Better the 5th Day

We had a simple supper of bread and soup tonight... nothing big (soup from the store that was an impulse buy).
My mini baguettes were hastily heated (I think because someone felt bad about forgetting that I had slaved over them and bought a baguette at the store), and you know what?  Their puckishness (totally different when you are talking about bread and not people) seemed to disappear.  Still not the lightest, these were GREAT for dipping/spooning up the cheesy soup.
Next time, I think I'll make 4 loaves instead of 6 so that my bread-crust ratio is not quite so equal.  I really did like the chewiness of the bread, and it definitely is one that will hold up even when up against a muffaletta.

And I keep forgetting to tell you about the okra!!!!  While they were a little slimy (as okra can be), they were very, very tasty.  And crunchy.  And tasty - did I mention that?  Nothing like my fridge pickles - the vinegar-salt balance was dead-on for this recipe.  And their petite nature made them perfectly bite-sized.  Maybe that's why they disappeared so quickly.
One jar has already been demolished, but I am saving the brine and hoping to pick up some pickling cukes at the store this weekend to try to make some fridge pickles with it (reduce, reuse, recycle!).  I noticed today that the other jars were in the fridge, as if someone (who will remain nameless but ate nearly the entire first jar himself) was prepping them for a late night snack in the very near future.

"Virtue Itself Turns Vice, Being Misapplied..."

HRH decided that 4:30 or so (it was too early to actually read the clock) was a good time to get up.  We both tried to get her back to sleep (I kicked Scott to get up so I wouldn't have to), but alas, the efforts were fruitless, and by the time I got up for the third time (I think - it's hard to count when woken from a dead sleep) and brought her, in a desperate attempt for more sleep, back to bed with us, it was all over.  She YELLED, "Downstairs!"

Ugh.

Thank goodness for coffee (in my stupor I decided to write an ode to it, but I haven't gotten there yet).

I don't like my coffee black.  Even being from the Pacific Northwest, home to not only that large corporate chain of coffee shops but a plethora of local bean roasters long before it was cool elsewhere, doesn't make that little brown bean any more tasty unless I add my morning dose of non-dairy, artificially flavored coffee creamer.

It HAS TO BE Coffee-Mate®.  And it HAS TO BE French vanilla flavor.  I've tried other flavors, but I always go back to my blue box (yes, we get the "Coffee Lover's Size," although I think it would be more properly titled "Coffee-Mate Lover's Size" at the rate I go through it... thank you, Costco) of carageenan-filled goodness.

Try as I might, I can't give this up.  I haven't actually given it the ol' college try, but I have to say that I don't want to.  I made the decision last year to stop drinking Dr. Pepper (I've fallen off the wagon a few times but have regretted it on each instance).  I have made myself overwhelmingly proud in my new-found ability to turn down second helpings.  But my morning cup of joe and creamer?  Take that from me, and I will cut you.

Here's how I look at it - would my husband rather me consume coffee creamer or heroin?  I cut myself off after two or three cups, depending on the morning, and that's it for the day.  I doubt that would happen were I to start shooting up.

Everyone has vices, and I'd rather it be a few slurps of Coffee-Mate® than something that could be much, much worse.  Call me crazy; call me weak; call me nutters - this is one resolution that you'll never see on my list.

The haze is how I saw it this morning sometime between 4:30 and 6:00 and not just because I didn't have my glasses on.

Ice Queen Puckers Up

I just got my new edition of Real Simple, and in it, I read an article* about how to defrost meat fast.  You know, in case you forget to thaw out your chicken breasts before you go to work in the morning.  OK, let's be honest.  Not in case.  When.  When you forget to thaw out your chicken breasts before you go to work in the morning.

Aside from the fact that I really only enjoy my chicken fried and covered with delicious crispiness (preferably coupled with an equally crispy waffle), the article sort of set me on edge.  While I'm certain that it was not the intent of the good folks at RS, I took from it that it's necessary to have meat with a meal, even if it's hastily defrosted in order to be on the table before bedtime.

That got me pondering...

It seems to me that if I were to forget to defrost the meat (which, no lie, shouldn't be an if I were but a when I do), I should take that as "work with something else."  If I don't have an ingredient for a recipe, I modify or leave it out.  Same thing can go.

This can benefit a person in several ways:

• Less stress - forget it, but don't sweat it!
• Opportunities to think outside the box... er, freezer.
• A meatless meal - for any number of health reasons, check out Meatless Monday - it's a great piece about how we can all make a huge difference by shifting one meal a week.
• Less strain on the pocketbook - by subbing with what you have available, your resources will go further - try doing that instead of running to the store "for just one thing" to complete that Tuesday night meal.

Of course, some dishes need the meat, which leads me to my next thought - I'm really trying hard to plan out meals, meatless or otherwise.  

How's that going for you, Allison?  

Well, when I made the risotto the other night, I planned to eat the leftovers, and I've done that....

Yeah, so tonight was another "OK, what should I make for dinner - I should at least look like I have a plan by the time hubby gets home" night.

Since we won't get our next veggie pick-up until Saturday, there wasn't much left in the fridge.  A bunch of green onions from the grocery store.  That was it.  I mean, there were other items, but not anything that would work together-ish.  I suppose I could have heated up the two leftover pasties, but that just wasn't "it" tonight.

So what to do with those onions...not a lot of "green onion as main ingredient" recipes out there.  Like none.

No problem.  I told you when I first started this blog way back three months ago that I'm not really good about creating recipes, as measuring is not a forte of mine.  So what I have to offer instead is more of a guideline (this isn't baking, after all).

Quinoa with roasted green onions and garlic

• 1 bunch (or so) green onions per two people
• 3-5 cloves garlic (depending on taste)
• olive oil
• black pepper
• salt (I like kosher)
• your choice of quinoa
• feta cheese, crumbled
• sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook quinoa according to directions.  While quinoa is cooking, trim onions and cut into 2-inch-long pieces.  Slice garlic cloves in half.  Throw onions and garlic into roasting dish, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Bake in oven until onions are crisp-tender.  Toss onions, garlic, feta, and seeds with the warm quinoa.  Serve immediately.

Clearly, we had leftover feta and sunflower seeds - you would not NEED these, but they add some food texture and flavor that was pretty tasty.

With that, I tossed together a grapefruit, tangerine, and red onion salad that I tossed in a red wine vinaigrette (olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper).  The grapefruit was from our CSA, not one of those glowing red ones you'll get in the store, and it was a touch tart, so I am VERY glad that I added the tangerines to offset the pucker factor of the grapefruit-vinegar combo.  I also was glad that I got a little heavy handed with the kosher salt.

Mmmmmm... citrus..... Mother Nature's vaccine

Of course, now I really do want us to tear out the ash trees in our backyard and replace them with citrus - while we have to deal with the triple digits in the summer here, the winters are great when the citrus is fresh and right off the tree.  Maybe that should be a monthly objective.  For my husband.

*NOTE - I edited this; in my original, I "blamed" the article on Cooking Light.  I think I may have too many magazines; they are all starting to look alike.  My apologies to CL.

Everything But the Quack????

Since the new semester begins tomorrow, I thought I'd post a New Year's weekend wrap-up before things get all crazy again.  I really need to win Power Ball so I don't have to worry about new semesters (except when HRH is old enough to go to school).  But for now, this is going to be a lengthy entry.  Don't worry - I have pictures!

In our house, New Year's means one thing: beans and greens.  Um, that would be two things.  Regardless, we make sure that our new year celebrations always includes this southern tradition.  Beans and greens are symbolic of money, so eating them on the first day of the new year is considered a lucky food to help one be successful.  

Our personal tradition has evolved into having lunch at Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe in downtown Phoenix, literally in the shadow of Chase Field (I still call it the B.O.B.).  Since we moved back from Michigan, this has been an annual pilgrimage, made with the same friends.

Mrs. White's is a Phoenix institution.  The restaurant, completely unremarkable on the outside, has walls covered with the autographs and well wishes of local and national celebrities.  And this is for good reason - it has been serving up soul food the way it should be for years.

Clearly, then, it's a day of indulgences.  While all of the veggies at Mrs. White's are cooked without meat, one will rarely find someone who opts for the vegetable plate over a smothered pork chop (my personal favorite), chicken fried steak, or the classic staple - fried chicken.  

This was the first year that the restaurant started accepting credit and debit - before this, only cash was accepted, and I have to say that I love how one pays - once finished (and able to roll out of one's seat), a guest simply goes up to the cash register, tells the cashier what he had, and he then pays for that.  From what I understand, that is the reason of the name of the restaurant - if they treat you well with great food, you will treat them well by being honest about what you ate.

Now, I must come clean - I wanted the macaroni and cheese (not on the regular menu, but it is available - like other well-known restaurants, there are items that you have to know to ask for), so I just stole the black-eyed peas off hubby's plate, but I did order (and inhale) the greens.  Even though they are vegetarian, they are NOT lacking in flavor; there is a great spice to them that you get at the end of each bite.  

However, I was a bit disappointed in the mac and cheese.  I like an al dente noodle, and the pasta was somewhat overdone.  Texture aside, the taste was great - perfectly cheesy.  

I washed everything down with way too much sweet tea.  Mrs. White's knows how to make some sweet tea, I'll tell you - I could go there and drink it by the gallon.

Another great thing about Mrs. White's is that it's between two Light Rail stops, so after lunching, we waddled back to the nearest stop and headed home, where both HRH and I took a nap.

Post-food coma, today I decided to do something with the duck leftovers from New Year's Eve dinner.  I had a goal to use as much of him as possible.  Zooey had already gotten the "stuff that was inside the cavity" for her New Year's Eve dinner, and while she turns up her hound dog nose at chicken gizzards, she inhaled the neck, heart, and gizzard.  I did hold the liver in reserve, as my PIC mentioned trying to make a paté with that and some of that wonderful fat that we saved.

But what better to go with homemade paté than homemade bread?  I found a pretty simple mini baguette recipe that seemed impossible to mess up - I mean, seriously - knead for 8 minutes?  This had to be fail proof.

Except that today seemed to be the day of baking fail.  First of all, I learned (the very, very) hard way that Pyrex® is NOT indestructible.  When I went to add the water to the dish that I placed (with water already in it) in the oven, CRASH!!!!!!  The dish (my favorite, since it's what I make my nanaimo bars in) shattered.
This is the second Pyrex® dish that I have lost, although the first time our dinner was already in it and nearly done when the explosion happened.
Secondly, I think that the delay in getting the mini loaves into the oven may have caused them to be a bit too hard.  While the insides were soft enough, the crust was really, really, really thick.  Perhaps I needed to check it before the 20-minute estimation, but considering that we had to turn off the oven, let it cool, clean out the glass, turn it back on, and let it preheat back up to 500°, there is plenty of room for  hypothesis here.

Oh, well.  They were still good, and butter always makes everything taste better, so I'm thinking that these babies might be perfect for BLTs.

Then I turned my attention to the carcass, which we threw into a bag to make stock.  I loosely followed about three recipes I found online.

Basically, here is what I did:

• Take a roasted duck carcass and place in your largest stock pot.
• Add cold, clean (filtered, if available) water to cover the duck by at least one inch.
• Bring to boil over high heat.

Once the water is boiling, reduce heat to simmer and add:

• one onion, chopped roughly
• one shallot, chopped roughly
• two or three carrots, chopped into large pieces
• celery ribs, chopped into large pieces (I took the rest of the stalk that we had)
• bunch of parsley
• a few cloves of garlic
• whatever fresh herbs you have on hand (we had thyme and sage)
• salt to taste (I prefer kosher salt)
• peppercorns
• one bay leaf

Simmer for at least three hours, skimming fat or froth off as needed (if you were to use a recipe that starts with you roasting the duck for this purpose, you would need to do it a lot more than I did).

Strain hot liquid through a cheesecloth, pressing down on the vegetable remnants to get out all the liquid.  Cool to room temperature, skim off any remaining fat, and either use right away, store in the refrigerator for up to three days, or freeze for up to six months.

I made sure to pull out the remnants of the carcass to pull of any and all meat to use in my last major kitchen project of the day.  When all was said and done, I had a large bowl (at least 8 cups) of broth, and only a cereal bowl of duck bones.

The last project I mentioned - risotto.  I told myself last night, "We have enough food - no more until we eat what we have."  And then I decide to make risotto.  BUT... I used the duck in it three times:

1. I used a bit more of the duck fat instead of just olive oil to sweat the onions and garlic.
2. I used my freshly made duck broth instead of chicken broth.
3. I shredded the rest of the duck that we had (saved from dinner the other night and what I took off the bones) and placed that on top of the finished risotto.

I put the bowl of the paté out, and we had duck with duck with a side of duck for dinner.
I also made a quick little salad (no duck here).

The risotto was good - rich, as risotto is wont to be, and I wasn't able to finish my portion (which, to be fair, was probably more than "one serving size" anyway).
The paté... eh.  Both of us decided that it needed salt and was a little gamey for our tastes.  Now, I love lamb, duck, venison, elk, etc., so you might expect me to really like it if it has the adjective gamey.  But when you are talking any internal organ, you up the gamey-ness factor at least tenfold, and it was just too much for me.  I did give the spread at least five different tries on my baguette toasts, but in the end, it isn't going to be a recipe that we repeat.

The risotto, though, most certainly has potential.

Resolved

My dad, who died in 1999 after battling colon cancer for over four years, always made the same new year's resolution:  to NOT buy one of those hands one a suction cup (that you might attach to a car window) and cut off the thumb, index, ring, and pinky fingers.  He was remarkably good at keeping that resolution.
But let's be honest - all humor aside, new year's resolutions are notoriously difficult to keep.  Usually it's because people set unrealistic expectations for themselves ("I'm going to work out for an hour every day!" or "I'm going to lose 100 pounds!") and then burn out before Valentines' Day.
Thus, in order for me to have new year's resolutions that I can actually keep, I need to remember that they should be less like hurdles for me to overcome and more like lifestyle shifts.
Additionally, I think that I will be better off to not make several of these shifts all at once but rather select one at a time, giving myself the opportunity to create a habit (21 days plus) before shifting once again.
Therefore, I am setting up some year-long guidelines for myself (I like that word better than resolutions) as well as creating monthly habits to create or goals to meet.  These monthly endeavors will have to come as the months do, depending on where I am with everything else.
All righty, then.

Year-Long Guidelines

• "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion." (His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama) -- I have already begun working toward this goal in the past year, but I clearly forgot it as I swore at the top of my lungs yesterday at the guy who felt he needed to slow to a stop (no lie) before turning, messing up the entire traffic flow when all I wanted to do was get home.  This means that I need to stop and place myself in another's shoes (or, as Atticus Finch said, to climb into another person's skin and walk around in it for a while) before making a decision about someone or a situation.  
• I will make every effort possible to use all our wonderful CSA veggies before they are fodder for the compost bin.  While the weekly price of the produce is similar to what we might spend at a grocery store, paying up front for them each season makes the impact a little different on the pocketbook, and it's important to make our money stretch as far as possible.  Plus, in order to continue creating healthy yet decadent meals, it's vital that I find recipes and uses for everything.  Further, I am hoping to continue looking to various preservation methods if I don't think I'll be able to use something fresh before it expires.  That will also expand our resources as well as meal options.
• I will add yoga to my exercise routine.  While I have gotten pretty darn good at the running business (and I just signed up for a 10K at the end of January - more on that later), I must remember that one-sided fitness isn't true fitness.  Yoga can help calm and relax me, which should, ideally, make obtaining my first goal a little easier. 
• I must remember to do at least one thing for myself each month.  That can take the form of a pedicure, a massage, buying a new outfit for myself instead of the ever-growing HRH, etc.  I realized this fall that I have become that mom on What Not to Wear whom I hate - the mom who puts everyone and everything before her.  I have found myself more than once at a store looking for a pair of pants that fit (now that I have lost the baby weight and more, few pants in the closet fit without a belt... and some literally fall off me), yet I somehow make my way to the kids' section, where I get HRH a new shirt or pants or whatever instead of something for me.  Then I have a meltdown when we go out to dinner because I have nothing suitable anymore.  That needs to change.  I know my daughter needs clothes as she grows (and grows), but as I shrink, I also need clothes to fit me.  And a relaxed, happy, well-dressed momma is a better momma than the schlump I feel I'm becoming.

Whew... I think that should do it.  Four for the year - not bad.

Monthly Goals

I have only set ones for the first two months.  Near the end of February, I'll evaluate where I am and what my next goal(s) need(s) to be.

January - I will start taking a daily vitamin.  In his book, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan sets the "rule" that people who eat well (as I'm trying to do) should be the "type of person who takes supplements."  One doesn't have to actually take supplements, he points out, but he goes on to say that people who DO take supplements tend to have a healthier lifestyle.  From a personal approach, I've noted that when I have been diligent about taking my vitamins, my iron count (so vital for blood donation; did you know that January is National Blood Donation Month????  Make sure to get yourself a pint low to save 3 lives!) goes up, and I have a great deal more energy, making exercise and even tackling a new recipe easier.
February - I will start flossing regularly.  I fell off this wagon sometime between the beginning and end of the fall semester, so I need to turn my attention back to this ASAP.  You may have seen commercials suggesting as such, but it's true that proper oral hygiene can make a huge difference in one's overall health.  I do love my electric toothbrush, which does help get stuff out from those "hard to reach" places, but there is no substitute for flossing.  And let's be honest - you can get a roll for less than a dollar, so this isn't going to break the bank.

OK, so it would seem that only one (maybe two) of the aforementioned goals/resolutions/guidelines have anything to do with food.  But while eating well is the overall intent of this blog, having a positive, healthy approach in all areas of my life can only help improve my eating habits.  When I run, I want to eat better.  When I give blood, I am happy with my choice of greens over burgers for dinner the night before.  When my teeth look good, I want to help that by only cramming good things into that cake hole (or should we say chickpea hole?).
Check back to see how I'm doing with all these and more as well as for new culinary discoveries I make!

Decadent Philistines... Kinda Phone it In....

I learned something today, and that is when one is raised in the Pacific Northwest, year-round access to all types of (real) crab is something that one takes for granted.  However, in the desert of Arizona, that is NOT the case, as trips to three different grocery stores proved.  

I had PLANNED to have Old Ebbitt Grill crab cakes for our appetizer tonight.  That didn't happen.  Yes, I could have bought a few dungeness babies or a handful of king crab legs.  But I didn't want to go through all the effort of cracking/shelling them just for a bit of meat.  And by "bit" I mean an entire pound of jumbo lump.  So we didn't have them.

But we did have a lovely duck.  Together, hubby and I made canard a'la orange.  That called for AN ENTIRE CUP of orange liqueur.  Holy smokes, that was a LOT of booze.  I don't think it cooked off completely, but that might be because the smell of it still lingers in my nostrils.

There also wasn't enough time for dessert, so hopefully Sunday afternoon will bring company, which will also bring the excuse to make said dessert (Aunt Paula, I'm not gonna let you down!).

Of course, what is New Year's Eve without the bubbly.  Tonight, we had a bottle of prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine that has small, soft bubbles.  It was a nice, crisp, apply bubbly that would really go well with anything.  Of course, sparkling wine (champagne, prosecco, cava, etc.) goes with EVERYTHING... or by itself, really.  And thank goodness I had the foresight to get two bottles, so we have one in reserve.  In case of emergency.  Or weeknight.

We also exchanged gifts this evening, as we didn't feel like taking items up to Michigan only to have to bring them back.  I got hubby a bottle of vintage port.  This particular vintage, rated extremely well by Wine Spectator, was "born" in 2000, the year we met, and it was bottled in 2002, the year we married, so it has somewhat of a special tie to us.  I also got him wine for our first Christmas together ten years ago, so as we also age, so does the wine.  I.... I received a Shake Weight (serves me right for threatening to get that for him for a year... actually he did get one from someone else, so we are even).  I also got an awesome running jacket, so I'm excited to bust that out, especially because 1) I ate way too much today and 2) it's freaking cold here in AZ lately!

I kind of wish we had just snacked on the pan scrapings of the duck, as they were soooooooo good!  I feel like adding the orange gastrique took away from their ducky, salty goodness.
That being said, we have approximately 6 ounces of duck fat chilling in the fridge now, so the decadence can continue into the next decade of the millennium.

Detox

For anyone who has never taught high school, you should know that final exam time is hectic.  Thus, the entire month of December, having both finals, Christmas, and (for us) a trip to Michigan, there really wasn't a lot of great eating.  There were some pretty good things thrown in there, but I admit that more than one meal may have consisted of M&Ms while I was grading or prepping for next semester.  And, certainly, one doesn't plan to go on vacation and follow any food rules (yes, Jillian Michaels, I am talking to you!).

So, after three weeks of sugar and more red meat than I care to confess, it was a week of vegging - the good kind.

Our CSA didn't deliver over Christmas (hey - those guys work hard and deserve a little break, too!), so I had to slum it at the grocery store.  Thankfully, Sprouts has a good produce selection, and I was able to pick up ALMOST everything that I needed for the week.

We had some leftover sweet potatoes, radishes, and turnips, so I made the following menu for us this week:

• Monday - black bean and sweet potato empanadas and Spanish rice (the rice turned out terrible, so thank goodness the empanadas, made with CSA sweet potatoes and jalapeños from my MIL's garden, were big and filling)
• Tuesday - sweet potato ravioli with lemon sage brown butter (very tasty, but I added a wee too much butter to our dishes, so it was a little rich - next time I'll use a little ladle)

I used wonton wrappers for the ravioli... someday I'll have my own pasta maker, but until then, the wrappers are fine.

• Wednesday - quinoa with kale, chickpeas, and sunflower seeds (this was something I attempted before, subbing black beans.... I would not recommend that substitution, if I were you; the feta and the sunflower seeds, though, made this AWESOME - I am adding this to my rotation... hopefully with the mustard greens that the recipe calls for again)

That brings us to today.  I made a veggie pasty filling on Tuesday when I made the ravioli, and after HRH went to daycare, I made the dough.  Instead of potatoes and carrots, I stuck to the turnips and radishes.  I am looking forward to trying this, and my fingers are crossed that the crust isn't too dry, as some of the reviews said.  I am chilling the dough, so I'm hoping all turns out OK.  If not.... well, NYPD Pizza is not that far away.
But what about New Year's Eve?????  Well, let's just say, for now, that the plan is to be decadent philistines.