New Furniture and Meals

Saturday morning I went to a craft day at church. It was great fun. I painted wooden Christmas trees and stamped a snowman design onto tiles to create coasters. But by far, the highlight was the basket. I weaved my own basket! It took 2-3 hours. It was really fun. There were a few difficult, tedious parts, but overall it was surprisingly easy and enjoyable. I'm so proud of my little basket!

We got a dining room set this weekend. Our kitchen table is the perfect size for two people, but rather uncomfortable with more than that. So we've been search for a nice dining table that wouldn't break the bank. We found this set on Craigslist. It was at an excellent price and in good condition. It's solid wood, North-Carolina-made furniture. I don't know if we'll keep it forever, but I really like the simple, traditional lines of the table. It's also really nice to have a hutch and some extra drawers with the buffet table. The only downside is that the chairs need to be re-upholstered. I think I'd prefer to get some slip covers.

I've also made a number of really good meals.

Red Curry with Chicken and Eggplants
This is a recipe I adapted from one on http://www.recipezaar.com/, but is, at least partially, mine. It's different from the other curry with chicken and eggplants posted below.

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
6 thai eggplants, cut into eighths (these are small, round, green eggplants - about the size of a plum)
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
2 T red curry paste
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 lb chicken, poached and shredded

Stir-fry red bell pepper and onion in a little olive oil over medium heat until both vegetables are soft. Add eggplants and cook until those are soft. Add chicken broth and curry paste. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5-10 minutes. Add chicken and coconut milk. Simmer another 5 minutes or so and serve with rice.

Double-Tomato Pasta from Health magazine

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup sliced red onion
2 lbs seeded tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces farfalle pasta (bow-tie pasta)
1/3 cup sun-dried tomato, packed without oil, sliced
1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese, divided (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add onion. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain into a sieve over a bowl; add sun-dried tomatoes to reserved pasta water. Let stand 10 minutes; drain. Combine pasta and sun-dried tomatoes.
Combine pasta mixture and plum-tomato mixture in a large bowl; stir in 3/4 cup cheese and parsley. Divide pasta evenly among 4 bowls; garnish each with 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

Curried Bean Salad - A truly fabulous recipe from http://www.101cookbooks.com/

2 (15 ounce) cans beans
1 cup cooked black lentils (I find some already cooked lentils at Trader Joe's)
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced into crescents
3/4 cup celery, chopped
1 garlic clove>
1/2 teaspoon of fine-grain sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1-2 teaspoon freshly grated gingerroot
1/2 lemon, juice of
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Wash and pick over the lentils. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with water using 2-3x the quantity of lentils. Bring to a boil, scale back the heat a bit and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until lentils are tender but not splitting apart. Salt to taste at this point. Remove from heat and drain any remaining liquid.
In a large bowl toss the beans, black lentils, red onion, and celery. Make the curry vinaigrette by mashing the garlic clove with the salt into a thick paste. In a bowl or jar whisk together this garlic paste, the curry powder, fresh ginger, lemon juice, and olive oil. Whisk well, taste, and add adjust flavors/salt if needed. Pour about half of the dressing over the beans and give it all a toss. Add more dressing a bit at a time until it is to your liking. Taste, make sure the salad has enough salt.

Cilantro Noodle Bowl - Another tasty recipe from the always dependable http://www.101cookbooks.com/

8 ounces dried soba noodles
2-3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 lemon, zest of
2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu

Cook the soba in a big pot of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender - but about 20 seconds before the pasta is done cooking add the broccoli to the pot. Cook it until barely done. Now drain and rinse under cold running water. Sprinkle with lemon zest and set aside.
Make the dressing by combining the cilantro, garlic, cayenne, salt, and olive oil. Blend in a food processor or chop by hand. Taste, adjust for more salt if needed and set aside.
Drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into rectangles roughly the size of your thumb (1/2 inch thick and 1 inch long). Cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well-seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy. Remove from skillet, let cool a bit and if desired cut into matchsticks (as seen in the photo), sometimes I don't bother and use larger pieces instead.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, broccoli, and a couple big splashes of the cilantro dressing. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and gently toss again, add more dressing and a couple pinches of salt if needed. Turn out onto platter and crown with a couple pinches of cayenne and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Mango Pork Stir-Fry - A good recipe from Taste of Home magazine (my lovely mother-in-law was kind enough to give me a subscription to the magazine)

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 small head bok choy
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 green onions, thinly sliced (I omitted)
1 medium mango, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon sesame oil

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, broth, and soy sauce until smooth; set aside.
Cut off and discard root end of bok choy, leaving stalks with leaves.
Cut enough leaves into 1-inch slices to measure 2 cups. Cut enough stalks into 1/2-inch pieces to measure 2 cups. Save remaining bok choy for another use.
In a large skillet, stir-fry pork in 1 tablespoon oil for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
Stir-fry bok choy stalks in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and bok choy leaves; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add water and pepper flakes if desired; cook 2 minutes longer or until bok choy is crisp-tender.
Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the green onions, mango, and reserved pork; heat through. Stir in seame oil. Serve with rice.

Snickerdoodles - This recipe is a variation on the Simple Sugar Cookies recipe from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion.

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon, to taste
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Add the buttermilk and vanilla, again beating until well combined.
Add the nutmeg/cinnamon, flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients and beat until the mixture forms a cohesive dough.
Place about 1/2 cup cinnamon-sugar (1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed with 1/2 cup sugar) in a shallow bowl.
Gather 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Place the ball in the bowl or bag of cinnamon sugar. When you've got five or six dough balls in the sugar, gently shake them until they're completely coated. Place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving about 1.5 inches between them. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie until it's about 1/2-inch thick.
Bake the snickerdoodles for 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them on a wire rack.

When the Husband's Away, the Dog Will Play

Scott is working nights this week. He worked a 24 hour shift on Sunday and is working from 5 pm to 6 am Monday through Friday. And then on Saturday Sept. 20, he will work another 24 hour shift.

It's a little odd to be on my own for the week. But I'm taking advantage of it. I've been watching DVDs at night and playing with Snowbird. And, of course, cooking! I made a tasty curry Monday night and a really good pasta salad with fresh tomatoes. I will post recipes and pictures soon.

Scott made me swear up and down that Snowbird would not be sleeping in the bed while he was gone. So I, the obedient wife, e-mailed him these photos last night:

Holiday Weekend

Snowbird and I dancing. Not one of my better fashion moments, but Snowbird didn't mind.

It's been a nice long weekend here. Friday night, we went to another anesthesia party. Scott is lucky that his fellow CA2 residents are all so nice. The party was held at the condo of one of the girls which was by the law school and had a fabulous view of the river and the University. All the girls were dressed so elegantly and I felt rather drab in my t-shirt and shorts. This spurred me on to improve my wardrobe a bit - try to look more feminine and stylish. This desire to be better dressed occurs to me every so often, but usually my inner tight-wad cools it off quickly. I bought two new shirts this weekend, but didn't want to buy much more since it will soon be too cold to wear all the stylish summer clothes.

Saturday we went to the state fair. It's always so much fun. I enjoy looking at all the exhibits and animals, but I'm not much of a ride-person. Mostly, the state fair is about eating. We tried many tasty and unhealthy snacks. A once-a-year opportunity to stuff yourself with fried foods on a stick. I was impressed with the deep fried snickers bar. And the Twisted Sisters make fabulous sausage on a stick. But, of course, Sweet Martha's cookies are always the best for me.

Sunday was church. My Sunbeams class was assigned to give a presentation during primary. Essentially, I did the presentation, with some help from the kids. It was on baptism. I bought some cheap foam letters spelling baptism at Joann's and had each kid hold up the letter - that was their participation. The rest of the presentation was pretty boring. I think all the kids were looking forward to it ending (as was I)...but it was certainly better than it could have been. I would like to spend more time planning more activities for my Sunbeams, but the time never seems to be there (or, I never seem to make the time).

Today, Monday, was a shopping day. I went to Ikea in the morning and bought Scott a bedside table. After more than a year of marriage, I finally decided that a cardboard bedside table wasn't good enough. Then I went to the Mall of America. I thought it would be packed due to the holiday and the Republican Convention. But it really wasn't busy at all. It did occur to me that the last time I was at the MOA was the day after Thanksgiving - I seem to pick holidays to go to the big mall. It's so big though that it's able to handle crowds well. After the mall, I went to the gym then came home and mowed the lawn. Scott was hard at work today finishing the deck. He also finished reading October Sky by Homer Hickam, one of my favorite books. I've been trying to get him to read it for months and I'm so glad that he loved it as much as I did.

Here are some recent meals:

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Pasta, recipe by Lynn Rosetto Kasper
1 clove garlic, split
3 pounds richly flavored tomatoes (if possible, one-third cherry type, one-third mellow-tasting, and one-third low-acid), unpeeled, unseeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 generous pinches hot red pepper flakes
1/3 cup good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti, or linguine - I used rigatoni
6 quarts boiling salted water
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, or to taste
3 tight-packed tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
1 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

1. Vigorously rub a pasta serving bowl with the garlic and discard the clove. Add the tomatoes, red pepper, oil, and the salt. Gently combine. Let stand at room temperature from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
2. When ready to eat, cook the pasta in fiercely boiling salted water, stirring often, until tender yet firm to the bite. Drain in a colander and turn it into the pasta bowl. Quickly add the black pepper and basil, and toss everything together. Taste the pasta for seasoning and serve. If you like, pass cheese at the table.

Eggplant with Hot Garlic Sauce from http://www.recipezaar.com/

4-6 Chinese eggplants or Japanese eggplants (these are long and slender-Chinese groceries will have them)
5 tablespoons peanut oil or corn oil (I used a lot less)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic (I use 4-6 cloves)
1 tablespoon hot bean paste (available from Chinese groceries)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
1 chopped scallion (I omitted)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for-garnish

Cut eggplant 1/2-inch wide by 2-inch long strips.
Saute 1/2 the eggplant in 1/2 the oil in a non-stick pan/wok, until soft.
When browned and soft, remove from pan about 5 minutes.
Then repeat with rest of eggplant or sautee in 2 pans.
On low heat, cook garlic, ginger, and hot bean paste for a minute, then add sugar, soy sauce and stock/water.
Return eggplant to the pan and cook for about five minutes until garlic is soft and a sauce forms. If sauce is too thin, thicken with 1t corn starch mixed with 2t water.
Fold sesame oil.
Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Serve hot or cold with white rice

Leftovers - I added a 1/2 pound of ground chicken to the leftover eggplant to create an extra meal. It was delicious - even better than the original.


Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito from Moosewood Low-Fat Cookbook

5 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola oil or other vegetable oil or broth
3 1/2 cups diced onions
4 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed)
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chili pepper
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4 1/2 cups cooked black beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)
2/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)
fresh salsa

Preheat the oven to 350*.
Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover.
Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
Drain and set aside.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic, and chile.
Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes.
Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth (or mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand).
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices.
Lightly oil a large baking dish.
Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot.
Serve topped with salsa.

Blueberry Crisp from Betty Crocker cookbook

5 cups blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
3 T flour
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut

Mix blueberries, sugar, and flour and put in 2 qt baking dish
Mix flour, brown sugar, and oats. Cut in butter. Stir in coconut. Crumble over blueberries.
Bake 30-35 minutes at 375*.

Meals

Here are a number of recipes/photos for meals we've had in the last few weeks.

Basic Broiled Tofu from Veganomicon. This turned out pretty well, although I think the lemon juice made it taste a bit too sour.
1 pound extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T lemon juice
2 T soy sauce

Cut the tofu into sixteen slices - slice through the block both width and lengthwise.
Mix all ingredients other than tofu.
Dip each piece of tofu in the liquid and then place on a broiler-safe pan. Broil for 10 minutes. Brush with liquid. Broil 3 more minutes. Repeat this step twice. Remove tofu from oven. It should be golden brown.

Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake from www.101cookbooks.com
2 cups zucchini, unpeeled & grated
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
zest of one lemon
2 large eggs, well beaten
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 325F degrees, racks the middle. Butter/oil a 7-inch springform pan. (I used a 9 inch cake pan and slightly decreased the cooking time.
In a strainer, toss the shredded zucchini with the salt and let sit for ten minutes. Now aggressively squeeze and press out as much moisture as you can. Set aside.
In the meantime, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, shallots, garlic, dill and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and continue mixing until well combined. Now stir in the shredded zucchini. Fill the springform pan with the ricotta mixture and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for sixty minutes. If there is any moisture left on top of the cake at this point, carefully use a bit of paper towel to dab it off. Now sprinkle with the goat cheese and return to the oven for another 20 -30 minutes or until the goat cheese is melted and the cake barely jiggles in the center (it will set up more as it cools).
At this point, if the cake is baked and set, but the top isn't quite golden, I'll zap it with the broiler (just about a minute) to get a bit more color on top. Remove from the oven and let cool five minutes, then release the cake from its pan. Cool completely, serve at room temperature drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a few sprigs of dill.

Panzanella (Bread and Tomato Salad) from www.recipezaar.com

SERVES 4
1/2 red onion, diced
8 ounces sourdough bread or ciabatta (toasted or day old)
4 medium tomatoes, ripe, chopped
4 ounces low fat mozzarella, cubed (I used white cheddar)
12 kalamata olives, pitted and halved (I omitted)
1/4 cup basil, shredded
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

Put diced red onion in a small bowl and cover with water. (This removes some of the oniony taste.) The longer you soak it the milder it will become.If bread is not day old, slice and place on cookie sheet in preheated 400 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, prepare and place all ingredients other than the bread and onion in a large bowl and mix. Tear bread into bite size pieces, drain onions and add to tomato mix. Combine well. Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve.

Red Curry Chicken and Eggplant (Aubergine) from www.recipezaar.com

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk or
3 tablespoons red curry paste (I only used 2T)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thigh, cubed
2-3 Japanese eggplants or Japanese eggplants, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces or juice of 1/2 lime (I used 1-2 T lime juice)
2 fresh red chilies, cut into very thin strips (I omitted)
1/2 cup Thai basil or sweet basil, chopped

Heat a heavy saute pan over medium high heat.
Add 1/4 can of the thicker coconut milk. When it bubbles, add curry paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add additional 1/4 can of the thicker coconut milk and cook for 5- 8 minutes, until the oil begins to separate.
Add chicken and stir to coat well. Cook for about 4 minutes until the chicken has changed color and firmed up. Add remaining coconut milk, bring to a boil, add eggplant and cook at a simmer, covered until chicken and eggplant are completely cooked. Stir in fish sauce and lime leaves. Cook at a low simmer for 5 minutes.Just before serving, stir in chiles and basil.

Finally A New Post!

I've been lazy the last few weeks and haven't posted anything. During the week, I usually don't get on the computer at home since I use the computer all day at work. So, the weekend is the best opportunity to post. The past few weeks have been busy, although nothing extraordinary. Work is going well. It's finally slowed down since the summer associates are gone. Who would've thought that a job could be busiest in the summertime...

Scott and I have been spending a lot of time staining our deck. It's taking far too much time to do this. Especially since we only work on it Saturdays. Snowbird is doing well. He had his first vet appointment yesterday. The vet thought he was in perfect health and complimented me on getting such a fabulous dog. He's become quite attached to me. He whines when I leave - even if Scott is still with him. Yesterday he saw me in the backyward while he was inside with Scott and got quite upset that he couldn't be out there with me. I find it very flattering.

I've been doing lots of reading in the past few weeks. I finished re-reading the Harry Potter series. I loved the books even more this time than I have before...probably since I read them all at once. I also read a cute book about the history of American Chinese food called the Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8. Lee (really, an 8!), All the Way Home by David Giffels (about a family who bought and remodeled a condemned house), My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (a well-written coming-of-age story). I'm currently reading a fabulous book called the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It's an epistolary novel - written entirely in letters - about a group of people from Guernsey, one of the Channel islands between England and France which was the only part of Britain occupied during WWII.

And of course, I've been cooking too. I will work on getting my recent recipes and photos up later today.

Birthday Meal

Sunday was Scott's designated birthday dinner, since we didn't have time to make a fancy meal on his birthday. Scott often likes to get ribs when we go out to eat. I've never made ribs on my own before, but I thought it would be a nice birthday treat for him. My parents frequently make ribs, but they usually bake then barbecue them. I slow-roasted these ribs for about 2.5 hours. They were fabulous! The recipe was great. I really liked the sauce (of course, since it's almost entirely made of sugar, the sauce is difficult not to like).

I served the ribs with some instant mashed potatoes. I've always love these boxed, flavored potatoes. Perhaps I'm getting snobbish after eating so much homemade food, but these instant potatoes just didn't taste that good to me. I also diced up several pattypan squash that I bought at the farmer's market and cooked it with some garlic. At the end I added a little lemon juice and chopped dill. Turned out pretty well.

For dessert I made a chocolate cream pie. I decided to cover it with a meringue. Despite the fact that it was pretty humid out, the egg whites did whip properly, although they took longer than they would have otherwise. When I broiled the meringue, I left it in the oven a tinge too long which resulted in a nice, burnt meringue. Luckily, I was able to remove the burnt portions and the rest of the pie didn't suffer. (I ended up eating the burnt meringue. I've always liked the taste of char - even burnt toast).

Here are the recipes and pictures.

Should Be Illegal Oven BBQ Ribs

SERVES 4 -6

3 lbs pork back ribs (I only bought 2.5 lbs)
1 (8 ounce) jar honey
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt (I substituted some celery seed)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 medium onion, grated or finely chopped (I omitted)
12 ounces barbecue sauce
1/4 cup white sugar (next time, I might leave this out to decrease some sweetness)

Place all ingredients together in large roasting pan (I used the bottom of a turkey roaster).
Cut ribs apart for easier serving.
Mix together making sure to coat all ribs with the sauce.
Spread ribs out evenly on bottom of pan.
cover lightly with foil.
Bake at 325 degrees for 2-3 hours, turning and stirring occasionally.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Oops...

After removing the meringue...not as pretty, but the taste made up for it...

1 2/3 cups water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 (14 ounce) can eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (9 inch) baked pastry shell (I used a chocolate graham crust)

Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons sugar

Mix water and cornstarch and cocoa until smooth.
Sir in Eagle Brand milk and egg yolks.
Cook on medium-low until mixture reaches a boil and becomes thick in saucepan. This often takes longer than you would expect or want.
Stir in 2 tablespoons butter.
Add vanilla.
Cool slightly (stirring occasionally).
Pour into baked pie shell.
For meringue: Mix eggwhites, cream of tarter, and vanilla in electric mixer until reaches soft peaks. Add sugar 1 T at a time until egg whites reach stiff peaks.
Top pie with meringue and brown in broiler (but don't burn!)
Alternatively, top the pie with whipped cream after chilling.
Refrigerate pie until cool and fully set.

Birthday Week

Scott's birthday was on Thursday. He spent his birthday afternoon taking the Anesthesia Knowledge Test. Since we both worked that day we didn't do anything special for his birthday. We did go out to eat at a new restaurant down the street from our house called Ronin Sushi Cafe. We were quite surprised at the quality of the food. Little restaurant in the suburbs (or the city) often are pretty bad. This was delicious. We shared a penang chicken curry and the drunken noodles with tofu.

We spent Saturday working outside. Scott was sanding the deck. We're planning on staining it next week. I mowed the front lawn, which takes an hour alone. The backyard is up next. Mowing the lawn is a new chore for me, but I actually enjoy it. I just listen to my I-Pod and mow away. I had to work from 4 to midnight. I made us french toast for a late lunch before leaving for work. Luckily, work was very light...thankfully not many attorneys were working on a Saturday. I read 300 pages of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (I decided last week to re-read the first book in the series and can't stop reading them).

Here are our meals for the week:

Grilled Zucchini

I made these on the George Forman grill, my new favorite appliance.

Peanut Butter Krispy Treats
This tasty recipe was adapted from a great cookbook, Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson. I decided to add some chocolate.

3/4 cup unsalted creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (or about 1/2-3/4 t kosher salt)
2 1/4 teaspoons agar-agar flakes (available at a health foods store)
4 cups unsweetened crisp brown crispy rice cereal
6-7 ounces chocolate chips, melted.

Combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and agar flakes in a large saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until smooth, hot, melted, and bubbling just a bit. Add the cereal and stir until well coated. Transfer to an 8 by 8 inch baking dish and press into place with a wooden spoon or a piece of waxed paper.
Pour melted chocolate over rice krispy treats.
Refrigerate until completely cool, then cut into 2 by 1.5 inch rectangles with a sharp knife.

Monday night:
I made a chicken curry using a Trade Joe's red curry simmer sauce and mixed in half a bunch of spinach. I made a fabulous okra curry as a side dish.

Quick Okra Curry from http://www.recipezaar.com/

SERVES 4
250 g frozen okra, tops taken off and the rest cut into one inch pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon cayenne (I omitted)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup water
Saute onions in oil until golden brown.
Add spices and half cup water.
Saute for two minutes on medium heat.
Add okra, salt, and rest of water.
Cook covered for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes. Cover and cook until okra is cooked (15-20 min) on medium heat.

Wednesday Night:
Another cooking blog that I really enjoy is Simply Recipes: www.elise.com/recipes. She had an interesting recipe for a salmon stew that I decided to try. I've been trying to add more fish to our diet. This stew was tasty...not my favorite dish, but good enough to remake. I didn't like the pictures much, but this gives you some kind of idea.

Salmon Fish Stew, Brazilian Style

Marinade:
The cloves from 1/2 head of garlic, peeled, crushed, minced
2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon of coarse salt
1 Tablespoon of sweet paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons of dry cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper

Other:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of salmon, cut into 2-inch pieces (largish-bite sized pieces)
Olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, and sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce can thick coconut milk
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, 1-2 cups

1 Mix together the marinade ingredients. Let the salmon marinate in this paste for at least 2 hours. The longer, the better.
2 In a large pan (large covered skillet or Dutch oven), coat the bottom of the pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add a layer of sliced onions, and then a layer of sliced bell peppers, and a layer of sliced tomatoes. Place the fish pieces, with the marinade, on top of everything, and start layering again - onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add about half of your fresh cilantro to the top. Pour coconut milk over the top. Drizzle generously with olive oil over the top (several tablespoons).
3 Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until the vegetables are cooked through.

Serve with rice; garnish with remaining cilantro.

Serves 6-8, very generously.

Friday night:
I made a fabulous dish tonight. It was super-easy, pretty healthy, and will definitely become a regular dish at our house.

Italian Turkey Sausage and Peppers with Bowtie Pasta from www.recipezaar.com.

SERVES 4 -6

1/2 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional or to taste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
4 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 lb Italian turkey sausage link (about 6 links)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
8 ounces bow tie pasta, cooked (I used rigatoni)

Saute onion, peppers and pepper flakes in olive oil until onions start to brown.
Add garlic, salt, pepper, basil and oregano.
Set aside.
Prick sausage links with a fork.
Saute in skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat until brown.
Add wine vinegar and canned tomatoes (with liquid).
Add the sauteed vegetable mixture.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile cook pasta al dente.
Add cooked pasta to sausage and pepper mixture.
Stir and serve.

Recent Meals

Here is another update of my cooking. On Wednesday, I made an easy slow-cooker meal, Orange Chicken. I have a jar of orange marmalade in the refrigerator left over from another recipe that I keep trying to use up. I figured this recipe would be a good way to work on that. I thought it tasted pretty good. I forgot to add the flour, so I added a cornstarch/water slurry at the end to thicken it up a bit. Next time, I would decrease the marmalade. The orange taste was a bit strong. I served the chicken with roasted sugar snap peas and rice.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe from www.recipezaar.com

SERVES 4
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot

Toss chicken with flour in slow cooker.
Stir in all remaining ingredients; cover with lid.
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Thursday night Scott did the cooking for me. My visiting teaching companion arrived to pick me up to go visiting teaching right as I was starting the recipe. Scott was kind enough to finish up for me. He even added his own secret: corn and extra cheese.

Stove Top Tamale Pie Recipe from www.recipezaar.com

SERVES 4

1 lb ground beef
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
1/2 cup water
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 (8 ounce) package corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar)
1/4 cup sliced green onions (I didn't have any of these)

In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium-high heat; drain.
Stir in tomato sauce, beans, water and taco seasoning mix.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions.
Drop small spoonfuls of muffin batter over meat mixture in a skillet.
Cover and cook over medium-low heat 15-17 minutes or until corn bread is done.
Top with cheese and green onion.
Cover and cook over low heat until cheese melts.

Friday night was a very tasty meal of eggs and rice from my favorite blog, www.101cookbooks.com. I used Bhutanese red rice, which I had bought at a co-op in San Francisco. It had a nice taste to it and the color was wonderful. It was a nice, simple meal. Heidi, the recipe creator, has a really interesting method to poach eggs. I tried it out and it worked better than any other method I've tried (admittedly few).

I served the dish with grilled eggplant. I brushed olive oil and eggplant slices and grilled them on my George Foreman grills. Very easy and delicious.

Poached Eggs over Rice

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 pinches of salt
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional) (I omitted)
3/4 cup organic extra-firm tofu (optional), 1/4 inch dice (I omitted)
1 small clove garlic, chopped
2 - 3 cups dark leafy green, deveined and finely chopped (I used kale)
2 - 3 cups pre-cooked whole grain rice (brown is fine) (I used Bhutanese red rice)
4 good quality eggs
Soy sauce to taste

Fill a wide-mouthed saucepan with 3-4 inches of water and bring to a simmer.
Separately, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, salt, and crusher red pepper flakes. Let the onions soften up a bit - a couple minutes. Stir in the tofu if you are using it - let that heat up and brown a tad. Now stir in the garlic and greens. Cook the greens for a couple minutes, until they collapse and soften up. Stir in the pre-cooked rice and saute until hot. Remove from heat, and set aside. Taste for seasoning as well. Add a few splashes of soy sauce to taste.
Now back to the simmering water. You are going to use this to poach the eggs one at a time. Gently crack egg into a ramekin, carefully slip it into a mesh strainer over your sink - some of the whites will run through and strain off (if the mesh is too fine, you won't get the desired effect). This minimizes the fly-away whites you normally get. Now, carefully slide the egg back into the ramekin. Lower the ramekin down into the simmering water and let the egg slip out. Let it simmer there for a few minutes, past the point when the whites have become opaque. If you like a loose yolk, cook for less time. Remove the egg with a strainer or slotted spoon and either serve it atop some rice or set aside while you repeat the process with the remaining eggs.
Divide the rice between four bowls and serve each topped with one of the poached eggs.
Makes four servings.

Snowbird at the Dog Park

Today I took Snowbird to the dog park for the first time. He loved it! The dog park (in Burnsville) had a special event called Dog Days, essentially a number of vendors advertising their services, as well as a silent auction to benefit the dog park. We went into the dog park after going around the venders. The dog park has a large pond that all the dogs, including Snowbird, seem to love. There were lots of dogs there for him to play with. After we got home, he was so muddy that I had to give him a thorough bath before I would let him back in the house.

The coolest part of the Dog Days event was Bobbing for Hot Dogs - 3 hot dogs for $1. Money well-spent.

Snowbird at the dog park.

Snowbird after the dog park.