Don’t know about you, but I am super busy these days. Too much to do and too little time. I don’t want to read or write anything deep, profound, or that requires any real thinking.

I just kind of want to relax. Veg out………

The other night on Twitter I [...]]]>  

Interesting Facts and Trivia

Don’t know about you, but I am super busy these days. Too much to do and too little time. I don’t want to read or write anything deep, profound, or that requires any real thinking.

I just kind of want to relax. Veg out………

The other night on Twitter I was saying good night to a friend and added, “Sleep tight,” to my message.  That got me to wondering. Where did that phrase come from? And what by gosh does it mean?

The internet is more miraculous than an encyclopedia. I always hated it when I was growing up and I would ask my mom or dad what a word meant, or where something came from, or how to spell a word and they would respond with, “Look it up in the dictionary or the encylopedia.”

I wonder if kids today still ask questions and if parent’s say, “Google it”  Do today’s kids hate that as much as I hated, “Look it up in the dictionary.”

Well, that is a long way to say, “I Googled the, “sleeptight,” phrase.

This is what I found out:

In Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase…’Goodnight , sleep tight’

I should have known Shakespeare had something to do with it.

Well then I just couldn’t stop. I found all sorts of cool stuff about anything and everything. I love “wasting hours” like this playing on the internet. One thing leads to another and the next thing  five hours have gone by.

I just had to share some of it with you.

Did you know?

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts… So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them ‘Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.’ It’s where we get the phrase mind your P’s and Q’s.

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill , they used the whistle to get some service. Wet your whistle is the phrase inspired by this practice.

Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th: John  Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn’t added until 5 years later.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades – King David;  Hearts – Charlemagne;  Clubs -Alexander, the Great; Diamonds – Julius Caesar

Q. What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?  A. All were invented by women.

Featured Recipe    Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan

Another Recession Buster Recipe©

I love roasted vegetables. First fell really in love with them while living in California. They are easy to make and delicious too.

The thing I like most about roasted vegetables is how this easy technique brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables or fruit.

I used to just roast them with olive oil and add salt and pepepr. But all that changed when I saw Emeril add grated Parmesan cheese to a roasted veggie dish. Inspired.

This recipe is so fast and easy, as well as inexpensive, you will love it!

This is what you will need for 4 people:

1 head of cauliflower

2-3 garlic cloves

Juice of half a lemon

4-5 tablespoons olive oil

Parmesan cheese (about 4 Tablespoons)

Salt and pepper to taste

Here is what you do:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove the green leaves from the cauliflower and the bottom of the hard stem. 

Cut off the rest of the tough part of the stems while cutting the cauliflower into florets. Wash the florets and let dry completely.

In the mean time run the garlic through a press, or finely mince,  into a small bowl. Add the olive oil and mix well.

Place the florets in a baking dish. Drizzle with the garlic-olive oil mixture.  

Squeeze the lemon juice over the cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked through and starting to brown.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese to taste.

Serve with any meat entrée.

Bon appétit!!!

Cost

1 head of cauliflower              $2.49

2-3 garlic cloves                    $0.24

Juice of half a lemon              $0.35

4-5 tablespoons olive oil         $0.69

Parmesan cheese                  $1.02

Salt and pepper to taste

Total cost = $4.79

Cost per person = $1.20

Quote of the Day

When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?”

Sydney J. Harris

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As it has for millennia Spring arrived yesterday, March 20th at 05:14 a.m. Universal Time, or 1:14 a.m. EDT.

I have a good case of spring fever this year. I have these mad urges to go walk in the woods or along the river. The urges are winning. I have really enjoyed this early [...]]]>  

As it has for millennia Spring arrived yesterday, March 20th at 05:14 a.m. Universal Time, or 1:14 a.m. EDT.

I have a good case of spring fever this year. I have these mad urges to go walk in the woods or along the river. The urges are winning. I have really enjoyed this early spring. All of my life I have wanted an early spring. So this year has been wonderful. I hope it is as wonderful where you are.

Spring Fever explains why there is no blog post today. Just a recipe.

I have been out and about playing hookey!

Featured Recipe     Spinach Salad with Strawberries

One of the best salads I have ever eaten in my entire life was at the Christopher Inn in Columbus,Ohio.

The Christopher Inn was a round hotel in downtownColumbus. To say the least it was unique.

So of course in today’s mad, mad, mad world anything that unique must be demolished and torn down to build another parking lot. All that survives of the Christopher Inn today are a few pictures on the Internet.

 xxxxxx

www

Picture from The Columbus Public Library Website: Columbus Neighborhoods

In its heyday they had a great restaurant whose signature salad was a spinach salad with strawberries. It was one fantastic salad.

The salad dressing was fantastic too. I have never found anything like it, not even through the magic of the Internet. Believe me; I have tried to find it.

I can eliminate any and all creamy dressing from the get go. That does not leave many left to try. But I still have not found the one I remember. It was an oil-based recipe and while not clear, it was not creamy either.

The salad below is my feeble attempt to pay homage to the Christopher Inn’s spinach salad.  This is not the Christopher Inn recipe; unless you count the spinach, strawberries, and red onions. That is the only resemblance of the recipe below to the Christopher Inn’s salad.

The Christopher Inn salad did not use bacon. The dressing is nowhere near the Christopher Inn’s version. It is just something I like. I hope you like it too.

The strawberries today were unusually tasty and ripe for this early in the year. The spinach was excellent too.

Did I mention how delicious and how easy to make this recipe is? Consider it said.

NOTE: HELP: If any of More Thyme’s Columbus readers (or former Columbus residents) remember the Christopher Inn and their Spinach Strawberry Salad and have the recipe I would greatly appreciate it if you would share with us. I will make it and publish it here at More Thyme with thanks to you.

This is what you will need for 4 people:

For the Salad

1 bag 6 ounce of spinach

8 strawberries

½ red onion

4 slices bacon

For the Dressing

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons* citrus juice (lemon, lime, or orange)*)

1 tablespoonDijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

*Limes are fickle. Some have lots of juice. Some hardly any. Two of today’s limes were juicy. One was dry as the Sahara Dessert. I had ½ lime left by the time I got 4 tablespoons of juice.

**Lime is my favorite in this dressing and is what I used today. The tart of the lime with the sweet of the honey is simply heaven.

Here is what you do:

Wash the spinach. Dry completely. Divide it among 4 plates.

Cook the bacon till crisp and make BIG crumbles.

Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries in half. Slice the onion into as thin slices as you can make.

Combine honey, citrus juice, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until emulsified.

Look at the glorious color of that salad dressing. OoooEeeee. I licked the whisk.

Scatter some strawberries over each plate. Scatter some onions over too.

 Scatter some bacon crumbles over the salad.

Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad.

Bon appétit!!!

Cost

MONEY SAVINGS ALERT

This is a Recession Buster Recipe©.  At only $1.64 per person I doubt you can find any salad in any restaurant as good and as inexpensive as this one.

For the Salad

1 bag 6 ounce of spinach      $1.99

8 strawberries                     $1.02              

½ red onion                        $0.35

4 slices bacon                      $1.00

For the Dressing

4 tablespoons honey            $0.70

4 tablespoons citrus juice     $1.25

1 tablespoonDijon mustard   $0.26

Total cost = $6.57

Cost per person = $1.64

Quote of the Day

It’s spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! 

Mark Twain

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Always have often used staples around; things like flour, sugar, spices you use a lot, various cooking oils, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, various pastas, rice,  various vinegars, milk, butter and the like.  To see a list for a well-stocked pantry [...]]]>  

Keep most often used basics stocked up in your pantry.

Always have often used staples around; things like flour, sugar, spices you use a lot, various cooking oils, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, various pastas, rice,  various vinegars, milk, butter and the like.  To see a list for a well-stocked pantry click on this link: Pantry Set Up.

Use some pre-packaged food and add fresh vegetables to them.

I am not a purist when it comes to using fresh Vs pre-packaged foods. While I prefer fresh, my lifestyle and my budget do not always afford me that luxury.

However, I try to use pre-packaged wisely, like I did with Quick Week Night Roast Beef. If I did not tell anyone, most people would not know that meal started with pre-packaged.

So just do it! Apologize to no one!!!.

Double a recipe and freeze half for another night or week.

This tip is good to apply in weekend cooking when time is not such an issue. Casseroles and soups lend themselves to this trick very well. However, you can do it with other meals as well such as meatloaf and spaghetti sauces.

A relative to the double a recipe is the Cook Once Eat Twice or Three Times trick.  This trick  is done best with recipes like roast chicken or roast pork, or roast beef because then you can use the leftovers as the base for other recipes through out the week. [Click the links to get the roast chicken or pork recipes. The low cost of the chicken recipe will blow your mind.]

An example of a possible roast chicken leftover is creamed chicken. Leftover roast pork can make pork fried rice and/or pork chow mein.

These two strategies make week night cooking much quicker and easier.

Before beginning to cook get all of the utensils and cooking gadgets you will need out and ready to use. Same for all of the ingredients.

I think this tip is self-explanatory. And if you are like me, you do not always do it. Then at a critical moment, you cannot find the garlic press anywhere, even though you have only one place you keep it.  The Kitchen Gremlins strike again.

I am a work in progress. I try!

Plan all of your menus for at least a 3-day period.

If you can plan for a full week that is even better. Then you can buy all of your groceries at one time and be done with it.  It also means you don’t have to worry the night before, or while you are at work, “What can I fixing for dinner tonight?”

You can change your mind from your plan. But that is much easier to do than to plan from scratch.

The only caveat for that is buying fresh vegetables. Some vegetables are  best bought on the day you want to use them. I don’t know why, but many vegetables seem to have a shorter refrigerator life these days than they used to. So I often buy veggies on the day I need them, even though it means an inefficient  return trip to the grocery store. That is preferable to wasting food in my book.

Keep a running grocery list.

When you see you are running low on some thing add it to a running grocery list so that you don’t have an ~Oooppps~ moment in the middle of cooking something. I have mine hanging on my freezer door.

Get other people involved in fixing dinner including the kids.

A family meal doesn’t mean just eating together. And it certainly doesn’t mean you have no help. It also means other family members help out, even if that is just setting the table. I may have flunked scissor cutting in 5th grade, but I peeled enough potatoes, carrots, and onions for my mother, that I am now an expert at that.

Use gadgets that only really save you time.

Don’t just buy the latest gadget because it is new or on sale. Use gadgets that you find useful. Many people have drawers full of  kitchen gadgets they never use. I see plenty of them at resale shops all the time.

My philosophy is, if it takes longer to get it out, set it up, and clean it afterwards it is not generally worth my time to use it. Except for making pesto, which is why I got a small one, I seldom use a processor for this very reason. On the other hand, however, I could not live without my zesters and my garlic press.

Organize garbage too.

A friend of mine always kept a grocery store plastic bag on her kitchen counter and placed trash in during the day. I thought that was  a great idea and used it for several years.

Then I saw Rachael Ray and her garbage bowl. I liked that idea except for one thing. She drains canned foods liquid into the bowl. What that meant to me is that somewhere down the line I would have to get rid of that liquid. And with all the other trash in the bowl that would not be a fun job.

Not only am I lazy, friends. I do not like to deal with messes. UGH!!!

Voilà!  I combined my friend’s plastic bag with Rachael’s garbage bowl. Except for liquids, which I drain into a cup or straight into the sink, everything now goes in a garbage bowl lined with a grocery store plastic bag. Then when it is full, I tie it up and throw it away. I do not have to buy plastic trash bags and so I save both money and the environment.

I keep the garbage bowl in the sink next to the counter where I use my cutting board.  I peel, chop, cut or dice and put the waste straight into the garbage bowl. How easy is that?

On weeknights cook only simple, fast and easy dishes.

Tip # 10 speaks for itself.

What Time Saving kitchen tips do you have? Leave your tips in the Comments Section below.

Featured Recipe   Rice with Egg and Soy-Orange Sauce

This is a fast and easy recipe to make. Since there is no meat, it also is very budget friendly. Both rice and eggs are inexpensive yet delicious and filling. I would say this recipe is down right cheap, but somehow that leaves the wrong impression.

Orange juice and soy sauce make a heavenly inspired combination. For me at least, I already have most of the recipe ingredients already in my pantry. All I had to buy to make this recipe was the orange, red onion, and the green onions.

This is also a good recipe for when you have left over rice you do not know what to do with.

This is what you will need for 3 people:

For the Sauce

¼ cup fresh orange juice

Zest of 1 orange, divided – save some for garnish on the rice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons sherry (optional, can substitute rice vinegar or omit all together)

For the Rice and Eggs

Rice for 3 people

1 small or half a medium red onion

1 clove garlic

2-3 tablespoons butter

3 green onions

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

3 eggs

Here is what you do:

FIRST cook the rice according to package directions.

NOTE: You can use left over rice. Just bring it to room temperature before adding to the recipe.

NOTE 2: You can also make the sauce the night before to save even more time.

For the Sauce

Zest the orange. Reserve a few teaspoons of the zest for garnish and set aside.

Cut the orange in half and squeeze  ¼ cup of juice.

Whisk all sauce ingredients, except the reserved zest, together until well mixed. Set aside.

For the Rice and Eggs

Chop the onion into a small to medium dice. Run the garlic through a garlic press.

Also slice the washed and cleaned green onions on a diagonal. Set the green onions aside to use for garnish on the finished dish.

When the rice is done……

…..melt the butter over medium low heat and sauté the garlic and red onion until they begin to get soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the cooked rice and mix it into the butter, onion and garlic. You may need to add a bit more butter. I added a teaspoon more.

While the onions are sautéing and the rice is being reheated, heat the olive oil in another large skillet until very hot. Add the eggs and immediately turn the heat down to very low and cook the eggs over low heat until you just see the edges of the eggs starting to turn light brown. I also trim the whites of the eggs to make them a bit rounder.

When the eggs are cooked to your liking and the rice is warm place a scoop or two of rice on a plate for each person and place one egg on the rice. Garnish with the diced green onion.

Drizzle some of the sauce over all. Top with some of the reserved orange zest.

Bon appétit!!!

Cost

For the Sauce

¼ cup fresh orange juice                  $0.69

Zest of 1 orange, divided                   ——

2 tablespoons soy sauce                   $0.36

1 tablespoon brown sugar                $0.06

2 teaspoons sherry                          $0.10

For the Rice and Eggs

Rice for 3 people                             $0.52

1 Half a medium red onion               $0.35

1 clove garlic                                  $0.10

2-3 tablespoons butter                     $0.24

3 green onions                                $0.21

1-2 tablespoons olive oil                   $0.24

3 eggs                                            $0.45

Total cost =                                 $2.87

Cost per person =                       $0.96

Quote of the Day

If its sanity you are after there is no recipe like laughter.

Henry Eliot

22

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and just for fun, today I am sharing some Edward Lear limericks.

There was an old person of Wilts, Who constantly walked upon stilts;  He wreathed them with lilies  And daffy-down-dillies,  That elegant person of Wilts. 

There was [...]]]>  

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and just for fun, today I am sharing some Edward Lear limericks.

There was an old person of Wilts,
Who constantly walked upon stilts;
 He wreathed them with lilies
 And daffy-down-dillies,
 That elegant person of Wilts. 

There was an Old Man with a flute,
A sarpint ran into his boot;
But he played day and night,
Till the sarpint took flight,
And avoided that man with a flute. 

There was a Young Lady whose chin,
Resembled the point of a pin;
So she had it made sharp,
And purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.

Edward Lear is famous for his limericks. However, many people do not know he was also an accomplished illustrator.  Below is one of my favorites.

You can see more of Edward Lear’s illustrations by clicking this link: Parrot Illustrations.

I end tody’s post with the traditional Irish Blessing for you and your family

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you:
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.

Featured Recipe:   Bubble and Squeak 

On St. Patrick’s Day the Irish like a dish made with potatoes and cabbage or kale called Colcannon. The potatoes are mashed and the greens are blanched and mixed into the mashed potatoes.

Originally Colcannon was made for Halloween and small coins were hidden in the mashed potatoes.

There was a song that went along with the recipe too:

“Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.
Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake
Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?”

The chorus:

“Yes you did, so you did, so did he and so did I.
And the more I think about it sure the nearer I’m to cry.
Oh, wasn’t it the happy days when troubles we had not,
And our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.”

Source: Wikipedia.

I am not a big fan of food being mixed into my mashed potatoes. Don’t know why. Just am not.

However, I LOVE the combination of potatoes and cabbage. So for St. Patrick’s Day I am making Bubble and Squeak, a close cousin of Colcannon .

I make no apologies to anyone. And if the Food Police want to come and arrest me I will gladly give them my wrists to handcuff me and haul me away to jail.

My favorite recipe of Bubble and Squeak is made with REAL LARD. You will get the most flavorful version of Bubble and Squeak using lard. You will only get the “squeak” sound the potatoes and cabbage make when cooking IF you use real lard.

The best recipe for Bubble and Squeak comes from Calrissa Dickson’s recipe from Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies, Clarkson Potter Publishers, 1996.

You can substitute butter or oil for the lard. But as Clarissa  said, “There is no substitute for lard or beef drippings – if you object, eat something else.”

There you have it. I just love the Two Fat Ladies.

Lard can be purchased in most grocery stores.

This is what you need for 4-6 servings:

3 cups cold cooked potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes)

¼ cup drippings or lard

1 onion minced

1½ cups chopped cooked cabbage or Brussels sprouts

Salt and pepper

Here is what you do:

Peel and cook the potatoes in water that covers them. About 20-30 minutes should be fine, but use a knife to test the potatoes. Cooking time will vary by size and type. I had 1 small potato that I removed from the pan before the others.

Completely cool the potatoes. They should be cold before you make the Bubble and Squeak. You might want to cook the potatoes the night before and then you will have a quick and easy meal to fix the next day.

Give the potatoes a rough chop.

After the potatoes are cooked and chopped, chop your onions.

Then melt half of the fat in a large frying pan, add the onions and lightly fry them.

While the onions fry chop the cabbage. I first cut the cabbage into fourths. Then I cut out the rough and hard core from each fourth.

Rough chop the cabbage too.

By now the onions should be lightly browned………….

………………so mix in the potatos…………………

…………and  then cover with the greens. Season with the salt and pepper.  Add half of the remaining lard.

Using a big spatula press the bubble into the hot fat and fry over moderate heat. Keep pressing the bubble into the hot fat periodically. You will really hear the dish squeaking when you press it into the oil. It is such a delicious sound.

Everyone should make Bubble and Squeak with lard at least once in their life just to hear this lovely sound. It is just so much fun!!!!

 Cook until nicely and well browned underneath – about 15 minutes. I use the smell test. You will know when it is nicely browned and ready to be turned over because you can smell it.

The browing of both the potatoes and cabbage is necessary to get the best and sweetest flavors from these two vegetables.

Turn the bubble over. This will have to be done in sections, you will not be able to turn it all over like a pancake.  Add the last of the lard and fry until the other side is browned, another 15 minutes or so.

Then plate and serve.

Potatoes and cabbage are so delicious together.

As a side dish this can easily serve 4-6 people. This is a great side dish with any pork dish such as sausage or pork chops. Pork and cabbage are a perfect pairing. 

As a complete meal, as I chose to do, this can easily serve 4 people.

I served mine with a side of sliced Ohio grown and vine-ripened tomatoes. Just some salt and pepper was all I used on the tomatoes. Also served with a whole-grain roll. A very filling meal.

Bon appétit!!!

Cost

3 cups potatoes                                $1.38

¼ cup drippings/lard                         $0.28

1 onion minced                                 $0.99

1½ cups chopped cabbage                $1.45

Salt and pepper

Total cost = $4.10

Per person cost as side dish (6 people) = $0.68

Per person cost as a meal (4 people) = $1.03

This is a very budget friendly dish no matter how you serve it.

Quote of the Day    

An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.   

H.L. Mencken

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You missed lunch, you are lugging two carry-ons, a magazine, shuffling along a tired cranky child, hurrying through the concourse trying to make your connection at the airport. You just make it. You get everything organized in the overhead and you sit down, lean back, and relax.

Then the hunger pains start. [...]]]>  

You missed lunch, you are lugging two carry-ons, a magazine, shuffling along a tired cranky child, hurrying through the concourse trying to make your connection at the airport. You just make it. You get everything organized in the overhead and you sit down, lean back, and relax.

Then the hunger pains start. You look forward to something to eat. Anything you say.

When the food cart comes you request a turkey sandwich. You are starved. You eagerly bite in and reality sets in. Another un-appetizing and tasteless sandwich.                                                                                                                                             

Why does airplane food taste so bland, boring, dull, cardboard-like and flat? Even when you are starving?

Scientists have been investigating and finally have an answer.

And it is not necessarily poor food quality.

Seems the culprit is us. Or rather more precisely our taste buds. Or even more precisely than that, the way our taste buds work or don’t work at high elevations.

Who knew?

At low elevations, at around 1000 feet, the taste buds function optimally. However, the higher you go, the less the taste buds work properly.

It starts even before you take off.

If you remember your high school human anatomy and physiology lessons, you know that smell is a very important part of taste. If you cannot smell the food it has no taste, or at best a bland taste.

The atmosphere inside an airplane cabin dries out the nose thus preventing us from smelling our food thus leading to a bland taste of food on an airplane.

It get worse from there.

From the New York Times:

As the plane ascends, the change in air pressure numbs about a third of the taste buds. And as the plane reaches a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet, cabin humidity levels are kept low by design, to reduce the risk of fuselage corrosion. Soon, the nose no longer knows. Taste buds are M.I.A. Cotton mouth sets in. [Emphasis mine.]

So the combination of not being able to smell plus the numbing of a third of our taste buds makes just about everything taste bland at best when flying.

The same phenomenon occurs with the common cold. A stuffed nose makes your food taste bland too. 

The New York Times article goes on to explain why more tomato juice is consumed on planes – it tastes less acidic in the high altitude air than on the ground. The taste of wine is also adversely affected on a plane, even expensive ones.

You can read the full story by clicking the link above.

Since this is the case, taking my own food on a plane trip would not even help it seems. But then I do not have to worry about plane food at all these days as I don’t/won’t fly any more anyway.

That is a different story all together.

Onwards food lovers…….

Featured Recipes  

Scrambled Eggs with Swiss Cheese and Chives  with

Bing Cherry and Banana Salad with Lemony Poppy Seed Dressing

I am frazzled today.

Seems my part time jobs combined with having to get my taxes in order has left me with little time this week.

So today I want some thing REALLY QUICK and EASY for dinner. Nothing fancy mind you. Just some thing fast. This is what I whipped up last night for dinner.

Real Fast Food

Eggs are always my go to when I do not know what to eat or fix or when I am time challenged. I almost always have eggs in the fridge. Then I just have to add what ever else is lurking in my fried and pantry.

And to make up for not having a proper recipe or dish for you today I am giving you a twofer. I am also sharing a fast, sweet, and delicious salad recipe with you.

I love eggs. They are so versatile. And so easy to cook. Crack it. Fry, scramble, poach, hard-boil, or soft-boil it. You have a complete meal in a little shell.

This recipe also makes a good midnight snack.

With bacon or sausage it makes a wonderful breakfast too.

A side of mushrooms would be divine.

And you can change the ingredients around to fit what is lurking around your refrigerator. You can use Cheddar cheese, Mozzarella, whatever you cheese you like. Same for the herb. Don’t have chives? Use basil or thyme. Oregano would be wonderful. If you want to kick it up a notch add red pepper flakes.

Here is what you will need for 3 people:

 3 English muffin toasted and buttered

6 tablespoons butter

5-6 eggs

Swiss Cheese Shredded (about 1-2 tablespoons per person)

3 tablespoons chopped chives

Salt and pepper to taste.

Here is what you do:

Beat the eggs with a whisk and set aside.

Toast the muffins and lightly butter.

Melt the butter in a skillet.

stir the cheese into the melted butter………….

…………..and over very low heat let the cheese melt.

Add the chives, reserving a few for garnish.

Now add the eggs to the skillet and mix well.

 Cook over very low heat stirring constantly.

When the mixture becomes creamy and begins to thicken and reachers the consistency you like place the eggs on top of the buttered English muffins.

Add a bit of salt and pepper and garnish with the reserved chives.

Costs

3 English muffin                                $1.00

6 tablespoons butter                          $0.90

5-6 eggs                                          $1.00

Swiss Cheese Shredded                     $1.41

Chopped chives                                 $0.66 

Salt and pepper

Total Cost = $4.97

Cost per person = $1.65

Recipe # 2: Bing Cherry and Banana Salad with Lemony Poppy Seed Dressing

Here is what you need for 3 people.

For the salad:

½ pounds Bing cherries         $1.27  

2 bananas                            $0.79

For the dressing:

¼ cup lemonade concentrate          $0.08             

2 tablespoons honey                       $0.31                                     

1 tablespoon vegetable oil               $0.07

1 teaspoon poppy seeds                 $0.31

Here is what you do:

Wash the cherries.

Cut the cherries in half, discarding the pits.

Make the dressing by simply whisking all of the dressing ingredients together.

When you are ready to serve the salad add some of the dressing to the cherries.

Then slice the bananas and add them to the salad. Drizzle a bit of the dressing over the bananas.

Cost

Total cost = $2.83

Cost per person = $0.94

 TOTAL COST BOTH RECIPES = $7.80

TOTAL COST BOTH RECIPES PER PERSON = $2.60

Bon appétit!!!

Quote of the Day

Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. 

Oscar Wilde

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Do you have a dream? Is there something you have wanted to do or try but never have?

Well today’s story shows you it is never too late to make a dream come true.

As a former teacher and especially as a reading teacher this headline caught my eye:

Hard to believe. The images are still as vivid as if it happened only yesterday.

It has been one full year since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

One year later how is Japan and her people faring?

Some things are well. Others not so much. Much of the wreckage has been [...]]]>  

Hard to believe. The images are still as vivid as if it happened only yesterday.

It has been one full year since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

One year later how is Japan and her people faring?

Some things are well. Others not so much. Much of the wreckage has been cleaned up. There is still a lot of rebuilding to do.

Here are a few facts:

Official death toll    15,846

Still missing            3,320

Estimated cost of rebuilding           A quarter of a trillion dollars

Below are a few of the best links I could find of Before and After pictures.

The Atlantic Monthly           Japan Earthquake: One Year Later

CBC News                         Japan: One year later

The Globe and Mail            Before and after: A Look at Japan’s Progress

Featured Recipe   

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Peas

I love dump and cook recipes. That is a recipe where I can put everything in one pot and let it cook. That pretty much sums up this recipe.

This is basically a Martha Stewart, Everyday Living magazine recipe. However, I changed things around a bit to make it even more delicious and to make it even less expensive.

The original recipe calls for asparagus, not peas. I saved over $1 right there. You could also use broccoli in place of either asparagus or peas.

The original recipe also calls for fresh thyme. I saved about $2.50 there. When I made the recipe with thyme, I  never tasted it. I love thyme. But in this recipe it seemed to be more to make a pretty picture than to add any flavor to the dish. So I eliminated it. 

The recipe calls for 1 lemon. I use two. I like lemon flavor too, but I never tasted much lemon flavor in the finished meal. So I use a 2^nd lemon and just squeeze the juice from it all over the dish fresh out of the oven. NOW I have a hint of lemon flavor which is just divine.

I also add garlic.

If you buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself you will save even way more money.

This is what you will need for 4 people:

1-1½ pounds small or new potatoes (any variety or color)

3-4 tablespoons butter

1 package cut-up whole chicken (8 Pieces)

1 package frozen peas

2 lemons

4 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Here is what you do:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into squares.

Wash the potatoes and cut in half or into quarters.

Place the potatoes in a baking dish  with the butter squares. Season with salt and pepper.

 Place in the oven and roast  tossing once until potatoes are golden, 15-20 minutes.

Pat excess moisture from the chicken.

Remove the potatoes from the oven. I turn the potatoes over onto their flat side to better hold the chicken.

Smash the garlic cloves  by gently hitting them with a flat side of a knife. They will peel easier. Then slice the garlic. 

Then place the chicken on top of the potatoes. Add some salt and pepper to the chicken. Then scatter the garlic pieces over the chicken.

Place in the oven and roast until the chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes. 

While the chicken is roasting cut the lemon into eight wedges. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into squares.

Remove chicken from oven. Look how nice and golden that chicken is getting. I took some of the garlic off the chicken as it was starting to burn. Watch out for that.

If using asparagus or broccoli add it now. If using peas do not add yet. But do add the lemon. If the pan juices are a bit dry add 2 or 3 squares of the butter. Can you see them in the picture? Place back in the oven and roast for another 15-20 minutes.

Add the peas and the remaining butter and put back in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Cut the 2^nd lemon in half.

Remove chicken from the oven and squeeze the juice of the lemon all over everything.

Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes or so to let the juices redistribute.

Then serve drizzled with some of the pan juices. Look at the color on those potatoes. They were nice and firm and crispy. And the chicken was nice and crisp on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. Just the way a roast chicken is supposed to be.

Serve this with a salad and you may very well have a perfect meal even the Food Police would be happy with. But I better be careful. I do not speak for the Food Police.

Bon appétit!!!

Cost

1-1½ pounds potatoes           $1.17                                                  

3-4 tablespoons butter           $0.60

1 package cut-up chicken       $6.78

1 package frozen peas           $1.09

2 lemons                              $1.00

4 cloves garlic                      $0.20

Salt and pepper to taste

Total Cost = $10.84

Cost per person = $2.71

Quote of the Day

The darkest night is often the bridge to the brightest tomorrow.

Jonathan Lockwood Huie

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The English language is a world wide language for many reasons. One of the reasons is because English is so precise. Or it can be, when used correctly.

These days it often seems words are used as a club simply to try to beat people into submission on a variety of beliefs.

I wrote about [...]]]>  

The English language is a world wide language for many reasons. One of the reasons is because English is so precise. Or it can be, when used correctly.

These days it often seems words are used as a club simply to try to beat people into submission on a variety of beliefs.

I wrote about obesity on Monday this week. Real obesity is a serious issue. A person who is seriously over weight or obese may have many health issues and a shortened life span. However, labeling people like me, who are neither over weight nor obese as being obese, is what I mean by “Word Inflation.”

Word Inflators over react to information. Everything is a crisis. Everything is an epidemic. The world is always coming to an end.

It would be OK if all Word Inflators did was talk. But they want to do more. They want to ban things they do not like for EVERYBODY.

So Word Inflators use emotional words to proselytizing their belief system. People guilty of Word Inflation over state and exaggerate their case. They magnify fears people may have way out of proportion.  For instance: sugar = cocaine.

Word Inflation often has a monetary component to it as well. Some people use Word Inflation to scare you into buying a very expensive product or pill they are hawking.

I bring this up today because this week the Word Inflators went ballistic over a news report.

Sugar

This week reports of a study from France said that refined sugar is far more addictive than cocaine. Of course, the Food Police (blood relatives of  Word Inflators) went ballistic and immediately wanted to ban sugar in all its various forms.

Do you see the scare words in there? More. Cocaine. The Word Inflators have conflated sugar and one of the most addictive substances know to human kind, cocaine. Oh my word! We will have drug crazed people crawling all over the grocery store aisles trying to get their fix.

This French study is not the first study that found sugar is addictive. Many studies have shown such a link.

Is sugar really as additive as cocaine?

How can we separate the wheat from the chaff?

First of all, the body NEEDS sugar to survive, especially the brain. Why Your Body Needs Sugar.

So now that fact is out of the way, let’s take a closer look at our question; is sugar really as adictive as cocaine?

A great place to start is at Penn State University.

First they ask the question: Is sugar habit forming?

In medical terms, a substance is addictive if it:

*induces a pleasant state or relieves distress,
* causes long-term chemical changes in the brain,
*leads to adaptive changes in the brain that trigger tolerance, physical dependence and uncontrollable cravings,
* causes dependence, so that abstaining is difficult and creates severe physical and mental reactions.

Jan Ulbrecht, associate professor in biobehavioral health and medicine in the College of  Health and Human Development at PennState does not think so [Emphasis mine.]:

“Since the human body does not become physically dependent on sugar the way it does on opiates like morphine and heroin, sugar is not addictive,” he argues.” [Emphasis mine.]

The article goes on to recap several studies and as real scientists do, and they leave the question open for more study.

One of the things in the discussion that caught my attention was this:

In several of the noted rat studies, Corwin notes, the rats were given extremely large amounts of sugar, up to 46 percent of total caloric intake. Sugar makes up about 15 to 28 percent of total energy in the average American diet.

In that paragraph you can see a real life example of  Word Inflation at work. In some studies the rats were given far more sugar than most Americans actually consume. No wonder the rats became addicted. The study seems to have been loaded to make the rats addicted in order to ‘prove’ the sugar hater’s belief.

You can read the entire Penn State article here: Is sugar addictive?

Another article comes to about the same conclusion as Penn State. I think. Sugar is an Addictive Drug? Eh…Sort Of by Jake Young is full of scientific lingo. It is the kind of article that makes reading scientific treatises so difficult. In other words, it is full of qualifiers. Yes, this occurred but it could mean this or this or this and more study is needed.

BTW, that is how real scientists talk. No Word Inflation in this article. Here is the most useful quote:

Some news articles in reference to this research that say that “sugar as addictive as a drug.” This is not accurate. Sugar is addictive as a drug in the sense that they appear to use similar mechanisms, but this has nothing to do with the degree of addictiveness.

Sugar may be mechanistically similar to crack in terms of addictiveness, but I have never heard of someone stealing a car radio to get a Twinkie. It is likely that the quantity of drug required to get “addicted” to sugar is quite much higher. It is likely that “withdrawal” from sugar shows a statistically significant behavioral change in rats, but nothing like the withdrawal from cocaine. [Emphasis mine.]

So saying that something has a similar mechanism says nothing about the relative addictiveness of substances.

What To Do?

All I know is that I am not giving up my chocolate based on any of these so called studies. As far as I am concerned the jury is out on this question, with the evidence pointing to sugar NOT being addictive like cocaine is addictive.

On this issue I am drawing a line in the sugar!

Featured Recipe        Bacon Wrapped Corn

I know I am rushing the season. However, in my defense, the grocery store has had fresh corn-on-the-cob prominently displayed in the produce department for several weeks now. I mean, it was inevitable that I would succumb to temptation. And I am not the least bit sorry either.

Just look at it this way. You have advance notice about this scrum-deli-ishous recipe before the corn season starts. The first time I saw the corn in the store this year this was the only recipe that popped into my head. 

There are dozens of versions of this recipe. Mine is more like Martha Stewart’s found in the June 2011 edition of Everyday Food. The slight differences are I use regular pepper not cayenne pepper.

I also add some butter to the finished corn. My neighbors and friends gave me that idea. As they told me, “You can’t have corn-on-the-cob without butter.”  You know what!? They are right!

I have tried other version of this recipe that use herbs or spices on the corn. Many are good, however I prefer tasting more of the corn as this simple recipe allows me to do.

Play around and see what kind of combination you like best.

This is also as fast and easy a recipe as you can make. It is so easy and looks so elegant on a plate with any meat entrée. Easy elegant. Delicious. I like.

The fact that it is also fast and easy makes it a near perfect recipe! The fact that the dish is so inexpensive does make it the perfect side dish!

This is what you will need for 4 servings:

2 ears of corn on the cob

2 slices of bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

Butter (4 teaspoons)

NOTE: You will also need 4 toothpicks to secure the bacon. Soak these in water for about 5 minutes before using. This will prevent the toothpicks from catching fire while under the broiler.

Here is what you do:

Turn on your broiler.

Shuck and wash the corn. Dry corn completely.

Using a corn brush remove all the corn silk.

Cut the ends off the corn. Then cut the corn in half.

Sprinkle the salt and pepper over all sides of the corn.

Wrap a piece of the bacon around each ear of corn and secure with a toothpick, and place on a baking sheet.

Broil for about 10-15 minutes. (Broilers vary. Yours may need less or more time.)

Turn the corn often during the broiling. Broil until bacon is crispy and the corn is tender and slightly charred.

Sprinkle with more salt and pepper if desired. Serve with a pat of butter.

Eat and enjoy and I know you will. This is one tasty corn-on-the-cob!

Bon appétit!!! 

Cost 

2 ears of corn on the cob     $1.00

2 slices of bacon                 $0.50             

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

Butter                                 $0.41

Total cost for 4 servings =$1.91

Cost per serving =$0.48

Quote of the Day

Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you, and be silent.

Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

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I look at my friends and my neighbors and I ask: where are all these over [...]]]>                     Or Is It?

I keep hearing and reading alarmist news that more and more Americans are over weight, obese even. An epidemic they call it. Over fifty percent of Americans are considered to be obese according to some news reports these days.

I look at my friends and my neighbors and I ask: where are all these over weight people? I do not see that many people who look over weight. At the malls or theaters, grocery stores, even restaurants I do not see that many obese people.

So I want to tell you a story. A story of how one person I know became obese almost over night. Well in fact, it really was over night.

Back in 1998 the government for some reason or another decided to change the standards by which the Body Mass Index is measured. In doing so, the federal government, with just a stroke of a pen, shifted 30 million Americans from the NOT over weight category into the OVER weight category.

These poor unsuspecting Americans did not gain an ounce of weight, yet now magically they were now considered overweight.

AND THUS WAS BORN AN EPIDEMIC.

Or more precisely, the government CREATED an epidemic.

My friend was now in the over weight category after years of being taunted and teased for being a sickly skinny-minny and boney-maroney. How do I know that? I know it because my friend is…… moi……..ME, your humble, but over weight, fat, and lazy proprietress of this blog

Look at the picture below. Do I look over weight to you? [I am the one on the right in the turquoise blouse.] That picture was taken a little less than two years ago. And I can assure you I look no different today. Well, except today I am prettier.

What happened to turn me into an over weight fat slob? 1998 happened. That’s all. The new BMI  chart happened.  According to these new government standards in America you are considered to be over weight if you have a BMI of over 24.9.

Guess what mine is. 

Cue the Jeopaprdy music.

Da da da da ta da da da ta da. Da  da da dot di dotty dotty.  BOINK

Alex, the answer is… 25.

You are correct, Roberta.  You win Jeopardy!! Even if you are fat over weight slob!

I am the new poster-girl of obesity in America today.  But I am in such great company.  Under the new government policy I am over weight with:

Oh be still my heart, Pierce Brosnan and George Clooney! Woot Woot! Also added to the obese list are Will Smith, Tom Cruise, LeBron James, Sylvester Stallone, and Sammy Sousa too. In fact, many professional athletes are considered over weight under the new BMI figures.

So when I hear people complain and wring their hands at the obesity epidemic today, I immediately subtract 30 million Americans from any number cited. This is the number of Americans who were unceremoniously dumped into this category simply because they had the gall to bed one night thirteen years ago.

Sources: Fattening the Obesity Statistics; About Your BMI; Obesity Myths

Featured Recipe    Bacon Mushroom Salad

This salad is very easy and very delicious too. Salads do not get much better than this. This recipe serves two to three people.

It goes well with any entrée.

Did I tell you this salad has bacon in it?

This is what you will need for 2-3 people:

2-3 strips bacon

1 shallot

1 clove garlic

About ½ pounds button mushrooms

Lettuce greens of your choice*

For the Salad Dressing

¼ cup olive oil

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

*I prefer endive with this salad, but the endive was really anemic looking at the store today, so I bought leaf lettuce.

Here is what you do:

Dice the bacon and fry until crisp.

Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper or a mushroom brush. Cut the mushrooms in half or if large into fourths.

Mince both the shallot and the garlic.

When the bacon is crisp, add the mushrooms, shallot, and garlic to the pan and sauté for abut 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

When the mushroom mixture is cooked add some salt and pepper to taste.

Then let the mixture cool completely.

While you are waiting for the mushrooms to cool, wash and dry the lettuce leaves. I drain it on towels first, and then use a salad spinner. You can see the salad spinner in the background in the picture. The lettuce should be dry. Saladd dressings do not cling to wet leaves very well.

To make the dressing add the olive oil, sherry, and salt and pepper to a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk until creamy.

Arrange the dry lettuce leaves on a salad plate.

When the mushrooms are cool, sprinkle some of the bacon-mushroom mixture over the lettuce.

Drizzle with the dressing.

Bon appétit!!!

Cost

2-3 strips bacon                                $0.33                                     

1 shallot                                           $0.12

1 cloves garlic                                   $0.12              

About ½ lbs button mushrooms          $1.69

Lettuce greens of your choice*           $0.86

For the Salad Dressing

¼ cup olive oil                                  $0.46

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar              $1.50

Salt and pepper to taste

Total cost = $5.08

Cost per person (3) = $1.69

Quote of the Day

In times like these it helps to recall there have always been times like these.

Paul Harvey

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“Let them eat cake,” said Marie Antoinette.

Except for one itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny, leetle detail.

Ms Antoinette never ever said it

Sad but true.

This is only one example of a popular misquote.

If you want the whole scoop about Marie you can get it by clicking this link: The Straight Dope.

The [...]]]>  

“Let them eat cake,” said Marie Antoinette.

Except for one itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny, leetle detail.

Ms Antoinette never ever said it

Sad but true.

This is only one example of a popular misquote.

If you want the whole scoop about Marie you can get it by clicking this link: The Straight Dope.

The economy is getting worse. Food prices go up with every eye blink.

I need some thing to distract me for a brief while.

So just in case you get on Jeopardy and/or for your trivial amusement today, here are a few more popular misquotes to take your mind off your troubles even if only for a few minutes.

Six Popular Misquotes

Play it again, Sam.

Often attributed to Rick Blaine,  the character Humphrey Bogart played in the movie Casablanca. Several characters in the movie said the phrase, “Play it,” and  Blaine uttered,  “You played it for her. Now play it for me.”  But no one said the sentence above.

Elementary, my dear Watson.                                                                         

Sherlock Holmes never says that phrase in any of the published stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It does appear in some of the later movies.

You dirty rat.

James Cagney did not say that exact line in any of his movies. The closest quote is:  ”Mmm, that dirty, double-crossin’ rat,”  in Blonde Crazy (1931) .

Beam me up Scotty.

Closest Captain Kirk gets to saying this is in any of the movies, “Beam us up, Mr. Scott.”

Go West, Young Man, Go West.

Often wrongly attributed to newspaper editor Horace Greeley, who only printed the quote  in his newspaper correctly attributed; the actual author is John Lane Soule.

Houston, we have a problem.

This sentence is not found in the actual recording and transcript of the conversation between the astronauts on Apollo 13 and Mission Control in Houston. “We’ve had a problem…” is what was recorded. The line above was used in the movie.

Gee. Now wasn’t this fun? Don’t you just feel like you go up against Alex Trebek and win?

I can use up a whole day looking up things like this. I have fun doing things like this. I know. I am weird.

But, but, but…..I mean you never know when you might need information like this. I once knew the correct answer to a Trivial Pursuit Game-Winning Question in Russian Literature. Money was involved. It was a good thing.

Sources used to confirm these mis-quotes: Fabulous Fallacies, Tad Tuleja author; Subordinate conjunction;  Well-Known Misquotations, and The Phrase Finder.

Featured Recipe        Pork Chop and Potato Casserole

Today’s recipe is a very, very, VERY simple one. There is nothing fancy about it at all. It is just your basic meat and potato recipe.

The ingredient that sets my version of this popular dish apart from others is the addition of the Sherry. The Sherry elevates this dish into something very special.

And you are worth it!

This is what you will need for 2 people*:

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3 generous tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons Sherry (optional)

2 potatoes

1 medium onion chopped

2-3 one-inch thick** pork chops

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Butter (about 1 tablespoon)

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 2 green onions

** You really need thick pork chops for this recipe.

 * If you are looking to feed 3 or 4 peopel, you could just add a third or fourth pork chop as there are enough potatoes in this recipe for 3 or 4 people.

Here is what you do:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Butter an ovenproof 9×13 glass baking dish.

Peel potatoes and cut into ¼inch slices. Chop the onion.

Combine soup, sour cream, and sherry. Mix well.

Place about half of the potato slices on the  bottom of the buttered dish. Sprinkle with half of the chopped onions. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour half the soup mixture over thefirst layer of potatoes and onions. Spread around a bit.

NOTE: No picture.  Some times I get so caught up in the cooking I forget to take pictures. My apologies. See next step.

Then place all the rest of the potatoes in a second layer of potatoes on top of the soup mixture and sprinkle on the rest of the onions.

NOTE: If you look carefully at the picture below, you can see some of the soup mixture on the first layer of potatoes and onions peeking through.

Heat the oil in a skillet until it is very hot but not smoking. Salt and pepper the pork chops and add them to the skillet.

Just brown them quickly on both sides, maybe a minute or two on each side. Do not cook the pork chops completely. If you do they will become dry, tough, and tasteless. The oven will finish cooking the chops.

Then place the chops on top of the potatoes. Cover with the remaining soup mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven, tent with foil and let stand 5-10 minutes to let juices redistribute in the chops.

Serve with a vegetable side and/or a salad.

YUM

Bon appétit!!! 

Cost

1 can cream of mushroom soup        $1.49  

3 tablespoons sour cream                $0.83

2 tablespoons sherry                       $0.24

2 potatoes                                      $1.24

1 medium onion                              $0.05             

2 one-inch pork chops                      $2.67

1 tablespoon cooking oil                   $0.06

Butter (1 tablespoon)                       $0.10

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 2 green onions                $0.11

Total cost = $6.79

Cost per person = $3.40

Quote of the Day

Lead me not into temptation, I can find the way myself.

Rita Mae Brown

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