Close your eyes and taste it

I've been involved in Community Theater in my hometown for the last year or so. I've done two shows and find them all-consuming. When I'm involved in a show my life consists of getting up in the morning, working from 8-5, rehearsal from 6-9 four days a week, and then coming home and going to bed. The next day, well, you get it: Lather, rinse, repeat. By the time Friday rolls around I'm too tired to conceive of doing much of anything, let alone cooking or baking.

But yesterday and today I had some time to play around in the kitchen. I was getting ready for a cast party tonight and was preparing food to take along. I had forgotten how calming food can be for me. Sure, eating it calms me down (I'm an emotional eater). But preparing it and thinking about the people I'm going to share it with also has an effect on me.

After Ron died and I was back to cooking for one, food just didn't seem as exciting. I ate only as a way to keep my body moving. It had lost all enjoyment. But today, I really go to thinking about where my love of food comes from.

Growing up we had everything we needed. There wasn't a lot of extra money floating around our house, but I don't ever remember there ever being a time when we didn't have plenty. Sometime during the last year I got to talking with my Dad about what it was like when they were young and going through similar financial struggles. He told me that his thought had always been, if there wasn't going to be extra money, then he was going to make sure they ate well. And we did!

Mom is a great cook. She makes food that to this day I crave when I need comfort. So, of course I turn to food when I'm feeling low. And it's not just having or eating food that brings me comfort. I have this NEED to share what I make. I love to think about how others are going to react to what I've made. I love seeing people put a bite in their mouth and then close their eyes as they savor it.

Food makes me happy, but most of all when I can share it with people I care about.

MMMMMM...soup!

Today I decided to make soup. One of my favorites is chicken and wild rice. This is my favorite recipe to use.

The soup is currently simmering away, and here are a couple of pictures. Drool if you like.

These are the veggies and oil before anything else gets added. Looks yummy just like that.

And the finished product. I'll be baking homemade bread too, once I stop at the store to get more flour. Sort of too bad I forgot that key ingredient!

Gastronomic delight

Tonight I decided to try a new meal that I ripped off from a local restaurant. They are famous for their stroganoff burgers, but everything at the restaurant is over-priced. I decided to recreate it at home.

I started off with a VERY LARGE onion that I sliced up and put in a pan with some oil and salt.




I let the onions caramelize. I love the smell in the air when I'm cooking onions. I don't love cleaning the pan nearly as much. :)

I added mushrooms to the onions, piled the whole mess on top of a burger with swiss cheese, added a dollop of sour cream, closed the toasted bun, and dug in.

Mom and Dad were over and they enjoyed it as well. I would definitely make this again. As my grandfather would have said...

"Pretty good for a quick-plan meal."

Stress eating

I went to the grocery store tonight after going out to eat with friends and family. After having a VERY BAD couple of days, it felt like chocolate. And several other things apparently. Here's the haul.

I bought two boxes of Hershey's Pot of Gold chocolate. They were included in the after Christmas 50% off deal, so I felt I could justify it. Of course, when you're talking chocolate, who needs justification?

I also grabbed two packages of wafer cookies. Very comforting.

I decided it was high time to buy a box of the Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Cookie Selection. It's an assortment of their regular cookies with chocolate added. How can you go wrong?

Two large packages of M&Ms...one Peanut Butter and one Almond. I figured each of those has some protein, right? Can't be all bad.

A jar of macademia nuts because they're just so darn good.

Three pints of ice cream. Haagen-Dazs Chocolate, Haagen-Dazs Peppermint Bark ('Tis the season after all), and Ben and Jerry's One Cheesecake Brownie. YUMMMMMMMM!

A bag of Caramel Crunch Chex Mix. I love the combo of sweet and salty.

A bag of Brach's Royals. Chewy, multiple flavors, goodness. Sugar is our friend.

I also picked up a package of Ice Breakers Ice Cubes because I've never had them. Chewing one right now and I'm pretty sure I'll be buying more.

Then I hit the "crunchy organic" section to try out some high end chocolate. My first pick was Dagoba Organic Chocolate, Chai flavor. I'll let you know how it is when I taste it. I also grabbed a Chocolove Cherries & Almonds in Dark Chocolate bar. The packaging says that there's a love poem inside. Goodness knows I could use some love right now. Again, I'll let you know once I taste it.

Throw in a crocheting magazine and a book, and that's my haul. So, anyone think I've lost it?

Baking bread

I enjoy cooking and baking. But a few weeks ago Heather started talking about this new method of making bread on her podcast. I thought, no way can it be this easy. I'm going to expend time and energy, it's going to flop, and I'm going to be angry. But it didn't flop.

Here's my test loaf before it went into the oven.

Here it is after I took it out. DELICIOUS!

Check it out here. It really is amazing.

How much happiness can you buy for $18?

This much. YUM!

Chocolate + Potato Chips = YUM

I've had chocolate covered potato chips before. They're delicious. Tell me that this combo isn't at least intriguing! Saw these on an episode of Unwrapped and was reminded what pure deliciousness tastes like! Try some for yourself. You won't be sorry!

Full

Today was a day of food firsts for me. I had breakfast at Breadsmith. I had a French Batard (to die for) and bought a chocolate chip cookie. I'll be trying that here soon! And they also let me try a slice of a chocolate bread with chocolate chips. I think that's a heavenly chorus I hear!

Then, I went to Johnny Carino's for lunch. I had the angel hair with artichoke hearts. There were also black olives, capers, and roma tomatoes. So, so good. I will most definitely go back.

Then, we found a little hole in the wall place called The Cookie Jar where I bought a 7 layer bar and got the munchkin this cookie and got the hubby a double chocolate chip cookie frosted with chocolate frosting. Seriously great food day!

Puffcorn

Munchkin got introduced to "Pops" by Nana. Pops, also known as Puffcorn. She is positively addicted to this stuff. We were out, so I tried to S-N-E-A-K some into the cart at the grocery store last night. Nope. She saw it right away. And all the way through the store she wanted them. Finally, when we got home, and had told the hubby, "Daddy, I got Pops!" I gave in and let her have some. When I brought her the bowl, she got the most angelic smile on her face, clasped her hands together and said, "POPS!" I guess now I know I should never be out again!

Cheese? Cake? CHEESECAKE!

For three years I haven't made a cheesecake. Why such horrible self-imposed exile you might ask? Well, the hubby isn't much on cheese. He told me he doesn't like cheesecake. I can't eat a whole one by myself. So, I haven't made one. But, with my birthday being on Saturday and needing to take treats to work, I made this lovely.

Check out the recipe here.

I have made it multiple times before with wonderful success. How delicious. I can't wait to cut into this baby tomorrow.

Tonight, once I was spooning the batter into the pan, hubby asked me, "Where's the cheese?" I told him that it was in there. "You know, cream cheese."

"Cheesecake uses cream cheese and not cheese cheese?"

Seems up to this point that he'd been thinking cheesecake was made with actual cheese. Guess who now gets to expand her dessert making? *evil, delighted grin*

Sweet Pea Wine

Here's my new favorite wine. (Thanks Tara and Joni!) As the girls say, some Sweet Pea will fix almost anything. Tonight, I took a glass of it in the bathroom, ran a hot bath, and relaxed in the tub while reading a book. There's just not a whole lot that's better than that.

Other than that, it's been a pretty uneventful day. I did the grocery shopping, got a lot of crocheting done, and tried to ignore the fact that I felt pretty yucky. I'm hanging in there though. I get to be "rebooted" Wednesday morning. Strangely enough, I can't wait. I should feel a lot better after that.

New foods

Ever since the hubby's near brush with death, we've been trying to eat better. Consequently, I've been spending more time in the health food section of our local grocery store. The other day, I found these. I've only tried the Art's Original Blend, but it was AWESOME! I've bought three other varieties and can't wait to try them. I'm not going to lie to you, they're not cheap. But, I ate one for breakfast at work the other day and wasn't hungry until lunch. It was delicious, filling, and had a great texture. They're putting out 5 new flavors in May. Can't wait to try those too!

Last night's menu

I made turkey burgers last night. But not just your run-of-the-mill turkey burgers. Oh no. I caramelized onions to include with the meat along with Lawry's and bread crumbs. I cooked bacon. I sliced tomatoes. I mashed avocado. The result was a delicious meal.

I was even told by the hubby that, not only had I changed his mind about turkey burgers, but that this was something I should have the whole family over for. I WIN! This weekend I'm trying a recipe I found for Cuban rice.