tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28680742885915971032024-03-12T22:47:40.994-07:00Gastronagronomatopoeiaadventures in food, parenting & consumption. and other stuff, too, probably.Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-40256659968297159972013-06-19T07:04:00.000-07:002013-06-19T07:04:32.497-07:00Strawberry Buttermilk Muffins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">A friend of mine went strawberry picking the other day and was sweet enough to share some of their bounty with me. I also happened to have a free quart of organic buttermilk in my fridge that had passed its sell-by date (by a day) and couldn't be sold. So, I whipped up some muffins. I need to figure out what to do with the rest of the buttermilk, but for now, here's the recipe:</span><div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">2 1/4 C whole wheat pastry flour</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">1/2 C sugar</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">1 t baking soda</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">2 t baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">1/2 t salt</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">1/2 t ground nutmeg</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">1/2 t ground cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/4 butter, melted</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 egg, lightly beaten</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 C buttermilk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 t vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 C chopped fresh strawberries (or whatever fruit you have)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Grease a muffin pan and preheat the oven to 375 F.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Combine all dry ingredients and mix with a whisk. In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients until very well combined. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and fold -with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon- until almost all the flour has been incorporated. Add the fruit and gently fold until JUST incorporated. DO NOT OVERMIX. That is the leading cause of death of all homemade muffins. Your mix should JUST get to the point where all the flour is damp, but the batter is still plenty lumpy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Scoop mix into muffin pan. This will make 12 regular-sized muffins. Bake for 18 minutes. They will be done when the top of the muffin is springy to a flat hand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let cool, then enjoy! Store in an air-tight container or bag at room temp.</span></div>
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Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-78386251853220202822013-06-13T13:50:00.001-07:002013-06-18T13:42:37.562-07:00Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsqOCr-uBLEm4riZn_M0FfEUS_DVo3Gm0jPcEcrDeQ5sQ8OwYGCuYV8daz6YYZ7eZZJlrUE8nzLUtf2JjPlp0PENMhnOyMrXUBBqNneuU2cZrDjELZFmvzIv-oo0ysB8u5BkyLK7BCwo/s1600/20130613_160143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsqOCr-uBLEm4riZn_M0FfEUS_DVo3Gm0jPcEcrDeQ5sQ8OwYGCuYV8daz6YYZ7eZZJlrUE8nzLUtf2JjPlp0PENMhnOyMrXUBBqNneuU2cZrDjELZFmvzIv-oo0ysB8u5BkyLK7BCwo/s200/20130613_160143.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I learned to make enchiladas at my friend Molly's house once. She made two huge trays for her birthday party. They were ridiculously delicious, and I had no idea how simple they were to make. I'm by no means claiming this dish to be "authentic" Mexican cuisine. This is authentic Rose cuisine, a fusion of things that taste with memories that feel good.<br />
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I think <a href="http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/">this</a> is the recipe I used for the sauce. I think I doubled it and put half in the freezer, because that's were I got this particular batch of sauce. I've also used jarred salsa verde for enchiladas, which is delicious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKskzUiJPqD4S5ZEsZwEv3TlayyhQBwUi52kS2zMuDtEmSZMnv6ITEUSzdu0EFwQ72MQCtmD0ioTraTrxek6bk6g9xP_HI2cik-713h0YbLu_MnnQR4eME_xbrkb5hSsOS81MrQyUK5oI/s1600/20130613_161031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKskzUiJPqD4S5ZEsZwEv3TlayyhQBwUi52kS2zMuDtEmSZMnv6ITEUSzdu0EFwQ72MQCtmD0ioTraTrxek6bk6g9xP_HI2cik-713h0YbLu_MnnQR4eME_xbrkb5hSsOS81MrQyUK5oI/s200/20130613_161031.jpg" width="200" /></a>So, here's what I do:<br />
In a bowl, combine 2 cups cooked black beans, 1 cup sweet corn (frozen corn, defrosted), and 1 package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained, with 1 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, and some salt and pepper. Mix it all up nice. This is the filling.<br />
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You need a nice rectangular baking dish. I like ceramic. I use the little corn tortillas (MUST be corn). Scoop about 1/3 C of the filling into each tortilla, roll it gently, and set it in the baking dish, rolled side down. Fill your dish thus. Cover with a quart of enchilada sauce. Top with shredded cheese- I use a blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar. Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the cheese is all melty and starts to brown. Let cool for several minutes before eating.<br />
That's it! Cheers!</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-65253183873399404002013-06-10T19:57:00.000-07:002013-06-10T19:57:27.209-07:00Coconut Shortbread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I made these cookies today to bring to a meeting this evening. I forgot them at home. More for me!<br />
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Coconut Shortbread<br />
1/2 C Sugar<br />
1 C softened coconut oil<br />
1 1/2 C AP flour<br />
1 t vanilla X<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
1/2 C shredded coconut<br />
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Mix coconut oil and sugar together until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Press into the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish (the bigger the pan, the thinner the cookie, the shorter the baking time!) and make sure it's as even as possible. Bake at 350 F for about 15 mintues or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into bars or squares. Let cool completely before removing from pan and eating.<br />
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Because there is no water in coconut oil, these shortbread cookies are SHORT. And freaking amazing. And incredibly easy and quick to make. </div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-73308609275891997792013-04-26T05:19:00.001-07:002013-04-26T05:19:36.067-07:00Kentucky Blondies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Kentucky Blondies<br />
Adapted from a recipe by the brilliant Thomas McCurdy<br />
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1 stick butter, still cool/cold<br />
3/4 C dark brown sugar<br />
3/4 C plain sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 t vanilla extract<br />
1 3/4 C All purpose flour<br />
1 1/4 t baking powder<br />
3/4 t salt<br />
9 oz white chocolate chips<br />
2 oz bourbon<br />
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Cream together the butter and sugars until incorporated, but the butter should still be chunky. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until combined, but with the butter still chunky. Mix in the dry ingredients and the white chocolate, then the bourbon. The only way you can fuck this recipe up is by over-mixing.<br />
Line a 9"x13" baking pan with parchment paper and grease it. Pour the batter into the pan, lightly smush the batter out to the edges of the pan. This isn't too important, as it will spread when baking.<br />
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes, then turn the pan and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then cut into squares. Gently remove from pan and let cool before eating. </div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-15954045172529611562013-04-23T18:31:00.003-07:002013-04-26T05:28:46.673-07:00Ranch Dressing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ranch Dressing<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRU12oQKGnD52rWofwHchyTx2z9S0kZeueJ7QUKzh2GDNumhTEdmIRpnM9QPcIESoLTXjTvROrpsYFURSFMWsfjix1wsBKfb-IAeay3LW-RHW6FM465HTz_Zjx_dcn_nWziVxn_7Tedbk/s1600/ranch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRU12oQKGnD52rWofwHchyTx2z9S0kZeueJ7QUKzh2GDNumhTEdmIRpnM9QPcIESoLTXjTvROrpsYFURSFMWsfjix1wsBKfb-IAeay3LW-RHW6FM465HTz_Zjx_dcn_nWziVxn_7Tedbk/s320/ranch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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1 1/2 C plain, whole milk yogurt</div>
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1 t dried dill</div>
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1 t dried mint</div>
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1 t dried oregano</div>
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1 t onion powder</div>
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1/2 t granulated garlic</div>
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1/2 t salt (or more, to taste)</div>
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1/2 t ground pepper</div>
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2 T water*</div>
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Put all the ingredients in a jar, shake like crazy. Shake shake shake shake shake! Eat within 5 or 7 days, or operate common sense about consuming dairy products that have been in your fridge over a week. Shake some more.<br />
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*Omit the water if you want a thicker dressing, like dip. With the water it's the perfect consistency for drizzling over green salad.</div>
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Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-83789829812732539442013-04-23T16:53:00.002-07:002013-04-26T05:29:09.596-07:00Most Excellent Crackers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuGWEl93aVRJ4xg8-6djLxCgcD1YrA49kVwSeSPioMH0ta8Wd14DbPGBD0BVmm1RcHImZQwtryhlMbgKb5JmFZRwqAGpXEyuMKOhWAxTkA-2uYT54-z05klf7GoH4yRiOmKnLraZWV3c/s1600/crackers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuGWEl93aVRJ4xg8-6djLxCgcD1YrA49kVwSeSPioMH0ta8Wd14DbPGBD0BVmm1RcHImZQwtryhlMbgKb5JmFZRwqAGpXEyuMKOhWAxTkA-2uYT54-z05klf7GoH4yRiOmKnLraZWV3c/s320/crackers.jpg" width="320" /></a>Crackers<br />
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2 cups whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1/2 cup kamut flour<br />
2 T sugar<br />
1 1/2 t salt<br />
1 T dried dill<br />
1 T granulated garlic (or more)<br />
1 stick cold butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces<br />
2/3 C water<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 F.<br />
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Combine flours, sugar, salt, dill and garlic (you can use any seasonings you like, really, just don't use too much) in large mixing bowl, giving it a quick stir with a whisk. Cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or forks until the butter is in pea-sized bits. Add water and mix/knead until all flour is incorporated, but be careful not to over-knead.<br />
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Divide the dough into three equal sized pieces. Cut 3 pieces of parchment about the size of your cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. One piece at a time, roll the dough out on the lightly-floured parchment paper, flouring the dough and rolling pin as necessary. Roll outward from the center of the dough, with the goal that it will fit just inside the parchment paper. It should be no thicker than 1/8". Gently lift the parchment paper, with the rolled dough, onto your baking pan. Cut into squares or whatever shape you like and trim the rough edges as you like.<br />
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Bake for 8-12 minutes, until dark golden brown. Baking times will vary by oven. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.<br />
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This will yield several dozen crackers, or, in my house, enough to last 6 hours ;-)<br />
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Enjoy!</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-56826060423357748212012-11-27T06:38:00.002-08:002012-11-27T06:38:38.956-08:00I Killed Santa<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ok, I'm just being dramatic, obviously I didn't KILL the guy. But, my three year old son has been saying for the last 18 months that he's afraid of Santa. He doesn't want to ride the Polar Express to go meet him (can you blame him?), he doesn't want to go to the mall to meet him, he doesn't want him coming to our house. Go figure, my genius kid has already figured out that this character defies the laws of reality and therefor is afraid of him. So, last night, I told him he had nothing to be scared of, because Santa is not real.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">IN MY DEFENSE, I explained that Santa only lives in stories, and that he's really a wonderful thing, because he reminds us of the power and magic of giving. I told him that Christmas is a holiday that began because many people believe it is the day when God gave a wonderful gift of hope to the world. I told him that we celebrate Christmas because we believe that hope and generosity are really important, and so we give each other gifts. I also told him not to tell any of his friends that Santa isn't real, because they might not be afraid of Santa, and they might like to believe that Santa is real. I told him for about the millionth time that every family has different stories and rules and traditions, and we should always respect them. About this point in the conversation, he changed the subject and began explaining to me what trucks do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's the thing: my husband and I work really hard, and I don't want some imaginary fat man getting the credit for the gifts we give to each other. How is that helpful? When he grows up, our little guy is going to want to know why his friends got more gifts than he did, and I want him to know the truth. In our family, the holiday is about GIVING, not receiving. Also, I'd rather spend my hard-earned money on a few fantastic dinner parties than a mountain of toys for a child who really doesn't need them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, my husband is kind of mad at me, but he'll get over it. We're still a young family and we're still trying to figure out our own traditions. We have yet to celebrate Christmas in our own home, and so we've just been doing what the family-at-large does. But Rowan is old enough now that he's starting figure stuff out, and I want to control the information he gets. It's absolutely my right as his mom. So, I'm trying to help him see Santa as a non-scary story character who is vital to happenings of the winter holiday, but not the whole story. We will write our own version, like every family does, and it's really important to me that the story shores up with our beliefs. Christmas isn't about gifts, it's about giving; it's not about a strange fat man in a red suit who defies physical law, it's about family and friends who we can touch and feel and hug and sing with and laugh with and spend months thinking about the perfect gift to give, hopefully making that gift, and knowing "They will see how much I love them when they see how much I thought about this". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rest in peace, Santa. I'll take it from here.</span></div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-35584318800928101932012-11-18T09:54:00.003-08:002012-11-18T09:56:28.410-08:00Molasses Crinkles<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The season for holiday baking is here! To be honest, I started my holiday baking weeks ago and have a freezer full of zucchini bread and oatmeal cookies. I'm starting to dive into the more festive recipes now and trying out what I think of as heritage recipes. My Mom and I used to make tons of Christmas Cookies when I was a kid, and I know my mother-in-law is a big holiday baker, so I am going to be working on gathering up old cookie recipes to bake into my own traditions. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is my great grandmother's recipe, apparently exactly as she made them, with just a few interpretations by my Mom and myself. This is old school mid-western baking, and I bet you could substitute the flour and shortening for gluten free and non-hydrogenated alternatives pretty successfully, if that's your bag.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Molasses Crinkles</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sift flour before measuring out 2 1/4 C. Sift with 1/4 t salt, 2 t soda, 1/2 t clove, 1 t cinnamon, 1 t ginger. Set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cream together 3/4 shortening and 1 C brown sugar. Gradually add 1 beaten egg and 4 T molasses. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Chill until hard enough to roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip tops of balls into sugar, put sugar side up, 3 inches apart, on cookie sheets. Sprinkle each cookie with 2-3 drops of water. Bake at 350 until done." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Done might be 8 or 10 minutes, depending on how you like them. They'll obviously get crispier if you leave them in longer. I remember them being on the chewy side. I'm going to bake some of these up this afternoon, so I should be able to clarify anything here once I run through it. If you don't have a flour sifter you can use a whisk to achieve about the same effect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">**As usual, t = teaspoon, T = Tablespoon, C = cup**</span></div>
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Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-56477101420953419372011-03-10T16:23:00.000-08:002011-03-10T16:23:40.995-08:00Two, if by Dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEFvAWdQ5FkZjwCuotf6oI8sxvP3GfsABATPb8IHn79LwES5MBBHAQTSwMZBCsS988VefEDR4gC16XaOE7JhCNSt-w8pNb6PMSl1DMbX34XsTXm63zC0fT-Do9r5o8d1ND8tW26QbIlg/s1600/Steve+and+Rowan+at+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEFvAWdQ5FkZjwCuotf6oI8sxvP3GfsABATPb8IHn79LwES5MBBHAQTSwMZBCsS988VefEDR4gC16XaOE7JhCNSt-w8pNb6PMSl1DMbX34XsTXm63zC0fT-Do9r5o8d1ND8tW26QbIlg/s320/Steve+and+Rowan+at+Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We totally scored with dinner tonight. I am a lucky lady. Steve got home early enough today to start dinner. Ladies: You CAN train your man to cook! He called me when I was on the way to pick up Rowan from daycare and asked if there was anything he could do for dinner. Good man, right?! I gave him a big assignment and he executed it, brilliantly. I told him how to get the local, pasture-raised turkey breast out and into a basic marinade. I told him how to cook it, and I also told him to boil some potatoes (ehemmm... 1 outta 2 ain't bad, honey...). When I got home with the little guy, I quickly pulled together</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjLRiPrNLmPxSJkdHMtBAlk5gqiLQrhc5VenBwTOT5pnNvi8cRmq2O6m0JumevibSLVls8VhaY4_resSO7mU1YfDbUDjA_3fenLe6PDSp6BYvfRkhoH3OXZFXHa_fh__7S3eAlfYjVig/s1600/Tonight%2527s+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjLRiPrNLmPxSJkdHMtBAlk5gqiLQrhc5VenBwTOT5pnNvi8cRmq2O6m0JumevibSLVls8VhaY4_resSO7mU1YfDbUDjA_3fenLe6PDSp6BYvfRkhoH3OXZFXHa_fh__7S3eAlfYjVig/s320/Tonight%2527s+Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> a salad and boiled some peas, which I dressed with a smidge of butter and local raw honey (and salt and pepper). Once the turkey was cooked and the potatoes were boiled- about and hour- I tossed the potatoes into the pan with all the turkey juices and smushed them up a bit. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was so good! Everybody loved it!</span>Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-38837105202488295962011-02-24T20:23:00.000-08:002011-02-24T20:24:21.952-08:00Cake Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvvdb8CvW9mUXXAlobfxomUQAiktenGxuQODNniYec3vbyhpOHtjkL4USHaOXqV7Zh_-AFNU6GkYWEJDt4iFMqHxuFS8ImCUVqMe5ws7OxXYfG3_1gzV9LiVAIP91q92Zuuj0YCP4Yj4/s1600/Icing+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577474208794046514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvvdb8CvW9mUXXAlobfxomUQAiktenGxuQODNniYec3vbyhpOHtjkL4USHaOXqV7Zh_-AFNU6GkYWEJDt4iFMqHxuFS8ImCUVqMe5ws7OxXYfG3_1gzV9LiVAIP91q92Zuuj0YCP4Yj4/s320/Icing+1.jpg" style="float: right; height: 213px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; width: 320px;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ok, so, over two years later, I'm back to the blog. A lot has happened in the last two years, more than I want to get into right now, but I'll just summarize by saying that I had no idea when I started this blog how different my life would be in just a short amount of time. Two years ago today, my boyfriend and I were celebrating his 27th birthday with the new, exciting, surprising and heavy knowledge that we were expecting a baby. I was just beginning to settle into the idea of creating a human in my body, a family in the world, and a relationship with this man. It's been a wild couple of years, but we're all having a pretty good time! Tonight, we put our beautiful, amazing 18 month old son to bed after singing "Happy Birthday" for a lullaby, and then settled into our respective evening rituals, his computer-zone-out-time and my kitchen-zone-out-time. I made sure to get Steve a few useful gifts that only a partner knows one needs (headphones and pajamas), but my favorite gift to him is a treasured family recipe, my mother's Red Velvet Cake. </span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nothing says love like food. But the bigger the story that a recipe carries, the more love it delivers. I love the story of my mom's Red Velvet Cake, at least, my take on it, because it's such a wonderful testament to a mother's love. My mom is one of the six living children born to Erma Beery and Philip Owen Waggoner. She was born December 23rd, because, in the classic style of my Grandma, there was no way Erma wasn't bringing her new baby home to her 3 other young children BEFORE Christmas. For her entire life, my mom has had to share her birthday with the Christmas holiday, and, obivously, Baby Jesus gets a bigger party. But my Grandma knew it was important to celebrate each of her children in their own way, especially since she had so many, so she made Mom this beautiful, festive Red Velvet Cake every year for her birthday. It is seasonal, decadent, and a true labor of love (which you can find out for yourself by <a href="mailto:rose.mitch@gmail.com">emailing</a> me a request for the recipe!). </span></div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07cjt3YNQQbvXEGNfWwr7WwfQPRcjEyJPG9wLbeZaSVLM5Q3d06UeGyAbJlx5H5CRzbncSzvlO2AttVsXPhSlr515_H57ZGbU7gOSDR2SVQwaKhyLiDOBsgHq1OLWkdJIRjBVbE94DWM/s1600/Finished+Cake.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577474999106543970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07cjt3YNQQbvXEGNfWwr7WwfQPRcjEyJPG9wLbeZaSVLM5Q3d06UeGyAbJlx5H5CRzbncSzvlO2AttVsXPhSlr515_H57ZGbU7gOSDR2SVQwaKhyLiDOBsgHq1OLWkdJIRjBVbE94DWM/s320/Finished+Cake.jpg" style="float: right; height: 214px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am especially glad to make it this year in honor of my Grandma, who passed away just before Christmas last year. I'm such a lucky woman to be able to share her legacy and love.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy Birthday, Steve!</span></span></div></div>Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-46426528706146205602008-12-04T09:24:00.000-08:002008-12-04T09:55:40.886-08:00Food's so gOOdI love food. Love it. Everything about it. The tastes, the textures, the smells. The way it makes me feel. Full, satisfied, sleepy.<br />My favorite thing about food is the way that it nourishes us. It seems to me that food not only satisfies our most fundamental need as animals, but also brings us closer to our world, to each other, and to the earth. Such a vital connection needs to be wholesome. That means that the food itself needs to be good, grown with care and organic nutrients. The network between producers and consumers needs to be close, effective and mutually beneficial. The value added to food products should be shared fairly with the folks involved in adding that value. Everyone should have enough to eat, and everyone should be able to enjoy eating. <br />That's my idea of world peace.<br />I realize, as I step back from this and consider what it really means, that to obtain this utopia would require radical changes to the global food system, international trade agreements as a whole, and, fundamentally, the way we live in the West. I'll get into that at some point later on.<br />I think we can do it. The need for change is more apparent than other, in the midst of a food crisis that is forcing millions of Americans into hunger, at the same time that obesity is at its highest levels EVER. And the evidence that we can bring these necessary changes to fruition is all around us, from the rising numbers of farmers and green markets around the country, to the international Slow Food movement, to the growing bar-scenes focused on artisinal alcohols and cocktail crafting, to the myriad grassroots campaigns to bring fresh fruits and vegetables into schools and low-income and urban neighborhoods. <br />Not to mention what just happened in this last election. If ever there was a time to agitate for reform to our nation's food policies, it's now. It's an issue of national security, public health, environmental concern, and freaking justice, for Pete's sake.<br />More to come...Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868074288591597103.post-4335130251801537062008-11-21T10:21:00.000-08:002011-02-24T19:51:08.716-08:00Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155085629355168809noreply@blogger.com0