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recipes

Recipe Friday: Snack Attack

I do my best to make healthful food choices, but at the end of the day (literally) I cannot help but stuff my face with sweet treats once the girls are in bed and the sun goes down.  I know that I don’t bring the stuff in the house, then it won’t get consumed.  The thing is, I have a wicked sweet tooth, and he likes to come out at night.

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It usurps my brain power when I’m doing the grocery shopping.  In my head, I see myself buying more fruit and veggies to snack on.  I see a plate with hummus and a few pita chips, maybe small bowl of raw cashews and almonds.  When I’m under the sale banners and fluorescent lights,  however, the sweet tooth takes over.

I’m not buying Tasty Cakes, Ding Dongs, and Little Debbie snack packs, but there are a few ice cream treats, gourmet dark chocolate squares, and the occasional piece of Ukrop’s cake in between the packages of free range chicken breasts and organic baby lettuces.

I’m on My Fitness Pal, a web and smartphone app that helps you track what you’re putting in your bod, your physical activity and so forth as you get in shape.  Several friend of mine are on it as well, and it’s a great way to see what you’re eating, how much, and how many calories are exchanged on a daily basis.  Right now, I’m working on maintenance, so my calorie alotment has been higher than usual.  Since I’ve not been working out, though, it dropped back down a bit.  Regardless, a typical food journal entry for me looks like this:

Breakfast
3/4 C Special K
3/4 Milk
Coffee with 1 packet of Truvia and 2 tbs. of Coffee Mate

Lunch
Big salad (at least 3 cups of lettuce, shredded carrots, grape tomato, sliced red onion, sliced english cucumber)
3 oz. pan seared seasoned chicken breast
1 oz. of chips, crackers or tortillas (I need something crunchy)

Snacks
AM: Navel orange
PM: Second cup of coffee and 2 graham crackers

Dinner
Usually same as lunch, while the Hubs and the girls get pasta, chicken with rice/potato/starch, or some other kind of #omnomnom dinner I’ve found on Pinterest.

Then comes the post-bedtime routine cool-down.  The sun has set, the house is quiet, the washing machine is chugging in time with the purr of the dryer.  The counters have been wiped down, the floor has been swept and I’m flipping through the channels in search of something that has nothing to do with Housewives, Baby Mamas, Pregnant teenagers or Honey Boo-Boo.  My sweet tooth and my tummy text each other and the next thing I know, I’m standing in front of the pantry looking, looking, looking for the Holy Grail of snacks to quell the borborygmi reaching a full crescendo in my tummy.

My sweet tooth is nocturnal.  That’s not to say I’d turn down a cupcake or a piece of chocolate during the day, but I”m more likely to pass on it when the sun is out than when the moon is high.  Besides, the idea of salty snacks before bedtime doesn’t really go with the idea of “Sweet Dreams”.   Here’s a dish of potato chips, dear! Salty Dreams! 

Anyway, most nights, I end up with two squares of Lindt’s Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and a glass of wine.  Some nights, I add two of those yummy hazelnut pirouline cookies instead of the chocolate. Some nights I add the cookies in addition to the chocolate.  I’m wild.  Some nights, I got back after I’ve already eaten two squares and two cookies and get two more squares and two more cookies.  I tell you, that sweet tooth just has been in it’s grasp.

 It’s just so sweet!
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How can I resist? 
Sure, I could leave you with a healthful recipe that involves fruit or something, but let’s be real.  I could do that and still be in the pantry looking for the chocolate come 8pm tonight.  So instead, here’s a recipe for a  frozen treat that is calorie friendly, provided you just eat the serving size.  Baby steps, little grasshoppers.  Baby steps. 

recipe found here
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Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) container fat-free cool whip
1/3 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup fat free chocolate syrup

Directions:
1. Mix cool whip and peanut butter together until well blended and smooth.
2. Drop into a 12 cup muffin tin lined with foil liners.
3. Drizzle chocolate sauce on top of each cup with 1 teaspoons of chocolate sauce.
4. Best served cold, so chill in freezer for 30 minutes.

Happy Friday, y’all!
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IN: recipes ON: July 14, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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Recipe Friday: Paula Deen Edition

I know I’m a day late on getting this post up, but I’ve been laughing my buns off at the way the Twitter-verse has been skewering Queen of Southern Cuisine, Paula Deen. 

For those of you who don’t know, earlier in the week, news media outlets broke the story that Paula Deen, lover of butter and all things fried, had admitted in court to using the N-word, and planning a “slavery themed” wedding.  Not surprisingly, Deen found herself in hot water with her fans and non-fans.

Twitter and Facebook nearly shut down as social media was flooded with racially charged jokes and a hashtag (#paulasbestdishes) aimed at Deen.  While racism is never funny, I couldn’t help but get the giggles over some of the creative ways Deen has been raked over the coals. Here’s an amuse bouche of tweets: Massa-roni and Cheese;  Klan Chowder; Reparations Rice; Separate But Equal Fruit Salad; Cotton Pickin’ Peach Tea; Colored Greens; We Shall Overcome Crumb Cake.

I don’t watch the Food Network. I don’t have any Paula Deen cookbooks.  I can’t withdraw my support from her because she never had it in the first place.  While she’s probably scrambling to save her crumbling empire, issuing repeated apologies and such, I keep thinking, “She sure can’t unscramble this egg.” 

So, with all this sugary, butter, Southern-fried goodness in mind,  here’s today’s recipe.   I have yet to make this – I’m a Yankee, afterall, but it is going to get added to the roster of comfort foods, for sure. Happy week-end, y’all!

Buttermilk Spoonbread

Buttermilk Spoon Bread courtesy of Baking Bites
1 1/2 cups milk (low fat is fine)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square casserole dish.
Combine milk, buttermilk and cornmeal in a medium saucepan and bring almost to a boil, stirring regularly.
Once it has reached a simmer, turn heat down and cook for another minute or two, until mixture is thickened.
Stir in butter and salt, then transfer to a bowl to cool down to near room temperature. once it has cooled, whisk in egg yolks.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks, gradually beating in sugar. Fold into cornmeal base, working in two or three additions. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until spoon bread is set, but still slightly jiggly, and the top is golden brown.
Serve warm.
serves 6.

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IN: recipes ON: June 22, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , BY: Hilary
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Recipe Friday: Mother’s Day Edition

To all the mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, like-a-mothers and company, have a very happy Mother’s Day.

My kids are sticklers for giving gifts on the designated day that gifts are supposed to be given. So, I have no pictures of their Mother’s Day artwork as they are guarding it fervently until Sunday morning.  Instead, I leave you with this note from a little girl named Emma, whose card has been dubbed “The Best Mother’s Day Card Of All Time” by the Huffington Post. 

It is pretty awesome.

best mothers day card of all time
(image)    

She loves her mom more than chocolate, and even more than mustaches! If this mom ever doubted her parenting skills, she can totally rest easy!  And the use of that colorful language, hey, young Emma did preface it with an apology. Let her mother worry about where she learned it after Mother’s Day has passed.

To my own mom, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know of Andreas Vollenweider,  would have never conducted a French Fry taste test between McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s (McD’s was the clear winner), or would have known how to give the stanky eye-brow.  You’re gifts keep on giving and they have served me well. 

Here’s to you, Mom.  Thank you and I love you never seem like enough, but I’ll keep saying it.  I’d planned to post a recipe that you often served during my chilhood, but Lung Yan’s Chinese Restaurant doesn’t have an online menu.

Just kidding. . .they really do. 

XOXO! Happy Mother’s Day, y’all.

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IN: recipes ON: May 12, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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Return of Recipe Friday

As I had mentioned in my last post, I haven’t been feeling 100% for while. It all started when we left New York.  We rounded up all our gear, got the girls squared away and checked out of the hotel. We hit the Holland Tunnel by 10am and were making good time. Everyone was a little bleary from the late nights and the non-stop activity, so it was relatively quiet and some time passed before anyone thought to mention breakfast.  When we did stop, we were well down the New Jersey Turnpike and our options were limited.  I was hoping we would just cruise right into Delaware where I know there were some Dunkin’ Donuts waiting to greet us in the neon pink and orange fanfare, but the wee ones were ravenous and the Hubs and I both were eager to get them topped off and back to watching DVDs. So we stopped at the Clara Barton or Molly Pitcher rest stop and tried to grab something relatively worthwhile.

The girls and I bee-lined for Starbucks, while the Hubs headed towards whichever Bob’s Big Boy/Roy Rogers/Arby’s type fast food place was slinging heat lamp warmed breakfast sandwiches and such.  Surprisingly (at least I was surprised), there was a larger upright cooler with healthy option. I forget the name, something about health or nature or organic, but they offered fruit, granola, yogurt and assorted salads. It was no Prêt-A-Manger (few things are), but it was offering much better options that it’s fast food neighbor.  We grabbed some fruit, but the lure of bacon grease proved no match for us and we waited to get the attention of the attendants to in order to get some newly made sandwiches. Too bad for us, the Cranky Twins — Grumpy and Grouchy — were working that day.  In no unceratin terms, they told us they weren’t making any more breakfast sandwiches and that we could take what was already out there.  Now, you know me and cheese don’t get along, so I wasn’t about to get a cheese covered breakfast sandwich that had been probably sitting out since last breakfast.  I turned on my heel and went back to the ‘bucks.  The Hubs toyed with it for a bit, trying to gauge just how hungry he was before he made his decision. In all truth, I don’t remember what he ended up eating; I was too hungry myself and shortly thereafter, my stomach started doing the ring-dang-do.

We got our provisions at the ‘bucks — a tall caramel mocha for me with a banana nut muffin on the side — and hit the road. My drink tasted a little strange and it wasn’t until I was able to remove the sleeve that I noticed they’d given me a light version of the drink. No wonder! The aftertaste was terrible; I felt like I could peel the paint off the fender, my breath was so rank.  Whatever they use to make the drinks “light”, can’t be good for you.  That was the beginning of my stomach mutiny.

Somehow we made it further on down the road with the Hubs and I trading off driving responsibilites. SHortly before we hit the last 20 mile leg to the house, I doubled over in discomfort. It was the coffee playing Marco Polo with my guts, the nausea was so bad, I thought I might be gazing over the prow of a ship instead of the hood of a car.  I honestly don’t know what it was, it was just bad.

We made it home, got the girls inside, got the car unloaded and hit the ground running to get back on track for the remainder of the week. We still had to get Vivi from my mom, the Hubs had to attack some emails and phone calls that had piled up while we were en route, and I had to get the girls back into the regular routine. My stomach wasn’t having it.

For the next several days, it was just nausea and aching. It felt like there was this tight band wrapped around my upper ribcage that would squeeze and release, squeeze and release in random intervals. It was almost like hunger pains, but instead of low in my tummy, it was high in my sternum.  And like a dummy, I soldiered through it, not wanting to ask for help (hello, I know), and not wanting to “waste using a babysitter” by going to the doctor.  I tried Alka-Seltzer, Tums, and  Pepto (which turned my tongue black, scaring me half to death). When the pain was enough to wake me out of a sound sleep, I decided I needed to do something before I inadvertently caused myself serious damage by being an idiot.

Suffice it to say, I’m much better now. The doc took care of me, and though her officially diagnosis was heartburn, we both know she didn’t know what the hell it was. She did say that I needed to eat more frequently. Instead of three meals and two snacks at set intervals, I need to eat the same amount of food, just basically grazing on it over the course of the day.  That’s been a challenge, but I’m working on it. I’m just hungry all of the time, I’m afraid that if I eat a little something everytime I pass through the kitchen, it’s going to go all downhill.  I guess in addition to exercising my bod, I’ve got exercise some self-control.

And with that, I’ll leave you with today’s recipe that has absolutely nothing to do with self-control, which is why I will be enjoying it on my cheat day!

Happy Friday, y’all!

Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes
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Ingredients
1 box brownie mix, 8×8 inch size
24 Oreo Cookies
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 muffin cup baker with paper liners.

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. For each cupcake cup spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter over 2 Oreo cookies and stack them on top of each other. Place oreo stacks into the cupcake lined muffin cups. Spoon 2 tablespoons of brownie batter over each stacked oreos and let it run down the sides of the cookies. If you have left over brownie batter, bake separately in a separate baker or muffin tin. Bake cookies and brownies for 18 to 20 minutes, until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely then serve.

Makes 12 servings

Recipe from picky-palate.com

foodsnots.com

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IN: recipes ON: May 3, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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Recipe Friday: A Twofer

Something is going with me that I just can’t a handle on things.  There are a lot of things that have gotten started (loading the dishwasher, folding the laundry, defrosting dinner), but just haven’t been completed.  I really want to blame that literal time suck that is Daylight Savings, but it’s been close a week now, so I know the problem lies squarely with me. 
When I have a few minutes to think about it, usually, if I can remember to shut the door behind me in the bathroom, I realize, there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Period.  Well, and I’ve got a vicious circle of demanding wee ones that are always in need of a wiped nose, wiped bottom, snack, or some variation on a theme.  Once I get one squared away and turn my attention to the next one, another one is coming up with a request.  You ever see those street hustlers with the three cups and the ball telling you “Keep your eye on the ball, keep your eye on the ball,” as they do some Cirque du Soleil type tricks with the cups? Yeah, I’m the ball; the kids are the cups. 
Even when I was no longer laid up in bed with the cast and crutches, I still feel like I had a better grasp of my time and to-do list.  My system hasn’t changed; our routines are pretty much the same.  I don’t know where things have gotten off kilter. I kinda want to lay it at V’s chubby little baby feet; she’s crawling now, which means, I actually have to stay on top of the housecleaning because EVERY.THING is going right into her mouth.  She and I have this constant battle.  I put her down so I can use both of my hands to — oh, I don’t know — tie my shoes — and she’s beelined to the fridge, running her fat fingers underneath to unearth some kind of who knows what.  I see her, make a grab, but she’s got her fingers in her mouth. Up she comes on my hip, where I pin her arms in my armpit with one hand, while doing a fishing expedition in her mouth with my other.  Ugh, she hates it, I hate it.  Her head is whipping back and forth and I actually put words to the movements, as in “no, no, no!”  Plus her little teeth are coming in, so I’ve got a ring of baby bites on my index finger.  If I had them inked in, it would be a pretty sweet tattoo.
Come to think of it, I spend quite a bit of time doing the put down, pick up routine.  There’s a lot of repetition at home, which is probably why I don’t feel as though I’m making any forward progress on other things.  Oh, and the amount of time I spend in the car.  Whoa.  The sad part is, I’m not really even going anywhere!  The hubs and I were talking about commutes the other day; his is 90 minutes, one way.  A carpool run for me is about 45, but given the myriad of other things going on between drop off and pick up, I, too am in the car about 3 hours every day.  
In any event, I’m trying to figure out how to delegate some responsibilities so that things get done around here.  On trash days, I’ve started paying the girls a dollar to drag the trash bins up the driveway, back to the shed.  We’re working on having them wipe out the sink in their shared bathroom with Clorox wipes after each use, because having to take a flathead screwdriver to some crusted up toothpaste is not fun.  After the laundry has been done, I stack it up on my bed and call them in to collect their stuff.   Clearing the table after meals is something I have to remind them to do every.single.time. they. eat – but, I’m confident that they’re going to remember on their own one day. Hopefully, it’ll come before they go off to college.  
The girls have really wanted to help in the kitchen when I’m making breakfast or dinner.  The workspace in my kitchen is not conducive to many cooks, even if I  wanted anyone in there with me.  I’m not saying that the kitchen is my domain, I’m just saying, I’ve got a flow and I like to be in there, flowing, if you will, on my own.  Plus, I don’t want any little fingers getting burned, chopped, or grated, if you feel me.  But, they are desperate to be in the kitchen and help me.  
I wrestle with it because, like I said, I like my kitchen a certain way. I know several folks who know what I’m talking about.  Another part of me thinks that if I don’t foster the interest in cooking, then they’ll never learn about volume, conversions, and why you should never use a liquid measuring cup for dry ingredients!  I can’t wait for them to get to Home Ec.  Do they even have Home Ec anymore?
So, I started off small.   During the holidays, I’ll set them up at the kitchen table with cookie dough, sprinkles, and all manner of decorating paraphernalia   Sometimes, I’ll let the babysitter take one for the team and enlist her aid in having the girls make cupcakes or brownies.  My parents and my in-laws love having little hands help out, so rest assured that there’s always some kind of culinary explosion going on. 
The other day, Co got her High Five magazine in the mail and found a recipe for a Spring Time Salad. The child would only eat snacks if you let her, starts hopping form foot to foot, begging to make this.  I gently reminded her that the recipe included vegetables, in particular, asparagus.  She was not to be deterred.  So, during the next shopping order, I got her ingredients.  There’s a pot-luck at church every Wednesday during Lent and there is a dearth of vegetable offerings.  I suggested to Co that we bring her salad to the pot-luck.  Wednesday rolled around and we got cooking.  
Yeah, I made this!
Mo, in her ever present quest for fairness, wanted to make something to bring to the communal table as well.  I peeped into the fridge, casting about for something, anything that we could throw together and call it good.  I introduce you to Cabbage and Broccoli Slaw! 
Ta-da!

They were so proud of themselves, they almost toppled over one another bringing it to the community table in the Fellowship Hall!  And while we made our way around the table, dropping biscuits and chicken, green beans and rice onto our plates, we noticed that their salads were getting scooped up, too.  Just not by Mo and Co. In classic kiddo fashion, my girls bypassed their own handiwork and went straight for the bread (they get it from their father!).

Well, I sampled the vegetables and they were delightful! I even had seconds. Trust me, there’s no shame in my pot-luck game and as one of my fellow parishoners said, “That’s the trouble with pot-lucks.  You try your luck on what’s in the pot!”

Happy Friday, y’all!

Springtime Asparagus Salad courtesy of High Five Magazine

1 pound asparagus
2 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs. lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus. Steam for  seven minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; Set aside. 
2. Using an egg slicer, slice the hard boiled eggs. If you don’t have an egg slicer, chop the eggs.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the  lemon juice and olive oil. 
4. Place the sliced/chopped egg atop the asparagus.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.  Serve and enjoy!
Cabbage and Broccoli Slaw
2 cups red and green cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup broccoli florets (no stems)
1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Mix well and place in refrigerator to chill at least 1 hour prior to serving. 
3. Serve and enjoy!
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IN: recipes ON: March 15, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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Recipe Friday

Ooh, it’s been quite a week as far as cooking goes.  I have been tearing it up in the kitchen, chopping, dicing, mincing, sautéing, baking and cooking.  If nothing else, I learned that I really need more counter space in the kitchen and a better work triangle.  I heard someone mention that on a cooking show once, but I don’t even know what that is. It just sounds good and very Chef-like!

So, a fellow photog friend of mine, F, likes to post various meals on his instagram account.  He travels quite a bit for work and usually finds out of the way, hole in the way spots in whatever city he finds himself.  The insta.gram snaps of his meals are worthy of a coffee table book of their own.  Occasionally, he hits up old tried and true places like Chipotle and of course, the ‘bucks for a java fix.  I had joked with him that we needed to do a Starbucks version of Flat Stanley, where we take pictures of our Starbucks cups in various locations (perhaps even precarious positions). Of course, as the new year rolled around, we both figured for the sake of our waistlines and wallets, we needed to table that idea for a bit. 

Still, that didn’t stop F from tagging me in his various posts when food was involved.  I guess about a week ago, he posted a series of pictures where he took some 4 day old French bread. Chef Boyardee made bread pudding out of it.  Then he tagged me in the picture of the finished result.  

Now, who am I to back away from a challenge? I mean, not that he said specifically “Shall-awnge!” before slapping me in the face with an oven mitt,  but I can read between the lines.

So, I saw that as an opportunity to see him and raise him.  And what better way to do that? Double down on some cookies. Last week, I introduced you all to the mash-ups of Blueberry Rosemary Sugar Cookies and Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies with Maple Glaze.  I’m pretty sure I changed some lives in the process.  

Not to be outdone, F came back at me with some homemade cheddar potato cakes with sour cream for his toddlers.  Then he threw down the gauntlet with this little gem, and I quote, “@curly_girlie78 POW!”

Oh, okay. . .it’s like that?! To which I replied, @F Alright, I’m coming for you, son *buttons up chef coat*

And yes, I do have a chef coat, complete with an pocket on my arm for my pens and meat thermometers! Thanks, Mom. 

A while back, I happened to to be watching a very buxom chef making some kind of peanut butter silk pie in an intimately lit kitchen complete with red hooded pendulum lights.  Who cooks like that? Nigella Lawson.  I have never seen anyone be so intentionally sexy while cooking and have it NOT be a movie.  From the whipping of the peanut butter and heavy cream with an immersion blender to her scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicon spatula, for some people, the whole thing rose more than the oven temperature, I’m sure.

That episode was immediately followed by another, more family friendly set-up.  She introduced a chicken dish created by her mother called “Praised Chicken”.  The directions were easy enough, and after she had prepped and prepared, she ladled it out to her family.  Sure, they may have been paid actors, but they tucked into that dish with gusto.  I’m sure the white wine and crusty french bread helped, too.

I want to see my kids eat with gusto!  I like white wine and crusty french bread! So, I pulled the recipe off the ‘net and planned to make the dish at my next opportunity.  Enter F and our food smack down.  

Last Sunday, I threw open the pantry and the fridge and assembled my ingredients for this task.  At first, I was going to go with the crusty baguette,  I opted instead to make some homemade beer bread.  Buttery, yeasty, and crusty. Loaf vs. baguette. You really can’t lose.

food prep for bread on top, for chicken below

bubble, bubble. . .fire burn and cauldron bubble.

et le dîner est servi!

I did sub out the leeks for onions because. . .I forgot to get them from the store.  Leek and onions are in the same family, so I don’t think it was such a stretch.  That sauce you see on the chicken? That’s some champagne dijon mustard and a little bit of clipped dill.  Both went over well as complements to the flavor profile. Mo and Co really liked the mustard; Mo was pretty much spooning it from the jar directly into her mouth.  Even V got in on the act; the Hubs mashed up some of his beer bread into the broth from the chicken and fed it to her.  While V hasn’t quite mastered baby sign language for “more” and “please”, we had an idea of what she was saying when she started banging her hands on the table and grunting towards the Hubs’ plate.

Altogether, dinner was a success.  This one is definitely going into the rotation and I think I may have silenced F for a while, or at least until he comes back from wherever it is he’s been.  I’m looking forward to what he’s going to throw down next. With the Super Bowl just around the corner, I know insta.gram is going to blow up with pics of party food. Oh the possibilities!

Happy Friday, y’all!

My Mother’s Praised Chicken by Nigella Lawson: recipe found here

Ingredients

  • 1 large chicken (preferably organic)
  • 2 teaspoon(s) garlic infused olive oil
  • 100 ml white wine
  • 3 leeks (cleaned, trimmed & cut into 7cm logs)
  • 3 carrot(s) (peeled & cut into batons)
  • 2 stick(s) celery (sliced)
  • 2 litre(s) water (cold)
  • 1 bouquet garni (or 1 teaspoon dried herbs)
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 2 teaspoon(s) sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon(s) pepper (or 2 teaspoons red peppercorns)
  • 1 pinch of english mustard
  • 1 pinch of dill (chopped)

Method

  1. Get out a large, flame-safe cooking pot (with a lid) in which the chicken can fit snugly: mine is about 28cm wide x 10cm deep.
  2. On a washable board, un-truss the chicken, put it breast-side down and press down until you hear the breastbone crack. (As you may imagine, I like this.) Then press down again, so that the chicken is flattened slightly. Now cut off the ankle joints below the drumstick (but keep them); I find kitchen scissors up to the task.
  3. Put the oil in the pan to heat, then brown the chicken for a few minutes breast-side down, and turn up the heat and turn over the chicken, tossing in the feet as you do so. Still over a vigorous heat add the wine or vermouth to the pan and let it bubble down a little before adding the leeks, carrots and celery.
  4. Pour in enough cold water to cover the chicken, though the very top of it may poke out, then pop in the bouquet garni or your herbs of choice, and the parsley stalks (if I have a bunch, I cut the stalks off to use here, but leave them tied in the rubber band) or parsley sprigs
  5. The chicken should be almost completely submerged by now and if not, do add some more cold water. You want it just about covered.
  6. Bring to a bubble, clamp on the lid, turn the heat to very low and leave to cook for 1½–2 hours. I tend to give it 1½ hours, or 1 hour 40 minutes, then leave it to stand with the heat off, but the lid still on, for the remaining 20–30 minutes.
  7. Serve the chicken and accompanying vegetables with brown basmati rice, adding a ladleful or two of liquid over each shallow bowl, as you go, and putting fresh dill and mustard on the table for the eaters to add as they wish.
Additional information – for gluten free serve with a gluten free mustard, such as Dijon.

Beer Bread recipe found here
Ingredients:
Servings:6-8
3 cups flour (sifted)
3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) can beer
1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients and beer.
3. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
4. Pour melted butter over mixture.
5. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.
6. UPDATED NOTES: This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top.
7.Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a “hard biscuit” as some have described. That’s because they aren’t sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the “correct” way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.
8. I have had many email from you kind folks about using non-alcoholic beverages instead of beer. That is fine to do but I highly recommend adding a packet of Dry Active Yeast or 2 teaspoons of Bread (Machine) Yeast so that you get a proper rise.
9. The final result should be a thick, hearty and very tasteful bread, NOT A BRICK! ;).
10. Thank you all for the incredibly nice comments and those of you who left a bad review – learn to sift sift SIFT! You will be amazed at the results.
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IN: recipes ON: February 1, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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photography projects & DIY recipes

Black and White Wednesday

In my constant quest to write more, I’ve decided to challenge myself by implementing theme days.  In the past, I’ve had “Mondays Message“, where I’ve selected a quote and waxed philosophical about it and how it applies to my life.  Truth be told, when I first started this blog in 2007 (!), I started by using quotes to springboard a discussion.  After a while, I stopped doing that because life provided enough fodder from me to chronicle and catalog.  From time to time, I had revisited those beginning blog posts.  There’s a propensity to stick out my arm and have you verify that I do indeed where my heart on my sleeve.  I think that’s why I stopped.  Sure, I’m happy to share things with you about myself, my kids, my Hubs (within reason), but those quotes started to feel really self-righteous. I mean, I wanted to pick something with some sustenance to it and found that I was grasping on how to draw a connection without sounding like a total blowhard.  Sometimes, it’s best to just keep some air of mystery between us.

But, back to theme days (actually, that sounds kind of goofy like I’m doing “Hawaiian Day!” or “Pirate Day!”.  Maybe I should say springboards). I’ve been doing pretty well with Recipe Friday, actually.  It started out as a post entitled “What’s Cooking” in 2011 and I’ve been pretty faithful to it.  In fact, I’ve been posting some of my creations on my instagram account.  Some of my instagram followers have been asking if they can find the recipe on my blog.  I’m loving the potential for cross marketing!

A friend of mine suggested I check out a blog entitled Simply Seleta, because the author reminded my friend of me.  Evidently, Seleta has White Wednesdays where she posts images of white things.  Think picket fences, lush meadows of white headed flowers, white colonial style homes with red doors and black shutters.  I skimmed the last White Wednesdays and thought it would be nice to pick up another springboard for the roster.  Monday Message, while good in theory, just doesn’t do it for me.  And truly, aren’t Mondays bad enough without having to add another dollop of drudgery on top? *head slap* that’s exactly what the problem with Monday Message was!  It felt like drudgery and as though I was lecturing to you on how to be better — like me ).  I’m not a life coach and I don’t want to be.

In the midst of all of this, I’m working on creating a new web-page (with little to no luck, so if you’re good at web design or know someone who is, holla at me). I really want some good head shots for the homepage.  I’ve got some ideas, but I need a photographer to help me out.  Kendall and I can’t seem to get our act together, what with us both being attentive parents.  My other friend Franklin, when we aren’t having food battles via instagram, is busy with his own family/work/life responsibilities, as well.  I’m looking for someone who can either trade services with me or basically, gift me some pictures — all on my schedule of course.  I mean, how else could this work? <-- That right there? That's sarcasm.  The bottom-line is I'm hanging up all of forward progress on the fact that I don't have the exactly right headshot that I need for the homepage.  Talk about procrastination. So, I decided to stop pussyfooting around and just do something. I give you, the at home, self portrait photo shoot.

hgd photography ©2013

It totally did not go the way I had anticipated. I set out to do some head-shots or beauty shots.  Black and white, from the shoulders up, real tight in the face with minimal make-up and a curly ‘do. I got the black and white part down.  As for the rest. . .I think I was possessed. You know how Beyonce (ugh, I cannot believe I’m going here) claims she has an alter ego names Sasha Fierce?  Yeah, I kinda feel like that’s what happened.  I let out my inner diva. She couldn’t be bothered to tell me her name, what with all the face she was giving the camera.  

But, it’s black and white photography, which I love, and I shot it! And I was in it!  And I have a new springboard for middle of the week blog posts: Black and White Wednesday! Or Black and White Photography! Or Head Shot Wednesday (which sounds kind of gruesome depending on how you interpret head shot)! 
And now I keep putting exclamation points at the end of everything! 
Happy Wednesday!
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IN: photography projects & DIY recipes ON: January 30, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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