Food of Love: My Beloved's Birthday Dinner

Hey Humble Readers...

Well, we are home from our trip, and it was a great time.  I loved the time away, and I loved coming home.  I'll tell you all about our adventures tomorrow. 

Today's post is dedicated to food po.rn.  :)

Every special occasion, even if we go out to a restaurant for dinner, I ensure that I make a special dinner for us to enjoy at home together as a family.  Putting together the menu is always fun... I look for things that are outside our normal rotation, things that maybe require a little bit more effort or a few luxury ingredients. 

This year, for my Beloved's birthday dinner, I started looking for ideas about a month ago.  I wanted it to be different.  Maybe something I hadn't made in a long time, or ever, for my Beloved. 

First, I found the cake... but you'll have to wait for more on that. 

Then, I found one of the sides.  Prosciutto wrapped asparagus.  I don't know why, but asparagus is always a special occasion food in my mind.  And of course, prosciutto is just a treat.  I wrapped about half of a bunch of asparagus, and then roasted them in the oven laid on top of the rest of the bunch, so that any drippings would flavour the rest.  Turned out very well. 

After I decided on the side, I started thinking Italian.  And then, I started thinking, braciola... super thin steak stuffed with whatever, rolled and braised in a tomato sauce.  I used to make it for my parents a long time ago, but I don't think I've ever made it for my Beloved. 

My Beloved's plate.  He practically licked it clean.

I bought inside round steaks, already sliced and pounded thin (my grocery store calls them rouladen).  I toasted off some pine nuts, and then some panko breadcrumbs.  Then I sautéed up some onions and spinach, and combined all of them together.  Then I spread the stuffing out on the steaks, rolled and tied them (with kitchen string).  I browned them off in a pan before transferring them to the slow cooker.  Then I made my favourite tomato sauce and poured that over the top.  I cooked it on high for two hours in the slow cooker, but ideally, I would have preferred to do it on low for four.  Served it up with some whole wheat spaghetti and lots of the tomato sauce.  The only thing I forgot to add was basil. 

And then there was the cake...

Doesn't look very pretty. 

Ginny 'helped', which of course meant that ingredients ended up all over the place.  Here's the original recipe I found.  I am going to state right up front, mine did NOT turn out as pretty as hers did.  I think I used a lot more of the filling between each layer than she did. 

Here is my Chocolate Irish Coffee Crepe Cake. 

Twenty-three layers!

Where the original recipe called for amaretto, I used Bailey's.  I also added a couple of teaspoons of instant espresso powder into the whipped cream. 

My Beloved's piece, with a  couple of the truffles.

Basically, it was crepe, chocolate ganache, whipped cream, crepe, chocolate ganache, whipped cream... over and over and over.  Twenty-three times.  It was a lot of work, and as I said, mine didn't turn out very pretty.  I was able to make a few truffles out of the left over ganache to use for decoration.  One big added bonus of this cake was that I didn't have to turn on the oven.  Oh, and I used lactose-free whipping cream (no carbs!!!) and that worked out just fine. 

Overall, I'm pleased with how it all turned out.  It was enjoyed by my Beloved and Ginny... I really liked it too.  (Pip was being a stinker and not wanting to eat tonight, so no cake for him.) 

Ginny, post-cake.  She's covered in chocolate. 

What's your favourite special occasion meal?

Special Delivery

Howdy Humble Readers!

So, remember in yesterday's post I mentioned something about not being able to post on Monday because I was kind of busy?  Well, this is what was keeping me busy.

Our Santa's Choice boxes arrived!  I was so excited! 

We signed up around this time last year, and we've paid a bit every week until mid-October.  Our 5 boxes arrived and I had a lot of finagling to do to figure out where all our goodies were going to go.  My pantry and cupboards have never ever been so full.  My freezers are overflowing!

Holy cow!

Hokey Dinah!

Box #1 of the frozen goods

Two Turkeys!

What I like about this service is that you lock in your grocery prices a year in advance and I'm able to get things that we would never otherwise be able to afford in December with all the other holiday expenses, particularly name brand stuff.  Seriously, I know that a lot of this food will last us well into February or longer.  We've signed up for next year already, and I'm happy with the decision. 

Of course, with so much shifting, consolidating, and tearing my hair out over where to put those 8 boxes of cookies, I decided that I wasn't cooking dinner.  We indulged with some of my recent Kijiji (a Canadian version of Craigs List) income and splurged on middle eastern food for dinner from a new place a block away.  Fanstastic hummus!  Ginny couldn't get enough of it too. 

Foodie Fridays: Comfort Food (& A Quandary)

Hey Humble Readers...

Today's recipe is brought to you in honour of my Beloved, and his need for some TLC today.  My brave Beloved went for his vasectomy today, and was feeling a tad... well... less than his best.  The procedure went well, and with the prescribed pain killers and an ice pack, he'll be back to his happy self in a few days. 

So, he was in need of some comfort food. 

This recipe is fairly easy, and makes use of one of the best values in the grocery store... the rotisserie chicken.  Think about it... a rotisserie chicken costs around $8 (here on the frozen flatland) and a tray of three boneless skinless chicken breasts costs around $10.  I use the dark meat pieces for this recipe and then save the breast pieces for chicken salad or chicken fried rice later in the week. 

Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup with Sauteed Mushrooms

10-12 cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
1 med onion, diced
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 sherry or dry white wine (optional)
2 tbsp flour
1 box chicken stock
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried chives
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas

In a large heavy pot, melt 2 tbsp butter.  Add olive oil.  Add quartered mushrooms, and saute until lightly caramelized.  Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms from pot and set aside.



Please disregard the stained pot.  I made coffee-braised
roast beef one too many times in that pot, and it's stained
the enamel

Melt remaining butter in pot and add the diced onion.  Saute until just softened.  Deglaze the pan with sherry or wine (if desired), making sure to scrape up the brown bits.  Sprinkle flour over onions, and stir into onions and butter until it resembles wet sand.  Slowly begin to add chicken stock, while stirring.  Add milk, starting with 1 1/2 cups (add more if soup gets too thick later) and bring to a slow boil (should thicken slightly).  Reduce heat to slow simmer.  Add in garlic, thyme, chives, rice, and chicken.  Stir frequently to ensure that rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.  Allow to simmer gently until rice is cooked.  Add in frozen peas. 

I served this with homemade buns.  Yummy!

*****
Ok... now onto the quandary.  And I'm really looking for input.

Ginny, has stopped eating.  Mostly.  My little girl, who loves food, and has always eaten really well, is refusing to eat.

You may recall that a couple of days ago she was congested and had a fever.  It has come and gone a couple of times over the last few days, but it has been easily controlled with tyl.en.ol and wearing lighter clothes. 

Ginny was a little bit pukey on Wednesday (less than 24 hours after the onset of the fever) and threw up a bit of her breakfast.  She ate well later that day... both lunch and dinner.  Then, on Thursday she started refusing to eat.  She ate a couple of spoonfulls of yoghurt at breakfast and that was it.  She refused to eat both lunch and dinner.  She also refused a snack of mandarin orange segments (which she usually looooooves).  Today, she ate applesauce for breakfast, but no cereal or yoghurt.  Lunch was only 4 little cubes of cheese and a few small pieces of ham.  She completely refused dinner (and she normally devours soup & buns). 

She's still drinking milk and water, so I'm not concerned about her getting dehydrated. 

There are several things that I'm thinking may be possible contributing factors. 

• She's just not feeling well.  She's been kind of up and down ever since that fever set in.  She'll be okay for a while, and then be very lethargic and just want cuddles.
• She may be teething.  She's not happy with having her teeth brushed and she actually bit me today when I tried to check her molars (they still haven't cut through).
• We started feeding Pip solid food this week.  Maybe she's jealous of the attention he's getting about eating?
• She's just trying to exert her independence?  Some sort of excercise in becoming self-aware? 

My Beloved and I are trying very hard not to make a big deal about it at the table, because we don't want this to trigger some sort of larger battle with food.  Our rule is, she can choose not to eat, but she will sit at the table with her bib on until everyone is done eating.  And she isn't allowed to play with her food.  If she's not going to eat it we will move her bowl/plate to the other side of the table where it is available should she change her mind. 

Do you think we are handling this right?  When should I get concerned?   I am, of course, going to keep offering her all her usual snacks and meals, and I've always bought into the accepted wisdom that if a child is hungry they will eat (and most children can miss a few meals without being negatively impacted). 

But the Mummy in me is struggling. 

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Not Much Going On

Howdy Humble Readers...

I hope you've all had a good week.  Things around the hobbit-hole have been pretty quiet.  Honestly not much going on worth talking about, and my brain is mushy with tiredness and pregnancy-brain.

*****
I've been fixated on those really yummy Mil.ano cookies (the mint ones of course) and I've been trying not to think too much about them.  I used to buy them for special occassions when I was in college, but I haven't had any in years and years.  The kicker is, I can't get them around here.  I don't know for sure if you can even get them at all above the 49th parallel.  I know I shouldn't have them anyway (wretched GD), but dammit, I can't stop thinking about them.  If you are in Canada, and know where I can get some, PLEASE tell me... I promise I'll be good.  I won't get any until the middle of May.  I promise!

*****
I haven't heard from Dell at all since the initial calls on Tuesday morning.  I still haven't loaded anything on this computer since Monday night.  It's really annoying.  There is a little part of me that's hoping that they'll just let me keep this computer, but I doubt that will happen.  I'm just frustrated that I still haven't heard a damn thing.

*****
I had an appointment this morning with Dr. W.  It was exceptionally short.  Pee in a cup, check the bp (was totally fine, no change in my meds... doc said not to worry about swelling unless it's accompanied by other pre-e symptoms), check the weight (got a finger wagging), quick glance at him/her on Dr. W's ultrasound... enough to find out that the Halfling is breech.  That's right, what I've been thinking was the Halfling's hiney under my ribs is actually his/her little head.  It doesn't really matter, as we are going c-section for sure anyway. 

The one thing that she mentioned during the appointment, that I didn't really think much of at the time, but now I'm wondering... she mentioned that she's going to send me for a consult with the anesthesiologist.  The last time I had to do that was when I went under general anesthetic for my hysteroscopy (polypecotomy and D&C).  I'm wondering if this is just precautionary, or if she's planning on me being completely out for the c-section.  I hope it's just the former.  I WILL be asking at my next appointment.

*****
My Beloved lost an aunt this week.  She was 85, I think.  We've been so focussed on my Grandma (she appears to be doing better... and I'm very thankful for that, for so many reasons, not the least of which is that my parents are scheduled to leave for their 25th anniversary cruise in 5 days), that we totally didn't see this coming.  He wasn't particularly close with her, but still, it's jarring to say the least.  We're still debating if he will go to the funeral or not on Monday.  

*****
I'm trying to come up with some really groovy, unifying theme for my posts for the A to Z challenge.  Food?  Fictional characters I relate to?  Pet peeves?  Books I want to read?  Places I want to travel?  Any thoughts or suggestions?

Foodie Friday: The Slacker Saturday Edition... Mega Garlic Chicken

Hey Humble Readers...

Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post and emailed.  I really appreciate all your support.  Thursday and Friday were spent pretty much freaking out, but I started getting a grip on things last night, and I'm feeling mostly better about things.  As so many of you pointed out, my betas are doubling the way they should, they just started out lower that normal and it will take awhile to get to where they should be. 

So, because I wasted yesterday fretting and worrying, I never got around to posting my Foodie Friday recipe.  And I couldn't just let it pass by because it's such a fantabulous recipe.  The only bummer... I forgot to take a picture of it, so no foodie po.rn this time.  Sorry.  Just imagine a crock pot full of garlic and juicy browned chicken pieces.  Amazing!

This recipe is super easy, and if you're totally lazy like me, you can buy the garlic already peeled to save time.  And please don't freak out about the amount of garlic.  The cloves are left whole, so you get great garlic flavour without being overpowered.  This recipe is a combination of a few that I found on Pint.erest. 

Mega Garlic Chicken

1 whole roasting chicken, broken down (I used 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks, bone in and skin on)

40 garlic cloves, peeled (about 3 whole bulbs)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
3/4 cup white wine (I used chicken stock because my wine rack only has red in it, but the wine would be better)
2 tsp dried thyme (I doubled this)
2 tsp dried rosemary (I doubled this)
1-2 bay leaves

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and rub it in. In a skillet heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil and brown the chicken. When all pieces are browned, transfer to your slow cooker. Add a bit more olive oil to the skillet and toss in the garlic cloves. Stir/toss for 5-8 minutes until dark golden. Add wine/chicken stock to deglaze the pan (loosen up all the good bits stuck to the pan) and allow to simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour garlic & wine over the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary, and add bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for three and a half to four hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker to a plate, and cover with foil (I put mine in a low oven while I got the rest of dinner ready). Pour the remaining liquid/garlic mix through a strainer over a small pot, and bring to a simmer. (discard the garlic cloves, etc) Simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly (it won't be thick like gravy, more like an au jus). Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.  Tip:  Reserve a few of the garlic cloves to mash with potatoes.

The original recipe didn't call to brown the chicken, but any meat in a slow cooker should be browned first because it tastes better. Besides, any meat that goes into a slow cooker tastes much better when it's been browned first. 

Oh, and one other tip... you'll want to take the garbage out right after dinner, otherwise your house will stink of garlic. 

As always, if you try it, let me know what you think!

Foodie Friday: Overdue Saturday Edition

Hey Humble Readers...

What do you get when you combine cramps-from-hell, a teething baby girl, and a messy house?  No blogging, that's what you get.  I know I have a ton of posts to catch up on, so that's on my to-do list for tonight, after I share a couple of great recipes with you all.

I made these on Wednesday night and I have to say that I think they both turned out pretty well.  The original recipe for the quiche ended up making enough to fill one and a half nine inch pie shells, so I had to adjust a bit.  I'm just glad that I had bought a pack of two frozen pie shells (yeah, this hobbit has yet to figure out why I would mess with making my own pastry).  So, only plan on making this if you are going to be feeding an army (or a couple of teenagers), or like leftovers.  The salad is a cheapskate take on an Italian classic, and is super easy to multiply for larger groups. 

Sausage & Tomato Quiche

2 9inch pie shells
5 Eggs
3 links Italian Sausage, casings removed
1 Med Onion, diced
1 pint Grape Tomatoes, halved lengthwise
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Milk
1 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chiffonade
Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Bake pie shells according to directions on the box, or however you do your pie crusts.  Like I said, this hobbit doesn't do scratch pastry.  (Important tip: Bake the pie shells on a baking tray with a lip, just in case of spills)  Brown and crumble sausage until no longer pink, add onion and saute until softened, then allow to cool slightly.  In a large bowl combine eggs, sour cream, and milk and whisk together.  Add tomatoes, cheddar, basil, pepper, and sausage mix.  Stir gently to until combined and divide between the two pie crusts.  Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving. 

Chopped Caprese Salad  (serves 2)

2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a medium bowl whisk together olive oil. vinegar, salt and pepper to make a vinaigrette.  Add tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella and toss gently in the dressing.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Serve chilled. 

Foodie Friday: Drunk Pork Chops & Watermelon Salad

Hey Humble Readers...

It's Friday night and that means it's time for some recipes!  And I have a couple of doozies for you tonight.  Brand new for us, and totally yummy, I really hope you're going to give these a try. 

I will say that the second one is a little different... it took a couple of bites to appreciate the combination of flavours, but I just kept going back for more.  My Beloved, who has a long history of not being a fan of watermelon actually liked it too. 

First up...

Drunk Pork Chops (brine is good for up to 8 thick cut pork chops)

1 12oz can of beer
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
4 lg cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground sage
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 small onion, cut into thick slices
1 thick cut pork chop per person

Combine beer, syrup, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, sage, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl and whisk together.  Place pork chops into a large zip top bag, add in sliced onion, and pour in brine.  Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, and smoosh the contents around a bit.  Let stand in the fridge for at least 12 hours (I put mine in the fridge at 10pm last night, and cooked them up at 6pm today).  Take the pork chops from the fridge, and out of the brine, at least 20 minutes before cooking and allow to come to room temp.  I grilled these on our indoor grill, but you could also bake them in a 350F oven.  I served them with potatoes mashed with sour cream, horse rsdish, and chives. 

I have never had such juicy tender pork chops.  Seriously the best I have EVER tasted!  Soooo yummy!  I just had them for dinner tonight, and I'm already trying to figure out when I can make them again.

Next up...

Watermelon Salad

3 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
1 english cucumber, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir gently.  Allow to stand in the fridge for 15 minutes.  I'm thinking next time I might add some fresh mint and/or cilantro. 

Like I said, it's a bit different, but soooo good.  A nice refreshing summer salad. 

As always, please let me know what you think if you try these.

Foodie Friday: Sesame Tilapia & Citrus Scented Rice

Hey Humble Readers...

I hope you have a great weekend planned... ours is going to be pretty quiet.  Groceries, church, and a trip down south to visit with my MIL.  I also have some editting to get finished that should have been done weeks ago!  (Sorry J!)

This week's recipe was new for us and I have to say it turned out pretty gosh darn good.  The Tilapia recipe is based on this recipe, and I made up the rice recipe based on what I had left over from the tilapia and what I had on hand.  (Tip: zest the orange before you cut it in half)

Sesame Tilapia

4 tilapia filets
1/3 cup orange juice (juice of about 1/2 a med naval orange)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp red chile flakes
3 green onions (greens only), sliced
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Combine orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and chile flakes, and stir until sugar disolves.  Pour over tilapia filets (I always do this in a zip-top bag) and let them marinate for at least 30 minutes, although it's better if you let it go for up to four hours.  Don't leave it overnight though, as the citrus will 'cook' the fish.  Remove fish and discard the marinade.  This can be grilled (on a well oiled, hot grill), baked (in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes)  or pan fried.  I chose to pan fry them in just a touch of olive oil.  No matter how you choose to cook them, be sure not to over-cook, or the fish will be tough.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

(I'm planning on trying this recipe with chicken next week.  I think it will work well, but I will let the chicken marinate longer)

Citrus Scented Rice

1 cup* long grain white rice
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2/3 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup white wine
3 green onions (white parts only), sliced thin
1/2 tbsp butter
zest of one orange

In a medium saucepot, melt butter and saute the green onion for 2-3 minutes, until soft.  Add orange juice, chicken stock and white wine, and bring to a boil.  Stir in rice and orange zest, cover with a tight fitting lid, and reduce heat to low and allow to simmer slowly for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow to stand for a few minutes.  Fluff with a fork, and serve. 

* Most recipes call for 1 part rice to 2 parts liquid, but I find that cutting back on the liquid by about 1/3 cup gives a fluffier, drier finished product.  If you want a stickier rice, simply increase the liquids slightly.  I have found that rice can be a bit finicky depending on elevation, so do what works best for you.

As always, if you try it, please let me know what you think!

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Vacation & Bloggity Summer Camp Edition

Howdy Humble Readers...

The Gamgee clan is home from K-town and we're all feeling the effects of the day after vacation.  I'm just a slug today, Ginny has been fussing pretty much non-stop (although that could be at least partly attributed to teething, too), and my poor Beloved is back at work.  We drove 11 hours yesterday, and Ginny did pretty well for about 2/3 of the trip.  My shoulder is killing me today from having to reach back into the back seat to let her hang on to or suck my finger for 3+ hours.

*****
Before I give you all a run down of our vacation or answer today's Summer Camp question, I have to put this out there.  Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2.  If you haven't seen it yet, kindly skip down to the next section, 'kay?  I need to give my opinion...   Honestly, I was disappointed.  Yes, I cried... twice.  One of which was a point where I have never cried while reading the book.  Once for Snape and once for Harry.  The best I can say about the movie is that it was good... but it could have been so much better.  I really feel that they sacrificed important parts of the story in order to add in big over the top battle scenes.  If you've seen it, what did you think?

*****
Calliope, at Creating Motherhood, our fearless camp director has asked today, "What did you want to be when you grew up? Why and/or how did that change over time?"  Hmmmm... good one.  I'm not sure about when I was very little, but I distinctly recall wanting to be an astronaut or a sculptor when I was nine.  Both of those things faded as I learned that my artwork never turned out as I imagined it in my head, and as I lost ability/interest in math and science that would be essential to an astronaut.  It was shortly after I moved on from elementary school that the desire to write began to take root in my mind and heart.  I still hope to some day grow up to be a writer.

*****
Vacation was great... busy but great.  Ginny did amazingly well on the journey out to K-town, and we were very intentional about stopping often to let her out of the car seat.  The week was spent visiting family, hanging out on the deck drinking wine with my Mom, watching all the kids in the pool, and enjoying a lot of good food.  Mom's potato salad, Mom & I made ribs, and we had a meal of things from my favourite butcher shop (steak, stuffed mushrooms & zucchini, twice baked taters).  We visited G.G. (my grandma) in the nursing home and saw a few of my favourite home-type places.  Went to a couple of movies, did some shopping... and my ever adventurous Beloved spent a couple of days helping my Dad and BIL with some renovation work on Mom & Dad's house.  Ginny went in the pool for the first time, which met with mixed reviews from the wee girl.  And we got portraits taken of all four of the grandkids together.  Like I said... busy!  Pics will be posted in a couple of days with Ginny's 8 month update.

*****
I'm excited about this week's 'On the Nightstand' post.  I've read some great books in the last couple of weeks and I can't wait to share them with you.

Bloggity Summer Camp: Foodie Fri... um no... Sunday!

Hey Humble Readers...

I hope you have all had a great weekend, and are enjoying some nice, bug-free weather, wherever you are.  It's been an all around quiet weekend for the Gamgee family.  A bit of shopping, church, and nap time.  Not a bad life if you can get it.

Today's assignment for Bloggity Summer Camp caught me a little unprepared.  Camp Director Calliope has asked us to "Share your favorite recipe (or two) (see! You CAN be a food blogger!)".   Normally, if I'm planning on posting a recipe or two, it's usually something that's on the menu for the week.  And I make sure to take some pics, because I know that pics make all the difference in enticing someone to try a new recipe.  But you all are just outta luck today... ;)

Because Carrie, a new reader, mentioned it, first up is a fabulous recipe for the most dangerous cheesecake you will ever make.  This thing is sinful, it's that good!  I do not claim this recipe as my own... it's taken from the Hershey cookbook and it's FAB-U-LUSS!!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Fudge Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 pkg cream cheese, 8oz each, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup peanut butter chips, melted

Heat oven to 350F.  Combine vanilla wafer crumbs, powdered sugar, cocoa, and melted butter in a medium bowl.Press into bottom and 1 inch up side of a 9 inch springform pan.  Bake for 8 minutes and allow to cool.  Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth.  Add eggs, sour cream, flour, vanilla and salt.  Beat until well blended.  Place half of the cream cheese mixture into a separate bowl.  Stir melted chocolate into one bowl of the cream cheese mixture, and stir the melted peanut butter chips into the other.  Spread chocolate mixture into prepared crust.  GENTLY spread the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate mixture.  DO NOT STIR.  Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until center is almost set.  Remove from oven to a wire rack to cool.  Use a knife to loosen the cake from the side of the pan.  Cool completely, cover and refrigerate.  Serve with a drizzle of chocolate sauce if you want to.  TIP:  To prevent the top of your cheesecake from extensive cracking, bake in a water bath. 

Second up, a super simple supper that I adapted from a recipe on Allrecipes.com.  Less than 15 minutes and it's in the oven.  Cut up some raw veggies or toss a salad, and you're good to go. 

Crispy Chicken & Oven Fries

8 chicken pieces, bone-in and skin on (I use chicken thighs, but drumsticks would work well too)
4 russet potatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp each rosemary, oregano, thyme
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375F.  In a medium bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic and herbs.  Whisk together until well combined.  Toss potato wedges in marinade, then remove them with a slotted spoon, leaving the majority of the marinade in the bowl.  Place the potato wedges on a baking sheet (with raised edges!).  Next, toss the chicken pieces to coat with marinade, and remove to the baking sheet.  Drizzle remaining marinade over the chicken and potatoes and bake for 45 minutes, basting once or twice to crisp up the chicken. 

Let me know if you try either one...

Foodie Friday: Meat & Taters

Greetings Humble Readers...

I hope you are all enjoying your summer.  This week has been a hot one on the flatland, but not totally unbearable.  Poor wee Ginny has had some difficulties sleeping in the heat, but we're making it.

This week's recipe is a really simple supper that can be prepped in 15-20 minutes and has minimal clean up.  It's also totally adaptable.  You can change it up by switching out different spice blends and salad dressings.  You could even swap out the chicken for a butterflied or thin cut pork chop. 

Easy Meat & Tater Packets

(per person)
1 chicken breast, boneless & skinless
1 med russet potato, scrubbed but not peeled, thinly sliced (like thick potato chips)
1/2 med onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Butter/margarine/olive oil
Greek Spice blend
Your favourite vinaigrette salad dressing (I use either Italian or a pesto/parmesan blend)
Aluminum foil
Non-stick cooking spray

All assembled, just waiting to be covered.

To assemble the packets, spray one side of a square of aluminum foil with the cooking spray.  Then arrange the sliced potatoes on the foil, topped with the sliced onions, leaving one inch of the foil on all sides.  Dot with butter or margarine, or drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Top with chicken breast.  Sprinkle spice blend over chicken breast and potato and onion layers, to your taste.  Drizzle the chicken breast with salad dressing.  Cover with a second piece of foil that has been sprayed with the cooking spray. 

Two packets, ready for the oven.

Seal all four sides by folding at least twice.  If cooking in the oven, place packets on cookie sheets in case of leaks.  Bake in a 350F oven or on a med-high bbq over indirect heat for 45 minutes.  When they are done, carefully open the packets (don't get burned by the steam) and slide the whole contents onto a plate. 

Ready to eat.  Yummy!

The key to this recipe is the indirect heat (if you're using the BBQ) and the non-stick spray.  As I said, this recipe is easily adaptable.  I've used a tex mex spice blend and a lemon & herb blend, but the greek is my favourite. 

Let me know if you try it, or if you make adaptations... I'm always looking for variations.

Bloggity Summer Camp: A Hobbit's Favourite Subject

Good Evening Humble Readers...

I hesitate to say this, but I think I have gotten myself into a good routine here.  I allow myself the time between when we put Ginny down at 8 until we get her up for her last bottle at 11 to write and peruse blogs.  I'm still not up to par on commenting, but I'm getting better.

And it's thanks in large part to Calliope's Bloggity Summer Camp...

Today Calliope asked, "What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Do you read food blogs or would you ever consider writing one?"

She wants us to talk about food?  A hobbit discussing favourite foods?  :)  I could go on for hours!  But I won't, I promise!

Here we go...

Breakfast - While I'm usually craving sweet in the morning, I try not to give in.  I would love to have chocolate croissants and danishes every day, but I know that's just not a good idea.  Instead, I vary things between greek yoghurt, cereal, and once or twice a week I have scrambled eggs and toast.

Lunch - This is my hardest meal of the day, partly because I get so stuck in a rut and eat the same thing all the time.  My favourite thing to have for lunch during cold weather is macaroni with tomatoes, basil, garlic and crumbled feta cheese.  Usually I just have a sandwich.

Dinner - Hmmm, again tough, but this time because there are so many choices.  Things that I've recently really enjoyed... roast beef with sour cream & horseradish potatoes, the black bean salad I posted about last friday, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, and the chili lime roasted chicken that I posted about last year (made it a couple of weeks ago and I'm craving it again, but it's too hot to turn on the oven)


I do read a couple of food blogs, the Pioneer Woman, and the Tasty Kitchen blogs (links on my blogroll).  I love how both emphasize step by step pictures of the recipes.  I have gotten many great recipes from both websites.

I think I probably could write a food blog, but I would have to remember to take pictures of my recipes before they get eaten, and quite often I forget.  The other thing that would hold me back would be the fact that I don't have all that many original recipes.  Most of mine are combinations or alterations of recipes that are already out there.

If you could have your favourite foods all in one day, what would you have?

Foodie P*O*R*N

Hey Humble Readers...

I have a bunch of food pics that I have been wanting to share, but I have gotten behind.  I've been doing a lot of experimenting and trying of new recipes lately.  So here, for your viewing pleasure...

Monkey Bread

A basic bread dough, formed into balls, then dipped in a butter-brown sugar-cinnamon sauce
(with a sprinkling of golden raisins), stacked in a bundt pan & baked.  YUM!

My first attempt at Homemade Pizza (pepperoni, mushroom & spinach)

This dough recipe called for half a can of beer... can't go wrong with that!

Creamy Chicken Turnovers

Puff pastry, stuffed with shredded chicken breast, scallions & cream cheese!

Pizza Pinwheels

Refridgerator dough topped with your favourite pizza fixin's and rolled.

Wing Platter - Asian Sesame Wings, Crunchy Parmesean Wings, Honey Mint Wings

The honey mint wings were a new recipe, and disappointing.  But the other
two types totally rock and are amazingly easy!

And even though I don't have a picture of it, I have to tell you about tonight's dinner... the Fake Out Coq Au Vin.  I got the recipe from the Rac.hael R.ay magazine... so simple and soooo good!  Chicken breasts, mushrooms, onion, red wine... like I said, super simple and it tasted amazing!

I know it's lame to show you the pics without the recipes, but I'm a tired hobbit.  Let me know which ones you're interested in and I will break it down for you!

A Little Slice of Heaven (aka NYC Food)

Good Morning Humble Readers!

(cycle update: I'm 10dpo, dealing with phantom symptoms, and in an effort to keep distracted, I'm going to try to post all of our NYC stuff this week)

When we left for New York, my Beloved and I made a pact that we weren't going to eat anywhere that we could eat at home. No fast food chains, no Sta.rb.ucks, no restaurants we could frequent at home. Not even going into a Tim Ho.rto.ns to celebrate the fact that the Timbit nation has infiltrated the U.S.

In the past, when my Beloved has traveled, food hasn't been a big part of the experience. When he was in China he ate at an A & W, and when he was in London he never once had a pub lunch. He just looked at food as something he needed between tours and historic sites.

While I didn't take pictures of every meal we ate, I did take quite a few. I can honestly say that there was only a couple of meals I regretted, mostly because they were too common. Yes, we did eat at a Red Lobster and at a TGI Fridays (but we don't have those here, so...), but other than that I really wanted to focus on trying new things.

So without further ado, here is our 10 days of good eats:

• La Reggia - the restaurant in our hotel. We ate there the first night and the last. The first night we both had Veal Canneloni with tomato and beschamel sauces. So good! The last night we had some basic pasta (linguini w/ sausage, rigatoni bolognese) but we had antipasto as a starter... I have discovered that I'm not a big fan of anchovies, and I still don't like olives or strong cheeses.
  
• Southwest NY - where my Beloved took me for my birthday dinner. Located down in the World Financial Center, right across from Ground Zero. My Beloved had the cedar planked salmon with green beans and corn pudding (which he swears was incredible) and I had the mojo marinated skirt steak with chimichurri, crispy onions and ancho mashed potoatoes. Amazing! We shared a brownie sundae for dessert... and Terwilliger wanted to get in on it too. (You'll hear more about Terwilliger's adventures soon!)
• Shelley's - a self-described wine and oyster bar, we had neither wine nor oysters. I had an incredible hamburger with gruyere (who knew I liked that) and spicy mustard (a new favourite). My Beloved had a traditional reuben sandwich. The fries were great too!
  
• Grotta Azzurra Ristorante - A great teeny place in Little Italy. We were just walking down Mulberry Street recovering from the smells of having just wandered past a seafood market in China Town, when we stopped to check out the menu. We ended up being seated at a great table practically outside, and had some of the best garlic bread I have ever eaten. My beloved had penne pomodoro with chicken marsala and I had rigatoni alla vodka and pork scallopini. The vodka sauce was like nothing I have ever had before. It was a mountain of food! We finished by sharing a ginormous bowl of spumoni. Yumm!


• Angelo's Pizzaria - right next door to the Ed Sullivan Theater, we had lunch there before we went to the Late Show. My first taste of New York pizza did not disappoint. Thin and crispy crust, italian sausage, fabulous tomatoe sauce, fresh basil... mmmmmmm!


• Ellen's Stardust Diner - the food was mediocre but the atmosphere was fabulous! I had the sliders and my Beloved had the Dean Martin (spaghetti with meatballs). All the wait-staff were in 1950's style costumes and sang! One guy actually walked across the back of our booth while he was playing his harmonica.


• Otto Enoteca - Mario's fabulous pizzaria and tapas restaurant. I was so excited just to be there. My beloved had the Rigatoni con Sausage & Escarolle and I had the Vongole pizza. I have never had a pizza with whole clams on it before, but it looked amazing and tasted just as good. I also snuck a bit of my Beloveds pasta and have decided that I have to figure out how to make it because I MUST eat that again someday! For dessert we each ordered a three flavour tasting of gelato. My Beloved kept it kind of tame with two types of chocolate and creme fraise gelatos. I had pistachio, dark chocolate and the aforementioned olive oil gelato. I don't know if I will ever have anything that compares with again in my lifetime. Sooooo good!


• Stage Deli - Ok, so it's kitchy (it's the place where all the sandwiches are named after celebrities), but it was fun and the food was pretty good, albeit old school. I had a Ben Stiller (hot roast beef sandwich and mashed potatoes) and my Beloved had a chicken cutlet with mashed potatoes. It was fun.


• Mesa Grill - Bobby Flay's restaurant in the Flatiron district. We ended up meeting some fellow foodies who were taking pictures of their food too. We got a few laughs out of sharing our food adventures so far. We got to sit right by the window, which was fun right up until I started wearing my lunch. My Beloved had the Cuban burger (I can't remember what made it cuban... I think there was ham on it...) and I had the Pressed Roast Pork sandwich. Both were fabulous, and we each got different kinds of fries. We walked out of there full, mouths on fire from the spices, and me covered in the sauce from my sandwich.


• Zocalos - a mexican restaurant in Grand Central Terminal. Great salsa! My Beloved had Enchiladas con Pollo and I had Pescadoro alla Plancha (tilapia with a vegetable ragout on top made of mushrooms, carrots, and zuchini). Both very yummy and not as spicy as expected. My only complaint about this restaurant was that they charged for soda refills. It was fun to watch the people running to catch their trains tho.


• (I can't remember the name) - This was where we ate during the On Location tour. It was the pizza place featured in the MIB movies. The pizza was great even though I burned my tongue. I wish I would have had one of their calzones tho... they looked great!


• Yankee Stadium - Ok, so it was beyond totally overpriced, but the fries and the sausages with peppers and onions were to die for. The fries... they were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, perfectly seasoned... man oh man. (maybe it was just the fact that they were hot and I was freezing?)


• Bagel Bar - My first and only 'real' New York bagel. It wasn't until after I had ordered my salami and cheddar on an everything bagel that I saw that they had lox. Gah! I never did get my bagel with lox, but the sandwich was great! I have to say, that of all the sandwich-y places we went to, this place had the nicest staff!


• L'Allegria - Ok, I thought that place in Little Italy was teeny, but this place was miniscule! Maybe 15 tables. For as small as it was, they sure were busy! The servers were run off their feet. My Beloved had the pasta fagioli soup, osso buco (with some sort of a balsamic reduction and portobello mushrooms) and I had the lobster ravioli in a creamy lobster tomatoe sauce. Both were absolutely incredibly! I tried some of his osso buco and it totally just melted in my mouth!

There were other meals in there too... our hotel had a great free hot breakfast that we had most mornings, hot dogs from vendors, pretzels from vendors, and coffee from a donut place that we don't have here on the flatland.

With all that we ate, I'm surprised that I didn't come home a blimp!