, went to the freezer and there was a problem. I could not tell what beans were the October beans!!!!!! You see, all the beans in the freezer looked alike. When I went to the farmers market, I put all my beans (purple hull, lady peas, Ocotber beans, etc.) in freezer bags and now they all look alike! So to the bean I cooked this evening, Bean, what was your name? Regardless, the meal was excellent. Once again, Davis loved the meal. This was a cozy dinner. Len missed this one since he was out grocery shopping. I ate my dinner watching a Beatles special!!!!

Hey Jude....