The Good Wife

Best Smart Phone Apps for Greener Living

2012-01-24T14:07:00.000-06:00

Since joining the 21st century at the beginning of the year and getting a smart phone, I discovered a lot of apps that help me live a greener life.

1. Dirty Dozen - This app lists the "Dirty Dozen" aka the dirties, most pesticide-filled produce in the market, along with the "Clean 15" or the least pesticide-filled produce. The information is provided by the Environmental Working Group Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. The list is updated yearly. I like this app b.c while I have most of the Dirty Dozen memorized, it is still nice to be able to check and make sure I avoid buying the most pesticide laden produce by buying organic.

2. Fooducate - This is a great little app that allows you to scan a barcode on any food item and it will give that food a grade from F for unhealthy to A for healthiest. It will offer healthier alternatives for poor food choices. It was created by dietitians and it tracks fat, sugar, food dyes and high fructose corn syrup. It has a large database of food but the great thing is, if a food you scan isn't in their database, you can add it.

3. Honest Label Food - Similar to Fooducate, this is another barcode scanner. I have found that sometimes if one product is not in one database, it might be in the other.

4. Locavore - This app tells you what produce is in season currently, and what is about to be in season. It is depressing, for me at least, to see nothing in season in winter, but such is the case for living in Illinois.

5. Seafood Watch - This app is from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program helps consumers and businesses make choices for healthy oceans. Our recommendations indicate which seafood items are "Best Choices," "Good Alternatives," and which ones you should "Avoid."

6. Seasonal Harvest - Similar to Locavore, this app tells you want is in season as well.

7. True Food Network - This app was created to help you find and avoid genetically engineered ingredients wherever you shop. Our guide gives you valuable information on common genetically engineered ingredients, brands to look for, and look out for, and common sense tips to keep you in the know.This one actually took me a minute to find the actual guide, but if you click on the menu button on the bottom on your phone, you will have the option to view the guide. But you probably aren't as stupid as I am and figured that out quickly.

If you know of any app, let me know!

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes and exciting news

2012-01-17T14:46:00.001-06:00

First the exciting news! I am going to be a Good Mom again. The Good Fetus is due at the end of July.

So to commemorate the growth of TGF, I thought I would make some pregnancy cupcakes to honor the little parasite currently sucking out all my nutrients. At 11 weeks, the fetus is the size of a lime. The only lime flavored thing I really wanted was a margarita and frankly, I get funny looks when I drink in public while pregnant. So I decided to make the next best thing - cherry limeade cupcakes.

A lot of the recipes I found called for a shitton of sugar. Aside from the fact that all that sugar will kill my diabetic ass, I just don't like my cupcakes to be super sweet. I modified the sugar content in the recipe and it made for a tart, lime heavy cupcake with an accent of sweet cherry. The reviews were mixed. Some people loved them and some thought they were a little too tart. (I ate two cupcakes and thought they were a nice balance of sweet and tart, but since I can't eat them all, I gave the rest to family and neighbors.)

So change the sugar content according to your taste.

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:

3 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoon limeade concentrate

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

For the lime syrup:

3/4 cup limeade concentrate

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the frosting:

3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 teaspoon (or more) maraschino cherry juice

For decorating:

fresh lime slices

maraschino cherries

Directions:
To make the cupcakes:

~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl sift together the cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the limeade concentrate and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add in the flour mixture in thirds along with the milk. Mix until combined. Do not overmix.

~Fill each cupake 3/4 of the way full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack over wax paper to cool completely.

~When the cupcakes have cooled slightly, whisk together the limeade concentrate and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl to make the lime syrup. Brush syrup over the top of the slightly warm cupcakes, allowing the syrup to soak in. Repeat until the syrup is gone.

To make the frosting:

~Combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla extract and maraschino cherry juice in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth. Add more maraschino cherry juice as needed to achieve desired texture.

~Frost cooled cupcakes. Garnish with lime slices and maraschino cherries, if desired.

recipe modified from: Annie's Eats

Thansgiving Day Foods

2012-01-16T12:38:00.000-06:00

You know you are a fucking adult when it is your turn to host Thanksgiving. Now I know why my grandma was always pitching a huge bitchfit for the holidays and why the normally dry house had 3 boxes of wine.This is the second Thanksgiving I have hosted and last year was such a mess that we ignored it. This year we hosted for my mom and dad, so it was a small affair. We had stuffing and taters and gravy and green bean casserole and rotisserie turkey breast. I like doing the turkey breast on the rotisserie because you can just turn it on and walk away and don't have to bother with basting.

Everything is fairly typical and boring.

For sides, we had the ever popular Cowboy Sushi, homemade french onion dip and stuffed mushrooms.

My Mom's Stuffed Mushrooms

2012-01-16T12:30:00.000-06:00

This is one of the dishes that I can actually remember my mom making. But I know she hasn't made them in years. I thought it would be nice to make them for Thanksgiving.

(and yeah I know I am just getting around to a fucking Thanksgiving post in January, but I have been a lazy heifer lately)

The white wine and mustard provide a sharp bite to the mushrooms while the cheese gives them a soft texture. My mom had forgotten just how good they were.

Ingredients:

24 large button mushrooms

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 gloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1/3 cup dry white whine

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

18 Ritz crackers, finely crushed

4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

~Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve and roughly chop.

~In a large skillet, saute chopped mushroom stems, onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Ass parsley, basil, wine and mustard. Simmer for five minutes.

~Remove from heat and let stand five minutes. Stir in cracker crumbs and cheese. Fill mushroom caps with mixture. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes or until done. Serve warm.

recipe by: my mom

Homemade French Onion Dip

2011-12-30T22:39:00.000-06:00

I like to make simple, homemade versions of traditional Thanksgiving foods. One of the easiest things to make was onion dip. The Good Husband will eat an entire container and bag of chips in one sitting, if allowed. So instead of buying a container at the store, I wanted to make my own this year.

With everything else I had to cook this year, this one was actually one of the easier ones.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups thinly sliced onion

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Potato chips, for serving

Directions:

~Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and sage. Cover and cook until onions are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

~Remove from heat and let cool.Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in the cooled caramelized onions, salt, and pepper. Cover dip and refrigerate until flavors blend, about 2 hours.

recipe by: The Food Network

2011 - A year I didn't shut the hell up

2011-12-30T18:13:00.000-06:00

It seems like now is the time when everyone likes to recap the year and make a list of hopeful goals for the coming months. I do have some big plans for the next year but I will save that for upcoming posts.

So now, let's take a look back, shall we, in the same way that we watch the VH1 top 100 of the year and say," 'Sing' by My Chemical Romance came out a year ago? It seems soooooo long ago."

In January I talked about my kid and how I am fat. Not spectacular.

In February I made a list of all the ways you can be environmentally friendly while having a kid.

In March I remade mashed cauliflower, with better success.

April saw everyone lose their motherfuckin shit in the face of the looming government shutdown.

In May I created a series of Household Binder, aka The Brains of the Operation posts which everyone seemed to love. I posted about Party Planning and Menus and Shopping Lists and Daily and Weekly Dockets and Important Account Numbers and Contact Lists and Cleaning Schedules and a Calendar and a Budget Worksheet and an Automobile Log.

Heading into June, I almost lost my motherfuckin shit as The Good Daughter turned two!

In July I made some kick ass pretzel bites. Thank you Pinterest!

August made my ass get fatter (you knew I wouldn't keep up with the fat camp, didn't you?) when I made twice baked 'tater casserole.

In September I coped with the stress of my last semester in grad school with a sweet grilled cheese.

And I swallowed that bitch down with some copycat Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets.

In October I revealed that Target is crack for suburban chicks.

In November I talked about my CSA. Again.

And finally, in December, I generally slacked off while finishing up school and posted about this mushroom and leek gratin.

It looks like 2011 was the year when I didn't know when to shut the hell up and to date, was the most post-whoreish. I hope that is a good thing. I can't make any promises that 2012 will be just as exciting, but I hope it will be. I have so much to post about if only I can find the motivation.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has read anything on this little dog and pony show. Most of the time I imagine writing these words and sending them out into the great black void of The Internets. But the fact that I do have and continue to get readers amazes me everyday. Thank you guys for being awesome!

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyère Croutons

2011-12-29T22:40:00.000-06:00

This was a great addition to our Thanksgiving dinner. I wanted something light to have as a first course along with salad and I needed to use the last of the squash from my CSA.

Overall, I was happy with the soup. My mom, however, LOVED it and got the recipe before she left.

Ingredients:

Soup

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth

4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)

4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage

1/4 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons sugar

Croutons

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices

1 cup grated Gruyère cheese

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

Directions:

For soup:
~Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

~Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

For croutons:

~Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

recipe by: epicurious

Mushroom and Leek Gratin

2011-12-28T22:36:00.000-06:00

A while back I picked up the newest edition of Everyday Food by Martha Stewart. In it were several recipes I wanted to try out. The one for mushroom and leek gratin stood out to me and the next day at the holiday market, I made sure to pick up some leeks.

The end result was far less pretty than the dish in the magazine because, honestly, I wasn't going to line up all the mushrooms in a pretty little row. I just wanted to EAT it.

The dish turned out amazing! It was hearty but not heavy and it made a great dinner with a salad and some bread and butter and a glass of wine. The Good Daughter ate almost half of one dish. This is going in my recipe rotation.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds large portobello mushrooms (6 to 8), stemmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick

2 leeks (white and light-green parts only), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons and rinsed

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 ounce Parmesan, finely grated

Directions:

~Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary, add 2 pounds large portobello mushrooms (6 to 8), stemmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick, and cook, tossing occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes to 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

~Wipe out skillet, return to heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add 2 leeks (white and light-green parts only), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons and rinsed, 2-3 cloves garlic, minced and season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as chardonnay, and cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes to 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves.

~Transfer leek mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with mushroom slices, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 1 ounce Parmesan, finely grated (1/4 cup) and bake until edges are bubbling, about 20 minutes to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

recipe modified from: Martha Stewart

Holiday Farmer's Market

2011-12-18T23:29:00.001-06:00

With my CSA this year, I didn't get to go to as many Farmer's Markets as I normally do. But I always make sure to go to the holiday market. I have been all three years now and it gets better each time, even if they put it in a smaller building each time.

This year I came home with 'taters (of course), organic all purpose seasoning, broccoli, beef jerky, green onions, leeks, turnips, carrots, celery root, tomatoes and rolls. Not pictured - brats.

Pumpkin Lasagna and CSA Potluck

2011-12-01T21:53:00.000-06:00

Way back in September our CSA farm hosted a potluck for all the members of the CSA. We got pumpkin that week and I was burned out of sweet pumpkin dishes. I decided I would make a pumpkin lasagna with chard and walnuts. Because I had to corral The Good Daughter, I was practically last in line for the food and when I got to my dish, it was all gone. So I take it, it was well received and I hadn't fucked it up.

I made a smaller batch later that week for dinner and it was amazing! I added some sage sausage in our version and it was so hearty that even The Good Husband had a bite. I am so happy to have a savory pumpkin dish.

The Good Daughter is in love with chickens. They are able to get out of the fence and walk around the property. The first time a chicken jumped out of there, she gasped and looked at me in horror, like she knew that chicken was going to get in trouble.

fields

cows

our party

the chicken coop

more fields

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 pounds Swiss chard, tough stems removed, leaves washed well and chopped
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 cup walnut halves
3 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
1/2 cup milk
9 no-boil lasagne noodles (about 6 ounces)
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

~In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to moderately high and add the chard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 tablespoon sage, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Cook, stirring, until the chard is wilted and no liquid remains in the pan, 5 to 10 minutes.

~Heat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of the pumpkin, 3/4 cup cream, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 tablespoon sage, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

~Pour the milk into an 8-by-12-inch baking dish. Top the milk with one third of the noodles, then spread half the pumpkin mixture over the noodles. Layer half the Swiss chard over the pumpkin and top with half the walnuts and top with a second layer of noodles. Repeat with another layer of pumpkin, Swiss chard, walnuts and noodles. Combine the remaining 1 cup of pumpkin and 3/4 cup of cream. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the lasagne, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan, and dot with the butter. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Alternative version:
~Brown one pound of sage sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain and allow to cool. Add in with the Swiss chard layer. Bake as normal.

recipe modified from: Food and Wine

Pumpkin Spiced Syrup

2011-11-30T21:45:00.000-06:00

Well here is a post from a longass time ago that I am just now getting around to finishing.

Sometimes that's how shit works around here.Anywho, back when I had a house full of pumpkins and didn't know what to do with them, I made this pumpkin spice syrup. The idea was to make pumpkin spiced lattes and I did make a few. But I also poured some of this badass syrup over vanilla ice cream too. That was almost better.

The original recipe called for the liquid to be strained through cheesecloth. I got impatient and that's why there is some sediment at the bottom of the jar. When I got near the end, I just poured the syrup through a strainer into my coffee or over ice cream.The original recipe also called for cinnamon sticks, which I didn't have on hand. I used ground cinnamon and I am sure that added to the sediment problem.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 cinnamon sticks or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 tablespoons pumpkin purée

Directions:

~Combine water and sugar in a pot over medium high heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients and cook until combined, whisking often. Do not allow mixture to come to a boil.

~Strain through a cheesecloth, allow to cool and store in the fridge.

To make lattes - add 2 tablespoons syrup for every one shot of espresso and milk to taste.

recipe modified from: this one

CSA Overview

2011-11-29T06:24:00.000-06:00

So I am finally finished with my CSA for this year. Over the 24 weeks we got the following produce:

~ Acorn squash x 3

~ Apples

~ Arugula x 3

~ Baby bok choy

~ Basil x 3

~ Beets x 3

~ Broccoli x 2

~ Brussel sprouts x 2

~ Butternut squash

~ Cabbage x 3

~ Carrots x 3

~ Cauliflower

~ Chard x 6

~ Corn x 2

~ Cucumber x 7

~ Dill x 2

~ Edamame

~ Endive

~ Fennel

~ Flowers

~ Garlic x 4

~ Garlic scrape

~ Green beans x 4

~ Green onions x 2

~ Greens x 4

~ Kale x 5

~ Kohlrabi x 2

~ Lettuce x 3

~ Melon

~ Mint x 2

~ Mustard greens x2

~ Okra x 2

~ Onion x7

~ Oregano

~ Parsley x 6

~ Peas x 2

~ Pepper x 6

~ Pumpkin x 3

~ Radish x 6

~ Red lettuce x 2

~ Rosemary

~ Rutabaga

~ Salad mix x 3

~ Spinach x 3

~ Spring garlic x 3

~ Stir fry greens x 2

~ Summer squash

~ Sun chokes

~ Sweet basil

~ Sweet potatoes

~ Tater x 12

~ Thai basil

~ Tomatoes x 4

~ Turnips x 5

~ Watermelon x 2

~ Yellow squash x 3

So, overall, a wide variety but a little inconsistent. You can see that we got 'taters for half of the CSA but only got corn twice. Of the things we only got once: apples, bok choy, butternut squash, cauliflower, edamame, endive, fennel, garlic scrape, melon, rutabaga, sun chokes, sweet taters. I would have loved to have edamame again. Same with the melon and apples. And it made planning a little hard. I had several dishes planned for the edamame but never had a chance to try them.

The weather affected us too. For a good chunk of the season we were in a very rough drought. There were some crops that died as a result. We also had an early frost which killed some plants too.

The hardest part for us was rationing the food. Some weeks everything would be gone by Thursday (pick up day is Tuesday) and other weeks, we were in a rush to polish everything off come the next pick up day.

Overall it was a positive experience and we will probably do it again next year. Now that I have a year under my belt and know what to expect, I can work on gathering recipes for all the greens we got.

CSA - Week 24

2011-11-28T06:24:00.000-06:00

The final week and I never did get time to take a photo.

For our final week we got: taters, rosemary, garlic, acorn squash, cauliflower, salad mix and turnips. As a special treat we also got both whole wheat and rye flour.

CSA - Week 23

2011-11-04T22:54:00.005-05:00

Only one more to go. I am sad.

We got brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, sunchokes, peppers, cabbage, turnips, rutabaga and salad mix.

So I normally get really excited about cooking all my veggies for the week. This week I chopped up the sweet potatoes, turnips and rutabaga and roasted them. See how pretty. Then I browned off some bacon and roasted the brussel sprouts.

Then I got distracted in the kitchen by some shiny light and.....

I burned everything. But I still ate it. The Good Daughter had yogurt for dinner that night.

CSA - Week 22

2011-11-04T22:47:00.003-05:00

No photo again this week. It has been crazy this semester and I am falling behind.

We got 'taters, acorn squash, pumpkin, radishes, arugula, chard, radish and parsley.

CSA - Week 21

2011-10-14T22:34:00.004-05:00

This week we got butternut squash, dill, taters, tomatoes, stir-fry greens and mustard greens

It's a universal truth

2011-10-10T14:51:00.000-05:00

That a trip to Targét to get thank you cards, goes from this:

to this:

and the thought process that evolves a $6 trip into a $50 spree is:

"Oh! The Dollar Spot. I got to check this shit out. What can I not live without but don't want to spend more than a dollar on? Ah-ha! Elmo coloring book WITH FUCKING STICKERS!!!! Yeah, I'll put that bitch in the cart. The Good Daughter didn't see it, so I can hide that when I get home and give it to her later. Oh, a baby Big Bird book. I have to have that and there is a Cookie Monster one too! I can't just get one fucking board book. Throw that whore in the back of the cart.

"What's this? Finger puppets? Well, fuck me. Our house is sorely lacking finger puppets. Which one to get? The unicorn/frog combo or the wizard/queen? I love unicorns, so that's a no brainer. But I love wizards. Hmmm. Which to get, which to get? What! Did I forget where I was? This is the motherfucking Dollar Spot, slut! Get both those finger puppet bitches!"

and so it goes that way for 45 minutes while I throw a toy in the cart b/c TGD was being a good girl while her mom walked around the T, out of her ever lovin mind. And the line was too long in the check out lane, which got me gum AND a magazine AND candy AND FUCKING LIP GLOSS, b/c I'm like Ted Haggard when faced with meth and gay sex and can't turn that shit down.

CSA - Week 20

2011-10-08T20:48:00.001-05:00

This week we got brussel sprouts (that ugly thing up there), turnips, taters, parsley, peppers, kale, radish

Pumpkin Donuts

2011-10-06T20:18:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make.

The Good Husband didn't know I had a blog for about 2 years. I don't know why he never questioned all the food photo taking, but whatever. Then a coworker asked for a recipe of mine and I emailed her the link to this blog. Then in talking to TGH, told him how she loved the blog.

He had no idea what the hell she was talking about and spend the rest of the day reading this. The first thing he said when he saw me after work that night was that I curse too much on here.

I laughed and told him if only he heard me in the kitchen. Like when I made these donuts, the second stop on our pumpkin tour, and spilled the bag on flour all over the floor. *(&^%^$&;%!!!

The original recipe called for the donuts to be brushed with melted butter and rolled in cinnamon and sugar but I skipped that step, however, I have included it in the directions if you want to do it.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
Cinnamon and sugar, for rolling
1/2 cup butter, for dipping

Directions:
~Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

~In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the dry ingredients. Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, milk, and butter until well combined. Fill a large ziploc bag and snip off the end. Pipe into the donut pan. The batter will be thick.

~Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.

~Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a small dish and mix together cinnamon and sugar in a second dish for dipping. Dip the donuts in the butter and then the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

recipe modified from: here

Pumpkin Truffles

2011-10-05T12:43:00.000-05:00

So I thought I would start off the week showcasing the sweet side of pumpkin and not with a fucking pumpkin pie.

I have wanted to make truffles for a while now and thanks to Pinterest, I was able to find a good pumpkin recipe.

I am tempted to mark this as a FAIL. They turned out U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi.

First off, the balls were too big - that's what she said - and I was rushed making them. Then the white chocolate turned out to be a temperamental bitch that wouldn't melt for me at all. I had to do two batches before I was able to get the candy to melt and I hate when I have to throw out food I fuck up.

But, aside from the too large truffles, they were lumpy and that just won't do. Even though real truffles are not round and perfect, candy truffles should be. I will have to work on my truffle making skills.

Size and shape aside, the taste was great and everyone that tried them LOVED them. So only a semi-FAIL.

Ingredients:

1 cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 5 oz)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup finely ground gingersnaps

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Pinch of orange zest

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

For dipping:

16 oz. chopped white chocolate, melted

For garnish:

Additional gingersnap crumbs

1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

~To make the filling, melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water just until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Add the pumpkin, gingersnap and graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, orange zest and cream cheese. Mix well until completely blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator or freezer until it has thickened up enough to scoop and roll into balls (about 1 hour).

~Scoop the filling mixture and roll into balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Transfer to a lined baking sheet. Chill until in freezer until firm, about 2 hours.

~To dip the truffles, melt the white chocolate* in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Once completely melted and smooth, carefully dip one of the balls into the chocolate. Turn quickly to coat and balance on the tines of a fork to shake off the excess. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with additional gingersnap crumbs, if desired.

~Repeat with the remaining filling balls. Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator and chill until the coating is set.

*I used Ghirardelli white chocolate bars to dip the truffles. I had originally used white chocolate chips and the chocolate refused to melt. The chocolate bar melted as it should and was easy to work with.

recipe by: Annie's Eats

Pureed Pumpkin

2011-10-04T06:05:00.000-05:00

Since we got pumpkin this week, the easiest thing to do was make puree.

My mom likes to tell me of the time my aunt made pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin one Thanksgiving and how it tasted like shit. I've been haunted by that story ever since. It convinced me that eat a real pumpkin would be a daunting task, one doomed to failure and food tasting like shit.

But I over came that fear and pureed up my pumpkin. B/C really, it was too early to carve that bitch.

Roasted it was so easy and now that I have a full size food processor, pureeing it was easy too.

And I was able to make pumpkin spice syrup and lattes, pumpkin truffles and pumpkin donuts.

And I didn't attempt pumpkin pie.

Ingredients:

1 pumpkin

Directions:

~Remove stem and cut in half. Remove seeds and guts, reserving seeds if desired. (I hate pumpkin seeds, so mine got composted.) Place pumpkin on cookie sheet, cut side up and roast at 350 degrees to 1 to 1 1/2 hour or until soft. Allow to cool.

~Scoop insides into a food processor and puree until smooth, about 5 minutes. Store in airtight container in the fridge.

recipe by: The Good Wife

CSA - Week 19

2011-10-03T21:54:00.001-05:00

No photo this week. Sorry.

We got pumpkin, watermelon, acorn squash, radish, arugula, taters, chard and peppers

Grilled Pound Cake with Brie and Peaches

2011-09-19T06:14:00.000-05:00

As it happens sometimes in life, you get busy and with all those good intention pavers to hell, you get behind your activities. This is what happened to this post.

I wanted to post it a few weeks ago, right after I posted about making pound cake, but life and the beginning of my last semester in grad school got in the way and the post floundered under draft status while I was busy reading 300 pages about human resources. But I have caught up now and can finally post this great little dish.

The original recipe for this dish called for figs. I have never had figs and can't even find them in any grocery store in the area so I swapped it out with something I did have - white peaches. I grilled the peaches for a nice smokey taste against the creaminess of the brie. This was a nice mid-afternoon fatass snack.

Ingredients:
2 thin slices pound cake
a few slices brie
1/4 grilled white peach, thinly sliced
1 small rosemary sprig, chopped
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
~Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Remove leaves from rosemary and chop. When the grill pan is hot, add butter and rosemary. Place pound cake slices side by side in pan. Top one side with grilled peaches. Top the other side with the brie and allow to cook until the brie is melted, about 5 minutes. Gently place the slice with the brie on top of the slice with the peaches. Turn off the grill pan and allow the sandwich to sit in the pan for 1-2 minutes.

~Remove from pan. Allow to cool slightly, cut in half and serve.

recipe by:The Good Wife

CSA - Week 18

2011-09-18T21:57:00.001-05:00

This week we got pumpkin, watermelon, okra, yellow squash, pepper, white and green cucumber and garlic.

The kiddo cabinet

2011-09-09T06:35:00.000-05:00

If I hated grammar, I would name this post "The Kiddo Kabinet" but I was a communications major, so I just can't do it.

I needed a place to put all The Good Daughter's stuff. I didn't want to put it in with ours b/c hers is so small, it would get lost in the regular plate cabinet. I also wanted all her stuff in one spot, as opposed to plates and bowls in one cabinet, her silverware in the drawer, etc.

So I came up with this.

All her stuff in one place, easy to reach and mostly clutter free.

On the first shelf we have cups and bowls. I also keep her silverware here, along with a baggie of homemade play dough and a few crayons.

The second shelf has leftover party supplies from my baby shower and TGD's first birthday. We are slowly going through it but since I hate to throw out stuff like that, it's hard.

The top shelf houses all TGD's baby bottles we are saving for when we have baby2.0 (no, that is not an announcement) along with our medicine. Medicines shouldn't actually be in your medicine cabinet in the bathroom, since the humidity can cause breakdown over time. But they do need to be in a safe place away from kids. Considering the fact that *I* need a chair to reach them, they are out of harms way.

Finally, I got some removable hooks and placed one on the inside of the door, so all her bibs will be in one place.

CSA - Week 17

2011-09-08T11:33:00.003-05:00

This week we got taters, sweet basil, green onions, green beans, peppers, melon and flowers

Copycat Chik-fil-a nuggets

2011-09-02T11:55:00.005-05:00

I briefly worked at a CFA during college. It was the only time I had heard of the place and once I moved, I haven't had the opportunity to eat at one again. Let me tell you it was the best 3 months of my life. I got to eat fried chicken, all day every day. As much fried chicken as I wanted and, sadly, was about 50 pounds skinner. I loved every single nugget I put in my mouth.

That's what she said.

But now I must live too North for their southern, bible-thumping, anti-gay chicken, since we have none up here. Which is fine by me b/c now I can make my own.

::cue thunder bolt and lightening, while I laugh evilly::: MAWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This is the best homemade version of the real thing. Served with honey mustard sauce and biscuits I could almost believe I was in college again, glow-in-black-light pink hair, tongue ring, beer bong and all.

Ingredients:
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
oil for frying

Directions:
~In a medium bowl whisk together egg and milk. Trim fat from chicken and dice into large cubes. Place chicken in egg mixture, cover and allow to marinate in the fridge 2-4 hours.

~In a large bowl combine flour, powdered sugar, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken until thoroughly coated. Meanwhile, over medium high heat, heat oil in a large, high sided skillet until hot or 375°. There should be 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch or so in the pan. Drop 10-12 nuggets into the oil and fry until golden brown and the chicken is completely cooked through, turning several times. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked. Drain on a paper towel. Serve warm. For that real CFA touch, make sure you say "God bless you" as you plate the nuggets for your family.

recipe found: here

Fried Okra

2011-09-01T20:15:00.001-05:00

So this week, I got okra in my CSA. I mentioned that I only had it once before and it was slimmy. I don't like okra and for the first time I actually thought I would see if I could trade with somone so I didn't have to eat it. But I sacked up and took it home. But was at a loss on how to eat it.

So how do you eat a veggie you're not sure you like? You fry the shit out of it. At least that's what we do in the Midwest and most of the South.

I have a friend that lives in TN and she gave me her tips for fried okra. She also told me her basic recipe, so than you so much V!

These turned out way better than expected. First off, I have never fried in straight cornmeal and that added a unique flavor and crunch. I also tried to slice the okra thin. I found the pieces that were a little thick leaned towards the slimy side. But overall, I would give this dish a 8 out of 10 with room for improvement. If I make them again, I might make a spicy dipping sauce to go with it.

Ingredients:
10 pods okra, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
~In a small bowl, whisk egg and soak okra for 5 to 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, salt, and pepper.

~Heat oil in a large skillet (I used cast iron) over medium-high heat. Dredge okra in the cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. Carefully place okra in hot oil; stir continuously. Reduce heat to medium when okra first starts to brown, and cook until golden. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

CSA - Week 16

2011-08-31T13:10:00.002-05:00

This week we got parsley, edamame, 'taters, cucumber, yellow squash, tomatoes and okra or for the first time ever a "What the fuck? I don't want to eat that."

But I am sure I will find something to do with the okra.

Vanilla Pound Cake with Thai Basil Tea Syrup

2011-08-30T12:44:00.000-05:00

I wanted something sweet but not overly so when I decided to bake a cake this past weekend. I settled on pound cake and since I had Thai basil from my CSA, I thought I would make a Thai basil tea syrup to pour over the cake.

The syrup provided a sweet contrast to the dense vanilla cake. The tea was the star but the Thai basil provided a subtle licorice flavor. If I didn't have other plans for the cake (hopefully a post in the next few days), I would have poured the syrup over the top of the cake before it cooled to allow it to soak into the cake. But adding it after baking was just as good too.

Ingredients:
For the cake
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the syrup
1 cup water
1 tea bag, I used regular Lipton
1 bunch Thai basil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) loaf pan; set aside.

~Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix).

~Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and turn upright to cool completely. If glazing the entire cake, brush top of cake with syrup while still warm.

To make the syrup:
~Bring one cup of water to boil. Add tea bag and steep for 15 minutes. Return to a boil and reduce to a simmer and reduce by half, about 20 minutes. Add the basil and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.

~Meanwhile, in a separate pot, combine 1/4 cup sugar and water and heat over medium heat until sugar dissolved. Allow to cool and combine with the tea basil reduction. Brush on top of warm cake or serve on the side.

recipe modified from: here

Twice Baked 'Tater Casserole

2011-08-29T02:45:00.000-05:00

'Taters so good, you'll slap your momma.

I love twice backed potatoes, even though I only grew up on the kind that came out of a box. Something about the smooth silkiness of potatoes with the crunch of bacon, or as in the case of the boxed kind - fake bacon.

But even though I love TBT, they are always such a bitch to make and really, I don't end up eating the baked potato bottom anyway. So it was a wonderful moment when I found this recipe on Pinterest.

It was way better than the time I just made cheesy bacon mashed 'taters. It was just so smooth and decadent. That might have something to do with the butter and cream cheese and sour cream and bacon and cheddar cheese. I could have eaten the entire pan, but I showed restraint, something my blood sugar appreciates.

I did make this all organically, with bacon and garlic from my CSA and the other ingredients organic. That's not to say that made a difference, but I did feel a little better about all the fat and carbs I was eating since they were organic. I bet my fat ass begs to differ.

Ingredients:
6-7 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
10 slices bacon, plus more for top
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
8 oz sour cream
3-4 cloves garlic
3-4 green onion, sliced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for top
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peeled and diced potatoes in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain; return to pan, cover, and set aside.

~Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool, and crumble into pieces.

~In a small sauce pan melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic cloves, peeled and crush and allow to steep in the butter for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic and set aside.

~In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand held mixer, combine potatoes and blend until fluffy and smooth. Add the cream cheese, garlic butter and sour cream and blend until combined and smooth. Add cheddar cheese, half of the sliced green onion, half the bacon, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.

~Transfer to a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake until top is slightly golden and potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with remaining bacon and green onion. Serve immediately (and slap your momma).

recipe modified from: here

CSA - Week 15

2011-08-28T14:46:00.002-05:00

This week we got peppers, tomatoes, apples, green beans, kale and thai basil

View from a Country Mouse

2011-08-24T22:36:00.000-05:00

Even though, as a kid and ~~young adult~~, ~~troublemaker,~~ teen, I lived fairly close to St. Louis, my small town was still pretty rural. Less than 30k rural. So while not as rural as I am now - less than 10k - still fairly country-ish.

In my wild days I might have gone cow tippin' and been chased off some land by farmers with shotguns, and gotten my car stuck hopelessly in the mud. I might have dated boys that bailed hay and detassled corn in the summer. I might have gone to college that was literately in the middle of a corn field. And not in the "I literately died" way.

But as I have grown up and gotten older and learned to read Census Bureau stats, I have learned that only 16% of the country lives in areas 250k or less. That makes me feel...........small. How can I be only part of 16%? Everyone I know is rural too. *no shit*

But just as I have no idea what it is like to live in an urban area, I am sure there are readers out there that have no idea what it's like to live like a country mouse. So I offer the following:

That is about 3 minutes away from my house, on the way to town. And that's a good road. Notice the lines? Yeah, that means it's a main drag, or a two-laner (for two lane "highway"), as we like to call them. This is the pinnacle in the hierarchy of roads.

Two-laner > blacktop > country road > township road

Blacktops usually don't have the lines, are narrower and usually filled with tractors this time of year. Country roads usually aren't paved and township roads don't even have gravel and still make me nervous to this day. Telephone poles and corn and/or soybeans are the staples that dot the landscape. You can easily go 2 hours on a road like this and not hit a town.

Every once and a while, you will come to an intersection and get to gaze in the face of vast nothingness. Of miles and miles of gently blowing GMO corn and government subsidized land.

There are days when I wish for a better view. I would love to live in the mountains or on a coast, but I think the black farm soil of Illinois is in my blood and I would have to move back home. I would miss the small towns with one church, one bar, a K of C hall and one post office. I'd miss the view shared by only 16% of the country.

Please pray for the DC earthquake victims

2011-08-23T14:37:00.006-05:00

The devastation was unimaginable today when a 5.8 earthquake struck near DC. Please keep everyone in your thoughts.

photo credit: http://famousdc.com/2010/07/16/dc-earthquake/

CSA - Week 14

2011-08-22T06:45:00.000-05:00

We are at the half way point in our CSA now.

This week we got white cucumbers, taters, beets, garlic, parsley and chard

Breakfast Taco

2011-08-18T22:35:00.001-05:00

This is another dish I made quickly on a CSA pickup night, and everything minus the tortillas came from the farm that night. Shit, except the salt and pepper and milk and oil. But you get the idea.

Ever since I had the egg taco at the Farmer's Market downtown, I have been obsessively making them. For every meal. Even second breakfast.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 kale leaves, stems removed
1-2 tablespoons oil or butter
2-3 eggs, roughly one per person
splash of milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon goat or cream cheese, I used goat
1 small tomato, cubed
tortilla

Directions:
~In a large saute pan, over medium heat, saute onion, garlic and kale in butter or oil until soft.

~Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan and allow to set for 30 seconds. Push the cooked egg into the edge of the pan and allow the liquid eggs to run to the center. Repeat this step until the eggs are cooked. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt.

~Once the eggs are cooked, spoon into tortillas, top with tomato and serve warm.

recipe by:The Good Wife

Snack Stations

2011-08-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is one of those organizational things that seems so easy once you do it and you totally kick yourself in the ass for not doing it sooner.

The Good Daughter loves to snack. She usually has one right after we get home from daycare and then again before bed. It is easy to just give her a small bowl of cheese crackers and let her hang out in the living room while I cook dinner. But I have found that pouring out of the box into the bowl lets her know there are MORE CHEESE CRACKERS!!!!!! So she normally tries to get a second and third bowl out of me b/c she knows I would be a lying whore if I were to say, "all gone" when she totally saw the entire box sitting on the counter.

I have found that if I give her a small pre-filled container full of snacks, I get less complaining when they are all gone since she never saw the source and can't call my bluff. So I decided to use the dozen or so plastic, square baby food containers I had saved from when TGD started solids. I had kept them since I didn't know what to do with them, and then I realized they were a perfect size for snacks. Plus I didn't want to use my good rubbermaid containers (you know you have some too) for just snacks.

I built two separate snack stations, one for the pantry and one for the fridge.

The pantry snack station features cheddar bunnies, graham cracker bears, pretzels, dry cereal (in the red rubbermaid container), homemade trial mix (red container also), some pieces of candy that are really for Mamma and a backup juice box. I store them all in an old ziplock container I wasn't using any more.

The next snack station I keep in the fridge. This contains healthier snacks. In this snack station I have sliced cucumbers, dried cranberries, cheese sticks, baby carrots, sliced apples, juice boxes and peanut butter and celery sticks (red rubbermaid container). I put it on a shelf in the fridge where TGD can reach, so she can have her pick of snacks. This cuts down in tantrums since she gets to choose what she can eat and she feels some independence.

I can reuse the containers as opposed to buying single servings of her favorite snacks, so I cut down on waste. I am looking for some reusable cloth bags to replace the plastic baggies, but I haven't found any yet.

Helpful Hints
~To prevent sliced apples from browning, soak in ginger ale or lemon-lime soda for 10 minutes. This will keep apples fresh for up to two days.

~To make your own cheese sticks, I slice a block of organic cheese into 9 equal sticks and wrap it in plastic wrap.

~To store peanut butter and celery, I place one tablespoon of peanut butter in the bottom of the container and stick the celery ribs in the peanut butter vertically.

CSA - Week 13

2011-08-10T21:29:00.002-05:00

This week we got taters, basil, mint, green and white cucumbers, carrots and kale.

I already ate the taters and the kale, so they aren't pictured.

Mac and Cheese for Elizabeth

2011-08-08T03:49:00.000-05:00

My good friend Elizabeth emailed me that other day and asked why the hell didn't I have a mac and cheese recipe on the blog?

The truth is I have always been very hit and miss in the mac and cheese making department and I have yet to find one full proof recipe. That is to say until now.

But only after I spectacularly fucked it up the first time. I had a dog and a husband and a kid running through my kitchen like a tornado on meth and I so fucked up the first batch. And just like the evil Mommy I am, I made The Good Daughter eat it and after I gave her a bath and put her to bed, I made the second batch which turned out great.

Distraction free cooking is the best.

The original recipe called for several hippy-grade cheeses that I didn't have available to me. It also called for bacon that I ate the last of the day before. So I swapped out some of the cheese and to get the smoky flavor the bacon would have given, I used applewood smoked cheddar cheese instead.

I also halved the recipe b/c this makes A TON. So please use caution since I am posting the full, massive thing below.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 to 7 cups whole milk, heated
4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups freshly grated Asiago cheese, plus more for the top
1 1/2 cups White Cheddar, plus more for the top
1 1/2 cups Applewood Smoked Cheddar, plus more for the top
1 cup grated Fontina cheese, plus more for the top
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, Romano and Asigao, plus more for the top
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked just under al dente
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 3 quart baking dish and set aside.

~Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until lightly golden brown. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in 6 cups of the hot milk, increase the heat to high and cook, whisking constantly until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

~In a small bowl whisk in the eggs slightly. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture and whisk. Add several more tablespoons of the hot milk to the eggs and whisk to combine. Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saute pan and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the thyme, cayenne, and all of the cheese until completely melted, season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too thick, add some of the remaining milk 1/4 cup at a time.

~Place the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, add the cheese sauce and parsley and stir until combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Combine together the remaining cheeses in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the macaroni. Bake in the oven until heated through and the top is lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

recipe modified from: Bobby Flay

And now for something I never do

2011-08-05T06:07:00.002-05:00

~UPDATED~ Thank you to everyone that took the time to vote for The Good Daughter. She didn't win, unfortunately. But I sincerely thank each and every one of you that took the time to vote for her. Thank you.

The Good Daughter is in a local cutest baby contest. She could win a $500 savings bond. At this point it is the only money she would have in her college fund, save our change we dump in her piggy bank when we break a dollar.

If you could just take a second and vote for TGD, I would love you more than I already do.

Voting ends Sunday night and you can vote as many times as you want.

Click this link to vote<

How to vote:
~Scroll until you find The Good Daughter's photo. She is number 73. (She is in the 19th row from the top, first one on the left. She is in a red shirt with white ruffles.)

~Click on the radio button under her photo

~Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click the Vote button.

She has some stiff competition for actual cutest baby so she needs any vote she can get.

Thank you so much for taking the time to vote. TGD and I really appreciate it.

TGW & TGD,
SarahBeth and Abby

Easy Garlic Dill Pickles

2011-08-04T20:00:00.003-05:00

We got cucumbers in our CSA way back in week 9. We used one in a salad and the other two I used to make easy garlic dill pickles. I'm not really a huge pickle fan, but I thought this would be a great way to dip my pinky toe into the canning process.

They were super easy to make and I didn't kill anyone with botulism. And I was able to add a shitton more garlic to the batch I wanted to eat. I tried to put the dill and the garlic in the middle of the spears but I don't think the order really mattered. I just wasn't able to get a photo with the garlic cloves visible.

I made these on a Tuesday and they were gone by the weekend. I would make a couple of batches.

Ingredients:
1 quart mason jars with lid
12 ounces of cucumbers (about 6 small or 2 large cucumbers)
3-6 cloves garlic, depending on your tastes
8 sprigs fresh dill
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup water

Directions:
~Wash the mason jar and lid in hot soapy water, rinse, and let air dry.

~Quarter the cucumbers into four slices each, lengthwise. Cut the garlic cloves in half.

~In an extra mason jar or covered container, combine coriander seeds, sugar, kosher salt and white vinegar. Tightly close the lid and shake vigorously until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the water to the mixture.

~In the clean mason jar, tightly pack the sliced cucumbers, sliced garlic, and dill. Pour the brine mixture over the cucumbers. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles and top off the jar with extra water if any cucumbers are exposed. Place the lid on the jar and screw on the ring until it is tight. Leave the jar in the fridge for 24 hours before tasting. The pickles last up to one month refrigerated.

recipe modified from: A Couple Cooks

CSA - Week 12

2011-08-03T19:43:00.000-05:00

This week we got corn, cucumbers (green and white), taters, onions, tomatoes and basil (not pictured)

I am very happy about the corn again this week but it might be our last, depending on how the crops look next week. The Good Daughter and The Good Husband were both very excited about the tomatoes.

Quiche

2011-08-03T11:48:00.001-05:00

We eat a lot of eggs in The Good House. They are usually a quick and easy meal that will fill you up while still being healthy. For a while I have wanted to make quiche but I knew The Good Husband wouldn't eat it. So instead of making an entire quiche just for me and the kiddo, I decided to make mini quiches.

Then I tried to serve it to her. And she wasn't having any part in it at all.

"Come on baby, eat your eggs."

"Noooooo."

"Oh, you like eggs. This is just an egg pie. I promise."

"Nooooooooooooooooooooo" which implied, "bitch, I know these aren't eggs."

This is for a 9 inch quiche.

Ingredients:
Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (recipe to follow)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 beaten eggs
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash ground nutmeg
1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
4-6 asparagus stalks, diced
1/2 cup diced, cooked ham
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:
~Prepare Pastry for Single-Crust Pie. Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy duty foil. Bake in a 450 degrees F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more or until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

~Meanwhile, in a skillet cook onion in butter over medium heat until tender but not brown.

~In a medium mixing bowl stir together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the onion, asparagus and ham. Toss together shredded cheese and flour. Add to egg mixture; mix well.

~Pour egg mixture into the hot, baked pastry shell. Bake in the 325 degrees F oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with foil to prevent overbrowning. Let stand 10 minutes.

Pastry for Single-Crust Pie: In a medium bowl stir together -1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all is moistened (use 4 or 5 tablespoons total). Form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry. Bake as directed.

On raising a girl

2011-08-02T11:59:00.002-05:00

is this the bane of my existence?

The Good Daughter has a pink play kitchen. My daughter has a fucking cotton candy pink play kitchen. How could I have let this happen and why am I getting worked up over a toy?

First of all I got it as a hand me down. If I didn't take it from a neighbor, she was going to throw it away and as a crazy, "green" hippy, I couldn't let that happen. So I told her I would take it. And TGD likes to play pretend anyway, so I knew she would like it.

So what's the fucking problem you ask?

I guess the most important is how obviously gender stereotypical this is. A pink play kitchen for a girl. A pretty common girl toy since the Great Depression and a hold over from the era of the most rigid gender oppression that is currently providing nostalgia through Mad Men.

By giving TGD a play kitchen I am subtly telling her, her place is in the kitchen. She might not know yet it is b/c she is a girl, her place is in the kitchen but she knows girls are in the kitchen most of the time. She sees me in the kitchen daily. She sees me cooking dinner and lunch and snacks and me cleaning. She knows there are Mamas and Dadas and that her Mama is in the kitchen most of the time.

But just as a play kitchen reinforces the idea that girls should be in the kitchen, the most powerful chefs or the ones most accessible through food network are men. Mario, Bobby, Emril, Morimoto, Wolfgang. These are the men that are making the most money from being in the kitchen. Yet there are no play kitchens marketed to boys. Or at least I have never seen a pink play kitchen marketed to boys.

Which brings me to another pain in my ass. Pink shit.

I hate pink shit. I don't hate the color per se. I just hate what the color implies. And I loathe the fact that makers of everything from tool kits to sports jerseys to board games (here, here, here, here, here and here) to guns think that women will only buy their product if it is pink. It also sends the message that the girl version is the "other", a deviation from the norm since scrabble is inherently nongendered. It wasn't until marketers thought of slapping pink on it to attract girls that it became gendered and that gender - girl - is not the default.

I won't even touch on the absurdity of the pink for breast cancer shit.

And I know I have pink on my blog. I do so ironically since I am also not a perfect or good wife.

Just as I struggled with how I can enjoy domestically as a feminist, I am struggling with how to raise a girl in a sexist and very unfeminist world. I will admit that I didn't want to have a girl as my first born. I worry about her growing up oversexualized. I worry about her only finding her worth in a man and I worry about her trying to cope with the pressure of being skinny and beautiful and vapid surrounded by media that holds up Taylor Momsen and Paris Hilton and Britney Spears (who both will be 30 this year, mind you, just like I will) as enviable instead of Gabby Giffords or Sonia Sotomayor or Hillary Clinton.

So do I ban all pink and girly things?

Clearly I haven't since she has a pink play kitchen and barbies and princess crap and pink clothes. I also dress her in dresses.

I'm just tying to find the line where she can play with a pretend kitchen and a pink princess tea set but also with trucks and tools and not know there is a difference between "boy" and "girl" toys and just see toys.

But can she just see toys when I am hyperaware of the difference? Can I limit her exposure to pink and princess and girl things without making them forbidden and thus so totally desirable? Can I teach her to be a lipstick feminist?

I wish I could say with 100% certainty I could. I wish I could say that pressure from media and society and friends will not have an effect on her if The Good Husband and I can be strong role models. But I just don't know.

And that scares me more than an entire room filled with fucking cotton candy pink play stoves.

Soft Pretzel Bites

2011-07-30T15:37:00.002-05:00

~UPDATE~
A reader suggested I add a hearty shake of baking soda to the water before boiling the dough to make them taste more like pretzels. Well, holy shit, if it didn't produce the most amazing pretzels ever!

I mean, just look at how they turned out. I didn't change one thing other than the baking soda and look how much darker and pretzel-er they are.

Thank you so much, Mrs.A!

Soft pretzels are a weakness of mine. I love going to the fair or a baseball game and ordering them. A soft pretzel with cheese and cold beer are a damn near perfect afternoon.

I was always intimidated to make them on my own, since I still get nervous about making bread from scratch. But, good old Pinterest sucked me in again, and I found a recipe that didn't require me to make the dough from scratch.

These were super easy to make and they were a great snack. I need to make cheese sauce the next time I make them.

Ingredients:
5-10 Texas size Rhodes roll, thawed
baking soda
1/2 stick butter melted
sea salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste

Directions:

~Thaw roll according to package, once thawed cut into quarters. Place dough on greased sheets. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and let dough rise until double in size (about 35-45 minutes).

~Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil over high heat. Add a hearty shake of baking soda to the water, carefully since the water will bubble up rapidly. When dough has risen, drop several pieces of dough in boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and place dough on paper towels to drain slightly.

~Move dough to greased baking sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done and golden brown.

~Meanwhile combine salt, onion and garlic powder in a small bowl. I think I used a hearty half tablespoon of each. When dough comes out of the oven, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt mixture. Serve warm.

recipe modified from: Get Off Your Butt and Bake

CSA - Week 11

2011-07-30T01:27:00.000-05:00

CORN!!

I love corn. It is one of my favorite veggies of all time. It is probably b/c it is starchy and my ass loves starch. So I was very happy this week when we got 4 ears of corn - 2 large and 2 small. We also got garlic, parsley, summer squash, chard, green beans and salad mix.

I was so excited to have corn, that we had it that night, along with pork chops I bought from the farmer at my CSA pickup, green beans and salad. The only thing I didn't get at the CSA this night for dinner was the taters (which I boiled until tender, then grilled and topped with butter and parsley).

Potatoes Gratin/Au Gratin Taters

2011-07-29T11:44:00.001-05:00

We eat a lot of taters on our house if you haven't noticed. But even I get tired of butter crisped taters and having mashed taters in summer is just wrong. I am still too lazy to fix twice baked taters on the regular, so that leaves me with the option of potatoes gratin.

Now, since The Good Husband is weird about food, I have to call them au gratin taters or he thinks there is something weird in it and won't eat it.

I modified this recipe from an Ina Garten one for tater and fennel gratin. Since I had no fennel this week in my CSA, I just used regular taters.

I slice the taters on my mandolin, trying not to cut my finger off again, so the taters come out uniform in thickness. I also slice them on the thinnest setting so they will cook faster.

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk or half and half
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

~Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.

~Saute onions and garlic in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender. Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of milk or half and half, 2 cups of cheddar, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed onion and garlic and mix well.

~Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk or half and half and 1/2 cup of cheddar and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

recipe modified from: Ina Garten

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2011-07-28T06:44:00.000-05:00

I have a weakness for ice cream and with the last heat wave we had here in the Midwest, I am starting to think that it is an essential survival tool.

Since I have already made vanilla and birthday cake ice cream, I thought it was time to add in candy and shit. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is in my top five favorite flavors, so I thought I would start there.

The base for this contained egg yolks, so it made for a rich flavor. Since the base wasn't very ass friendly with all the yolks, I swapped out the whole milk and cream for 2% and half and half. I used all organic dairy, sugar and eggs since I knew The Good Daughter would eat just as much of this as we did. But you don't have to go the organic route if you and your wallet can't. I also used mint baking chips instead of regular chocolate chips, since I saw them at the store and bought them during a chocolate craving.

I put a heavy pinch of salt in this and it was almost too much. I will have to remedy that next time.

Needless to say, this lasted about 3 days in the freezer before it was eaten. I will have to make more in order to survive the next heat wave.

Ingredients:
2 cups organic half and half, divided
1½ cups organic 2% milk
¾ cup granulated organic sugar
Pinch of salt
4 organic egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons mint extract
½ cup mint baking chips

Directions:
~Warm 1 cup of the half and half, 2% milk, granulated sugar and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.

~Pour the remaining 1 cup of half and half into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

~Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the of a spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the half and half. Add the vanilla and mint extracts, and stir until cool.

~Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (preferably overnight). Churn according to your ice cream maker’s directions, adding the mint baking chips during the last 5 minutes of churning.

Recipe modified from: Brown Eyed Baker

Cucumber Mint Water

2011-07-26T20:18:00.001-05:00

I should have never joined Pinterest. In addition to adding to the list of things I want to make, I am totally envious of all the beautiful food photos I see. This recipe was inspired by this pin. And I am sad my photo isn't as awesome.

Cucumber mint water just sounded so refreshing during this heat wave and I had all the ingredients from my CSA this week. Add it was so easy to make I can't even really consider it a recipe. I only wish it were carbonated, but I supposed I could have added carbonated water.

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 mint sprigs
ice
water

Directions:
~Fill a pitcher half way with ice. Add the cucumber and mint and add water until full.

~Enjoy!

recipe by:The Good Wife

CSA - Week 10

2011-07-20T12:10:00.000-05:00

This week we got swiss chard, 'taters, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, mint and oregano. The Good Husband is loving the 'taters and The Good Daughter ate half of the carrots on the way home from the farm.

CSA - What the hell is it?

2011-07-18T06:03:00.001-05:00

Now that I have several weeks of CSA baskets blogged and eaten, I thought it would be a good idea to go over the basics of a CSA and cover some common questions.

First - CSA stands for Community Support Agriculture. Most of the time around here when I tell people I have a part in a CSA, I get blank looks. However, if I say I am part of a farm share, people seem to know what the hell I am talking about. So CSA or farm share, whatever.

It just means that I pay our farmer at the beginning of the season for his talent, time and land and in return I get a share of the veggies each week. It is a great way to support local farmers, local resources and enjoy fresh produce which I couldn't grow on my own. CSAs are good for the environment since food doesn't travel thousands of miles to get to you and, at least for my farmers, uses natural, chemical free ways to maintain crops and control pests, and is good for your health since we all need to eat more veggies.

So what are some things to think about before joining a CSA?

~Can you eat outside the box?
I won't lie. This is probably the hardest part for me but it is also the most fun. I am being exposed to new veggies all the time that I wouldn't have picked up on my own. I love finding new ways to eat them and really love the culinary skills I am building. It also helps that The Good Daughter will eat anything. I don't think she has ever turned down any fresh veggie. So when there is something I am not too keen on, such as greens, TGD will eat them up along with The Good Husband. Conversely, when there is something TGH won't eat, I probably will.

~Do you have the time?
I have to drive to the farm each week and pick up my share. The pick up time is right after work for me, so I can just head on out there after I pick up TGD from daycare. If it were any other time, I might not be able to join. I could find someone that has a share too and lives close to me and do a kind of veggie car pool but so far I have been going there each week. If you find a CSA that you love but can't ever pick up the produce, you might be wasting time and money joining.

~Can you actually get there?
We got lost the first time we went out to the farm b/c google maps can't figure out BFE Illinois. But now that I know how to get to the farm, I know it will only take 10 minutes or so to get there. If you want to join a CSA that takes 45 minutes to get to but pick up is only for an hour, you might not want to join.

~Can you take the risk?
As with anything in nature, things happen outside the realm of our control. You could lose some crops to pests or drought or flood. I know my farmer works as had as he can to make sure we all get what we pay for but sometimes you can't control everything. You have to be able to deal with any setbacks from nature.

~Do you have to work?
Some CSAs also require some manual labor. Check yours to make sure what the requirements are and if you can meet them.

~What do you get, how much is it and for how long?
After you know you can find the farm, be there on time and work if you have to, you need to know what you get for how much for how long. This CSA runs from May to October. It costs less than $10 a week.

~What veggies will I get, how much will it be and how many people can I feed?
I get a half share which includes a minimum of seven different kinds of produce with a mix of familiar (taters, corn, green beans) and unique (fennel, kohlrabi). This feeds my family of 3 a menu heavy on veggies. I think another key to being in a CSA is being ok with the same veggies for weeks in a row. In the beginning we were eating a ton of greens. Now we are getting more of a variety. If you don't think you will like eating the same 3 veggies every week for a month, you might not like a CSA.

~Do you get only what is produced at the farm or do other farmers sell their products as well?
I told you my CSA just partnered with another local farmer to offer meats and goat cheese for sale when we pick up our shares. This is a great way to meet more local farmers and for her to rely on a steady flow of customers. The CSA I did two years ago did not offer this.

~What is their farming philosophy?
You are supporting the farm, you should know how they operate. I get weekly updates from our farmer about the crops and conditions, etc. Most of the time, they will be more than happy to tell you how they grow and harvest.

~Is there a waiting list?
I was on the waiting list for 2 years for this CSA. The year TGD was born, I gave them my name and email for the waiting list. They contacted me this spring. So far it has been worth the wait.

~Do we get updates?
Another thing I love about this CSA is we get weekly updates about what will be in our box, how the crops are looking and recipes for the veggies we will get this week. I love having a heads up since I am not all that familiar with what grows when in Illinois.

~How do I find a CSA?
Talk to the vendors at your local farmer's market. My CSA has the best booth at the farmer's market. I had chatted with them before and got signed up for the waiting list while shopping with TGD. You can also check out http://www.localharvest.org/ and http://www.eatwild.com/.

~Do they have references?
Most CSAs should give you a list of past clients so you can contact them for information.

I hope this covered the basics of a CSA, what it is, what questions you should ask and what you can expect if you join one.

Do you have a question I didn't cover? Email me at the link in the right sidebar and I will do my best to answer.

CSA - Week 9

2011-07-17T22:48:00.003-05:00

This week we got cucumbers, yellow squash, onion, basil, kale, green beans and beets. I also bought more goat cheese.

I made easy garlic dill pickles with the cucumbers (recipe to follow). I cooked the green beans in onion and bacon and had them as a side dish one night.

This coming week, there might be duck for sale and I must just try it. We'll see.

How to plan a party

2011-07-13T00:42:00.003-05:00

I recently threw The Good Daughter one hell of a birthday party. It took a lot of planning. The last two weeks before her birthday were dedicated to buying and making decorations, games, decor and food.

I couldn't have done it without some sort of list and planning tools. I actually had an idea of the theme, games and menu way back in March. Yes March, for a birthday in June. And yes, I know I'm crazy.

this is my rough draft for the backyard layout of the party

But it was a huge relief for me to have everything written down and in one spot. That way I could go over it when I had free time and modify any detail.

The Good Husband could look at the list and know what the hell was going on too, so when the morning of her party came, he would know how to help me set up. The same with my mom and grandma.

So I decided to create a party planning template to go into my household binder, aka The Brains of the Operation.

I'll be planning parties for at least another 19 years for The Good Daughter as well as any additional kiddo we might have, so this will come in handy, even if for once a year. And besides, it's never too early to plan for next year.

Camping birthday next year?

You can download this template here for your own BotO.

Taste of Downtown

2011-07-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

I don't get to make it to downtown often for several reasons, the biggest being there is usually only street parking and I never learned how to parallel park. So I haven't been to a lot of the great restaurants downtown has to offer. Most of them aren't open early in the morning when The Good Daughter and I go to the Farmer's Market. But even if they were, I would feel a little awkward with my stroller among the white linen tablecloths.

So the Taste of Downtown is a great opportunity for me to get to sample food from all the great vendors and do it in a kid friendly and relaxed environment. The Taste started at noon and we got there soon after in an attempt to beat the heat and the crowds. While it was crowded, I didn't have to wait in line at any booth at all. The heat, I wasn't able to avoid.

The first thing we sampled was a lobster corn dog with a spicy mustard sauce. I really liked this and so did TGD, who ate the entire thing after I had the first bite. Very tasty with a mild lobster flavor. The sauce was a little too spicy, though.

Next were chicken pot stickers with a sweet chili sauce. These were just ok. TGD liked them though.

Next was bacon wrapped shrimp. $6 for three shrimp. I was more than a little disappointed about this overpriced dish. The cocktail sauce seemed to lack any flavor other than tomato paste. I love my cocktail sauce with a hearty dose horseradish and this had none. I wish I would have skipped this dish.

TGD had a orange dreamsicle cupcake. I only got a taste of the frosting which was good. She didn't share the rest, so it must have been good.

The next dish was a sample of "cuddlers" - a meal in a pie pocket. Fillings are stuffed into dough and baked for a crispy take on a pierogi. I had wanted to eat at this cafe before but couldn't find it the last time I was downtown (I also have a horrible sense of direction to complete my lack of parking skills). I had low expectations going in for this dish, but it was one of the highlights of the day.

I got the mini sampler of 4 different kinds. This first one was a spinach artichoke cuddler. Very tasty.

The second cuddler was a BBQ Chicken. The BBQ was sweet and mild and the chicken was tender and juicy. Very good.

The third cuddler was a pizza supreme. Sausage in pizza sauce with pepper and onion. Very good but ugly, so no photo.

This was the best cuddler out of the four. It was a quiche with spinach and mushroom. It was the most flavorful of all the cuddlers. I will have to go back and order some of these to go. They were great.

This was the other highlight of the day. This is a local, organic micro brewery beer.

IT WAS AMAZING. I tried to get bottles of it on the spot; it was that good. Unfortunately, bottles aren't available for sale just yet.

Here is the description from their website: This brew boarders on an imperial hefeweizen with big citrus note from the wheat used in the recipe, so there's no need for a stupid lemon slice or orange slice ( n.f.l.s. / n.f.o.s. ). There is also a banana flavor from the fermentation. Bringing a balance to these sweet and citrus flavors are our farm grown hops, a bitter note in to the flavor profile.

All these flavors together serve to balance each other in a harmonious blend, with a start, a middle and an end. The start, an initial nose of banana and clove with a taste to match. The middle is a soft citrus, flowing and slowing the sweet of the banana start. The end is a finish of citrus-like bitterness. This comes from our central Illinois farm grown whole cone hops, grown on Rolling Meadows Farm, where our brewery is located.

I had high hopes for this dish too and was disappointed. This was from a vendor that isn't actually downtown, but rather, owned by the owner of downtown restaurant. It is a concept restaurant whose goal is to "offer our guests a dining experience that encompasses quality food and service from start to finish. It is our mission to use only the freshest ingredients, sourced from farmers right here in Illinois. We want to encourage the sustainable movement happening in our community by endorsing farms that are locally owned and family operated, and grow beautiful products without the use of pesticides."

The Good Husband and I went there in May for our anniversary and we both really enjoyed it. So I was happy to see them at the taste. However, this dish was only ok. It was a chicken confit taco with buffalo corn salad. The chicken was watery and a little bland, and the corn tortillas would have been so much better toasted. The salad was the best part of the dish.

So overall the entire thing was ok. There weren't a lot of crowds, it wasn't too hot and the beer and cuddlers and lobster corn dog were the best part. I won't devote my social calendar to it next year, but if I am already downtown, I might go again.

Taters and Cheese Soup

2011-07-12T12:47:00.000-05:00

This was another simple dinner I made on the night of my CSA pick up. This was the first week we got 'taters, so I was very excited considering how fast we go through them in The Good Household.

Because we didn't get a lot of taters, I decided to stretch what we had and made this a taters and cheese soup. I would also have loved to put some beer in this, but The Good Husband differ extremely when it comes to tastes in beer and he wouldn't have like the beer I would have put in it. Maybe the next time I am making it just for me I will add good beer to it.

We also had grilled cheese along with our soup. TGH said it reminded him of being a kid again.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetables oil
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 10- to 12-ounce russet potato, peeled, diced
1 cup packed shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
chopped green onion for garnish

Directions:
~Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, carrot, onion and thyme and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and stir 2 minutes.

~Gradually whisk in broth, then milk. Add potato and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup until potato is tender, about 20 minutes. Add cheese 1/3 cup at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with green onion and serve.

recipe by: Epicrious

CSA - Week 8

2011-07-11T14:39:00.001-05:00

This week we got fennel, spring garlic, cabbage, taters, greens, onions and the last lettuces until the fall.

Pork Fried Rice

2011-07-11T00:47:00.002-05:00

Week 7 of my CSA came with a great bonus - eggs and pork! For the last several weeks, my CSA has been sold out of their eggs. This week I was able to get two dozen eggs from free range, organically fed, Montessori educated chickens. They are a thing of beauty.

The other great bonus is a local farmer will now offer pork, poultry and goat products (soap, lotion, cheese) every week at our CSA pickup. This week, I picked up some goat cheese, pork ribs and pork chops.

It is so nice to see all the produce and now have options for meat so I can go home and just throw a meal together, like this one:

I used the carrots, bok choy, pork, onion, garlic and eggs in this dish and it was yummy. So yummy I was mad there was only enough left overs for one day and that went to The Good Husband.

I used brown rice in this dish, hence the reason the photo is so brown. I also need to start making and freezing bags of rice since brown rice takes so long to cook. We would have been able to eat a whole lot sooner, if I had premade rice.

Another tip with making stir fry is to have all the ingredients chopped, measured and ready to go since the cooking time is so fast. There is no time to cut the carrots while the pork cooks. So have everything ready to go and just dump in the wok.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound pork chops, cubed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon finely diced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
2-3 small carrots, peeled and diced
3-4 heads baby bok choy, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cups cooked rice

Directions:
~Heat half the oil in a hot wok until surface seems to shimmer slightly and stir-fry onion and ginger for 30 seconds. Add carrots and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add sugar and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add pork and stir-fry for another 1 minute. Stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add bok choy and peas and cook for another few minutes. Add the cooked rice and cook until heated through.

~Make a well in the center of the wok and add the rest of the oil. Add the beaten eggs and stir until eggs are scrambled. Once the eggs are cooked, stir to combine them in the rest of the dish.

recipe modified from this one

CSA - Week 7

2011-07-09T12:39:00.002-05:00

I know I am slightly behind on posting my CSA baskets. I confess The Good Daughter's b-day threw me off. I will be caught up soon. I actually didn't get a photo of week six. This is week 7.

This week I got baby bok choy, kohlrabi, broccoli, carrots, beets and greens.

Kohlrabi Slaw

2011-06-29T10:00:00.004-05:00

This week I had to figure out what to do with kohlrabi. I have never had it before, have never seen it at the store and didn't know what it tasted like at all.

Luckily I just happen to catch a small recipe in Martha Stewart's Living magazine. I was in the waiting room at the doctor's office, so I didn't have time to copy it. I just saw the words kohlrabi, slaw and apples. So I really just winged this dish.

But it was really great. The kohlrabi has a nice mild flavor and gives the slaw a nice crunch. I used green apples in this dish, but you can use any type. I am actually not a big fan of green apples, but I had already eaten all the red apples, leaving The Good Husband and The Good Daughter the greens, so I had to make due.

This is a nice simple dish that I would take to any summer cookout.

Ingredients:
Kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks
Apple, peeled cut into matchsticks
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
~Toss all ingredients until well combine and serve.

NOTE: if the kohlrabi are young and tender, there is no need to peel the bulb, otherwise peel the outer skin. I peeled both the kohlrabi and half the apple in this dish.

recipe by:The Good Wife

Country Lemonade

2011-06-29T01:44:00.001-05:00

This is summer in a glass.

For The Good Daughter's Barnyard Birthday Bash, I decided to make lemonade and serve them in mason jars. They added to the farm feel.

Everyone at the party loved them and the pint jars were just the right size. I wouldn't make this with anything other than fresh lemon juice. I used my Jack Lelane juicer to juice the lemons but it is not required. It just made less work for me.

Ingredients:

Juice of 8 lemons
1 cup superfine sugar
3 cups water
1 lemon, sliced for garnish

Directions:
~To juice lemons without a juicer, roll firmly on counter top, slice in half and squeeze over a strainer to catch the seeds.

~Mix lemon juice, sugar and water until combined. Chill and serve cold with a lemon slice for garnish.

recipe from:Ben Franklin

Barnyard Bash! The Good Daughter Turns Two

2011-06-27T13:07:00.011-05:00

Over the weekend, The Good Daughter turned two. I wanted a fun, simple theme for her second birthday and since I have all the time in the world (ha!), I thought I would make all the invitations and decorations for her party this year.

There was a lot inspiration out there for a barnyard birthday and it was easy to come up with decorations, games and food.

I chose a barnyard theme since TGD loves animals and the farm. I designed an invitation that I think really set the tone for the party. (Click on any photo to make it larger)

When guest arrived, they were greeted by Bessy, the flying cow.

I made pom-poms in John Deere green and yellow along with red/orange and blue.

I used the same farm animals throughout the decorations. This welcome to the farm banner was a super cute way to tell guests about the party.

The door displayed an E I E I O banner.

Once the guest got to the backyard, they had several games set up for them. We did a duck pond, a Farmer's Market, horseshoe toss and pig pen.

We also had barnyard bowling and a chicken coop.

At the duck pond, the kids got to pick a duck and the one with the dot on the bottom, got a prize from the Farmer's Market.

I tried to have a mix of both old fashioned and kid friendly candy.

The market had bubble gum and cow tails.

Old fashioned stick candy.

Cracker Jacks.

The next game station was a horseshoe toss.

Then came barnyard bowling.

The Good Husband made this play barn for the kids. TGD loved it and kept going inside and hiding.

Next was the chicken coop where kids could gather eggs.

Everything looked wonderful until it rained and we had to move the party inside. The chickens, horseshoe toss and pig pen filled with pink balloons with pig faces drawn on them were a total loss. But the kids had more fun playing in the rain, hiding in the barn and splashing in the pool.

I tried to keep the theme in the menu by featuring picnic types of food and food you think of when going to the farm.

We had haystacks (pretzels) and chicken feed (Chex Mix).

Organic veggies with buttermilk ranch dressing.

The main entrees were pigs in a blanket, chicken fingers and animal cut out sandwiches.

The chick sandwiches were turkey and provolone on wheat bread.

The barn sandwiches were brown sugar ham and swiss on white bread. The cow sandwiches were roast beef with cojack on wheat bread.

We had baked beans (recipe to follow in a later post).

Cole Slaw

Tater Salad and Pasta Salad

Assorted Melons.

To drink, there was sweet and unsweet tea. We also had lemonade in mason jars.

And "well water".

Instead of one large cake like we had last year, I decided to make cupcakes.

There were four different flavors and decorations. The cow featured dark chocolate cake with vanilla butter cream with a fondant cow. The pig featured a vanilla cake with a strawberry butter cream with a fondant pig. The duck featured a yellow butter cake with vanilla butter cream with a fondant duck. The sheep featured a vanilla cake with milk chocolate butter cream with fondant sheep.

TGD had a vanilla cake with cream cheese butter cream with fondant animals and the number 2.

I decorated the table with red gingham tablecloths. The centerpieces were milk bottles (Starbucks frappuccino bottles) holding yellow and white daises. I also had several small galvanized buckets holding balloons. I also decorated the tables with several farm animal puzzle pieces and a small barn TGD has.

In the end, she didn't care that it rained and she was just excited that everyone sang to her and she could scream "Happy Birthday Abby!" as much as she wanted. Meanwhile, I needed the next day to recover and clean the house.

I hope you have a great year, little one and here's to a great and rain free 3rd!

Chicken Salad

2011-06-23T12:26:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday nights, I need something easy to make since I have to go to the farm for our CSA. I have to wash and prep all our veggies for the week and I don't really love to be in the kitchen for an additional hour that night. So while I prep, I make something easy, like poached chicken for chicken salad sandwiches.

I usually vary my chicken salad recipe based on what we have. Sometimes I add walnuts and apples, but that is usually in the fall. For an early summer, I go with simple grapes and celery. I like a little more mustard in mine than does The Good Husband, so I have to go easy on it. I mostly just play it by ear when adding the ingredients, so feel free to experiment according to your taste.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts poached in water with lemon and thyme, cooled and shredded
2 ribs of celery diced
1/2 cup grapes, halved
1 heaping tablespoon mayo
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Sprinkle of onion and garlic powder
Endive
Bread

Directions:
~Combine first six ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.

~Spoon on to bread, top with endive and serve.

recipe by:The Good Wife

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

2011-06-20T11:49:00.005-05:00

I get random inspiration with turns into obsession for food. Pinterest does not help at all. I saw some pretty donuts pop up on there and I immediately knew I needed to make all kinds of donuts. I have a list at least 5 I want to try in my head.

Cake? Yeast? Baked? Fried? Filled?

Even though it is not traditional, I wanted to make baked donuts. It is somewhat healthier I figured. Also, I don't like messing with the fryer early in the morning. After a lot of googling, I found out that cake donuts are the best to bake. At least I didn't find any baked yeast donut recipe.

After learning that I need a donut pan AND getting a 50% off coupon at Micheal's, I decided that Father's Day would be the best day to eat donuts. I started with cinnamon sugar since that is The Good Husband's fav and they were a hit. The Good Daughter licked the sugar off two donuts.

The pan is really easy to use and once I put all the dough in a pastry bag instead of trying to spoon it into the molds, baking went super fast. I also mixed up the cinnamon and sugar in a bag and tossed the donuts in there. They came out with a hefty coating of the sweet stuff so I might try a different approach next time.

I modified the recipe from the pan and while it said it made 12, I was able to get 15 out of the batter.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour, sifted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray.

~Sift together the dry ingredients. Whisk in milk, eggs, vanilla and butter and mix until just combined. Fill each donut cup until about 2/3 full, using a pastry bag if needed.

~Bake 7-9 minutes, or until the top of the donuts spring back when touched. Cool in pan for about 4-5 minutes before removing from pan.

~Meanwhile combine 1 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons cinnamon in a plastic bag and shake to combine. Dip donuts in 2 tablespoons of melted butter and drop in bag. Toss to coat. Serve warm.

recipe modified from: Wilton

CSA - Week 5

2011-06-19T14:25:00.005-05:00

Gone are the greens. Welcome to the what the hell is that?

This week, I got kohlrabi or WTF is this and how do I eat it? I am still searching for what to do with it.

I also got more peas, turnips, onion, lettuce, endive and broccoli.

I made kohlrabi slaw this week.

My addiction

2011-06-13T06:48:00.000-05:00

All of that is lip gloss.

I've gotten all these - expect for the almay gloss - in the last 3 months. I think 5 of them were in my purse.

I usually buy them on Target or Walgreen runs. I think I am always out and buy one, use it until it falls to the bottom of the purse to be seen only when I make a blog post.

When the zombies come, I will take comfort in the fact that I can probably fashion some sort of explosive device from all the beeswax I have here.

Garlic Scape Pesto

2011-06-09T06:08:00.000-05:00

I have a confession. I have never had pesto before. I remember once as a kid mixing a a ton of dried basil and oil and trying to eat it on toast. It was not pretty and I haven't had pesto since.

One of the first recipes that caught my eye this week from my CSA was garlic scape pesto. Garlic scapes are a young tender part of the plant that would turn into garlic eventually. But for a short window you can pick them and eat them. And tbat's what I did.

It's ok if you have never heard of them before. I hadn't either. I had never even seen them before.

The garlic scape pesto made for a good lunch. The flavor was bright like cilantro with a mild garlic flavor. I could have added more salt but for a first time try, it was good.

Ingredients:
1 cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9 scapes), top flowery part removed, cut into ¼-inch slices
1/3 cup walnuts
¾ cup olive oil
¼-1/2 cup grated parmigiano
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Directions:
~Place scapes and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until well combined and somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil and process until integrated. With a rubber spatula, scoop pesto out of bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add parmigiano to taste; add salt and pepper. Makes about 6 ounces of pesto. Keeps for up to one week in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

~For ½ pound short pasta such as penne, add about 2 tablespoons of pesto to cooked pasta and stir until pasta is well coated.

recipe available here

CSA - Week 4

2011-06-08T12:59:00.004-05:00

Week 4 of my CSA brought me greens - mustard, collard, stir fry -, red lettuce, peas, garlic scrape and spinach (not pictured).

No concrete plans on what to make just yet, but I might make garlic pesto with the scrape. Stay tuned.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2011-06-07T20:43:00.001-05:00

At the Farmer's Market last weekend, I bought both strawberries and rhubarb to make pie. I've never had strawberry rhubarb pie before and other than a small bite of rhubarb scones I made two years ago, I've never really had rhubarb.

But The Good Husband will eat the shit out of S/R Pie, or some I'm told. So I made it.

I still need to work on my pastry skills. I had a really hard time getting the dough to stick together and then off of the counter to put in the pie pan. I also need to remember to take the foil off the edges of the pie at some point when it is cooking, so I don't end up with the weird tan line looking thing above.

But the filling was nice and thick and not at all runny. And TGH did eat the shit out of it, so I guess it was ok. I also had a higher strawberry to rhubarb ratio b/c I snagged the last bunch of rhubarb from the FM and it was less than 2 pounds.

Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

For the filling:
1 cups rhubarb, chopped
4 cups de-stemmed, strawberries halved
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons minute tapioca
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons butter, cubed small
1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Directions:
For the crust:
~ In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

~Roll out dough on a floured counter to make bottom crust. Place into a pie dish. Put dish in refrigerator to chill.

For the filling:
~Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

~Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, flour, zest and juice of lemon, dash of cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix well in a large bowl and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Pour into chilled crust. Dot the top of the filling with the butter. Brush edges of pie crust with egg white wash. Roll out the other piece of dough and place over filling. Crimp to seal edges. Brush with egg white wash and garnish with sugar. Collar with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling starts bubbling.

Trip to the Farmer's Market #3

2011-06-07T13:15:00.002-05:00

Saturday at the Farmer's Market was one of the trips were I push The Good Daughter in her stroller, people watch and eat. I bought her some apple donuts and an oatmeal cookie. I bought an egg taco, which was to die for, and iced coffee.

I ended up bringing home only a rosemary plant which I hope to not kill this summer/winter.

Then we went consignment store clothes shopping and I ended up with $300 of new Gyboree clothes for $40 bucks. Not bad at all.

Eggs (sorta) Florentine

2011-06-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

With the spinach from my CSA I decided to make something like eggs florentine. The only problem was I have never had eggs florentine, I didn't know what it was supposed to look or taste like. I did know that it used sauteed spinach. So I really just make some sauteed spinach and served it with eggs. Sorta florentined.

Ingredients:
Sauteed Spinach:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 pound spinach, washed, tough stems removed
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch grated nutmeg

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 ounce grated cheese, such as Swiss or Gruyere

Two eggs, over easy
1 English muffin, toasted

Directions:
To saute spinach:
~Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 1 minute. Add the garlic and saute for one additional minute. Add the spinach and saute, stirring to wilt and combine with the onions and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

For the sauce:
~In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Allow to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese and whisk until melted.

To assemble:
~Split English muffin and toast. Top each side with the over easy egg. Combine the spinach and the sauce and mix to combine. Pour over eggs and English muffin and serve immediately.

recipe by:The Good Wife

Asparagus Crepes with Mushroom Dill Sauce

2011-06-02T18:44:00.002-05:00

One of the things I said I love about my CSA is they give recipes every week for the veggies we get in the share. It gives me a ton of inspiration so none of the food goes to waste. This week I was inspired by a recipe for asparagus crepes with mushroom dill sauce. Since I had everything but the mushrooms on hand, this was an easy dish to make. And despite the fact the recipe seems long, I was able to make it in about 25 minutes.

This would be great for Meatless Monday. The Good Daughter and I had it for dinner the other night when The Good Husband was out for a boys night. While I love him and he has come a long way in expanding his acceptable foods list, I think this might be slightly over the line for him.

But I really loved it and TGD did too.

It was also the first time I ever made crepes and I did ruin the first three, so there is a learning curve. But once I got the first one out successfully, I got more confident and didn't ruin any more.

Ingredients:
For the crepes:
1/2 cup pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup milk

For the sauce:
1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon flour
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons fresh minced dill
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

For the filling:
24 stalks asparagus

Directions:
To make the crepes:
~Combine flour & salt in mixing bowl. Make a well in the center & pour in the milk & oil. Beat till smooth. Heat a 6 or 7-inch skillet. When hot, pour in 1/4 c of batter & tilt skillet till it's evenly coated. Cook over moderate heat till lightly browned on the bottom. Flip & brown the other side. Remove & set on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter. You should have 6 crepes.

To make the sauce:
~Heat butter in a small pot. Add onion & garlic & saute over moderate heat till onion is golden. Add mushrooms & cover. Cook till the mushrooms are limp & juicy. Sprinkle in the flour & stir till it disappears. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the dill & tarragon. Cook at a simmer till the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice & season to taste. Remove from heat & cover.

To make the filling:
~Trim about 1/2-inch of the asparagus stalks & scrape off any tough looking skin. Cut stalks in half & steam till tender crisp.

To assemble:
~Place 6 asparagus stalks in the center of each crepe, letting the tips protrude from the top & overlapping the halved stalks in the center if necessary. Spoon a very small amount of sauce over the asparagus. fold one end of the crepe in towards the center & overlap the other end over it. Arrange the crepes, folded side down, in an oiled, shallow baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce evenly over the crepes.

~Bake in a preheated 350F oven until just heated through. Serve at once .(Since all of the components of the dish were hot, I didn't bake them. I just served them immediately with the sauce on the side.)

recipe by: Jeanne Veenstra

CSA - Week 3

2011-06-02T18:41:00.003-05:00

This week in my CSA, I got spinach, turnips, dill, onion, spring garlic, red lettuce and Swiss chard.

With the spinach I made Eggs (sorta) Florentine.
With the dill I made Asparagus Crepes with Mushroom Dill Sauce.

I'm not sure just want to make with the chard or turnips yet, but I will come up with something.

Trip to the Farmer's Market #2

2011-05-31T12:39:00.006-05:00

This was the first time I could get to the Farmer's Market on Saturday. Last Saturday I had a wedding in St. Louis, so there was no time to run to the market before getting on the road. However, last Saturday, The Good Daughter and I got up early and headed out.

There are some new vendors this season. This is a stand that makes fresh omelets using ingredients from other vendors. They also have one main dish. Last week it was tofu tacos. The line was super long so TGD didn't get a chance to try it. Hopefully next week we can.

Soap

Baked Goods

Mixed Greens

Greens and herbs. This is actually the stand run by our CSA farmers, so they get to see me twice a week. I know they love it.

Canned Goods

Greens

Overall it was a good day. It didn't seem as crowded as it normally is and some booths seemed to be missing. But TGD and I did get there later than we normally go, so that might be one reason. We also got rained on, which sucked. However, we also got to pet a baby sheep. So overall it was a win.

I came away with pecans, rhubarb, strawberries, treats for The Good Dog - a first, since we got Foxy in March - and pineapple salsa.

I plan on making strawberry rhubarb pie this week. I might also attempt butter pecan ice cream.

CSA Salad

2011-05-31T07:24:00.001-05:00

So with what we had from our CSA this week, I had this for lunch and dinner.

I used the greens, along with the radish and onion and topped it off with feta cheese and dressed it with lemon juice and oil. All in all, not a bad salad.

Ingredients:
Salad greens
Radish, sliced
Onion, sliced
1/4 Feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Hearty drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
~Combine all and toss to coat with oil and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

recipe by: The Good Wife

BotO - Menus and Shopping Lists

2011-05-30T06:55:00.000-05:00

This is the final part of The Brains of The Operation, aka Household Binder.

This is the heart of menu planning. I've talked about meal planning before. I like to shop on Saturdays. I watch the store flyers for good deals and try and plan around sales. This was a whole lot harder back when we lived in the apartment since we had such little storage I couldn't stock up on meat. Now that we have a house, we have a huge chest freezer and we buy a whole cow. So it is very helpful to have an inventory to track just how much meat we have on hand.

This way I know when we are out of beef roasts, I need to adjust my meals accordingly. I also have an inventory for the pantry and the fridge, to help avoid having 3 open boxes of granola in the pantry.

You can download the pantry inventory template here, the fridge inventory template here and the freezer inventory template here.

Next in the binder is a weekly menu calendar. This helps me plan breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks for all of us. I use this more than The Good Husband, since I, 1) make TGH's lunches for him and he has yet to complain, and 2) I also make breakfast, lunch and snacks for The Good Daughter and she has only minimally complained.

You can download this template here.

Next we have a monthly calendar to plan dinners. I like to use this one as a way to avoid having the same protien 3 nights in a row and it allows TGH to see what we are going to eat for the month and make suggestions. Every couple of months I change the layout of the proteins - switch breakfast for seafood, add more meatless dinners, etc.

You can download this template here.

Finally I have created a weekly shopping list. I have included a space on the left to quickly list all the meals and snacks we will be eating that week followed by spaces for ingredients on the right separated by category. For broad categories, such as pantry, I list each item and in parentheses list the aisle number. And I do know my store well enough to know what is in every aisle. I also like to put a star next to each item I have a coupon for and attach my coupons to the back of my list. But I am just anal like that.

You can download this template here.

So this is the final chapter of the Brains of the Operation, aka Household Binder. Over time I might add different categories and new templates but I think for now, this is a great foundation.

If you think of anything I should have included, shoot me an email or leave me a comment and I will work to get it created.

CSA - Week 2

2011-05-27T22:11:00.001-05:00

The second week of my CSA arrived this week. In the beginning there will be a lot of greens I am told so I will need to find more ways to cook them other than braising. This week we got:

Kale

Spinach

Onions

Radish

Arugula - the sign of truly elitist hippy food

Lettuce

So the menu this week was a lot of salad and braised kale.

BotO - Daily and Weekly Schedules

2011-05-27T06:53:00.001-05:00

This is part six of content for the Brains of the Operation, aka Household Binder.

I've found it extremely helpful to have everything I am supposed to do in a day in one place. So while I have my cleaning schedules, it's nice to see what other things I need to do daily, along with cleaning everything. So I created the Daily Docket.

This template helps me see what we are having for dinner (Eat Me), the glasses of water I should be drinking (Drink Me), what needs to be cleaned daily (Clean Me), what needs to be done daily (To Do), paperwork I need to do (To Sort) and laundry that needs washed (Wash Me). There is also room for notes. I think I should have this one laminated as well.

I have created templates for all days except Sunday. Sunday is my day to be a lazy bum, so I don't actually schedule anything for that day.

You can download this template here.

This template lets me see my week at a glance - my Weekly Docket. I can see what we will be eating for dinner each night. Again, Sunday is my free for all where I schedule nothing, so it is missing from the week. This template lets me see a brief description of what I am supposed to clean/do, eat and then any activities I have planned for The Good Daughter. I also have a space for notes. This template would probably be more helpful laminated too.

You can see a sample weekly docket here.

You can download a blank weekly docket here.

I also have a daily food tracker to help me stay on top of my diet. I have spaces to count calories/points, or in my case carbs for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and spaces to record my blood sugar numbers. At the top of the page I have a space to check off the daily allotment of water, protien, veggies/fruit and dairy and an exercise tracker. At the bottom of the template, I have space for notes as well as space to track my progress.

You can download this template here.

Or if you need one without blood sugar levels, you can download that one here.

I have also created a weekly food tracker that will save on paper. You can download that template here.

Chicken Gyros

2011-05-25T06:13:00.000-05:00

I love traditional gyros and if the local place hadn't closed AND we had a leg of lamb on a spit, we would have had traditional gyros. However the thing I like about making my own is, I can adjust the sauce according to taste and use chicken, something we do have on hand.

I added more garlic to the sauce (of course) and grated some onion into it as well. While it didn't turn out as thick as our formerly local place, it was a hit with The Good Husband.

Ingredients:
1 seedless cucumber
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 tomato, diced
1 small onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 rounded teaspoon dried oregano
1 rounded teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
4 (8-inch) pocketless pita rounds
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced

Directions:
~Peel and grate 1 cucumber, then wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove excess water. Stir together with yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, half of garlic, 2 tablespoons grated onion and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to make tsatsiki. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

~Gently simmer oil, oregano, rosemary, remaining garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small heavy saucepan, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss chicken with 3 tablespoons garlic oil and brush one side of bread with remainder.

~Heat griddle over medium high heat and cook chicken until done, basting with remaining oil. Remove chicken from griddle and heat bread, oil side down for one to two minutes until slightly blackened.

~Top each pita with chicken, sliced onion and tomato and serve with tsatsiki.

recipe inspired by: epicurious

Our first CSA of 2011

2011-05-24T23:37:00.000-05:00

I know I told you we started a new CSA this year. One we have been on a waiting list for two years to join. Last week was the first delivery. I had made The Good Husband drive me to the farm the week before so I wouldn't get lost (which happened to be a totally great thing, since Google maps doesn't know anything about BFE Illinois and took us somewhere 45 miles in the opposite direction). The Good Daughter loved the farm once we finally found it and played in the dirt and with the chickens all while we talked it up with the farmer.

So last week, I loaded her up in the car and we headed out to get our first share. We came home with greens (turnip, braising and mixed), parsley, radishes, spring garlic and onion. The radishes, garlic and onion went right into a salad. I braised half the greens with the rest of the garlic and onion along with some bacon and served it with some grilled pork chops we had.

One of the great things I love about this CSA so far is the weekly emails they send to us letting us know what is in our share for that week along with recipes they have tried over the years.

I know this week will include lettuces (Italienisher, actually) so I hope to have some really great salad this week as well as some recipes to share that include greens.

On feeding a toddler

2011-05-24T12:01:00.000-05:00

The Good Daughter is normal in that she only eats one big meal a day. It's kind of hard to know which one it will be and not waste so much food, but lately her big meal has been lunch.

I try and hit all the food groups, so a typical plate looks something like this:
Everything organic - hard boiled egg, strawberries, raw milk cheddar cheese, cheddar bunnies, cucumber, carrots, grape tomatoes and raisins.

On this day she polished everything off.

Call Me Anytime

2011-05-23T06:51:00.001-05:00

This is part five of content for the Brains of the Operation, aka Household Binder.

This is really the brains of the whole operation and something I had never thought about before. I mean, we have our address book and business cards, we were covered, right?

Wrong.

What I failed to realize is that while I may know the date the mortgage was due, I was having to look up the damn account number or phone number any time I needed it.

The important account information includes the contact name and number, along with account number for our lending institution, home, auto and life insurance carriers, banking and financial institutions, medical and dental insurance carriers, credit cards and student loans information and account numbers as well as all our utility account numbers and due date.

You can download this template here.

I then have an emergency contact list. This includes the contact information for our primary care physician, pediatrician, OBGYN, dentist, optometrist, veterinarian and specialists.

You can download this template here.

Next I have a restaurant contact list of all our favorite local places. I have included spaces for delivery, ordering online, accepting coupons and the most important part - the best dish. That addition was actually The Good Husband's idea. While I know all his favorite dishes, he doesn't know what I like the best. So this helps him when he has to order and I might not have a chance to tell him what I want. I also have our menus in a folder behind the contact list.

You can download this template here.

Next is our business contact list. Instead of looking for the scrap of paper with the drywall guy's number, now it is all in one space. Contact information for contractor, plumber, HVAC, electrician, mechanic, tire and brakes, transmission, towing, lender, banker, financial, insurances, neighbors, attorney, accountant, school district and day care.

You can download this template here.

I then have a personal contact list that includes a space for birthdays. I use this spot for most called numbers.

You can download this template here.

Lastly, I bought some business card holders to move all our business cards from the drawer in the kitchen, to the binder. I also try and grab a few cards from each contact that way when someone asks me who did our plumbing, I can just give them an extra card.

You can also download blank contact lists here.

BotO - Cleaning Schedules

2011-05-20T06:50:00.003-05:00

This is part four of content for the Brains of the Operation, aka Household Binder.

This is one of the most helpful parts of the BotO, for me. I have a cleaning schedule - several actually - that I like to follow. They help me stay on top of all the housework. So it's nice to have everything I have to clean listed in one place.

This is my weekly cleaning checklist. Each day focuses on a different part of the house as well as daily tasks. I think I might get it laminated since it shouldn't change much. I would be able to use a dry erase marker then to check off each item and write any notes.

The goal is to focus on one area of the house daily to make sure its clean. I tried to focus on one tasks a day, such as dusting, and I found for me that feels like more work, going from room to room. This way I can enter a room and know that everything will be cleaned after I leave.

You can download the weekly cleaning schedule here.

This is my spring cleaning checklist. 5 glorious weeks of cleaning. Even though it is "spring" cleaning, I try and do it twice a year.

This should probably be laminated too.

You can download the spring cleaning schedule here.

Similar to the bill checklist, this list helps me remember to clean the things that need it only once a month - the bed covers and mattress pad, the hood filter in the kitchen, flush the drains, the phone, drapes, ceiling fans, air vents, light fixtures and the things that only need yearly cleaning - mattress, exterior windows and doors, patio and garage.

You can download the monthly schedule here.

BotO - Calendar

2011-05-16T06:49:00.000-05:00

This is part three of content for the Brains of the Operation, aka Household Binder.

I can never have too many calendars and since I don't know if I will be near one when I am using the BotO, it is best that I include one in it.

It's helpful to have it as a reference when scheduling oil changes and the like.

You can download both a 2011 calendar (starting with April) or a blank perpetual calendar for your own BotO binder.

I love consignment stores

2011-05-14T22:27:00.000-05:00

I have told y'all of about my habit of shopping at consignment stores before. But let me use this post to profess my love of consignment stores.

The Good Daughter is lucky in that her birthday is six months from Christmas. So clothes she gets at Christmas last roughly until her birthday where she then gets clothes to last her through to Christmas. It's a pretty sweet deal.

However, there are times when I need to buy something for her that she just didn't have and wasn't available at stores until now.

Like an Easter dress.
This one actually doubled as an Easter/wedding dress since we suddenly have to go to 3 wedding in two months when it has been 7 years since the last wedding we attended.

I just died when I saw this. There was not a drop of stain on it and the cherry blossoms are just so damn cute I am sad TGD will outgrow this soon. I seriously want to frame it or some shit. But the best thing is, this cute Old Navy number was only $5. Yup. Cheaper than a pack of smokes. The hat was separate.

Another item you can't find in the dead of winter in the Midwest is swimsuits. TGD needs two suits for daycare, so I checked out the consignment store, hoping they would have some in TGD's size. I was lucky they had several option but once I ruled out all the bikini style suits, there were 5 suits to choose from. I let TGD pick and she chose:

This freaking cute number. It is a two piece and the bottom is cut like traditional undies, but the top covers her belly and arms, which is good considering I need to be more diligent about applying sun screen in the summer.

We had a day in the high 80s this week, so I busted out the hose, slapped the suit on her and headed out in the yard. She didn't like the hose, and I don't blame her since the water was cold as hell, but she loved the suit. I even let her play in the tub with it.

And this little Gymboree beauty was only $4. A quick google tells me this thing is selling on ebay for 25 bucks.

So I hope this post debunks any notion that consignment stores only sell old, outdated stuff you wouldn't put on your dog. Consignment stores fucking rock.

Opening Day of 2011 Farmer's Market

2011-05-13T22:15:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was opening day of the 2011 Farmer's Market season. I feel like summer is finally here. The Good Daughter and I headed out after work in the hope of getting some fresh strawberries.

We got there at 4:25.

They were sold out.

The market opened at 4.

Yeah.

So we cruised around the market and enjoyed the warm afternoon. This early in the season the vendors are mostly selling herbs and plants and I don't have much success in keeping that stuff alive. So we skipped it and opted instead to pick up dinner. We got apple brats, asparagus, salad greens, black walnuts and vanilla bean cake, on which I had to do quality control.

The "big" market downtown opens on Wednesday, so I'll probably head down there for opening day and see if I can find some strawberries.

Our CSA starts this week too. I have been on the waiting list for 2 years for this CSA. They consistently have the best stand at the big market and all my waiting has finally paid off.

As opposed to the last time we had a CSA, I hope to be able to blog about it more now that I don't have a newborn to take care of.

Money, money, money, MON-NAY

2011-05-13T06:46:00.001-05:00

This is part two of content for the Brains of the Operation, aka Household Binder.

I will confess that budget and finance are my weakest points, even after getting an A in my graduate class. For some reason I am totally Scarlett O'Hara about budgeting and always put it off for tomorrow.

A few months ago I signed up to track my budget online and while I like some things about the website I use, I don't like it all. With these worksheets, I can track my spending and income weekly as see where everything is.

The first page of my two page budget worksheet contains income and the bigger expenses - housing, debt and transportation. Each category has blank spaces for misc entries.

The second page continues the spending by category as well as a category for saving. There are spaces at the bottom to total the weekly spending as well as spaces to total monthly spending by category.

This is probably more handy to me than the budget worksheet. This lets me see at a glance all the bills I have paid to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

I have also created an yearly overview worksheet. It divides the year into four quarters and all the categories (housing, auto, debt, ect) are listed with an actual, budgeted and difference line as well as overall totals.

You can download these templates for your own BotO binder.

Aw, beep, beep. Toot, toot!

2011-05-09T06:43:00.003-05:00

This is part one of content for the Brains of the Operation, aka Household Binder.

Since I have arranged the categories alphabetically, the auto log is the first thing I come to in the BotO. Car maintenance is the one area where The Good Husband is completely anal while I couldn't care less. I just fill it with gas and sometimes run it through the car wash.

But TGH likes to stay on top of things to keep the cars in good shape. He says he is better for resale.

So I created this template to track everything we do to both cars. The year, make, model and VIN number for the car is in the upper right hand corner, while the columns track oil changes, rotating and replacing the tires, cleaning and replacing air and fuel filters, wipers, brakes, batteries, transmission and other. There is space for notes as well.

It helps to be able to look up the exact date you got new tires or brakes and the last time you had the oil changed.

I always get a detailed invoice from our mechanic listing the things they did. For routine oil changes, I shred the invoice. When I have something more detailed done, I use a 3 hole punch and place that invoice in the binder. Eventually I will move them to the file cabinet, but for now they go here.

You can download this template for your own BotO binder.

On the death of Bin Laden

2011-05-02T12:51:00.005-05:00

Time for more brilliant political commentary:

Last night the world was informed that Navy Seals had found and killed Osama Bin Laden. Pres. Obama's reaction was all

Meanwhile the rest of the world reacted and was all

The Brains of the Operation

2011-05-02T06:39:00.001-05:00

I try to be organized.

I file away all our statements and receipts and I have all our paperwork in the file cabinet. I have a home address book. I have business cards stored in a drawer in the kitchen. I have a chore list on the fridge.

However, nothing is in one central location. If something were to happen to me, all our household info gets lost. So I hopped on the bandwagon and created this Household Binder, aka the Brains of the Operation.

Like any good white suburban girl, I headed over to Target to pick up some binders. I got this one and one that is brown with the same pattern.

I picked up the pouch and divers at OfficeMax/Staples/OfficeDepot. Inside I have a small notebook, also from Target and misc coupons and vouchers for things like free movies that don't belong with my food coupons.

Since The Good Daughter doesn't have much of a social life yet and certainly no school work, my BotO is a little thin. However, now when The Good Husband is freaking out b/c he needs to know an account number for something, he can look in here, instead of tearing the house apart looking for said account number.

I know BotO will grow over time (and get smarter LOL) but I have built a solid foundation with the following categories:

Auto
Budget and Finance
Calendar
Cleaning Schedules
Contacts
Daily Schedules
Food and Menu Planning

In the next few weeks, I will highlight each section and share the templates I have created for each.

Homemade Play Dough

2011-04-29T11:58:00.001-05:00

The Good Husband has an unusual work schedule. He works 12 hour shifts, so on the days he works, I need to find a way to keep The Good Daughter entertained while I make dinner. If I were truly a good wife, I would have something made ahead of time, but we all know I'm not that good.

I don't like just plopping TGD down in front of the TV, no matter how much she loves SuperWhy! I was raised in front of the TV and is probably one of the reasons I am lazy. I have tried letting her color at the table but she just ends up eating the crayons.

Then I found a recipe for homemade play dough and thought that would buy me some time to cook. We made some the other night and she was quite skeptical. I loved play dough as a kid and was really rather anal about it, shockingly. I could not stand to mix the colors and I totally judged my little friends that would mix all the colors together and then put the shit colored play dough back in the can of red play dough. Freaks.

At first TGD was into it. She realized she could smoosh it and it was kind cool.

She could squeeze it.

She could throw it.

She could pull it.

She could stretch it.

And then she fucking ate it and gave the rest to the dog.

The good thing however is this is all natural. It was only flour, water, salt, oil and food coloring. I ended up making yellow and blue, since those are the only colors TGD can say. The only huge negative was the recipe made so much. It was too much. You could cut the recipe in half and still have a ton of play dough.

Also, the dough was super stiff and I could smell the motor burning in my hand mixer.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
3 cup flour
1 1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup oil
Food coloring

Directions:
~Combine ingredients in bowl and mix. Add more flour if mixture is too sticky. Store in a plastic zip-lock bag.

Oh, and TGD totally mixed the colors together. Freak

recipe from: Cooks.com