It's summer in Florida, with much heat and rain but blissfully no tropical activity, so I'll head straight into the update...
What I've been reading... I finished Brian McClellan's _Wrath of Empire_ late yesterday evening, so I need to decide what to read next. McClellan hasn't written the sequel to Wrath yet, so I'll probably hit one of the short story collections on my Kindle.
What I've been stitching... I finished Ink Circles "Dark Shards" on Saturday, and started Needle Delights "Rainbow 2", a small canvaswork piece that is proving a quick stitch.
Fumbling toward fitness... I'm still fumbling along. I made it by Curves 4 times last week, and treadmilled 6 out of 7 days. Not perfect, but neither complete slacking. At least my Duolingo and Lumosity streaks are intact!
One Little Victory We found a great new takeaway seafood place near us, and I foresee future visits. I especially enjoyed their shrimp and grits!
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Monday, August 13, 2018
Monday, May 07, 2018
Monday miscellany - 7May2018
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Boston Bruins last night to advance to the conference final! I'm somewhat torn on whether I want the Capitals to win their game against the Penguins tonight, or whether I want a game 7 so that whoever wins that series is tired when they play the Lightning. Ah, playoff hockey....
What I've been reading... Only a brief visit with Father Brown this week, making it to page 491 of 761. We did watch another episode of the BBC show, and are continuing to enjoy it.
What I've been stitching... I've started the camel's saddle and hump, and hope to finish everything but the metallics this week.
Fumbling toward fitness... I made it by Curves all five weekdays. Sadly, I didn't treadmill quite that often. I am keeping on top of the mental exercises, though, with my Lumosity and Duolingo streaks holding steady. I really need to get a treadmill streak going again...
One Little Victory DH and I saw Spamalot at a local theatre, which was a lot of fun. We also discovered a new Spanish restaurant and I tried paella for the first time. Very tasty and we'll definitely have to go there again.
What I've been reading... Only a brief visit with Father Brown this week, making it to page 491 of 761. We did watch another episode of the BBC show, and are continuing to enjoy it.
What I've been stitching... I've started the camel's saddle and hump, and hope to finish everything but the metallics this week.
Fumbling toward fitness... I made it by Curves all five weekdays. Sadly, I didn't treadmill quite that often. I am keeping on top of the mental exercises, though, with my Lumosity and Duolingo streaks holding steady. I really need to get a treadmill streak going again...
One Little Victory DH and I saw Spamalot at a local theatre, which was a lot of fun. We also discovered a new Spanish restaurant and I tried paella for the first time. Very tasty and we'll definitely have to go there again.
Monday, March 05, 2018
Monday miscellany - 5March2018
If March came in like a lion, it's a bipolar one. We've had a week of days threatening to push 90 followed by days where the high barely gets above 70. Crazy Florida weather.
What I've been reading... I'm on page 77 of 761 in Chesterton's _Complete Father Brown Mysteries_. I haven't read all that much this week, but hopefully will do more this week.
What I've been crafting... I've completed the tree trunk on the Nativity shepherd boy panel and have started the foliage. I'll continue that this week.
Fumbling toward fitness Hold on to your hats - I made it by Curves a record FIVE times this past week! I resolved to try to go every weekday, so if something came up then I'd still have a chance of making it three times. It worked, so I'm going to try to keep that up. I also upped my treadmill tally a little over last week, logging 5.76 miles. I'm going to try to break 7 miles this week. I am still doing well with keeping up with Lumosity and Duolingo, so it was a good week overall for trying to improve my health.
One Little Victory DH and I tried a couple of new restaurants on Sunday, including an English pub that was quite tasty. We always enjoy finding small mom & pop restaurants we can support.
What I've been reading... I'm on page 77 of 761 in Chesterton's _Complete Father Brown Mysteries_. I haven't read all that much this week, but hopefully will do more this week.
What I've been crafting... I've completed the tree trunk on the Nativity shepherd boy panel and have started the foliage. I'll continue that this week.
Fumbling toward fitness Hold on to your hats - I made it by Curves a record FIVE times this past week! I resolved to try to go every weekday, so if something came up then I'd still have a chance of making it three times. It worked, so I'm going to try to keep that up. I also upped my treadmill tally a little over last week, logging 5.76 miles. I'm going to try to break 7 miles this week. I am still doing well with keeping up with Lumosity and Duolingo, so it was a good week overall for trying to improve my health.
One Little Victory DH and I tried a couple of new restaurants on Sunday, including an English pub that was quite tasty. We always enjoy finding small mom & pop restaurants we can support.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Monday miscellany - 19Feb2018
Last week I completed another path around the sun. Another year older but the wiser still remains to be seen.
What I've been reading... I'm on page 1145 of _Oathbringer_, with just over 100 pages to go. Hopefully I'll finish this week, and decide what to read next. My unread queue is rather epic, so there are many choices.
What I've been crafting... I didn't spend as much time stitching this past week as I'd initially thought I might, but I did work on Violet Mandala when I could. I haven't quite reached the stopping point I'd set for myself, but hopefully this weekend.
Fumbling toward fitness... Another suboptimal week - I started off strong, but toward the end of the week I was too drained most evenings to feel arsed to exercise. Fortunately this week is better so far - I had more energy today than I did most of the days last week. And I am still keeping up with Lumosity and Duolingo, so at least my mind is getting exercise.
One Little Victory I did have a great birthday weekend, including lunch and beer with my stepdaughter, and a trip to see my daughter and her boyfriend for dinner in her college town. Life is good indeed.
What I've been reading... I'm on page 1145 of _Oathbringer_, with just over 100 pages to go. Hopefully I'll finish this week, and decide what to read next. My unread queue is rather epic, so there are many choices.
What I've been crafting... I didn't spend as much time stitching this past week as I'd initially thought I might, but I did work on Violet Mandala when I could. I haven't quite reached the stopping point I'd set for myself, but hopefully this weekend.
Fumbling toward fitness... Another suboptimal week - I started off strong, but toward the end of the week I was too drained most evenings to feel arsed to exercise. Fortunately this week is better so far - I had more energy today than I did most of the days last week. And I am still keeping up with Lumosity and Duolingo, so at least my mind is getting exercise.
One Little Victory I did have a great birthday weekend, including lunch and beer with my stepdaughter, and a trip to see my daughter and her boyfriend for dinner in her college town. Life is good indeed.
Monday, June 01, 2009
It's that time again....
Hurricane season kicks off today. Whee. Such is life, though, living in Florida.
It's been nearly a month since I posted last - as I get older, I find time slips away from me more and more.
So, lucky readers, instead of a cohesive post,you get...the dreaded bullet list! (*cower*)
Saw the new Star Trek movie. It was enjoyable, more so than I was expecting. DD has now gone nuts over Spock. So I did what any responsible parent would - pointed her at the Star Trek original series playlist over on YouTube!
Also saw the new Pixar movie Up. I had high hopes, and Pixar came through once again. This was a cute, touching movie, and I admit I cried a bit at points. And Pixar's animation standards continue to be very high.
Am currently reading the latest Sharon Kay Penman book, The Devil's Brood. Historical fiction about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their children. If you've ever seen the movie The Lion in Winter, you'll be familiar with the main characters, but don't be surprised if the characterizations don't completely match up with the movie. Penman does do her homework research-wise, though, and she's very solid. I highly recommend her if you like historical fiction.
DD is *ten* now. Where has the time gone?? She wanted to go to Margaritaville (the Jimmy Buffett-themed restaurant) for her birthday so we took her and her best friend out to Orlando. A good time was had by all.
Addendum (6/1, 18:40): Made homemade pulled pork from a Good Eats episode. Time-intensive but oh so worth it.
That's all for now!
It's been nearly a month since I posted last - as I get older, I find time slips away from me more and more.
So, lucky readers, instead of a cohesive post,you get...the dreaded bullet list! (*cower*)
That's all for now!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Five years...
No fooling, today is the 5th blogiversary of Alternate Dementia!
Certainly my writing frequency has tapered off since that first post, and my readership has doubtless changed. Still, it's been a fun ride so far.
Today is also, of course, April Fool's Day, and DD managed to pull one over on me this evening. On the drive home, she told me she needed a particular dish washed, and somehow over the course of the conversation I'd convinced myself she must have put a fake roach in the cup or something, so I had the dish in question fully expecting a bug of some sort.
No bug in the dish, so then I thought she might have put something up under the faucet, and was expecting that then I turned on the water...
....and got my shirt soaked! She'd taped down the handle on the spray-hose that many kitchen sinks come with, and had focused it to spray right where I'd be standing! We had a good laugh at that....and another one when DH also got a shirt-full when he came to see what we were laughing about.
As for me, I don't have a true trick, but more of a variation on things...
Tonight's dinner is.....albino chili!
Albino Chili
2 lb ground poultry (I'm using 1 lb turkey and 1 lb chicken tonight)
5 cans of white beans (tonight: navy, chickpea, great northern, white kidney)
1 packet leek soup mix
2 cans cream of chicken soup
green chile powder (I also have jalapeno seasoning somewhere but can't find it...)
Brown the meat, drain. Add the chile powder and leek soup mix until meat is seasoned, then add the beans and cream of chicken soup. Let simmer for 20 minutes or however long you like your chili. Heat can be increased by adding more green chile powder or green chiles or jalapenos as desired.
Looks innocuous, but with much room for trickery.
Certainly my writing frequency has tapered off since that first post, and my readership has doubtless changed. Still, it's been a fun ride so far.
Today is also, of course, April Fool's Day, and DD managed to pull one over on me this evening. On the drive home, she told me she needed a particular dish washed, and somehow over the course of the conversation I'd convinced myself she must have put a fake roach in the cup or something, so I had the dish in question fully expecting a bug of some sort.
No bug in the dish, so then I thought she might have put something up under the faucet, and was expecting that then I turned on the water...
....and got my shirt soaked! She'd taped down the handle on the spray-hose that many kitchen sinks come with, and had focused it to spray right where I'd be standing! We had a good laugh at that....and another one when DH also got a shirt-full when he came to see what we were laughing about.
As for me, I don't have a true trick, but more of a variation on things...
Tonight's dinner is.....albino chili!
Albino Chili
2 lb ground poultry (I'm using 1 lb turkey and 1 lb chicken tonight)
5 cans of white beans (tonight: navy, chickpea, great northern, white kidney)
1 packet leek soup mix
2 cans cream of chicken soup
green chile powder (I also have jalapeno seasoning somewhere but can't find it...)
Brown the meat, drain. Add the chile powder and leek soup mix until meat is seasoned, then add the beans and cream of chicken soup. Let simmer for 20 minutes or however long you like your chili. Heat can be increased by adding more green chile powder or green chiles or jalapenos as desired.
Looks innocuous, but with much room for trickery.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Under pressure on St. Pat's Day
Not me, my corned beef! Our local Irish place is always insanely packed on St. Patrick's Day, so I'm making my own corned beef and cabbage.
Right now I have a corned beef brisket, some seasonings, and a bottle of Smithwicks in my pressure cooker, which is merrily steaming away. After about an hour, I'll pop the lid, throw in the cabbage and carrots (I was a dork and forgot potatoes), and put it on for another 5-10 minutes. We'll see how it turns out - last time I made corned beef in the pressure cooker it turned out fairly well, so I am optimistic about the results.
It's certainly smelling quite nice at the moment!
In any case, there's a Guinness with my name on it in the fridge, so life will be good later no matter how it turns out.
Slainte!
Right now I have a corned beef brisket, some seasonings, and a bottle of Smithwicks in my pressure cooker, which is merrily steaming away. After about an hour, I'll pop the lid, throw in the cabbage and carrots (I was a dork and forgot potatoes), and put it on for another 5-10 minutes. We'll see how it turns out - last time I made corned beef in the pressure cooker it turned out fairly well, so I am optimistic about the results.
It's certainly smelling quite nice at the moment!
In any case, there's a Guinness with my name on it in the fridge, so life will be good later no matter how it turns out.
Slainte!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Mirepoix madness!
(or, Too Much of a Good Thing)
One of my unofficial resolutions for the year was to plan out meals for the week, partly to curtail the "What do we want for dinner?" "Food" "More specific?" "Edible food (or "Non-toxic and not moving too fast") type conversations, and partly because if we're honest, DH, DD and I could all stand to lose a little weight.
In musing about meals for the upcoming week, one of the items is Alton Brown's delicious Lentil Soup. Featuring in said recipe (and indeed, many recipes I have occasion to make) is mirepoix, which is a fancy French name for a veggie combination of 2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrot.
Since it's not infrequent that I find myself with knife in hand, contemplating violence against unsuspecting onions, carrots, and celery, I figured I'd just make up a large batch of mirepoix and freeze most of it, saving myself time later. So I bought rather more than usual of said victims this evening at the grocery store.
And I think I overdid it a bit. All told, I have 10 quart-sized freezer bags, each containing 2 cups of veggie goodness. And 2 gallon-sized bags each holding 6...for those large pots of chicken soup.
32 cups of mirepoix.... Insane. And I ended up freezing 5 large onions that I'd peeled but ended up not needing.
At least I won't have to do any major chopping for a while!
One of my unofficial resolutions for the year was to plan out meals for the week, partly to curtail the "What do we want for dinner?" "Food" "More specific?" "Edible food (or "Non-toxic and not moving too fast") type conversations, and partly because if we're honest, DH, DD and I could all stand to lose a little weight.
In musing about meals for the upcoming week, one of the items is Alton Brown's delicious Lentil Soup. Featuring in said recipe (and indeed, many recipes I have occasion to make) is mirepoix, which is a fancy French name for a veggie combination of 2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrot.
Since it's not infrequent that I find myself with knife in hand, contemplating violence against unsuspecting onions, carrots, and celery, I figured I'd just make up a large batch of mirepoix and freeze most of it, saving myself time later. So I bought rather more than usual of said victims this evening at the grocery store.
And I think I overdid it a bit. All told, I have 10 quart-sized freezer bags, each containing 2 cups of veggie goodness. And 2 gallon-sized bags each holding 6...for those large pots of chicken soup.
32 cups of mirepoix.... Insane. And I ended up freezing 5 large onions that I'd peeled but ended up not needing.
At least I won't have to do any major chopping for a while!
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Alas, poor Yorick....
Before:
After:
I'm using a recipe I found here. It smells quite good so far, so we'll see how it turns out. The flesh of the green pumpkin was darker than the orange pumpkins we got, and the rind was *much* thinner - the pie pumpkin had a hard shell that was easy to scrape from after cooking. The green pumpkin's rind was more like cucumbers or sweet potatoes - it stayed very thin and was a bit of a pain to de-flesh. I hope the soup is worth it.
After:
I'm using a recipe I found here. It smells quite good so far, so we'll see how it turns out. The flesh of the green pumpkin was darker than the orange pumpkins we got, and the rind was *much* thinner - the pie pumpkin had a hard shell that was easy to scrape from after cooking. The green pumpkin's rind was more like cucumbers or sweet potatoes - it stayed very thin and was a bit of a pain to de-flesh. I hope the soup is worth it.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
More meme thievery
Another food meme making the rounds...
01. CHEESE or CHOCOLATE? Depends on both the cheese and the chocolate - Dark European chocolate will beat cheese hands-down 95% of the time. Good cheese will beat American chocolate hands-down. Come to think of it, anything better than orangish squares masquerading as 'cheese' (or 'cheese food') will beat American chocolate....
02. BLUEBERRIES or STRAWBERRIES? Blueberries, if I can't have raspberries. Although strawberries are a lot easier to dip in chocolate!
03. COFFEE or TEA? Tea, mostly. Coffee must have real cream or milk; none of that powdered dreck.
04. CORN MUFFIN or ENGLISH MUFFIN? Depends on which meal. English muffins for breakfast, corn muffins most other times.
05. PANCAKES or FRENCH TOAST? Pancakes
06. YOGURT or CREAM CHEESE? Yogurt, preferably raspberry with the fruit on the bottom.
07. RICE or PASTA? Pasta. Although I'm discovering that risottos or brown rice can be quite tasty.
08. CAKE or PIE? In general, pies. I'm particular about the types of cake I like.
09. GROUND BEEF or GROUND TURKEY? Both - I tend to only use ground meats in chili.
10. HOT DOGS or HAMBURGERS? Burger. With bacon!
11. JELLY or MARMALADE? Jelly, although I prefer preserves to jellies.
12. AMERICAN CHEESE or SWISS CHEESE? Swiss. See #1.
13. DIET SODA or NO SODA? No soda - the vast majority of available diet sodas have aspartame, which disagrees horribly with me. Although if they ever come out with a Diet Dr. Pepper with Splenda....
14. LEMONADE or ICED TEA? Iced tea, usually unsweetened.
15. CHERRIES or GRAPES? Cherries, usually.
16. CHOCOLATE QUIK or STRAWBERRY QUIK? They still make Quik??
17. WAFFLES or PANCAKES? Waffles!
18. WHITE BREAD or WHOLE-GRAIN/WHEAT BREAD? Whole-grain or wheat. Much tastier.
19. PEAS or CARROTS? Both. Carrots are easier to snack on though.
20. PUDDING or FRUIT-FLAVORED GELATIN? Pudding, if it's chocolate or tapioca. Banana pudding is evil (nasty, and often mistaken for vanilla on buffets)
21. COLD CEREAL or HOT CEREAL? Hot cereal. Cream of wheat is a guilty pleasure sometimes.
22. KETCHUP or MUSTARD? Deli mustard!
23. MUSTARD or MAYONNAISE? Mustard. Mayo is nasty.
24. MAYONNAISE or KETCHUP? Ketchup, if I must have one of those. Mayo is nasty.
25. BLACK OLIVES or GREEN OLIVES? Black olives.
26. ONION or GARLIC? Onion - I love garlic, but it has some unpleasant side effects.
27. PLAIN BARBECUE or BARBECUE WITH SAUCE? Both. Meat + pit = yum! Especially if we're talking ribs...
28. SCRAMBLED EGGS or FRIED EGGS? Scrambled, please!
29. EGGS or EGG REPLACEMENTS? The real thing, please.
30. MEAT or VEGETABLES? Depends on the particular meat and veg I'm having to choose between. Perhaps a very slight leaning toward vegetables, because I can eat more of them and still get fewer calories.
31. CHINESE TAKE-OUT or PIZZA? Chinese take-out. Haven't been in much of a pizza mood for years.
32. SUSHI or DELI SANDWICH? Sushi!
33. WHITE CLAM CHOWDER or RED CLAM CHOWDER? White, definitely! Not fond of the red kind.
34. KEY LIME PIE or LEMON MERANGUE PIE? Key lime
35. PIE & ICE CREAM or CAKE & ICE CREAM? If I have to combine ice cream and pastry, make it pie.
36. WHIPPED CREAM or CAKE FROSTING? Whipped cream. Most cake frostings are way too sickly-sweet.
37. HONEY or MAPLE SYRUP? Real maple syrup on pancakes. Honey for anything else.
01. CHEESE or CHOCOLATE? Depends on both the cheese and the chocolate - Dark European chocolate will beat cheese hands-down 95% of the time. Good cheese will beat American chocolate hands-down. Come to think of it, anything better than orangish squares masquerading as 'cheese' (or 'cheese food') will beat American chocolate....
02. BLUEBERRIES or STRAWBERRIES? Blueberries, if I can't have raspberries. Although strawberries are a lot easier to dip in chocolate!
03. COFFEE or TEA? Tea, mostly. Coffee must have real cream or milk; none of that powdered dreck.
04. CORN MUFFIN or ENGLISH MUFFIN? Depends on which meal. English muffins for breakfast, corn muffins most other times.
05. PANCAKES or FRENCH TOAST? Pancakes
06. YOGURT or CREAM CHEESE? Yogurt, preferably raspberry with the fruit on the bottom.
07. RICE or PASTA? Pasta. Although I'm discovering that risottos or brown rice can be quite tasty.
08. CAKE or PIE? In general, pies. I'm particular about the types of cake I like.
09. GROUND BEEF or GROUND TURKEY? Both - I tend to only use ground meats in chili.
10. HOT DOGS or HAMBURGERS? Burger. With bacon!
11. JELLY or MARMALADE? Jelly, although I prefer preserves to jellies.
12. AMERICAN CHEESE or SWISS CHEESE? Swiss. See #1.
13. DIET SODA or NO SODA? No soda - the vast majority of available diet sodas have aspartame, which disagrees horribly with me. Although if they ever come out with a Diet Dr. Pepper with Splenda....
14. LEMONADE or ICED TEA? Iced tea, usually unsweetened.
15. CHERRIES or GRAPES? Cherries, usually.
16. CHOCOLATE QUIK or STRAWBERRY QUIK? They still make Quik??
17. WAFFLES or PANCAKES? Waffles!
18. WHITE BREAD or WHOLE-GRAIN/WHEAT BREAD? Whole-grain or wheat. Much tastier.
19. PEAS or CARROTS? Both. Carrots are easier to snack on though.
20. PUDDING or FRUIT-FLAVORED GELATIN? Pudding, if it's chocolate or tapioca. Banana pudding is evil (nasty, and often mistaken for vanilla on buffets)
21. COLD CEREAL or HOT CEREAL? Hot cereal. Cream of wheat is a guilty pleasure sometimes.
22. KETCHUP or MUSTARD? Deli mustard!
23. MUSTARD or MAYONNAISE? Mustard. Mayo is nasty.
24. MAYONNAISE or KETCHUP? Ketchup, if I must have one of those. Mayo is nasty.
25. BLACK OLIVES or GREEN OLIVES? Black olives.
26. ONION or GARLIC? Onion - I love garlic, but it has some unpleasant side effects.
27. PLAIN BARBECUE or BARBECUE WITH SAUCE? Both. Meat + pit = yum! Especially if we're talking ribs...
28. SCRAMBLED EGGS or FRIED EGGS? Scrambled, please!
29. EGGS or EGG REPLACEMENTS? The real thing, please.
30. MEAT or VEGETABLES? Depends on the particular meat and veg I'm having to choose between. Perhaps a very slight leaning toward vegetables, because I can eat more of them and still get fewer calories.
31. CHINESE TAKE-OUT or PIZZA? Chinese take-out. Haven't been in much of a pizza mood for years.
32. SUSHI or DELI SANDWICH? Sushi!
33. WHITE CLAM CHOWDER or RED CLAM CHOWDER? White, definitely! Not fond of the red kind.
34. KEY LIME PIE or LEMON MERANGUE PIE? Key lime
35. PIE & ICE CREAM or CAKE & ICE CREAM? If I have to combine ice cream and pastry, make it pie.
36. WHIPPED CREAM or CAKE FROSTING? Whipped cream. Most cake frostings are way too sickly-sweet.
37. HONEY or MAPLE SYRUP? Real maple syrup on pancakes. Honey for anything else.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Raising the steaks
Last week, I realized that giving up fast food and sugary drinks wasn't really much of a sacrifice for me. So I decided to up the ante a bit and give up red meat for Lent. This has proved a little more of a challenge, partly from a grocery-shopping and meal-planning perspective. (Poultry is fair, um, game, so it's a little easier from a meal-planning perspective than DH and DD's giving up of all meat last year)
In the semiconsciousness preceding sleep, when the mind wanders strange paths, I got to thinking...
Is alligator 'red meat'? It has four legs, but isn't a mammal. (Which of those is the defining characteristic of 'red meat' anyway?) It's not poultry, and it's presumably not seafood.
And what about other things, like rattlesnake, or escargot? Where do they fall in the fish/fowl/flesh spectrum?
I'll give up the 'gator during Lent as well, but I'd welcome any insights on my nocturnal musings...
In the semiconsciousness preceding sleep, when the mind wanders strange paths, I got to thinking...
Is alligator 'red meat'? It has four legs, but isn't a mammal. (Which of those is the defining characteristic of 'red meat' anyway?) It's not poultry, and it's presumably not seafood.
And what about other things, like rattlesnake, or escargot? Where do they fall in the fish/fowl/flesh spectrum?
I'll give up the 'gator during Lent as well, but I'd welcome any insights on my nocturnal musings...
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Thank you, Alton Brown!
I consider myself, at best, a mediocre chef.
There are a few things I'm very good at making, like carrot cake or rum cake. But mostly, I have a handful of recipes that I learned growing up (baked mac & cheese) or have picked up elsewhere along the way (chili, various soups), and I tend to stick to those. And I have never been good at meats. Fortunately, DH is *very* good at meats and general culinary improvisation, so my lack of ability was not of much concern to me.
Until relatively recently, when I discovered Good Eats. I'd watched a few other shows on Food Network, such as Iron Chef, but Good Eats stood out. The food is delicious-looking, and Alton Brown is funny and innovative. But best of all, he makes cooking *accessible*. And increasingly I've found myself thinking "Hey, *I* can do that!".
And tonight I did. I made sauteed asparagus and a Steak au Poivre recipe featured a month ago. (I had to wait until after Lent, since DH and DD both gave up meat...) And other than my not letting the sauce thicken quite long enough, the family verdict was that it was...
...Good Eats!
There are a few things I'm very good at making, like carrot cake or rum cake. But mostly, I have a handful of recipes that I learned growing up (baked mac & cheese) or have picked up elsewhere along the way (chili, various soups), and I tend to stick to those. And I have never been good at meats. Fortunately, DH is *very* good at meats and general culinary improvisation, so my lack of ability was not of much concern to me.
Until relatively recently, when I discovered Good Eats. I'd watched a few other shows on Food Network, such as Iron Chef, but Good Eats stood out. The food is delicious-looking, and Alton Brown is funny and innovative. But best of all, he makes cooking *accessible*. And increasingly I've found myself thinking "Hey, *I* can do that!".
And tonight I did. I made sauteed asparagus and a Steak au Poivre recipe featured a month ago. (I had to wait until after Lent, since DH and DD both gave up meat...) And other than my not letting the sauce thicken quite long enough, the family verdict was that it was...
...Good Eats!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Holidaze
The insanity has shifted a bit here at Alternate Dementia. The shopping is practically done, and the cards are almost done. Gifts have to be wrapped, still, but that's a job for next weekend.
Other things are picking up, though. DH has been in the choir at church for several years, and I've just started singing with them as well. Last night was my first real choir practice in, oh, about 20 years, and with Christmas music to work on, practice lasted about 3 hours. I think I did okay, though - I got asked if I would be joining permanently.
I am finally the proud owner of a laptop. It's a used one - DsS got a new one as his Christmas present, and I inherited his old one. I see why he wanted a new one - this one (a Presario 2100) has serious issues with the power jack - one has to have the AC adapter in *just right* and the planets have to be in perfect alignment for it to charge. Apparently this is a disturbingly common issue with Presarios. Fortunately, my laptop has a docking port, and I just ordered a little docking station, so it'll just bypass the power issue altogether.
Tonight is my one and only baking night for this holiday season. In the oven are two of my now-famous rum cakes. I'd been asked by several coworkers about them, and since tomorrow is our holiday social, tonight is bake night.
What is this rum cake I speak of?
Double-Chocolate Rum Cake (aka "Sin on a Plate")
1 pk Chocolate cake mix (18 1/2oz) (I use devils food)
1 pk Instant chocolate pudding
4 Eggs
1 c Dark rum
3/4 c Water plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 c Vegetable oil
1 pk Chocolate chips (I use mini chips or chocolate chunks)
1 Jar Raspberry preserves (10 oz) (I use seedless black raspberry)
2 tbsp Shortening
1 oz Vanilla baking bar (Or white chocolate)
1 shot Chambord or other raspberry liqueur, if desired.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 10in tube or bundt pan. (I use a 12-cup bundt pan) Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, 1/2 c of the rum, 3/4 c of the water and the oil in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until ingredients are moistened, then two minutes at medium speed. Stir in 1 cup (about half the bag) of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, finish cooling on a wire rack.
GLAZE: In a small saucepan, heat preserves and remaining 1/2 c rum (or rum and Chambord, if desired) to make glaze. Strain through sieve to remove seeds (if you didn't go seedless...). Place cake on serving plate. Prick the surface of the cake with a fork or a tooth pick (great stress relief!). Brush the raspberry glaze evenly over the cake. Use all the glaze, although this does take a few minutes.
ICING 1: In a bowl, combine remaining 1 c of chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir to make a smooth icing. Drizzle chocolate icing over the cake. Let stand about 15 minutes.
ICING 2: In a small bowl, combine vanilla baking bar and remaining 1 teaspoon of water. Microwave on high 30 seconds (or until melted). Drizzle vanilla icing over the chocolate icing.
Serve and enjoy. It's very rich, so use in moderation.
Ah, there is the timer now...
Other things are picking up, though. DH has been in the choir at church for several years, and I've just started singing with them as well. Last night was my first real choir practice in, oh, about 20 years, and with Christmas music to work on, practice lasted about 3 hours. I think I did okay, though - I got asked if I would be joining permanently.
I am finally the proud owner of a laptop. It's a used one - DsS got a new one as his Christmas present, and I inherited his old one. I see why he wanted a new one - this one (a Presario 2100) has serious issues with the power jack - one has to have the AC adapter in *just right* and the planets have to be in perfect alignment for it to charge. Apparently this is a disturbingly common issue with Presarios. Fortunately, my laptop has a docking port, and I just ordered a little docking station, so it'll just bypass the power issue altogether.
Tonight is my one and only baking night for this holiday season. In the oven are two of my now-famous rum cakes. I'd been asked by several coworkers about them, and since tomorrow is our holiday social, tonight is bake night.
What is this rum cake I speak of?
Double-Chocolate Rum Cake (aka "Sin on a Plate")
1 pk Chocolate cake mix (18 1/2oz) (I use devils food)
1 pk Instant chocolate pudding
4 Eggs
1 c Dark rum
3/4 c Water plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 c Vegetable oil
1 pk Chocolate chips (I use mini chips or chocolate chunks)
1 Jar Raspberry preserves (10 oz) (I use seedless black raspberry)
2 tbsp Shortening
1 oz Vanilla baking bar (Or white chocolate)
1 shot Chambord or other raspberry liqueur, if desired.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 10in tube or bundt pan. (I use a 12-cup bundt pan) Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, 1/2 c of the rum, 3/4 c of the water and the oil in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until ingredients are moistened, then two minutes at medium speed. Stir in 1 cup (about half the bag) of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, finish cooling on a wire rack.
GLAZE: In a small saucepan, heat preserves and remaining 1/2 c rum (or rum and Chambord, if desired) to make glaze. Strain through sieve to remove seeds (if you didn't go seedless...). Place cake on serving plate. Prick the surface of the cake with a fork or a tooth pick (great stress relief!). Brush the raspberry glaze evenly over the cake. Use all the glaze, although this does take a few minutes.
ICING 1: In a bowl, combine remaining 1 c of chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir to make a smooth icing. Drizzle chocolate icing over the cake. Let stand about 15 minutes.
ICING 2: In a small bowl, combine vanilla baking bar and remaining 1 teaspoon of water. Microwave on high 30 seconds (or until melted). Drizzle vanilla icing over the chocolate icing.
Serve and enjoy. It's very rich, so use in moderation.
Ah, there is the timer now...
Friday, September 08, 2006
Good Eats
Lately DH and I have taken to watching Good Eats on Food Network. Alton Brown is fun to watch, and many of his recipes look rather appetizing. So much so that #92 on my 101 Things list was to make something seen on Good Eats.
I can now mark #92 as done. I made Curried Split Pea Soup, with yellow split peas, and I think it turned out rather well. Since it was pureed (which admittedly was the not-fun part, putting it in a blender) it's not chunky and thick like one normally thinks of split-pea soup. But my family survived, and didn't veto my making it again, so I think I was successful.
I can now mark #92 as done. I made Curried Split Pea Soup, with yellow split peas, and I think it turned out rather well. Since it was pureed (which admittedly was the not-fun part, putting it in a blender) it's not chunky and thick like one normally thinks of split-pea soup. But my family survived, and didn't veto my making it again, so I think I was successful.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Sin on a plate
Holiday baking has started here at Alternate Dementia. In the oven as I type is a double-chocolate rum cake. I first found the recipe a few years ago, and tweaked it a bit. It's gotten rave reviews whenever I (or DsD) have made it, and I often get requests for the recipe. I've also started getting hints about making one - today a coworker gave me a bottle of Haitian rum she'd gotten while on a trip!
A wondering friend refers to it as "sin on a plate", after she tried the recipe I passed along. I suspect she'll be making it again this year as well.
Ah, but let me not keep you, dear readers, in suspense any longer. Here is the recipe for my rum cake (maybe I should name it "sin on a plate"?)
Double-Chocolate Rum Cake (aka "Sin on a Plate")
1 pk Chocolate cake mix (18 1/2oz) (I use devils food)
1 pk Instant chocolate pudding
4 Eggs
1 c Dark rum
3/4 c Water plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 c Vegetable oil
1 pk Chocolate chips (I use mini chips or chocolate chunks)
1 Jar Raspberry preserves (10 oz) (I use seedless black raspberry)
2 tbsp Shortening
1 oz Vanilla baking bar (Or white chocolate)
1 shot Chambord or other raspberry liqueur, if desired.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 10in tube or bundt pan. (I use a 12-cup bundt pan) Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, 1/2 c of the rum, 3/4 c of the water and the oil in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until ingredients are moistened, then two minutes at medium speed. Stir in 1 cup (about half the bag) of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, finish cooling on a wire rack.
GLAZE: In a small saucepan, heat preserves and remaining 1/2 c rum (or rum and Chambord, if desired) to make glaze. Strain through sieve to remove seeds (if you didn't go seedless...). Place cake on serving plate. Prick the surface of the cake with a fork or a tooth pick (great stress relief!). Brush the raspberry glaze evenly over the cake. Use all the glaze, although this does take a few minutes.
ICING 1: In a bowl, combine remaining 1 c of chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir to make a smooth icing. Drizzle chocolate icing over the cake. Let stand about 15 minutes.
ICING 2: In a small bowl, combine vanilla baking bar and remaining 1 teaspoon of water. Microwave on high 30 seconds (or until melted). Drizzle vanilla icing over the chocolate icing.
Serve and enjoy. It's very rich, so use in moderation.
A wondering friend refers to it as "sin on a plate", after she tried the recipe I passed along. I suspect she'll be making it again this year as well.
Ah, but let me not keep you, dear readers, in suspense any longer. Here is the recipe for my rum cake (maybe I should name it "sin on a plate"?)
Double-Chocolate Rum Cake (aka "Sin on a Plate")
1 pk Chocolate cake mix (18 1/2oz) (I use devils food)
1 pk Instant chocolate pudding
4 Eggs
1 c Dark rum
3/4 c Water plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 c Vegetable oil
1 pk Chocolate chips (I use mini chips or chocolate chunks)
1 Jar Raspberry preserves (10 oz) (I use seedless black raspberry)
2 tbsp Shortening
1 oz Vanilla baking bar (Or white chocolate)
1 shot Chambord or other raspberry liqueur, if desired.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 10in tube or bundt pan. (I use a 12-cup bundt pan) Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, 1/2 c of the rum, 3/4 c of the water and the oil in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until ingredients are moistened, then two minutes at medium speed. Stir in 1 cup (about half the bag) of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, finish cooling on a wire rack.
GLAZE: In a small saucepan, heat preserves and remaining 1/2 c rum (or rum and Chambord, if desired) to make glaze. Strain through sieve to remove seeds (if you didn't go seedless...). Place cake on serving plate. Prick the surface of the cake with a fork or a tooth pick (great stress relief!). Brush the raspberry glaze evenly over the cake. Use all the glaze, although this does take a few minutes.
ICING 1: In a bowl, combine remaining 1 c of chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir to make a smooth icing. Drizzle chocolate icing over the cake. Let stand about 15 minutes.
ICING 2: In a small bowl, combine vanilla baking bar and remaining 1 teaspoon of water. Microwave on high 30 seconds (or until melted). Drizzle vanilla icing over the chocolate icing.
Serve and enjoy. It's very rich, so use in moderation.
Friday, October 08, 2004
A quiet weekend for once
So it's Friday afternoon, and there are no tropical storms. At least none projected to come anywhere near me.
The fence has been moved. And I did the handoff of the parish website today.
So other than laundry and finances, I'm actually looking at a nice, quiet weekend. (I just hope I haven't jinxed myself now...) Time to relax, stitch, enjoy a few cups of tea...
Celestial Seasonings has a few new teas out, and I've tried a couple. I've had the mini-reviews lurking around a while, and now is a good a time as any to post them.
Blueberry Breeze Green Tea
This flavored green tea was quite enjoyable. The blueberry taste balances out the usual 'sharpness' that green tea has, without being too overtly 'fruity'. Green tea supposedly has many health benefits - between this and Raspberry Gardens green tea, getting one's cup in is a treat.
Moroccan Pomegranate Red
This red tea is very smooth, and has a refreshing, slightly exotic fruity taste. I love pomegranates, and this is a nice way to get the flavor when pomegranates aren't easily accessible. The Madagascar Vanilla Red is also very good.
Red tea is made from the African rooibos plant, and is naturally decaffeinated.
The fence has been moved. And I did the handoff of the parish website today.
So other than laundry and finances, I'm actually looking at a nice, quiet weekend. (I just hope I haven't jinxed myself now...) Time to relax, stitch, enjoy a few cups of tea...
Celestial Seasonings has a few new teas out, and I've tried a couple. I've had the mini-reviews lurking around a while, and now is a good a time as any to post them.
Blueberry Breeze Green Tea
This flavored green tea was quite enjoyable. The blueberry taste balances out the usual 'sharpness' that green tea has, without being too overtly 'fruity'. Green tea supposedly has many health benefits - between this and Raspberry Gardens green tea, getting one's cup in is a treat.
Moroccan Pomegranate Red
This red tea is very smooth, and has a refreshing, slightly exotic fruity taste. I love pomegranates, and this is a nice way to get the flavor when pomegranates aren't easily accessible. The Madagascar Vanilla Red is also very good.
Red tea is made from the African rooibos plant, and is naturally decaffeinated.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Celebrating the curiously strong...
Not much noteworthy on my end - I spent last night cleaning and rearranging furniture in DsS's vacated bedroom. It looks vastly different now, but it's certainly a change for the better. It doesn't smell quite as...funky, either.
I did find out that DH and the girls won't be able to come to Canada with me - it's too short-notice to cash in miles, and the tickets are too expensive otherwise. A minor bummer, but I'm sure my family can survive without me for a week.
In the meantime, let me fess up about one of my favorite non-chocolate candies...
In the beginning was the Peppermint Altoid...
It all started with a white mint, about half-inch in diameter. DH mentioned them once, that he often had them in college. I had never heard of this "Altoid", and for a while it slipped my mind. Then one day I saw Altoids in the grocery store, and I had to get a tin, and I tried one.
Daaaaaang. Strong stuff! But they were good. And within a couple years, I started to see another flavor - Wintergreen. I tried those, and those were even better - not quite as sharp to taste, but still quite intense. These were followed by Cinnamon and Spearmint, and Spearmint jumped to the top of my list while Wintergreen became the family favorite.
Sometime during all this, the whole Lewinsky deal hit, and I began to see Altoids everywhere before the whole scandal had, um, blown over. I'm sure Altoids benefitted from it, but I doubt we'll be seeing Monica in any Altoids ads.
A few years ago, there appeared Altoid sours - fruity flavored Altoids in citrus or tangerine. Very tangy, and the little round tins make good pin holders. Then as if I weren't already Altoid-crazy enough, I heard of Ginger Altoids. Now, I *love* ginger, and often end up stealing DH's shaved ginger at sushi places. So I really wanted to try the Ginger ones. But I don't exactly live in a large market area, so it was a long while before I spotted them in a convenience store.
Oh my. Those were absolutely *wonderful*. They remind me of ginger beer.
And then last weekend, I saw yet another Altoid flavor - Liquorice, so of course I had to get them. They're well worth a try - DsD's BF, who doesn't even *like* licorice, liked these.
I wonder what flavor they'll come up with next.
I did find out that DH and the girls won't be able to come to Canada with me - it's too short-notice to cash in miles, and the tickets are too expensive otherwise. A minor bummer, but I'm sure my family can survive without me for a week.
In the meantime, let me fess up about one of my favorite non-chocolate candies...
In the beginning was the Peppermint Altoid...
It all started with a white mint, about half-inch in diameter. DH mentioned them once, that he often had them in college. I had never heard of this "Altoid", and for a while it slipped my mind. Then one day I saw Altoids in the grocery store, and I had to get a tin, and I tried one.
Daaaaaang. Strong stuff! But they were good. And within a couple years, I started to see another flavor - Wintergreen. I tried those, and those were even better - not quite as sharp to taste, but still quite intense. These were followed by Cinnamon and Spearmint, and Spearmint jumped to the top of my list while Wintergreen became the family favorite.
Sometime during all this, the whole Lewinsky deal hit, and I began to see Altoids everywhere before the whole scandal had, um, blown over. I'm sure Altoids benefitted from it, but I doubt we'll be seeing Monica in any Altoids ads.
A few years ago, there appeared Altoid sours - fruity flavored Altoids in citrus or tangerine. Very tangy, and the little round tins make good pin holders. Then as if I weren't already Altoid-crazy enough, I heard of Ginger Altoids. Now, I *love* ginger, and often end up stealing DH's shaved ginger at sushi places. So I really wanted to try the Ginger ones. But I don't exactly live in a large market area, so it was a long while before I spotted them in a convenience store.
Oh my. Those were absolutely *wonderful*. They remind me of ginger beer.
And then last weekend, I saw yet another Altoid flavor - Liquorice, so of course I had to get them. They're well worth a try - DsD's BF, who doesn't even *like* licorice, liked these.
I wonder what flavor they'll come up with next.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
The case of the misplaced chocolate
A few weeks ago, I bought some chocolate at the airport in Rome. Much of the chocolate was a mixed-bag of small pieces, which have since been given to friends at work. But I also bought three larger bars - one white, two dark chocolate (72%). Very good stuff, the dark.
However, I seem to have misplaced those bars (oh, the tragedy!). I've turned my office inside out, and while I have not yet done the same to my house, I have yet to recover them. And DH has been asking about them as well. *sigh*
Some of you may be wondering why I don't just buy other chocolate. Well, it wouldn't be the same, you see. European chocolate rocks. American chocolate just sucks. I used to love Hershey's, but not anymore. Hersheys kisses will do in a pinch, preferably their Limited Edition dark chocolate ones, but they're not my chocolate of choice. Sort of like eating stale bread when you want a loaf fresh from the oven. The only domestic chocolate I've really had a taste for the past few years is Dove, and even then only the dark chocolate ones. (And skip the cheesy sayings, please...although I did get one that said "Who needs therapy when you have chocolate?"). And we won't even get into the cheapo candy that comes out around Easter. Palmers? Now you're going from stale bread to moldy!
But back to European chocolate. While in Italy I had a bar of 85% chocolate. That was wonderful! A little too plain for DD's tastes, but that just means more for me ;) I wish I'd seen some of the 85% bars in the airport.
Although that doesn't matter at the moment because I can't find my chocolate in the first place....*sigh*
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
- C.S. Lewis (courtesy of quotegarden.com.)
I've been a tea drinker since I was a young girl. It started with generic black tea - Red Rose, I think, was the kind my grandparents always had when I first started drinking tea. By the time I hit my teens, I would spend my evenings after school at a desk in the basement, 16-oz mug of tea in hand, writing crappy adolescent poetry. I eventually discovered Earl Grey during an RPG session, and that became my favorite tea for a long while. DH and I both still love Earl Grey, and drink it fairly often.
It wasn't until my late teens that I started drinking coffee, and not until I became thoroughly entrenched in computers that I started drinking it frequently, hot coffee being found more often than hot water for tea in company breakrooms. And I never have been able to drink coffee black. Lots of cream or milk - the real stuff, not that fake powdery junk. Generally without sugar.
But back to tea, the drink of civilized peoples everywhere.
My whole family drinks tea, even the 5-year-old. Whenever we've traveled to the UK on vacation with family friends, there's been a pot of tea around whenever anyone's been awake. Usually Tetley's, with good milk or cream. And maybe it's me, but Tetley's is far better there than the Tetley's you get in America. And I don't know how many pots a day we go through there. At home, we don't generally have a pot around, but maybe we should. Might be a good family bonding thing. I certainly have no doubt that the tea would be consumed.
When I gave up caffeine for Lent, I discovered (or perhaps rediscovered) that Celestial Seasonings has a very wide and delicious selection of herbal teas, including some relatively new flavors. Peach Apricot Honeybush is a sweet and delicate tea, and True Blueberry is very fruity. I also like the Madagascar Vanilla Red. There are a lot of their teas that I like. Now that Lent's over, I can drink caffeine again, but I'm still drinking tea. I think I've had maybe two cups of coffee this week, when before I was drinking 4-5 12-oz cups a day.
Granted, now I can drink black and green teas again, and there are some very good ones out there. Lipton has a lot of flavored green and black teas, and even Celestial Seasonings has some. So I've come full circle, and am a tea drinker again. Pass the Splenda.
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Aaah, Indian food. There's a wonderful little Indian place near my work that has a lunch buffet, and I like to go there every couple weeks. So I'm feeling fat and happy right now....and a little sleepy.
I've tweaked my sidebar some, but I do realize it (and the blog as a whole) needs more work. And I'm adding links as I find them, so if I've inadvertently left off a blog, please don't consider it a deliberate slight. I'm just senile!
I've tweaked my sidebar some, but I do realize it (and the blog as a whole) needs more work. And I'm adding links as I find them, so if I've inadvertently left off a blog, please don't consider it a deliberate slight. I'm just senile!
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Italy 2004
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