Monday Musings: 04.30.2012 Edition April 30, 2012
Posted by Toy Lady in Cooking, meal plan monday, random stuff.Tags: monday menu plan
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Look at that – the last of April! May is just around the corner, so, really, can we stop with the snow?
Things are ever-so-slightly starting to settle down for me, though I’ve still been getting home later than usual just about every evening.
It’s nice to know that my faithful canine companion is waiting patiently for me, though.
That, and I really need to get these windows cleaned!
I decided, for a change, to take the weekend off and do . . . pretty much nothing for a change.
Though I did try my hand at homemade ricotta cheese. I’d like to give it another try before I try to show you, though it was fairly easy – and seems to be pretty tasty, too.
So look forward to that in the near future – and guess what I’m looking forward to on my pizza this week!
So while we were working on the ricotta (and by working, I mean standing around waiting for the pot of milk to magically turn itself into curds and whey), Jar decided he’d like to go outside and get some sun.
Then he wanted to come in. Then he didn’t.
It was oodles of fun for him! Click on the photo – it should take you directly to an entire slideshow of fun – since I can’t figure out how to post it directly here.
Hey, I’ve been tired!
And once again, it’s time for the weekly menu plan. I’m sure hoping to have at least a few days to get some stuff caught up, both around the office and around the house. The forecast is calling for a little warmer weather this week, but mainly raining off and on, so should be able to enjoy some quick and easy dinners, and still keep them (mostly) kind of light.
Monday – We picked up some wild Alaskan whitefish this weekend, which is a nice, moist, mild fish, and it should be perfect with a bit of sage garlic butter – with a tossed salad and perhaps some brown rice.
Tuesday – We roasted a chicken last week, so of course we needed to do something with the balance of the cooked bird – and quite a while ago (over 2 years!) I printed a copy of Michael Ruhlman’s chicken and dumplings – we’ll either serve it as a stew or a soup – depends on the weather – and our mood, I guess.
Wednesday – We did take advantage of the cooler weather last weekend to make a batch of Asian chicken stock – and we had one extra quart that wouldn’t fit into the canner. You know what a quart of unprocessed stock means, right? Soup night! We’ve got the leftover Asian pork, some scallions, and Peeps will bring home some fresh noodles – that makes a fantastic soup!
Thursday – You may have noticed that we’re a little light on beans this week – we’re about to change that. A while back, we made this chick pea with chorizo dish that was absolutely fantastic – until we added spinach. Maybe this time, we’ll try the spinach on the side. Here’s a video, to get a better idea.
Friday – And again, it’s pizza night! Although it looks like Friday will probably be the warmest evening of the week, we don’t mind firing up the oven – especially when I’ve got fresh ricotta for my pie! I may even get crazy and cut some fresh herbs to stir in – I’m just getting wild, aren’t I?
Be sure to click on over to The Organizing Junkie’s Monday Menu Plan post for loads and loads of other ideas.
I can hardly believe it myself! April 25, 2012
Posted by Toy Lady in Cooking, Cuisine at Home, random stuff, soupe du semaine, Work.comments closed
Well hello there.
It is I.
Things seem to be starting to settle down around here, at least for the moment – which, honestly? It’s just a good thing! Those moments that I haven’t been too exhausted to think a coherent thought? I’ve been Mrs. Cranky Pants.
When I get busy, I don’t have time for a lot of fiddle-faddle, yet some days that seems to be all I get – a lot of fiddle-faddle.
Sometimes I just want to smack someone. Who that someone may be varies from day to day, but there’s always someone around who needs a good SMACK lately.
There are those evenings when I’m too tired to care about anything like eating.
Or the days when I’ve had to explain for the eleventy-thousandth time that, yes, it really is okay to have your board president pre-sign this purchase agreement, and that my office, acting as YOUR COUNSEL, will HOLD IT IN ESCROW and NOT RELEASE it to ANYONE until everyone has agreed to all of the terms of the sale AND the agreement has been finalized AND the figures have been independently verified by an outside accounting firm. Either that, or the board president can sit around and wait for all that to happen (and no, there’s no way to know exactly when that may be), and if the agreement’s not signed by the end of the day, the deal’s off and we try again the next day. And let’s hope the rates don’t go up.
Fortunately, I’ve got Peeps here to help hold down the fort.
And so, while the rest of the world was enjoying 70- and 80-degree afternoons, I was cooped up in my office, juggling multiple bond sales, holding dozens of nervous clients’ hands, tracking down documents that should have been here yesterday, or getting seals on bonds that need to close in a couple of days, packaging random documents to go to random people, missing out on all that gorgeous weather.
And now, when it starts to settle down a bit, and I can consider less than a 10-hour day, well, you know what I get?
Snow.
Let me say that again.
It’s been SNOWING. IN APRIL. Oh, not a lot of accumulation or anything, and it’s not even really that cold (except in the sense that it’s not 80 degrees anymore). But still.
So I kind of thought it might be nice to share one more soup before soup season ends and salad season starts.
That, and I’d fully intended to post this a couple of weeks ago, but I only got as far as uploading the photos before Duty called.
I’m managed to put a gag on Duty for the time being, and here I am, with one of the most surprisingly tasty soups we’ve had in a long time.
I still get the Cuisine at Home e-newsletter, and about a month ago, there was this Chinese Chicken & Corn Soup.
Although I did kind of wonder if “Chinese” was politically correct – shouldn’t it be be “Asian” Chicken & Corn Soup?
Well, I don’t know. But I do know that we had some leftover roasted chicken, and I picked up some nice snow peas at the market, and we still have most of a quart of Peeps’s sriracha in the fridge. . .
And it’s cold and vile out. Perfect soup weather, if you ask me.
And I’m busy and tired. Perfect opportunity for a quick, hearty soup, wouldn’t you say?
Here’s a printable version, just in case you’re interested. Which of course you are.
Monday Musings: 04.23.2012 Edition April 23, 2012
Posted by Toy Lady in Musings, random stuff.Tags: menu plan monday
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Another week has rolled along already!
I just can’t believe how the work just keeps . . . not going away. Don’t get me wrong – I’m grateful to be working, but WOW I could use a break! Hopefully, things will start to settle down soon (for real this time!).
Meanwhile, this was a market weekend – and besides potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions, I managed to score some more ramps, salad mix, and baby spinach! I even picked up a bunch of fresh basil, mainly because it’s been SO LONG since we’ve had any.
My mother sent me an email a couple of months ago to ask if I was interested in joining her for a local event near her called “Where’s Wallace?” At the time, I assumed that I wouldn’t still be working so much, and it sounded like a fun field-trip-with-my-mother day, so I agreed.
Basically, Wallace is a wee tiny town in the Southern Tier of New York, and there are several small businesses that were being highlighted – a few artists, an herb shop, an antique store, and a very cool bed and breakfast.
And sadly, although I remembered to bring my camera, I seemed to have forgotten I had it for most of the day.
World’s saddest photographer, I’m telling you . . .
But it was a lot of fun, and I hope to have a chance to have another field trip with my mother again soon.
Here’s another “darn I wish I had my camera” moment, which, weren’t those moments supposed to end when they started making digital cameras and sticking them on cell phones and tablets and pretty much anything that holds still long enough?
Of course, it helps if I bring anything besides dog treats and a plastic bags on the morning walk. . .
Anyway, Peeps walks with us on Sunday, and the three of us were walking along, when Peeps noticed, a couple of houses away from us, a pair of ducks.
Ducks.
Just milling around in someone’s front yard.
Then Jar saw them and froze.
The ducks? Well, they didn’t give a quack.
Jar was, I think, more astonished than troubled by the ducks-out-of-water, but, being SO not in the mood for a power struggle, I distracted him, treated him, turned him around, and we all walked the other way.
We had a nice, uneventful walk around the neighborhood, and we were headed home when, several blocks away from where we’d first seen them, THERE THEY WERE AGAIN!
(I’m reasonably certain it was the same pair of ducks – what are the odds that TWO IDENTICAL duck couples would be out wandering around the same neighborhood at the same time on a Sunday morning?)
I mean, really! What the . . . DUCK???
So we ducked out of there, once again, without incident.
But The Jar, well, he was still mighty interested in them. Must be the lab in his background. Thank GOODNESS they didn’t quack at him!
I did pick up something fun on our “Wallace-crawl” this weekend. (You know, kind of like a pub crawl, only, well, in Wallace!)
I thought it would tickle Peeps – and I was right!
Although I will confess – we really would dial 9-1-1 if we had to! Still, it’s the idea, right?
And once again, it’s time for the weekly menu plan. Do you realize it was near eighty degrees here last week?
And that there is currently a winter weather warning in effect? We are talking SNOW.
Again, I ask, what the . . . duck?
Monday – Hey, guess what, whole chickens are on sale at our supermarket this week. We picked up three – two for the freezer and one for Monday’s dinner. I found this recipe for Roast Chicken with Fingerling Potatoes, Leeks and Bacon, and I realized that we had fingerling potatoes, leeks AND bacon on hand. Coincidence?
Tuesday – A while back, my buddy Susan mentioned that her family enjoyed Stacked Burrito Pie – somehow, I had filed it in my “meatless” folder, so we’re going to swap more black beans for the 3/4 pound of ground beef and see how that works out. Maybe we’ll do a refried-bean sort of thing instead of the meat. That should totally work.
Wednesday – Wednesday’s meal is sort of born out of laziness. I was pulling chicken and pork and vegetable bits out of the freezer to make a batch of stock (hey, if it’s going to snow, I’ve got one more shot at the outdoor refrigeration system, right?), and I realized, once I got upstairs, that one of the zip-top bags of “scraps” was, in fact, baby back ribs. I didn’t feel like taking it back downstairs, so we decided to defrost it and cook it – I think we’ll use the rub from this Chinese Chicken recipe – it’s simple and any leftovers will be good in soup next week.
Thursday – I’ve been invited to a wine-tasting at a local law firm – it’ll be nice to meet the actual people behind all the emails that have been exchanged, and besides, a little networking never hurt anyone. Peeps will probably enjoy leftovers, as I’ll do, as well, when I get home.
Friday – And again, it’s pizza night! We had leftover roast chicken last week, which became Buffalo pizza – I don’t know what I’ll do this week. Something interesting, I’m sure.
Be sure to click on over to The Organizing Junkie’s Monday Menu Plan post for loads and loads of other ideas.
A different take on chili April 20, 2012
Posted by Peeps in Cook's Country, Cooking, Food, Home, random stuff.comments closed
A good bowl of chili is a wonderful thing. Particularly when it’s made from the recipe my wife found last year. But sometimes, you want something a little different.
A couple years ago, we got an issue of Cook’s Country magazine that had a recipe in it that I wanted to try. I had heard of Cincinnati Chili before, but I’d never had any. After all, real chili doesn’t come from Cincinnati, right? We tried it, and we were hooked.
As it turns out, it’s very simple to make.
You start by putting a tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and putting it on medium heat. Then add two onions that have been finely chopped and cook until soft and starting to turn brown, eight to ten minutes.
When the onions are ready, add to the pot one minced clove of garlic, two tablespoons of tomato paste, two tablespoons of chili powder, one tablespoon of dried oregano, one and a half teaspoons of cinnamon, one teaspoon of salt, three quarters of a teaspoon of pepper and a quarter teaspoon of allspice and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Next add two cups of chicken broth and two cups of canned tomato sauce along with two tablespoons of cider vinegar and two teaspoons of dark brown sugar.
Finally, add one and a half pounds of ground beef (85 percent lean preferably) and stir to break the meat into smaller chunks. Bring it up to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until it had slightly thickened, about fifteen to twenty minutes.
That’s it, you’re done. Except, unlike most chili, you don’t just put this stuff into a bowl and eat it. Nope, it’s a whole different deal.
Cincinnati chili is generally served over spaghetti. Not any other kind of pasta, just spaghetti. Tradition, I guess.
Then you add your toppings. A large pile of shredded Cheddar cheese goes on. You can add chopped onions if you’re so inclined. You can even add beans, but we usually forget those. And apparently oyster crackers are a must.
It may look strange, but it’s mighty good. And considering how easy this is to make, it’s well worth trying. It even freezes well, should you decide to do a double batch and keep some on hand in the freezer for lazy dinner night. Like we usually do.
Monday Musings: 04.16.2012 Edition April 16, 2012
Posted by Toy Lady in knitting, meal plan monday, Musings, Shopping With Peeps.comments closed
I am first going to mention this: Last week’s pressure cooker pork carnitas? To Die For.
We had about a 6-pound pork shoulder, boned and trimmed, and we used one-and-a-half times the spice rub.
Tacos made with this meat?
Fantastic.
Tacos again a few days later?
Still fantastic.
Pizza with a smear of the sauce from braising the meat, the meat itself, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese?
Oh my goodness. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
I’m hoping I didn’t speak a little hastily last week. I mean, yeah, I’m pretty sure the worst is over, when it comes to my workload – there are timing things at play, and, of course, the interest rates can’t stay this low forever (can they?).
However, I may have underestimated just how much of my “regular” work has been shoved aside these past few months. . .
On the bright side, though, I did get the last of the bills for 2011 drafted this weekend!
Shortly after I bought this house, I needed to replace the bathroom faucet – the handle actually broke off.
At that time, I really wasn’t in much of a position to have a plumber come to the house right that minute, so I lived with the old vice-grips faucet for a while, until my father was able to “show me how” to replace it.
Do you know how to replace a bathroom faucet?
In involves crawling UNDER the bathroom sink (inside the vanity) where there is barely room for one person (and no light).
So my lesson in how change the bathroom faucet involved me handing tools to my father, who was under the sink, grunting and trying to describe what he was doing for me.
And then his coming out and asking me “Did you get that? Wasn’t that easy?”
Well, that $30 faucet started leaking at the handles a while back, and my parents were in town this weekend, and, well, although my father isn’t as young as he used to be (and really, who among us is?), he was willing to “show me again” how to change the faucet.
This time, though, there was a point where I crawled under the sink and told me what I should do. While I didn’t do the whole job, by any means, I feel confident enough about it that I could probably change the kitchen faucet myself.
Assuming that nothing goes wrong with it. Assuming that, of course.
Oh, by the way.
One thing I have gotten done around here – I finished Peeps’s socks!
That would be his, um, Christmas socks.
I got a little ambitious at Christmastime (and really, who doesn’t?) and thought I could finish a pair of socks for both my husband and the Boy.
Have I mentioned that they both have BIG FEET?
I just couldn’t get either pair done on time – the Boy‘s were done shortly after the holidays, and poor Peeps – he got a skein of yarn and a promise under the tree.
Well, they’re finally done, and he seems awfully happy with them.
Oooh, ooh, hey, Shopping with Peeps!
I couldn’t help noticing this display for (ahem) Recipe Insirations.
Recipe Insurrections?
Recipe Inspections?
I’ve seen the product before – it’s basically a blister pack of a half teaspoon or so of maybe half a dozen spices, along with a recipe to use those spices.
I would think, at $2 a package, they’d be able to spring for the “p” on the sign, wouldn’t you?
And once again, it’s time for the weekly menu plan. As I said, I may have been anticipating a little bit – I’ve got bond pricings all week, which means I’ll be home . . . not early. However, Peeps has things well under control and I’ll pitch in when I can, of course.
Monday – We’re falling behind on our food magazines (I can tell by the pile of them on the unused dining room chair), so when we were planning our menu, I pulled out a copy of the February-March Cook’s Illustrated. Right there was their recipe for Sichuan Stir-Fried Pork in Garlic Sauce. I’m going to have to try to sneak out of work a little less late than usual, I think. The only possible problem I can see is the 6 ounces of mushrooms – neither of us is a fan of mushrooms – at all! – so I’m thinking of substituting something. Any thoughts?
Tuesday – From the Archives – many years ago, I must have cut out a recipe from the paper for “Cajun Burgers” – no idea where it’s from originally, and I can’t seem to find anything that looks even similar on the internet, but it looks like a delightfully meatless meal – the burgers have red beans as the base. We’re hoping for the best here!
Wednesday – No soup night this week – but Peeps pulled a quart of Cincinnati chili out of the freezer – since the sauce is all made, it’s a quick, simple mid-week dinner. And he’s GOING to tell you all about it, one of these days. . .
Thursday – Peeps has been itching to make Moravian Chicken Pie again – so, since he’s doing the bulk of the cooking lately, I’m happy to take one for the team and suffer through this rich, delicious pot pie. I might even suffer through it for lunch the next day, too!
Friday – Again, it’s pizza night – last week’s taco fixings were so very good on my pizza, it makes me wonder if leftover pork in garlic sauce might work. Or is that too weird?
Be sure to click on over to The Organizing Junkie’s Monday Menu Plan post for loads and loads of other ideas.
Dark Side of the Fridge 