I Like Killing Flies....

I was looking through an old journal of mine and I found the quote:

"There is a sexual friction that occurs when you put the wrong food in the wrong dish. That's the basis of fusion cooking. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't."

It took me a second until I realized that it was Kenny Shopsin from the documentary "I Like Killing Flies". The quote is not verbatim and Kenny actually uses quite a few more cuss words in his actual quote, but I only wrote down what I thought was important. This guy is eccentric, but he seems to speak the truth. A wise old soul in his knowledge of culinary arts. I'd call him a realist.

Check out his book EAT ME.

Lasagna Secrets

My vegetarian friend came over for dinner the other night. Anytime I am entertaining a vegetarian guest, I tend to pull out the lasagna guns. In this instance, I had foolproof roasting veggies on hand. We've got some chanterelle mushrooms, garlic, eggplant, button mushrooms and tomatoes. Mmmmmm, here we go.

Coat the veggies in olive oil and roasted red pepper flakes (that is one of my secret ingredients). Sometimes if I have it, I use a DAB (just a dab) of chili paste. Roast the veggies at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. Oven temps and cooking times vary so check on them often. Try not to over cook them or they will dry out.

roasted veggies (experiment, have fun)
1 bunch spinach
3 cloves garlic
1 tbs butter
1 16 oz container of cottage cheese or ricotta (I usually use cottage cheese because I have it on hand)
parmesean, mozzarella, asiago blend
1 pkg whole wheat lasagna noodles (cooked)
1 jar of homemade marinara sauce (or whatever brand you prefer)
3 tbs homemade kalamata olive tapenade
1 half of an onion
1 egg

Meanwhile, saute butter, garlic and 1/4 of the onion in a medium sized frying pan. Add spinach and saute until cooked. Remove from heat and put aside.

In a mixing bowl, add egg, cottage cheese, a little bit of the cheese blend, spinach mixture and tapenade. Stir together and set aside.

Saute the remaining 1/4 onion in butter until carmelized. Add the marinara sauce and season to taste.

Take a 13x9 inch casserole dish and put some marinara sauce on the very bottom. Lay noodles on top of that, then your cheese mixture, veggies, more sauce, mozzarella blend and then repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients, or room.

Yes, please!

Persimmon Bread Pudding

I received some persimmons in my Bountiful Basket this week. Yuck. I cut one up one time and added it to a salad and it was horrible. Well, I'd never dealt with them before. I didn't know that they need to be uber ripe in order to consume them without spitting up all over the place. Now that I have all of these persimmons, what to do? What to do? For one thing, I guess I will wait until they are ripe enough, which means pret-ty squi-shy.

I have my ripe persimmons and so far, research on the internet brings me to pudding upon pudding recipe. Wait, bread pudding?! What? I love bread pudding. I'm from the south, DUH! I used a random recipe I found online as a guideline but mixed and matched and added my own touches. This is what I came up with.

3 cups persimmon pulp (in order to get the pulp, just peel the skin away from the fruit and drop the squishy part into a bowl and puree)
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
8 cups cubed bread (Italian loaf)
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tbs butter (cut into bits)
1 cup currants (feel free to use raisins, golden raisins, cranberries or whatever dried fruit you have on hand)

Whisk together milk, persimmon puree, brown sugar, eggs, currants, vanilla and salt. Add the bread cubes, coat completely, then let it sit for about 20 minutes. Stir the nuts into the mixture and transfer to the baking dish. I used a 13x9 incher. Strategically place the butter bits on top of the pudding, then into the oven she goes!

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes until it looks perfectly, golden brown. This recipe can be made a day ahead and reheated at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. The result was spectacular. The best dessert I've ever made. Easy. I love persimmons! I am excited to make my next batch. Just waiting on them to ripen up. I enjoyed this tasty dessert with chai ice cream! *Bliss*

Chicken breasts with artichokes, stuffing, parmesean cheese....should I go on?

I borrowed a cookbook from a friend of mine that loves to cook almost more than I do. It's the Southern Living Cookbook published in 1999. The original recipe was titled "Swiss Chicken and Artichokes with Dressing". First of all, whenever I think of artichokes I am reminded of the beautiful fields that blanket the northern California coastline. Countless times I can recall yelling as we passed thorough the little towns "look at all the artichokes!" The recipe sounded delicious, looked amazing and I couldn't wait to try it. Been saving it for a special occasion, actually. The special occasion in this case just happened to be the return of my Wildland Firefighting husband who has been gone for two weeks! I of course tampered with the recipe a bit and this is what I came up with. The results were out of this world.

1 carrot
1 small onion
1 green bell pepper
16 oz of homemade vegetable stock
1 tablespoon of white wine
1 box of Stovetop cornbread stuffing
2 pieces of bread (cut into cubes)
1 8oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 8oz can artichoke hearts
2 large chicken breasts
2 eggs (beaten)
5 sprigs of parsley

Above is exactly what I used. The original recipe calls for different ingredients, like celery and cream of celery soup. I just used what I had on hand and I'm sure it would be fine if you did the same.

First, dice the onion, carrot and bell pepper. Saute in butter until tender. Add the box of stuffing mix and bread cubes. Stir around for a moment before transporting it to a casserole dish. Add the vegetable stock and eggs to the mixture.

Meanwhile, brown the chicken breasts for about 3-4 minutes on each side. My breasts were quite large, and I had two of them. (HA!) Seriously though, I imagine if you have smaller ones they won't need as long.

Drain the artichokes and rinse with water. Arrange them on top of the stuffing and add the browned chicken breasts to the top of that.

Mix cream of mushroom soup with white wine and parsley. Mix together and pour over the chicken.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Uncover, grate parmesean over the top and bake for 10 more minutes.

Casserole aside, I also prepared a gorgeous salad of butter lettuce, tomato, cucumber, grated carrot, radish and cumin seed cheese. I also set the table with glasses have full of ice and cherry juice. Garnished with a sprig of mint and a lemon wedge to be topped off with Limonata.

He looked happy! Welcome home, handsome...

Avocado Fries? Really?

When I saw the recipes for baked or fried avocado fries on Pinterest, I thought to myself, yeah right. They must have some sort of special machine to make those with. It would be terribly hard, messy and yuck. No thanks. Ideally, it sounded good but imagining the process was enough for me to keep looking. As many of you Pinterest users know, things get flashed before you quite often. Even if you aren't interested in them. As goes for the story of the avocado fries. My new favorite recipe. My gosh, and so easy to make you would not believe! The basic recipe is here but I made mine quite differently.

In one bowl I beat 2 eggs with a little bit of milk. One recipe calls for heavy cream. I would have used that if I'd had it on hand. In another bowl I mixed corn meal, flax meal, smoked paprika, Old Bay seasoning and salt and pepper.

Cut and slice the avocado into spears. They don't need to be perfect and I actually preferred the smaller bits. Dip and dip. Wet mixture to dry mixture and lay onto a foil covered sheet pan (I sprayed mine with cooking spray). Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn them over, heat the oven up to 450 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. What you have in the end is magical. The slices stay in tact, have a delicious crust and are just delightful. Far from what I was imagining would happen if I attempted to bake avocado.

To accompany my fries, I mixed up some cilantro with mayonnaise and lemon juice. I also saved a slice of lemon to squeeze over the fries. Serious yum.

Rape Van for Sale!

I found this article way too amusing. Not just because it has bad words in it (come on, you know poop jokes are funny) but more so because of the anti-feminist undertones. Sarcastically, of course. Some of the band names are totally hot and I'm sure these musicians get a lot of airtime strictly because their name is "TWAT KICK" or whatever. I named my band "Rape Van for Sale" and I want YOU to be in it. Awesome van picture, though. Really, whoever owns this van, I must buy it for my tour bus.

I got the blueeeees and it's almost my favorite color....

I love Thanksgiving. Love, love, LOVE it. Simply adore it. I've always looked forward to big gatherings since as far back as I can remember. My favorite memories are going to my granny's house for the biggest feast of the year. Sherri would make her famous salsa and cucumber salad. Which, even as an adult, I can't get enough of. Granny would work all day on the turkey and dressing. All the kids would play "Simon Says" or "Red Light/Green Light" out on the deck. Sometimes the hot tub would be filled up. Sometimes we'd add bubbles. Granny would usually do her "This Little Piggy" dance. Phil's band would play. Everyone would play pranks on each other. In other words, Thanksgiving at my granny's house was pure delight. There was never anywhere else I wanted to be. It will always be a very special holiday for me. Even after I moved to San Francisco I would host the "Misfit Thanksgiving" dinners and everyone would come to my house to visit and gorge. A few years, those parties were HUGE. Those memories are of everyone being thankful to have each other and embracing the time we were allowed to spend together because of this honored tradition. Once I got to Utah and had family coming to visit around the holidays, I started making dinner. I mean making everything. From the herb butter to stuff under the turkey's skin to the giblet gravy and all the trimmings. I did that three years in a row at my father-in-laws house. This year, my husband and I bought our own home. I was stoked beyond imagine to FINALLY host Thanksgiving at my own home. Not so fast. My husband was called on a fire detail to Texas and left me out here alone for two weeks. I got to spend turkey day all alone in my new house. I would be sad except I decided to enjoy it just like I always have. I made my favorite, green bean casserole; and spent the day with some very good friends. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Even as my family called me from Texas with all the "dysfunctional" stories that I love so much, I felt genuinely happy to be where I was and doing what I was doing. About 5 months ago, I decided to give up drinking; or at least take a much needed break for awhile. Thanksgiving of course, has usually involved massive amounts of holiday drinks for me. This was my first sober holiday is a very, very long time. This Thanksgiving was about learning to be okay with ME. Being comfortable in my own skin, enjoying myself and my surroundings. Embracing the people around me, and most importantly, learning to live in each moment while CHOOSING to be happy. I am overwhelmed with gratitude this year! Thank you...

I Like Chloe Moretz

Wow, what an auspicious little actress. Most of you probably know her from her role as "Hit Girl" in Kick Ass where she inadvertently made national headlines. Everyone was talking about the young girl with the filthy mouth. She was great. She kicked major ass. Everything I see her in I am blown away by her talent. She was adorable in 500 Days of Summer. She captivated as Chelsea Lutz in the the remake of The Amityville Horror. Let Me In was one of the better horror flicks I watched this year. She tore it up. Literally, ripping people to pieces and making it believable. Like this could actually somehow happen. That you could possibly have a vampire living next door to you, and befriend them nonetheless. I am almost embarrassed to admit that after having Netflix for only a few weeks and experimenting with various television shows, I got sucked into Dirty Sexy Money. An extrememly trashy, New York tale of the rich and famous. Chloe played Kiki George, the daughter of the main character. Somehow managing to steal the show. Wicked Little Things follows a widow and her two daughters to the woods in Pennsylvania. Chloe, as the youngest daughter Emma, totally takes the spot light. This movie seriously would have been horrible without Chloe's added charisma. This girl is top notch and a lot of fun to watch. I am excited to see her upcoming roles as I think she will definitely be leaving her mark on Hollywood if she hasn't already. Most notably, I CAN NOT WAIT for Dark Shadows! Yes, a remake of the cult-horror, TV classic! Okay wait, the best part? Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Lee Miller. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! You can read more about it HERE.

Potato and Leek Casserole

Most of you are familiar with potato and leek soups, but casserole? I got the idea for potato casserole from my friends and neighbors in Wayne County. They have a little something called "funeral potatoes" and believe me, there is a myriad of funeral potato recipes. To each his own. I believe you can make a fine judge of character by what someone will put into their "funeral potatoes". My friend and I have been discussing setting up a "funeral potato" cook-off at some point in our lives when we aren't drowned in work and stress.

You will need:

1 large leek (sliced)
10 potatoes (chopped)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of French's fried onions
swiss cheese (I would have used gruyere if I had it)
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
salt/pepper to taste

I started with boiling the potatoes and leeks to soften. About twenty minutes for the potatoes, ten minutes for the leeks. Guess what you do next? Mix them into the casserole dish with milk, butter, cream of mushroom soup, half of the cheese and half of the fried onions. Bake at 350 degrees for about twenty-five minutes. Add the remaining cheese and top with the rest of the fried onions. Cheesy.

Some approved additions: BACON! Fresh sauteed mushrooms

End of summer conglomeration...

In a panic to use up the remaining vegetables before we lose them all, I've been experimenting with different casseroles and salads. It's getting close. I mean, it was snowing already last week! It's scary, I know but I really am looking forward to my winter break. I need it desperately. I hate to use that word because it's so, well....desperate, but it's forthright.

Anyway, to get back on track. VEGETABLES.

One thing we have a lot of is tomatoes. I've been using them and abusing them regularly. The first recipe was so delicious I actually made it twice in one week and it's coming up again soon. You will need:

6 medium tomatoes (or a balance of big/small) whatever you have, really.
1 yellow squash
fresh grated parmesean cheese (as much as you like)
2 small baguettes
rosemary/sage (any fresh herbs will do)
olive oil

Cut the baguettes into cubes and coat in olive oil and herbs. Bake until crisp and put aside.
Slice the squash and lay it in the bottom of your casserole dish. Then slice your tomatoes and layer them on top of the squash. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with some of the herbs. Crunch the baked bread cubes over the top into crumbs. Top with parmesean cheese and herbs. Bake it covered for about 30 minutes and uncovered for about 10 more until the cheese is nice and browned. Super easy and cheap, right? Delicious too.

Another quick and easy salad that everyone will love is the timeless, cucumber and tomato salad. You will need:

4 tomatoes
1 small purple onion
1 cucumber
fresh parsley
rice vinegar
balsamic vinegar
olive oil

Cut the cucumber into chunks and set in a bowl with very little rice vinegar. Let it marinate while you are preparing everything else. Add your tomato, onion, parsley and olive oil. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. DONE!

Cafe Diablo

This is my third season working at Cafe Diablo. Eleven years ago (when I met my husband) I came to Torrey on a 2 week vacation. I never went back home. I ended up staying for the summer, heading up north to see snow for the first time and ultimately traveling on to beautiful San Francisco. Somehow I knew I would eventually make my home here. Living in California, while stunning in it's own right, my heart always held a special place for southern Utah.

Cafe Diablo has been owned and run by the same chef for nearly seventeen years. Chef, Gary Pankow studied culinary arts *here* at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. People travel from all over the world to dine in his eclectic oasis of culinary fusion. Somewhere between southwestern and home-style cuisine, Cafe Diablo has something for everyone.

I am proud to be a part of such an acclaimed restaurant. It's all about having fun. We want the customers to (a) feel at home, (b) enjoy the atmosphere (even on those busy nights, you will find our customers mingling amongst each other) (c) feel satisfied, and (d) tell their friends how much fun they had!

Currently, the tulips are blooming in bold shades of yellow, red, white and even purple! They are clearly an indication that Spring has made it to Wayne County. Soon, we will be growing our own herbs and even some fresh veggies for kitchen use! Cafe Diablo will close for the season near the end of October 2011, so get here while you can!

Below is a link to events in our little county that you may find useful. Might I suggest dressing like your favorite super-hero and attending the Bicknell International Film Festival. I'm going to be Tank Girl....

Wayne County Events

Virtues of Humanity....

It seems to me that society has lost sight of what humanity really is. Sadly, the Government controlling our nation has completely and totally lost sight of humanity. In fact, I don't even think they're humans. They must be something else.

I'm not going to name any names, but I have a couple of people in my life that work for CERTAIN Government agencies. Two different ones to be exact. One of them, has been working for nearly 20 years and has recently gotten their company vehicle taken away (to cut costs). This angers me. It angers me because on the flip side, you have another agency that goes above and beyond to NOT CUT COSTS. It's the little things that matter here. Plane tickets, hotel rooms, fancy dinners....all on the struggling Government dime. What a joke. Can we only wish for responsible players? Are there too many ins and outs to comprehend? Here's an idea. How about getting everyone on the same page and start saving money in the areas that make a difference instead of where it hurts people?

Thank you.

Venison....and a grass-fed diet!

I mentioned before that our good friends gave us a bag of venison from one of their hunts. Did I mention how delightful it's been to have such fresh, lean, natural meat on hand? I would eat venison every night if I could. All of this, but I'm not a hunter. I doubt I could ever do it. I'm seriously considering it, though. We're running low on meat and I even resorted to buying hamburger from the grocery store. We don't have fresh, local, grass-fed options out here either. Yet.

UPDATE: I will never, ever buy ground beef from an unknown source again. After watching Michael Pollan on Oprah the other day, I am now informed that the hamburger on the shelves in grocery stores is meat from 1000-5000 different cows. I had no idea. Talk about not knowing where your meat comes from.

This brings me to my next issue. My husband and I are working on a business plan (it's looking really good, so far) to bring grass-fed meats to our local community. After reading articles like THIS I am reminded how important it is for us to know where our foods are coming from. More on this topic later as our business plan comes together.

I got some organic sweet potatoes (they were little, like fingerlings) in my Bountiful Basket last week. I peeled and chopped them into chunks. Into the slow-cooker they went. Along with a turnip, jalapeno, gray squash, celery, onion and pan-seared, marinated venison. A little barley, and voila! It was delicious and I plan on doing it again. None of my recipes ever turn out the same. Just improved from the time before.

Stuffed Poblano Pepper Delight...

In my Bountiful Basket this week, I received six beautiful poblano peppers. What better way to serve them than roasted, stuffed and covered with cheese?

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork
1 1/2 c rice (cooked)
6 sprigs of cilantro (chopped)
1 gray squash (diced)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 c yellow onion (diced)
spices - garlic, black pepper, cumin and chili powder

The first step is to roast your peppers. I topped them off and cleaned out the insides pre-roasting. Lay them out flat on a baking sheet and broil for about 15 minutes, flip them and broil for another 15 minutes or so. Once they start blackening, take them out and seal them in a Ziplock bag until you are ready to peel. Trapping the steam inside the bag helps loosen the skin for easier peeling.

Cook the ground pork in LOTS of cumin, chili powder and black pepper. Meanwhile, the diced squash is sauteing with onions and garlic in butter. I also added cilantro and fresh-squeezed lime juice to my cooked rice. Mix all of the above together, and stuff your peppers. I stuffed them until I couldn't stuff them anymore. I ended up making a slit down the middle (they were laying face down) and topping with cheddar cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees until they smell so good you can't hardly stand it.

To accompany this dish, we enjoyed smashed black beans with heirloom tomato salsa and cumin! A little bit of salad with heirloom tomato dressing on the side as well.

NOTE: The poblanos, cilantro, squash, lime, heirloom tomatoes, onions and garlic all came in my Bountiful Basket this week!

Bountiful Plentiful, I'll Say.....

I got my first Bountiful Basket today. Wow! Let me just say it again, WOW! I've catalogued what I received, because I didn't think anyone would believe me. HA! Well, I also just did it for fun because I'm totally and absolutely impressed and in love with what I received today. There is probably a Bountiful pick up near you! Check it out!
Bountiful Baskets

So, for $42.00, billed to my debit card, paid online, I got:

ORGANIC BOX: Everything in here is supposedly "organic"

2 heads of broccoli from Lakeside Organic Gardens
2 mangoes from Peru (Natura)
5 apples (unmarked)
4 kiwi from California
1 butternut squash from Mexico (Si Senor)
1 carton cherry tomatoes from Mexico Earthbound Farm
1 carton blueberries from Chile (Organik Time)
1 pineapple from Mexico (Harvest Gold Organic)
1 bunch spinach Earthbound Farm
1 bunch frilly, green lettuce (unmarked)
1 red pepper from Mexico Rancho Buena Suerte
1 yellow pepper from Mexico Rancho Buena Suerte
6 green bananas (unmarked)
8 grapefruit from Arizona Patagonia Orchards

CITRUS BOX: The items in this box are not certified organic
12 mini limes (unmarked)
4 lemons (unmarked)
12 navel oranges from California
9 tangerines (unmarked)
3 oro blancos (unmarked)
3 pumelos (unmarked)

I may not know exactly where EVERYTHING came from, but it's about the best I can do out here in the boonies. Our local grocer rarely provides anything local or organic, so I can see why Bountiful is taking off the way it is. You have my support, and thank you for a wonderful basket!

I'm so stoked. My mind is going crazy with ideas. I'm already daydreaming about what will be in my next basket. You see, one of the really cool things about this, is that you don't know what you're going to get until you pick up your box. It's a surprise. Like Christmas.

Gnocchi and the 3 P's

Prosciutto, peas and parmesean. Mmmmmm mmmmm good. While the gnocchi was a little labor intensive (not nearly as bad as tamales) it was uber easy. I would definitely make it again, I would just make them a little smaller. Yea, we had monster gnocchi. ROOOOAAAR!

So, I roasted 5 Yukon Gold potatoes at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. When they cooled, they were peeled and mashed into a bowl along with 2 eggs, some flour, and a pinch of salt. Seriously, that's it. I started out with one cup of flour but couldn't tell you how much I used overall. I just kind of added as kneaded (pun intended). Once you have your dough, break of a piece and roll into a log. Cut your log into 1/4 inch pieces (somewhat), press each piece with a fork (you will need to constantly dip your fork into flour to prevent sticking) and fold into a little gnocchi. Voila! Depending on how much dough you ended up with, you might be at the counter for awhile. I suggest listening to drums and bass and shaking your ass a little bit. Really, time flies when you're shaking your ass.

The gnocchi only cook for about one minute in boiling water before they float to the top to let you know they are done. Cooperative little gnocchi. Once done cooking, or cooperating, they were transferred to a saute pan with chopped proscuitto, steamed peas and parmesean cheese! I had to add a little bit of milk (wished I'd had heavy whipping cream!) and some fresh ground black pepper of course.

Next time, which will be soon, I'm going for the sweet potato gnocchi.

Gardening a Go Go

I'm not sure I know what I'm doing. I gather bits and pieces of information from here and there, but I've never actually produced a successful garden. If anyone saw the garden we planted a couple of years ago, you'd understand my point. The weeds took us to town and back and even picked up hitch hikers along the way. The tomatoes I planted along the house didn't do well either. I came outside one day and every single one of them was bare. Just little sticks trying to pretend like they were still tomato plants. I'm not even sure if it was the chickens or tomato worms, or something else entirely. That's how much attention I paid to my cheerless little plants.

This year though, something fresh has definitely ignited. I'm guessing it's all the knowledge I've absorbed the past few years surrounding local, fresh produce. Once you take that first baby-step, it just gets easier and easier to make changes. Now I feel like I'm obligated to grow my own vegetables. Maybe obligated isn't the right word. Well, obligated...but in a good way.

I started some seeds today and I'm not going to let them down. I need a small little garden that I can manage on my own between my 2 jobs and caring for our animals. This is what I'm looking at so far:

True Black Brandywine (heirloom) Tomato
Amana Orange (heirloom) Tomato
Green Zebra (heirloom) Tomato
Green Acorn Squash
Beets
Arugula
Parsley
Cilantro
Dill
Rosemary

The herbs are staying inside and only outside to enjoy the day every now and again. The others will go outside when they're ready. I'm researching like crazy and trying to figure out what will work best for me. Please share your gardening tips to help me produce a successful garden this year. *FINGERS CROSSED FOR LUCK*

Catching Up a Bit

The other day, I found an "All Natural" whole chicken for $5 at Royal's Food Town. It wasn't organic, but it did say "no hormones, no antibiotics" which for $5, was enough for me, in this case. What did I do with her? Chicken and Dumplings, of course! Yummmmm....Just had some leftovers for lunch.

Last night, I roasted a whole turkey, and made wild rice, cherry and pecan stuffing (I did something wrong here. I think I added too much liquid. It didn't turn out perfect, like I like it.) I also fried up some brussels sprouts in course-ground mustard and soy sauce. Oh yeah.

Now, with my leftover turkey, I'm going to make enchiladas! I'm using inspiration from the Pioneer Woman's recipe but making some adjustments. You can check out her recipe here. Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas

I've always used the enchilada sauce straight from the can, so I am enthusiastic about trying her flour, oil, sauce and broth concoction. You gotta love the pictures, too. She makes everything look so appetizing. I'm dipping a spoon into my computer screen right now. I will have to use flour tortillas since I am out of corn. I have cheddar and a 4 cheese mozzarella blend that I will be working with as well. No chili's either. What I do have is red, green and orange bell peppers. I'm going to roast them, along with some garlic and then add some of the mixture to the sauce and some to the meat. Along with cheese, I like to top with caramelized onions.

I'm "quick-soaking" my beans right now and will get them started here shortly. Lounging around at home with food on the brain. Ahhhhhh, it doesn't get much better than this! Oh wait, maybe the dumping snow out my window adds a little ambiance. Maybe.

Healing Arts

One of my very good friends is involved in opening a center for spiritual healing arts in San Francisco. I am so very blessed to have her in my life. After losing my brother, Christopher, she REALLY stepped up and has graciously helped me along my path. Jo is a healer. She is a Shamanic Journeyer. She is a beautiful spirit sent here with this gift to help all of us.

If there is one thing I can tell you all out there that are suffering, it's that our souls CAN and need to be healed. Spiritually. Medication is not the answer. This is where our society fucked up. I'm not vouching for everyone and I understand there are a lot more ins and outs than meets the eye. This is just my own personal observation and I don't intend to offend anyone out there on meds.

There is a wave of consciousness radiating around the world. Some of you have been involved in this for years. Some are just discovering it, some of you are almost there, and some are still in the dark. I am proud to be a part of this awakening.

You can check out the center at www.talltreetambo.org and read Jo's bio under the "Healing Arts" tab.

Good luck on this journey, Tall Tree Tambo, and may you bring light and love to all who become involved! Turn your love light on and shine it all around!

Simple Yet Sumptuous

Venison (marinated)
1 bunch asparagus
1/4 c feta cheese
2 slices of lemon
5 potatoes (any kind will do)
Spices to your fancy

So, last night's venison was so yummy, we're doing it again. This time it's been marinating in "Dale's", oil (flax, canola and olive), fresh parsley and a taste of white balsamic vinaigrette. I also sliced up a lemon and threw it in there. What the hell.

I have cleaned and trimmed my asparagus. Tossed it in olive oil, black pepper, salt and a couple slices of lemon. It's going to go in the oven at a fair "roasting" temperature and be dusted with feta cheese when it comes out. Someone ate my almonds or I would be adding them as well. I'm much looking forward to the wild, summer asparagus that grows here in our County!

On the side, I'm making good old fashioned mashed potatoes.

Bon appetite!

*SMOOCH*

I watched a movie the other day and I just can't stop thinking about it. NO! It's not ThanksKilling about the killer turkey possessed by an evil Indian spirit. Ha. That movie was pretty damn funny though.

It's The Princess and the Frog. With a beautiful New Orleans back-drop, The Princess and the Frog really takes you there. The film references just about every classic dish you'll find in cajun cuisine. Seriously, my mouth was watering. Tiana's dream is to open her own restaurant with her daddy's "old gumbo pot" which is given to her as a gift from her mother. She works day in and day out at small-time jobs to achieve her dream. A nice lesson of setting goals and working hard to achieve them. Something that sometimes seems lost these days.

You'll also meet a big-hearted (big butted) alligator with a passion for playing jazz music. A seemingly feeble-minded firefly in love with the brightest star in the sky, whom he calls Evangeline. And, Mama Odie, the voodoo queen of the swamp!

I don't want to ruin the movie for you because it's a must-see. It made my heart warm and fuzzy and is still on my mind two days later.

Dinner is Ready, Deer.....

Our friends Jamie and Amy gave us a hefty bag of deer meat the other day. My dad has always been a hunter, so I am familiar with venison. God, I love venison. It is so lean, and tasty. I will use it with ANY dish that usually calls for beef.

Venison (marinated)
1 leek (sliced lengthwise and then chopped)
1/4 green pepper
1/4 yellow pepper
1/4 orange pepper
1/4 red onion
2 cups fresh spinach
1 clove garlic

So, I marinated my little venison steaks in olive oil, fresh lemon juice, chopped basil, and "Dales" Steak Seasoning. It looks a little like soy sauce but tastes much better. I made brown rice to accompany my venison handiwork and while that cooked, I washed and chopped all my veggies. I left the meat marinating until the very last minute. I started sauteing my onions and garlic first and added my peppers last. In a separate pan, I cooked the venison (in the marinade) and finally, added the leeks. I transferred the veggies into the meat pan, mixed it all together and dropped the fresh spinach in.

I prefer my venison medium rare to rare so I didn't cook it too long. Just until it was perfect!

It was de-LIC-ious....

A Tale of Two Piggies *love*

I'm still not sure if I will do it again, but Stuart and I raised our own pigs. Bacon and Bianca. We got them when they were "weaner" pigs and raised them until the day they left for slaughter. I personally had to help load them into the trailer and it was not a pretty site. It took me a long time to warm up to eating them, too. Eventually I gave in considering that of all things, I did not want to consider myself a hypocrite. I mean, if I was going to eat store-bought meat without any qualms, why in the hell couldn't I eat a pig that I know was raised humanely, fed well, and overall, very well taken care of. So anyway, we have a freezer full of home-grown pork that tastes 100x better than anything you will buy in the store. Mainly because it is chock-full of love and respect. Yes, I loved my pigs. I cried clumsily the day they left, was a wreck trying to herd them into the trailer and was extremely pissed off at Stuart for making me help him do this. But, I can now say that I will not buy pork from any chain grocery store, ever.

I use the ground pork for dishes like spaghetti, lasagna, add it to bean soups, tacos, egg scrambles, etc. Last night, I decided to make stroganoff. It was delicious. This is how it went down:

1 lb ground pork
2 c noodles (I only had elbow macaroni but would have preferred whole grain egg noodles)
1/4 purple onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 leek (sliced lengthwise, then chopped)
8 mushrooms (I used button mushrooms because it was all I had)
5 or 6 sprigs of parsley (chopped)
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk
1/4 c cheese (I used parmesan)

After browning the pork with salt, pepper and garlic, I put it aside. Sauteed my onion and garlic first. In butter, of course. Added the leeks, then the mushrooms, then the meat. I added the milk and sour cream. This amount can certainly be altered to your desired consistency. The parsley was mixed in next and the whole dish topped with cheese!

It was delicious. I ate it again for lunch today and was so appreciative of the food I was putting into my body. I actually felt like saying a prayer! Maybe next time....

About a cook!

I've decided that I need to start writing about my food ventures lately. I'm learning to cook more diversely and enjoying it more and more! I've been trying to eat heathy for the past few months. Most of you have probably already done this. However, I've kept myself in the dark about organics, whole foods and the food industry in general. Mostly because I was afraid. Afraid because I knew my eating habits were causing me to feel lousy, fatigued, depressed, you name it. Knowledge is power! I am feeling great! Have more energy, taking vitamins, and respecting my food a lot more because it is organic. I realize that you can't make the change overnight, but just like with yoga, the more you practice, the better you get at it!

I will start working savagely in the next couple of months, so I won't get to enjoy cooking as much. Until then, this blog will be like my food diary to share with friends and family and most importantly, remember some of my own recipes. Please share your ideas with me as much as you like. Happy eating! Happy living!

She talks to Angels....

It's been 4 years. Four long, anguished years. It's hard not to feel the hurt all the time. I think we have all learned to deal with this hindrance in our own unique ways. Some of us go to counseling, some of us get tattooed. Some of sit at the cemetery for hours. Some of us cry every day. For me, it's taking advantage of my "non-reality" world. I really think part of me still doesn't realize that my brother is gone. I do talk to him quite a bit. Actually, I talk to him like he is God. He helps me through my hardships, he hears constantly what I am thankful for (which is usually the gifts he's given me in my life). He watches over us when we are traveling or doing anything remotely dangerous. At least he hears me ask him to watch over us, the rest is up to him. He's guided me down my path, he's helped me gain confidence and learn to listen and believe in myself. My brother is my hero. My savior. My love. My Angel.....

We are lucky to have you.

FLOYD WEBSITE

Dinner tonight...

Beef Stew with Leeks

If you know me, you know I love to cook. It's one of my favorite things, really. So, I've been wanting to cook with leeks lately (I never have before). I found this recipe on  Epicurious.com and I actually have most of the ingredients. Well, except for the beef, but that is why we are using a lamb shoulder roast!

First, I browned the roast in oil and spices, added the tomato paste, red wine (Gnarly Head - Zinfindel) and red wine vinegar). Next, I put the roast into my slow cooker along with the red wine reduction. Added some chicken broth, a bay leaf, cinnamon stick and salt and pepper. Slow cooked on high for awhile.

Meanwhile, I have chopped my leeks, 1/4 of a green pepper, carrots, celery and two small potatoes to add to the pot. I will slow cook this on low for a few hours until the meat is tender and succulent. Ahhh, yes.....succulent.

May come back later and post a picture for you. Only because I have orange zest and parsley to garnish with and I need to show off.

WOOT!

*MACHETE*

Wow, what can I say....this was the most fun I have had watching a movie in a very long time. Robert Rodriguez really knows how to bring the sexy back to your movie watching experience. THANK YOU, RR! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! From the erratic all-star cast including Robert DeNiro, Lindsay Lohan, Michelle Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, Steven Seagal, Jessica Alba, Don Johnson and of course the strapping, tenacious and just plain KICK ASS, Danny Trejo, to the amusing sound effects, this movie DELIVERS. I laughed, was moved, became excited, it was just plain fun. Actually, it was anything but, plain. More like maniacal, wacky, eccentric fun! But fun, nonetheless. If you haven't seen this movie, go to your local Red Box right now and get it. Order it on Netflix (although that might take to long). Do what you have to do, but see this movie immediately. Then come talk to me about it :)