tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443644811466590072024-03-12T22:47:09.491-04:00Delicious PotagerGardening, cooking, eating and enjoyingJennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-7562734652490524512013-01-14T13:00:00.001-05:002013-01-14T13:00:35.738-05:00Move it on over!Greetings!<br />
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I have successfully imported Delicious Potager to Word Press.<br />
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So, please, if you have this site bookmarked or in your RSS feed, please update it to:<br />
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<a href="http://deliciouspotager.wordpress.com/">http://deliciouspotager.wordpress.com/</a><br />
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Updates will no longer appear on this url.<br />
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More changes are coming, too. Stayed tuned. To the new web address of course.Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-60876542360161155382013-01-10T15:39:00.000-05:002013-01-10T15:39:00.605-05:00A Delicious Potager UpdateIt has been almost two week since my last post, but it's not because I haven't tried.<br />
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I have been fairly uninspired in the kitchen, but like I have to force myself to workout, I've been pushing along to do projects and take pictures for this blog.<br />
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Something is wrong with Blogger though. Other bloggers have complained. There's been a recent glitch that prevents pictures from being uploaded from your computer. I know there's other ways of doing it, but that's how I upload pictures for this blog.<br />
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For a while, I've contemplated switching over to WordPress for blog hosting. And getting my own URL. Now seems like just as good a time as any, and I tried again today to upload pics, and still nothing.<br />
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So please bear with me while Delicious Potager transitions to something better. Something bigger. Something with pictures...Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-9919967331605890422012-12-28T23:51:00.001-05:002012-12-28T23:51:25.204-05:00A Hearty and Meatless #PROJECT RECIPE Dinner<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm a huge fan of the Meatless Monday campaign. With the right recipe, eating meatless one day a week is a win-win... win, win. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>It's cheaper.</strong> Going meatless one day a week stretches your grocery budget. Vegetables, especially humble seasonal vegetables like acorn squash, are always going to be cheaper than even the most economical cuts of meat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>It's healthy</strong>. Eating a vegetarian meal even one day a week has huge health benefits. Here's a <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meatless-meals/MY00752">link</a> from the Mayo Clinic that points out that plant-based meals that emphasize vegetables, whole grains and legumes are higher in fiber, vitamins and nutrients. In the case of this meal, we got a good dose of beta carotene and fiber.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>It's good for the planet</strong>. According to the U.N., the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all of the cars, trucks and motor vehicles in the world. Even switching out one meal a week makes a huge difference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And with hearty dinners like this one of roasted acorn squash and sweet corn risotto, the meat on the plate isn't even missed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The <a href="http://www.foodgal.com/2012/12/chris-cosentinos-acorn-squash-stracciatella-sage/">recipe for the roasted acorn squash</a> is from the <a href="http://www.foodgal.com/">Food Gal Blog</a>. What grabbed me about this recipe was that it is from Chris Cosentino's new cookbook, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beginnings-My-Way-Start-Meal/dp/1616282940/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356537316&sr=8-1&keywords=chris+cosentino+beginnings">Chris Cosentino Beginnings: My Way to Start a Meal</a></em>. Chris Cosentino is the chef at <a href="http://incanto.biz/">Incanto</a> in San Francisco, and is probably most famous for bringing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offal">offal</a> back to modern cuisine. It might be surprising to some that this recipe doesn't call for some sort of organ meat or charcuterie, but I think this is California Cuisine at it's best: fresh, seasonal, simple. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Changes I made to the recipe:</strong> I substituted goat cheese for the stracciatella. I couldn't find the specialty cheese, or even burrata, which was the suggested substitute. I think you can't ever go wrong with goat cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Here is the <a href="http://www.foodgal.com/2012/12/chris-cosentinos-acorn-squash-stracciatella-sage/">link to the original recipe</a> and post by the Food Gal. Here's how I made it different:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Roasted Acorn Squash with Sage and Goat Cheese</em> (Serves 2)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 medium acorn squash</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">kosher salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 oz. fresh sage</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 bay leaf</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tb butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">a splash of white wine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 oz. of goat cheese</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds (save them to roast if you like). Pour a little olive oil on the inside of the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put 1 cup of water and the bay leaf in a 9x13 casserole dish. Pick the sage leaves from the stems and reserve the leaves. Put the stems in the casserole, and then place the squash skin-side down in the casserole. Roast the squash until it's fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the casserole and let cool enough to handle. Cut each half in half lengthwise and peel. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until it begins to foam a bit. Add the sage leaves and fry stirring frequently until fragrant and crispy, about 3 minutes. Keep heat on medium to medium high and be careful not to burn the butter. Remove the sage leaves and set aside. Brown the squash pieces in the butter until nice and seared and brown on all sides. Remove the squash from the skillet and place on plates. Add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan, stirring up browned bits from the skillet. Top each piece of squash with crumbled goat cheese, then pour over wine mixture from skillet. Top with fried sage pieces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Project Recipe verdict:</strong> I'd make it again. It's one of those seasonal dishes that you'd probably only have once or maybe twice a year, depending on availability of acorn squash and how well you like it. It's a nice and easy way to use a vegetable that I don't see too many recipes for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">For a side dish, I made sweet corn risotto, on a whim actually. I was thinking about what I could make with the squash at work, and came up with this idea for a sweet and salty risotto that might pair well with the squash. I figured the squash would be sweet like other winter squash, but this acorn squash wasn't really sweet at all--which was fine by me. The risotto turned out wonderful, nonetheless. I knew that I had some fresh corn frozen and some corn stock. The risotto came together easily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Sweet Corn Risotto</em> (Serves 4)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 cup arborio rice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">4 cups corn stock* (see below)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 cups vegetable stock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tb butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tb extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup chopped white onion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tb minced garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 cups corn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tb kosher salt (if you use store-bought stock that is not reduced sodium, omit the salt)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/3 cup grated parmesean</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">more grated parmesean for topping</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In medium sauce pan, heat the corn stock and vegetable stock. In a skillet, melt the butter and add the oil. Saute the onion until it begins to soften and becomes translucent. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Add the garlic and saute another minute more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Add the rice and stir until all the rice is coated in the oil and butter, and begins to get translucent on tips. Add 2 cups of stock and the corn, and bring to a simmer. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the skillet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Cook at a steady simmer, stirring frequently until the liquid is almost absorbed, and add another cup of stock at a time until each is absorbed and the rice is tender. You may not need all the stock and you may need to add some water to finish cooking the stock. Cook the rice to desired tenderness. Some like their risotto al dente. You'll need to taste it along the way (oh, darn...) As a rule, I stop cooking it when it feels like the middle of the grain of rice doesn't have anymore crunch. You can tell when it's done by the texture. Remove from heat and add 1/3 cup of parmeseam cheese. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">You can also add another tablespoon of butter here if you like, but it's not necessary. Stir well until the cheese (and butter) melts. Serve immediately and top with more grated cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Last summer, I made several batches of corn stock when I was making corn jelly. I only needed a couple cups of it for the corn jelly, but you might as well keep what's leftover rather than throw it out. I have used it in place of water for soups and this risotto, for some extra flavor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Corn Stock</em> (makes 2-3 quarts)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">6 ears fresh corn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">enough water to cover the corn if the corn was in the pot (3 ish quarts)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">bay leaf</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">pinch of kosher salt</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the 6 ears of corn. Boil until about 5 to 8 minutes, so that it is just tender. (If you're going to eat the corn right away, I boil it slightly longer, maybe 10 minutes, until it is completely tender when pierced with a fork). Remove the ears from the water and let them cool until they can be handled. Stand the ears up on the stem end on a large cutting board or in a large bowl, and with a sharp knife, cut the corn off the cob by making one long cut along the cob down the lenght of the ear. Repeat this all the way around the ear. I freeze the corn in 2 cup containers for soups and casseroles. Place the corn cobs back in the pot. Add the pinch of salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer steadily 45 minutes to an hour. When you're finished, the liquid should be slightly more milky looking. Remove the cobs. You can strain the liquid at this point, but I don't. I like the little bits of corn left in the liquid. Freeze in one-quart containers for soups, etc. I have used corn stock mixed with another stock in clam chowder, vegetable soup, and corn chowder. </span>Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-41832873578568165722012-12-26T09:35:00.000-05:002012-12-26T09:35:54.005-05:00#PROJECT RECIPE: Mac and Cheese with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Bacon<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ahh, mac and cheese. The king of comfort food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Seriously, is there a single solitary human who doesn't like it? I'm not talking about the stuff that comes in a cardboard box with neon orange powder cheese. I'm talking about the real deal: the gooey, cheesy, toasted-corners, carbo-loaded goodness that is homemade mac and cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Like this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://localkitchenblog.com/2012/10/24/mac-and-cheese-with-balsamic-roasted-tomatoes-country-bacon/">This recipe</a> for Mac and Cheese with Balsamic-Roasted Tomates & Country Bacon comes from the </span><a href="http://localkitchenblog.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Local Kitchen Blog</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. I think I stumbled on this blog from a <a href="http://urbanhennery.com/2010/11/4th-annual-dark-days-challenge/">Dark Days Challenge</a> or something. I can't remember. I've been reading it for a few years. Kaela is so lucky to be living in New York's Hudson Valley, where so many delicious veggies are grown. Her blog is filled with beautiful pictures and mouth-watering recipes for local and seasonal dishes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This recipe begged me to print it because anytime "bacon" and "mac and cheese" are in the same sentence how can you not try it? The Hubs loves mac and cheese, and I love bacon. Win-win, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Changes I made to the recipe:</strong> I didn't have fresh tomatoes (it's winter), so I used sun-dried tomatoes. I rehydrated them for a few minutes in some warm water so they wouldn't be too chewy in the mac and cheese. And I plum forgot to put balsamic vinegar on them. Also, I didn't have smoked mozzarella. I had about half a cup of regular mozzarella and some monterey jack cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>PROJECT RECIPE verdict:</strong> Keeper. Like for real. I'm going to write this recipe down in my spiral bound recipe book that also has recipes from the Hubs's mother and grandmothers. That's how much I liked this one. I think I'll even write it down just like I made it. It might be good with fresh tomatoes, but the sun-dried tomatoes in it were little tangy bites mixed in with the salty bacony bits and the rich cheese. It was a nice combo that I think wouldn't be as pronounced if you used fresh tomatoes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It was super-easy to put together. Although, I hated that you had to use so many pots. You can wash the dishes while it's baking. Or do yoga like I did. It made me feel a little better about all those warm gooey calories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I'll let you follow the <a href="http://localkitchenblog.com/2012/10/24/mac-and-cheese-with-balsamic-roasted-tomatoes-country-bacon/">link</a> to get the recipe. Maybe you'll fall in love with Kaela's blog, <a href="http://localkitchenblog.com/">The Local Kitchen</a>, too.</span>Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-55901683411516810082012-12-20T11:00:00.002-05:002012-12-20T11:00:13.474-05:00Restaurant Redo: Vodka Pizza<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A few weeks ago, <a href="http://www.deliciouspotager.blogspot.com/2012/11/eating-big-apple.html">when I visited New York City</a>, I had New York style pizza in Little Italy at Pomodoro Restaurant. It was so simple, but so delicious. It got me thinking that I could make it at home. The Hubs and I make pasta with vodka sauce as our Valentine's Day tradition, so by the time I left the restaurant, I had this pizza halfway made at home in my mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The pizza dough recipe I use makes a huge pizza, so I usually divide it in two and make two smaller pizzas since it's just the two of us. After I made the kale pizza last week, I wrapped the other half of the dough in plastic wrap and put it in a ziplock bag in the fridge. I planned on using it the next night, or at the most, two nights from then. But, alas, life happens. It was a crazy week with plenty of errands to run, Christmas revelry, and evening meetings. I didn't have a single night at home all week. And my dough just sat there patiently and sadly in it's baggie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ya remember the last post about how I broke my pizza crust fail streak? Yeah, well. Dough karma got me. It must have been because it was in the refrigerator for a week, because the kale pizza crust was awesome. Sadly, this crust did not get perfectly crisp. It was a little soggy in the middle. Mental note that dough will not keep seven days in the fridge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">But the pizza was pretty tasty otherwise. I kicked it up a notch with some stuff I had on hand in addition to simply vodka sauce and fresh mozzarella that the original from Pomodoro had on it. I had roasted some cloves of elephant garlic a few days earlier when I had the oven on for something else. Seriously, if you're going to be baking something around 350 for more than 15 minutes or so, just throw some garlic in to roast. It barely takes up any space, and it'll keep in the fridge for a week or so. I also had bought a big container of organic fresh basil that was marked down for quick sale, and I had a handful of fresh basil leaves left after I made a batch of pesto for the freezer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The pizza was pretty quick to put together. The vodka sauce recipe we use is from Rachel Ray. It's called "<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/you-wont-be-single-for-long-vodka-cream-pasta-recipe/index.html">You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta</a>", which I think is adorable. Spread vodka sauce on the pizza, top with basil, roasted garlic and bocconcini mozzarella. I baked it at 500 degrees for 15 minutes, like the kale pizza.</span><br />
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Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-72340186792737438872012-12-18T11:40:00.001-05:002012-12-18T11:40:25.045-05:00#PROJECT RECIPE : Crispy Kale and Winter Squash Pizza<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I heart homemade pizza. Pizza dough was my first foray into yeast-leavened dough. Using yeast to get dough to rise used to intimidate me. What if I couldn't get it to rise? I figured since it was going to be flat for pizza anyway, what the heck. As it turns out, it's not really as hard as I thought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The last few times I've made pizza though, I've had trouble with the crust. It doesn't get crispy, and sometimes it's still right down soggy in the middle. I figured it was because I wasn't using a pizza stone. So, I resigned myself to the fact that I'll never make great pizza unless I invest in one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">However, this is the recipe that broke my crust fail streak. I think I wasn't baking it hot enough and for long enough. Let me just say that I never follow a recipe for pizzas once I get the crust made. It's pretty simple, right? Put some toppings on the pizza crust and bake. Turns out I just needed a little direction on the baking part.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This recipe is from the <a href="http://debbiekoenig.com/">Parents Need to Eat Too blog</a>. Even though I don't have any children, I still like to read blogs like this. I've been interested nutrition for a while, and one of the biggest issues of our generation is the obesity epidemic. I read a lot about childhood obesity, partly because these issues interest me, and partly because of my job. One of the things I do in my nine-to-fiver is monitor and research health policy. Obesity is at the forefront of every conversation about public health and the role government should play in addressing it. Debbie Koenig's blog addresses the issue of childhood obesity by taking the focus that, like language or people skills, eating is something that children learn from their parents. Raising children that prefer and eat healthy foods can combat the childhood obesity rate. Her blog is an inspiration for parents and non-parents both, demonstrating that healthy food is also delicious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://debbiekoenig.com/2012/10/10/kale-winter-squash-and-cheddar-pizza/">This recipe</a> jumped out at me because of two words: "kale" and "pizza." Kale is my new favorite vegetable. I'll admit, I had maybe only eaten it once before I bought some from the Monroe Farm Market last fall. I don't know why I was denying myself this complex, bittersweet superfood!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Changes I made to the recipe:</strong> I substituted goat cheese for the cheddar cheese and used butternut squash instead of delicata.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>The PROJECT RECIPE verdict:</strong> It's a keeper!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Here's the recipe as I adapted it:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 recipe pizza dough (see below)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 small bunch of kale, ribs removed (I used a mix of baby red and tuscan kale)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 ish Tb of balsamic vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">kosher salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 cup roasted winter squash, cut into flatter chunks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">4 oz. crumbled goat cheese</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Preheat oven to 500 degrees Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (and spray your hands, too). I spread the pizza dough by pressing it around the pan until it's 12 inches or so across. It doesn't necessary need to be round, this pizza was a square. Tear the kale leaves into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Toss with balsamic vinegar, a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, until all pieces are covered. Spread on the pizza dough, then top with the winter squash chunks. Finally, top with goat cheese crumbles and another light drizzle of olive oil. </span>Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-72079095055750934812012-12-13T14:23:00.002-05:002012-12-13T14:23:45.666-05:00Five Gifts Foodies Will Love<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love, love, love this time of year. But I hate shopping for Christmas gifts. Wanna know why? Because I see stuff I want everywhere. And it's on sale! And I have coupons! But I don't want to blow my shopping budget on myself. That would be rude. It is agony.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">So, I've decided that I will scratch the itch to buy these things by offering them up in a list to you. And if any of you are looking for a gift for your favorite food snob--wink, wink. Just kidding. Kinda.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">No really. If you want to buy a gift for someone who likes to eat good food or is learning to cook at home, that person would definitely be thrilled with these kinds of things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1. Numbero uno on my list is this Iberico Ham package from <a href="http://shop.food52.com/national">Food52's offers page</a>. I am seriously thinking about buying this for myself. Iberico ham is definitely on my foodie bucket list.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo credit: </em>Food52.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What is so special about Iberico ham to charge $59 for, you may be asking. Well, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam%C3%B3n_ib%C3%A9rico">Iberico ham</a> is considered the best in the world. It is a Spanish product made from free-range pigs that roam the forests of a specific region and feast on only acorns and such. And, to add to the allure and mystique of this Spanish pork, until only recently, it was outlawed in the United States.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This package is ideal because there are several different products included, so you can sample the meat in different forms. Actually, there are a number of neat offerings on <a href="http://www.food52.com/">Food52</a>'s Shop. It would be a great place to shop for a foodie on your list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2. Anyone on your list who might have expressed an interest in canning would love a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Waterbath-Including-Chrome-Plated-4-Piece/dp/B00212IHBY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1354723970&sr=8-3&keywords=ball+canning+kit">Ball Canning Kit</a>, that includes everything needed to wade into the waters of home food preservation through hot-water bath canning. This is a good deal for all the items shown at $55.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo credit: </em>Amazon.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was tickled to death to get one of these kits for Christmas a few years ago. Now my larder is lined with neat rows of jams, salsas, and fresh veggies that are there to enjoy year round. Water bath canning is so easy once you get started. There are only a few rules to keep in mind, and for that, you can add a copy of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jarden-Home-Brands-21400-Ball/dp/B001DIXG9A/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1354724299&sr=1-2&keywords=ball+blue+book">Ball Blue Book</a> to your gift. This book is the absolute authority on home canning, and has been so for more than 100 years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And if you gift this to someone, you might receive a gift basket next year of home-canned goodies from the lucky recipient. So, it's like a gift you get back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">3. Who doesn't know someone who loves beer? With the explosion in popularity of craft and microbrews, everyone has a friend who's curious about making their own brew. The <a href="http://brooklynbrewshop.com/">Brooklyn Brew Shop</a> makes it easy for a novice to jump in with their complete <a href="http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-kits">kits</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BB9eMOYwahU/UL91qUR5YTI/AAAAAAAABkI/_wInvEKTLRU/s1600/kit-smoked-wheat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" nea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BB9eMOYwahU/UL91qUR5YTI/AAAAAAAABkI/_wInvEKTLRU/s1600/kit-smoked-wheat.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo credit:</em> BrooklynBrewShop.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I first heard of this shop on a documentary about beer in America that I watched a couple years ago. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the documentary, but the cute couple behind Brooklyn Brew Shop and their simple, straightforward attitude toward homebrewing stuck with me. I've bought beer kits before, like Mr. Beer brand, that have a powder that you just mix with hot water and leave sitting and that's basically the beer. This one is different because the ingredients you get are raw-er (if that's a word), meaning that you get the grains that you have to cook down and make the wort and take some extra steps. It's a little truer to the actual process of making beer, I think. By the way, my secret ambition is to be a brewmaster. Wouldn't that be the coolest job?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">4. One thing that drives me insane are bad kitchen knives. Why do they even sell them??? I don't care what your income level is, there are plenty of decent knives out there at every price point. Sometimes people don't know and think any old kitchen knife is as good as any other. But for the love of GOD, buying a knife set at the Dollar General store or similar retailer is NOT acceptable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">If you know someone who has a set of these dastardly devices, do them a favor and get them a decent set. Or even one or two good ones, if you don't want to spring for a whole set. Take advantage of sales on kitchen items at department stores, or even big box stores. You don't need to buy good knives from a fancy place like Williams Sonoma. Top brands include <a href="http://www.j-a-henckels.com/en-US">J. A. Henckles</a>, <a href="http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?ref=SERP&br=ro&mkt=en-US&dl=en&lp=DE_EN&a=http%3a%2f%2fwusthof.com%2f">Wustof</a>, and <a href="http://www.victorinox.com/us/category/Category/Knife-Sets/2110?f=category&v=2/200/2110&m=add&">Victorinox</a>. These are great, but expensive. If you find a good deal on them, grab them--and one for yourself. But you can find decent sets at places like Target, which carry mid-level brands like Faberwear and Calphalon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">My set came from my wedding registry at Target, and it's a Chicago Cutlery set. It wasn't super expensive, and I'm satisfied with it. They are sturdy and there's a variety of knives in the set. It has a sharpening stick which is nice. The most important thing about knives, is to keep them sharp, sharp, sharp. You're more likely to cut yourself badly with a dull knife than you are with a sharp one, because the knife doesn't go where you intend it to go when you're cutting, and you have to force it sometimes. That is how people cut themselves--trust me, I know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5. And finally, fancy-pants barware always pleases the hard to shop for set. I am drooling over the gorgeous pieces from the <a href="http://www.target.com/c/target-neiman-marcus-collection/-/N-5ouwb#?lnk=Other_HP_P1_ESPOT-0|ESPOT-0">Target + Neiman Marcus Collection</a>. You can give someone a really nice set at a fraction of the price you'd actually pay for it at Neiman Marcus. And the lucky recipient can toast the New Year with some seriously luxurious looking barware.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.target.com/p/altuzarra-double-old-fashioned-glasses-set-of-4/-/A-14182089#prodSlot=medium_1_6">Altuzzara Shaker</a> and <a href="http://www.target.com/p/altuzarra-double-old-fashioned-glasses-set-of-4/-/A-14182089#prodSlot=medium_1_6">Double Old Fashioned glasses</a>, set of 4, both 49.99 each</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo Credit: </em>Target.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo credit: </em>Target.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hopefully you've all been good enough this year for Santa to bring you some of these things. At least, I'm hoping I have.</span>Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-72609202597317202602012-12-11T14:46:00.000-05:002012-12-11T14:46:22.534-05:00#PROJECT RECIPE: Blueberry Muffins from Whole Living<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You may remember last month, when <a href="http://www.deliciouspotager.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-addiction.html">I promised</a> to tackle my growing stack of recipes printed from the Internet. I promised to make five per month--which if I didn't add any to the stack (I already have, I can't help myself...) would have me working my way through the stack in approximately 16 years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">For December, I've got one down and four to go! I made a blueberry health muffin <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/130491/blueberry-health-muffins">recipe</a> I printed from <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/">Whole Living Magazine's website</a> a while back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The thing that caught my interest about this recipe was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_germ">wheat germ</a>. I have some wheat germ, and I don't know what to do with it. I order my flour and cornmeal from a local mill, Reed's Mill Flours in Second Creek, West Virginia. At one point, the guy who runs the mill sent me some samples of wheat germ, wheat bran and buckwheat bran with my order. He included some recipes for the samples for breakfast cereals, but I've never tried those. Wheat germ is super-healthy, being a good source of fiber, folate and several nutrients.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Changes I made to the recipe:</strong> I accidently used a whole cup of milk instead of 3/4 a cup, and it was whole milk, not 2%. Also, I always substitute apple sauce for oil in muffin and quick bread recipes. You save yourself some calories and fat by doing that, and you really can't tell the difference. Instead of brown sugar, I use <a href="http://www.floridacrystals.com/Products.aspx?id=3">Florida Crystals Demerara Sugar</a>. It's less processed than regular brown sugar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Did you know that to make brown sugar molasses is added to refined white sugar? But molasses is a by-product in the refining process of making sugar. So basically, molasses is removed from the raw sugar then added back to it to make brown sugar. Makes no sense to me. Plus, I love that Florida Crystals is <a href="http://www.floridacrystals.com/content/110/carbonfree.aspx">certified carbon-free</a>, meaning the production of sugar is completely carbon neutral.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I make muffins quite a bit because the Hubs and I like them for breakfast. This is probably a recipe I'll make again. They actually taste pretty sweet, although they have less sugar in them than my regular muffin recipe. They are slightly higher in calories, though, but not by much. My LoseIt! app tells me they are each 169 calories, based on the way I made them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>The PROJECT RECIPE verdict:</strong> this one's a keeper!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><u>Blueberry Muffins with Wheat Germ</u> <em>adapted from Whole Living Magazine</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used stone ground winter wheat flour)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup plus 2 Tb wheat germ</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2/3 cup sugar (I used Florida Crystals natural cane sugar)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 Tb coarse sanding sugar (I used Florida Crystals demerara sugar)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 cup whole milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 cup apple sauce (or 1/4 cup canola oil)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 eggs, lightly beaten</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used frozen)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 cup old fashioned oats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Spread wheat germ on a rimmed baking sheet and place under a broiler on low for 5 minutes, or until you begin to smell it. Check it and shake the pan to mix it around. Broil a it until it browns a bit. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, 1/2 cup of the toasted wheat germ, baking powder, and salt. Add milk, applesauce, eggs and vanilla. Gently mix only until mixture is uniformly moistened. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter into a 12-cup muffin tin coated with non-stick cooking spray. Mix remaining wheat germ, oats and coarse sugar, and sprinkle about 1 tsp on each muffin. Bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.</span></div>
Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-5916505198903657872012-12-06T13:58:00.003-05:002012-12-26T09:32:16.318-05:00#MixedCon and the time I got to meet Duff Goldman<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Last weekend, I snuck away to the picturesque <a href="http://mountainlakehotel.com/">Mountain Lake Resort</a> in Pembroke, Virginia, and completely immersed myself into food blogging at the <a href="http://mixedcon.com/">Mixed Conference</a>. It was so awesome, I didn't want to come home. I just wanted to stay there eating cookies and drinking cocktails, hanging out with my new blogging friends and watching movies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I've never been to a food blogger conference before, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I can't imagine an event being any higher than this one was on the "wow" meter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It was hosted by two lovlies, Paula from <a href="http://www.bellalimento.com/">Bell' alimento</a> and Susan from <a href="http://doughmesstic.com/">She's Becoming Doughmesstic</a>. I'd never met Paula before, but her down-to-earth fun attitude was infectious. I kept thinking all weekend about how much she reminded me of a friend from high school I played on the basketball team with. I've known Susan for a few years through a mutual friend, and she's been trying to talk me into getting onto the food blogger conference circuit for the past couple years. I can't thank her enough for talking me into registering for this conference. I'm totally drinkin' the kool-aid now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I was pumped to go the conference to learn how to do this better. But the dizzying array of prizes and giveaways that Susan and Paula put together didn't hurt either. Oh, yeah... and the chance to decorate cakes with Duff Goldman. I'm serious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Upon arriving at the resort, each registrant got a swag bag bursting at the seams with goodies from sponsors such as OXO, Dixie Crystals, KitchenAid, Way Better Snacks, Hershey's, Dreamfields Pasta, Roland Foods, Duff Goldman, California Raisins, and the like. Score!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Friday night, there was a <a href="http://www.kitchenaid.com/">KitchenAid</a> "Mixer", where the bloggers could mingle with each other over Captain Morgan cocktails supplied by <a href="http://www.diageo.com/en-row/OurBrands/Pages/default.aspx">Diageo</a>, the importer of the rum, as well as many other brands. In the weeks leading up to the conference, Dixie Crystals sponsored a Bake-It-Forward cookie contest, in which bloggers could submit their best cookie recipes using Dixie Crystals sugar. Two finalists were chosen, and at the mixer, we got to sample the two finalists' recipes and vote for our favorite. Dixie Crystals would award a cool $500 to the winner, so a lot was riding on our tastebuds! Congrats to <a href="http://aimeebroussard.com/">Aimee Broussard</a> for her <a href="http://aimeebroussard.com/pecan-praline-topped-king-cake-cookie/">Pecan Praline King Cake Cookies recipe</a>--a nod to her home state, Louisiana!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">After the mixer, the fun continued with a Midnight Mac and Cheese party, hosted by <a href="http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/">Dreamfields Pasta</a>, that featured another winning recipe submitted by a blogger. Dreamfields had requested bloggers to submit their best mac and cheese recipes, and the winner walked away with a case of Dreamfields pasta and $200. Ali from <a href="http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/">Gimme Some Oven</a> won the hearts and stomachs of Dreamfields with her roasted veggie mac and cheese. It was divine! We all got to try it at the party, while we watched "The Shining." I love that movie, but it <em>was</em> a little creepy watching it in an old hotel that also happened to be closed for the season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Saturday morning, we started early, learning food photography from one of the best--Bree Grossman of <a href="http://bakedbree.com/">Baked Bree</a>. Since I know next to nothing about any kind of photography, I was soaking it all up like a sponge and taking notes furiously. I think this was probably my favorite session because I learned SO much. I've already started playing around with some of the techniques she went over, and even using my iPhone camera, I think I'm getting way better pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We had a session on food styling from fashion stylist-turned professional food styler, Tami Hardeman from the <a href="http://www.runningwithtweezers.com/">Running with Tweezers</a>. There were so many tips she shared that, once I was hearing them make perfect sense, but just had never really dawned on me before. She addressed what to do with brown food--which is usually something delicious, but not that pretty. Some of the info was probably a little advanced for me, but what I took away from the presentation will definitely help me now, and down the road as my little blog grows!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Next, I got to decorate Christmas cookies with Marian from <a href="http://www.sweetopia.net/">Sweetopia</a>. It was a hands on session, and I love that. Not only did I learn a few tricks, I (well, Jeremy, mostly) got to eat my homework!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I had never worked with royal icing before, but I'm excited to try this for a cookie exchange I'll be going to next week. The session was sponsored by <a href="http://realseal.com/">Real Butter</a>, and we walked away with a little kit to take home with cookie cutters and wilton icing bags and tips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I saw in the program that there was a session on videography, which completely intimidated me before it started. I never dreamed I would even attempt something like producing a video for my blog, but the presenter, Lenny Ferriera of <a href="http://chezus.com/">ChezUs</a>, made it seem completely accessible. I've even got a couple ideas for simple videos I want to experiment with. By the way, all of the presenters blogs are absolutely beautiful and you should definitely check them out. But Denise and Lenny's blog is simply stunning--and I want to make every single recipe on it. Isn't that the point of a really great food blog? To make you want to cook what they've made?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">My next session was the one that everyone had been eagerly awaiting--cake decorating with <a href="http://charmcitycakes.com/">Duff Goldman</a>, of Ace of Cakes fame. I've followed him on Twitter for a while, and I have to say that in person he comes across just exactly like he did on the show and on his twitter feed--totally low-key and fun to hang out with. Had I not been nervously giggling like a schoolgirl the whole time, I might have actually gotten more out of the session, but I was too busy just watching him bounce around the room from table to table helping out participants with their cakes--spraypainting, airbrushing, making black fondant. Finally, I realized I had to get something completed or I would be so embarrassed, and I got to work. I was paired up with Lindsay from <a href="http://laughinglindsay.com/">Laughing Lindsay</a>, and we made the cutest snowman cake. Even Duff said it was adorable!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We wrapped up the educational part of the weekend, with a session from Heidi of <a href="http://www.foodiecrush.com/">Foodie Crush Magazine</a> on producing an eBook. The eBook market is exploding, and the same is true, if not more so for cookbooks. This session was way above my level, but it got me thinking of the eBooks I've bought from cooking sites over the past year or so. It never occurred to me that I could make my own, AND make money on it, but Heidi walked through some basics and gave us some tips from her own experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">After a full day of sessions then dinner, we assembled for the closing party and quite possibly the most impressive display of kitchen-related prizes ever gathered and poised to be doled out. The closing party was again sponsored by Diageo and Wisconsin Cheese, and featured the most adorable three-piece band in all of western Virginia, that played covers of Mumford and Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show songs. Each registrant was entered to win the prizes, and extra tickets were sold with the proceeds going to Cookies for Kids Cancer, the charity started by two OXO employees that raises money for pediatric cancer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I was the lucky winner of a Le Creuset steamer set, which looks like the bomb from the picture. Le Creuset will ship it to me in the next few weeks. I am stoked. So is the hubs. The first thing he requested was steamed shrimp!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">When the closing party ended, we headed back to the hotel for another midnight movie, this time Dirty Dancing. Mountain Lake Resort was where it was filmed, and it served as the Kellerman's in the movie. It was completely exhausted from the full day of learning bloggity stuff, so I couldn't even stay awake to watch the movie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The conference was worth every penny considering how much I learned, all the swag, and the wonderful friends I made networking with other peeps who are just as passionate as I am about creating and eating good food--then putting pictures of it on the internet. Susan and Paula were kicking around ideas for a Mixed Conference next year, and I encourage anyone who is even remotely interested to go. There was something for everyone. Not everyone there had a blog. I gained a few <strike>pounds</strike> new blogs to add to my RSS feed through the presenters and fellow bloggers, and I learned a few tricks, which I am super excited to roll out on my blog--at the beginning of the year. Stay tuned!</span></div>
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Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-62170524534611493942012-12-04T11:06:00.001-05:002012-12-04T11:06:18.715-05:00Holiday Leftovers: Preserving Turkey Stock<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Like "Black Friday" sales, one thing you can always count on seeing right after Thanksgiving are dozens of recipes for leftovers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can only reinvent Thanksgiving leftovers so many ways. And, I'm generally tired of turkey after Thanksgiving, anyway. So my favorite way to do leftovers is to make soup and put it in the freezer for later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I never buy stock for my soups because I love making my own. It's ridiculously easy. You know exactly what's in it. It's economical. And bone broth stock is actually really really good for you--it's <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/337123-bone-soup-nutrition/">a natural anti-inflamatory</a>. Here's a great <a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/the-benefits-of-bone-broth/">site</a> that explains it much better than I, with all you need to know about why you should make your own stock.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once processed, it's better to store your canned goods without the ring, and always label and date them.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Last year, I started making stock in my crockpot rather than a big stockpot on the stove. The goal in making stock is to slowly cook the bones so they release their flavor, as well as minerals and nutrients into the water. This process is helped by the addition of an acid, like white wine. The crockpot is great for this because it maintains a low simmer for hours, and costs pennies to operate. I usually cook my stock in my crockpot for between one and two days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This Thanksgiving, <a href="http://www.deliciouspotager.blogspot.com/">I was in New York City</a>, but my mother-in-law saved her turkey carcass for me. I was tickled to death to learn that she'd decided to make a second turkey for Thanksgiving. Two carcasses! Score!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I used the two carcasses in separate batches, which yielded about five quarts of stock each. With the first carcass, I made a pot of turkey vegetable soup with a quart of stock and the meat bits left on the bone, and I froze the rest of the stock. I usually freeze a variety of sizes; quarts, pints and 1/4-cup portions (frozen in a muffin tin and stored in a gallon zip-lock bag in the freezer). However, t</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">his time of year, my freezer space is running at a premium. After the first batch of stock, I didn't think I had room for another pint!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I checked the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Blue-Book-Guide-Preserving/dp/0972753702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354560416&sr=8-1&keywords=ball+blue+book">Ball Blue Book</a> to see if you could can stock, and sure enough, you can! By the way, in my opinion, this book is the authority on canning. Any home canner should have a copy. Because it's a low-acid food, to can it properly, it needs to be pressure canned. I'm not totally comfortable pressure canning, like I am hot-water bath canning. I've only helped my mom pressure canning a couple times, never done it on my own. Luckily, my mom was coming over to my house, so she could supervise me to make sure I wasn't forgetting any important steps.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom reading the directions to me--ALWAYS follow the directions that came with your canner.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I was thrilled to get a pressure canner for Christmas a couple years ago from my in-laws, but I'm ashamed to admit I'd never used it. Chalk it up to my fear of pressure canning, and the fact that I have a glass-top range. It's not recommended that you use a pressure canner on those, because pressure canners require a high level of heat, which can crack or break the glass. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">However, both my mom and mother-in-law have glass-top ranges which they use their pressure canners on, so I put my fears aside and cracked open the box to the pressure canner. I'm the owner of a really nice pressure canner actually. Too bad I waited so long to start using it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Here's my step-by-step for making stock:</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">You will need:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 turkey carcass (or equivalent amount of chicken or beef bones--about 2 pounds)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 cup white wine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">about 2 cups of vegetable scraps* </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 Tb of kosher salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 bay leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tsp of ground black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 Tb of minced garlic</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Place the bones in the bottom of the crockpot and add the wine. Add the vegetable scraps and fill the crockpot with water to the rim. Add seasonings. Cook on low setting at least 24 to 48 hours. Broth will be improved the longer it is cooked. After cooking, let stock cool slightly. Spoon out large bones and scraps with a slotted spoon, then strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve. You can either freeze or can the stock. Refer to the Ball Blue Book, or another reputable source for canning instructions. Stock will keep in the freezer 4-6 months, or canned up to 1 year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">*I keep a zip-lock bag in the freezer to collect carrot peelings, bits of onion or tomato that you would normally discard when chopping, stems from parsely and other herbs, broccoli stalks, the ends of celery stalks, etc.</span>Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-29267926304904156502012-11-29T15:39:00.001-05:002012-11-29T15:39:13.168-05:00Eating the Big Apple<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Last week, I marked something off my bucket list: seeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade live and in-person. It. Was. Amazing. Since I was little, I love watching it. Mostly because of the <a href="http://www.radiocity.com/content/rockettes.html">Rockettes</a>. I secretly aspired to be one, I think. I am the right height, but I don't think I can do those eye-level kicks anymore. At one time, like maybe when I was 14, I could though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Every year for the past few years, I would tell my mom, "Next year, we're going." This year I decided to do something about it and make it happen. And US Air was having a fire sale or something, so I got airfare for crazy-cheap. Out of CRW even.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I think my mom likes travelling with me because I plan meticulously. Of course I researched all the places to eat. I poured over reviews from <a href="http://www.yelp.com/">Yelp</a> and recommendations from friends. In a city that has just under 19,000 restaurants, most of which are on par with the best in the world, I didn't want to be wandering around aimlessly looking for some where to eat and hope I stumbled on a good one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The hard part was fitting everything that I wanted to see into three days. My mom and I have both been to New York City twice before, and with a limited span of time, I didn't want to duplicate sightseeing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We arrived around lunchtime on Wednesday, and after checking into our room in Long Island City, and a short subway ride into Manhattan, we hit <a href="http://www.oysterbarny.com/">The Oyster Bar</a> in Grand Central Terminal for lunch. Based on what I'd read, this establishment was a bit touristy and had some unfavorable reviews for food other than oysters. But, my mom wanted to try it, and I never turn down an opportunity to eat raw oysters, especially at a place with such a huge selection. We started with six raw oysters, and I chose local offerings: three Long Point and three Montauk. I couldn't believe the difference in taste. When you order two different kinds, you can really tell the differences. They were all DELICIOUS. The Montauks tasted saltier, but were still exquisite. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We also ordered seafood entrees, and I have to say that we were not disappointed with the food, like some Yelp reviews indicated. Mom had scallops and I had wild-caught salmon. I don't eat salmon very often anymore because the most widely available salmon (especially restaurant entrees) is Atlantic salmon. This is actually farmed salmon, which is NOT a sustainable source of seafood. I was happy that the menu proclaimed that it was wild-caught Alaskan salmon, so I jumped at the chance. I had a local beer, Bluepoint Toasted Lager, which was an amazing compliment to the seafood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">After lunch, we walked down <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_Mile,_New_York_City">Museum Mile</a> and through Central Park. The weather was gorgeous--sunny, but brisk, and perfect for strolling through Central Park. We headed down to Columbus Circle and did a little shopping in the <a href="http://www.theshopsatcolumbuscircle.com/">Time Warner Center</a>. I drooled all over the only <a href="http://www.lkbennett.com/">LK Bennett</a> store in the United States (For those not in the know, LK Bennett is the beloved shoe brand fo Kate Middleton.). The other reason for the stop at the Time Warner Center was because I figured that location of <a href="http://bouchonbakery.com/">Bouchon Bakery</a> would be less crowded than the Rockefeller Center location. The man behind the bakery is Thomas Keller, who is also at the helm of the famous restaurant, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Laundry">The French Laundry</a> in Yountville, California. Thomas Keller is also probably responsible for the recent elevation of the macaron in America. I had to see what all the fuss is about. Macarons are cookies, but they are not to be confused with <em>macaroons</em>, the heaps of toasted coconut, egg whites and sugar. <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron">Macarons</a></em>, are French sandwich cookies made of ground almonds, egg whites and sugar, with a creamy filling. They are almost always a dazzling rainbow of pastel colors, and come in flavors like vanilla, mocha and pistachio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mom and I split a pistachio macaron and a nutterbutter cookie. The macaron was way better. I wish I'd gotten two instead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After getting a sugar and coffee fix, we marched on down to Rockefeller Center and to Times Square, taking in the eye candy that is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Avenue">Fifth Avenue</a> along the way. We hopped back on the subway and travelled on down to Union Square, to see the largest farmers market in New York City, the <a href="http://www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket">Union Square Greenmarket</a>. This place was unbelievable! If I lived here, I don't know how I could resist stopping here everyday and buying as much as I could carry away. The only thing that stopped me from buying it all was I didn't know what I'd do with it at the hotel or in my luggage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The smell of those carrots was amazing. So pretty! And neither mom or I have ever seen brussel sprouts sold on the stalk like this. The only way I've ever bought them fresh is in a bag at the grocery store, or from the farmer's market, already cut off the stalk. How interresting! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It was getting dark, and being two country girls, we didn't want to be wandering around much in the big city after dark, so we headed on to Eataly for shopping and dinner. Eataly is a huge Italian market, with a handful of casual sit down restaurants inside, each with a specialty. There was a pizza place, a pasta place, a seafood place, a little more upscale restaurant, specializing in meats, and a wine bar with light snacks. We chose the vegetarian restaurant, and it was spectacular. I could have easily spent all afternoon wandeirng around Eataly. There were hundreds of kinds of olive oil, along with every shape of dried pasta you can imagine. They had a fresh pasta station, where skilled pasta makers were making <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orecchiette">orecchiette</a>, my favorite. We bought a small loaf of bread studded with fennel seeds, some pesto and a bottle of wine to take back to the hotel room to snack on during the rest of our trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The next morning, we got up at the crack of dawn to get to our spot for the big parade. We chose 66th and 7th Avenue, near the start of the parade route, hoping it would be less congested than Columbus Circle and south. We got to our spots around 6:50 am, and the crowd was already three people deep to the street. It didn't make any difference though, we could still see everything since the floats are so big and the balloons are a few stories high. And we're both pretty tall. It's hard to tell in this picture, but that's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Zakarian">Chef Geoffrey Zakarian</a> on the front of the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/">Food Network</a> float waving. Again, the weather was absolutely beautiful, and we got some great pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We had a few hours to kill until our reservation for Thanksgiving Dinner at Pappardella at 3 pm, and not much was open on Thanksgiving Day. We took the four-minute tram over to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_Island">Roosevelt Island</a> and explored for a couple hours. It was so peaceful and quiet, compared to the crowds and chaos we had just left surrounding the parade route. Neither of us had heard of Roosevelt Island before this trip, but I would encourage anyone to check it out. You can spend a few minutes or a few hours there. The tram ride was free with a Metro Card, but otherwise, only costs $2.25. The southern tip of the island is the <a href="http://www.fdrfourfreedomspark.org/">FDR Four Freedoms Park</a>, inspired by a speech given by the late president.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We headed back to Manhattan and toward <a href="http://www.fdrfourfreedomspark.org/">Pappardella</a>, for our Thanksgiving Dinner reservations. I didn't want to miss out on a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, even though we were away from home, and I decided a prix fix dinner would be best. I did some research, and found prix fix Thanksgiving Dinners at every price point. I stumbled on this place from Yelp, and with a $35 price tag, $55 with wine pairings, I was sold. The restaurant is rustic Italian, and the dinner had a bit of that twist, but didn't stray too far from traditional Thanksgiving. It was free-range (bonus points) turkey, both light and dark meat, stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberry relish and sauteed brussel sprouts, for the main course. There was a choice of a soup, salad or pasta for the first course, and pecan pie or pumpkin bread pudding for dessert. I had the pasta, which was butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage, and Mom had the warm lentil salad with prosciutto. The wine was amazing, and just the right amount--about half a glass with each course. Actually, the wine pairing for the main course was from a winery we'd visited on our California trip, Black Stallion Winery! Our travels came full circle!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Dinner was amazing, and we were both full by the time the dessert and coffee were cleared. We headed down to the <a href="http://www.911memorial.org/">9/11 Memorial</a>, which we reached after dark. I would recommend anyone see it after dark, if possible. It was absolutely stunning. The waterfalls and the names of the lives lost are all lit from behind. It was truly beautiful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The next morning, we slept in a little bit because after two days of getting up before 6 am and walking ourselves to death, we were exhausted. On the agenda for Friday, was the High Line, which is a wonderful park. It is a retired elevated railroad that has been converted into a walking trail with greenery and art along the way. It was quite crowded on Friday morning, but still preferrable to walking along the street for navigating Chelsea. I took the High Line right to <a href="http://chelseamarket.com/">Chelsea Market</a>, another place I could spend all day in just browsing. Don't miss <a href="http://www.artistsandfleas.com/chelsea-market-manhattan-flea-designer-market-pop-up-shop">Artists and Fleas</a>, if you have a fetish for unique jewelry, like I do. I also bought some flavored salts at <a href="http://www.tfsnyc.com/">The Filling Station</a>, which specializes in olive oils. The variety of oils they have is dizzying. And if you buy a bottle, you can bring it back and refill it for a discount. I bought smoked salt for myself, and bacon salt for my brother, for giving me a ride to the airport. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I had lunch at one of the many eateries in Chelsea Market, The Green Table, which is a farm to table restaurant. It took me forever to decide what food to order for lunch, but I knew what beer I wanted right away: <a href="http://www.keeganales.com/the-beers/">Mother's Milk Oatmeal Stout</a> from Keegan Ales, a local brewery. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I finally decided on the beet and goat cheese stack and a side of macaroni and cheese. I think it was because goat cheese was mentioned in both the descriptions. I find it hard to resist. Both were very good, but the beet stack was amazing. There were watermelon radishes on bottom, and it was dressed with an orange reduction. I practically licked the plate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After an amazing lunch, I walked it off in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Village">Greenwich Village</a>. I wandered down to Washington Square from Chelsea Market. I'd been there before, but it was a beautiful day and Greenwich Village is such a neat place to visit. I walked along Fourth Street, and even snapped a picture of Jones Avenue, because I'm a huge Bob Dylan Fan. He was walking down Jones Avenue on the cover of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Freewheelin-Bob-Dylan/dp/B00026WU64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354218936&sr=8-1&keywords=freewheelin+bob+dylan">The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan</a> album. Specifically, in Greenwich Village, I wanted to check out what's known as the North Village. The North Village is a little pocket of Italian culture in Greenwich Village, kinda like a mini Little Italy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I went in both <a href="http://www.murrayscheese.com/">Murray's Cheese Shop</a> and Faicco's Italian Specialties. Both were amazing. Murray's has an eye-popping variety of cheeses and other Italian staples such as olive oil, pasta, honey, pastries and sauces. Next door, I bought a rice ball at Faicco's to take back to the room. I wish Charleston had these kinds of places. The were just so steeped in history and had so many choices. If we did have shops like that, I'd either never be able to make up my mind, or I'd just buy it all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Up the street from Murray's and Faicco's, is <a href="http://pasticceriarocco.com/">Pasticceria Rocco</a>, a landmark Italian pastry shop that has a take out counter and table service. I wanted to relax a little, so I opted for a table. I had a classic canoli and a pumpkin cappuccino. The pastry display was amazing, and all the pies were half off. That's the problem with only being in New York City for three days and not checking any bags...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">From the North Village, I wandered on down Bleeker Street, the heart of Greenwich Village, past several historical night spots such as Marie's Crisis and the Bitter End. Bleeker Street runs south and into NoLita, which then bleeds into Little Italy. I stumbled on a Tory Burch shop! And it was "Black Friday!" But I didn't buy anything, as tempted as I was. I shopped at a couple other small boutiques, working my way down to Mott and Mulberry Streets, the center of Little Italy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I weaved my way up and down the streets of Little Italy until dark, browsing in boutiques and through a street market with jewelry and trinkets. I wanted to go to <a href="http://firstpizza.com/">Lombardi's</a> for dinner, but it was packed, and they don't sell pizza by the slice. Lombardi's claims to be the oldest pizzaria in the United States, dating back to 1905. Authentic New York style pizza was on my list for this trip, and it was my last night. Luckily, I was in Little Italy, and the are any number of good choices for pizza. The opposite corner from Lombardi's is <a href="http://www.pomodoropizzany.com/">Pomodoro Pizza</a>, advertising that it was home of the famous vodka pizza. And it sells it by the slice. Sold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The vodka pizza was the bomb. Just fresh mozzarella and vodka sauce. I need to try to make this at home. And the slice was massive. Like the size of a baby. The staff couldn't have been nicer either. I am fascinated by pizza dough tossing. Always have been since I saw <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2Jv3GQV4mc">that Visa commercial</a> a few years ago. You know the one I'm talking about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway, this dude wasn't really throwing it in the air, but his technique of just stretching it over his knuckles was still quite impressive. I was trying to snap a good picture of him in action. I could watch pizza dough being made all day long. I'm not even kidding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I came home exhausted, but at least well fed. We really had an amazing trip. New York City is one of those places where it's just impossible to see everything, even on your third trip. So many more things I'd like to see and do and eat there. Maybe next Thanksgiving...</span><br />
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<br />Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-14601816891299022342012-11-26T12:04:00.000-05:002012-11-26T12:04:33.634-05:00Rice and CurryThere aren't many foods I don't like. Buffalo chicken wings are the only thing that really comes to mind, right now. But that's another blog entry.<br />
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A few years ago, I had a long-standing and unwavering dislike (or so I thought) of curry. I didn't want anything to do with any kind of curry. In any form. Gross.<br />
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I chalk it up to a bad experience at a local Middle Eastern restaurant when I was a freshman in college. It's a shame, too. When you're a college freshman, you don't really have the funds to go to a place to sit down and eat, unless you count fast food when you eat inside the restaurant. So, when you splurge on a $12 lunch at a Middle Eastern joint downtown, where you sit down and eat, and a waiter actually refills your drinks, it shouldn't be nasty. But it was.<br />
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I digress.<br />
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But in the past few years, I've warmed back up to curries. And now I make them at home.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DX4MlBXRMUI/ULOgcO4ev-I/AAAAAAAABec/EihVp9yUDaU/s1600/51Ccnq5-HPL__SL500_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-big,TopRight,35,-73_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DX4MlBXRMUI/ULOgcO4ev-I/AAAAAAAABec/EihVp9yUDaU/s320/51Ccnq5-HPL__SL500_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-big,TopRight,35,-73_OU01_.jpg" tea="true" width="266" /></a>I'll admit, I'm not the most well-versed person on ethnic food. But I like to challenge myself in the kitchen, so I'm trying to branch out of my comfort zone. I downloaded a Sri Lankan cookbook onto my Kindle. Probably because it was deeply discounted. Those are the only books I download. But this cookbook, called simply <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rice-Curry-Hippocrene-International-Cookbook/dp/0781812739/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353948291&sr=8-1&keywords=rice+and+curry+sri+lankan+home+cooking">Rice and Curry</a>, is awesome. There's a nice introduction about Sri Lanka with a brief history, geography and cultural tidbits. Since I know nothing about Sri Lanka, I was happy to have a little bit of a primer on this exotic country.</div>
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The cookbook has about half a dozen different curry recipes. There are recipes for making your own curry powder, which is actually a lot of fun. The cookbook says to grind the toasted spices in a spice grinder, which I don't have. <br />
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So I go old school with a mortar and pestle. And you don't need to go to the gym to do an upperbody workout after you make this.<br />
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I decided on lamb curry because it was something different. I got the lamb steak from the <a href="http://monroefarmmarket.locallygrown.net/">Monroe Farm Market</a>. I served this lamb curry over <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basmati">basmati rice</a>. Basmati rice is often found in Indian and Pakistani dishes, but Sri Lankan cuisine is closely related to those. Sri Lanka is an island just off the southern tip of India, afterall, so the influence is naturally there. However, there are subtle differences. India food usually includes dairy like yogurt, where as Sri Lankan does not. And Sri Lankans tends to use coconut oil for cooking, where as Indian cooks use ghee (clarified butter).<br />
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Either way, it's delicious.<br />
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I also made <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapati">chapati</a>, an Indian flatbread similar to naan or roti (in Caribbean cuisine). <br />
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The recipes in this cookbook seem hopelessly complicated and overwhelming when I first got it, but they're surprisingly not once you dive in. I've also tried the shrimp and beef curry recipes.<br />
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It's nice to expand your horizons in the kitchen and challenge yourself a little bit. Especially when the results are this delicious. These recipes are ones that I'll definitely keep in my regular rotation.Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-41904188344213419912012-11-16T15:47:00.003-05:002012-11-16T15:47:54.889-05:00I'm a Mixer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Guess what!!! I'm going to meet Duff Goldman!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And you can, too! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At </span><a href="http://mixedcon.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mixed</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. It's a food blogger conference coming up right around the corner, November 30th through December 2nd. And, it's nearby, for me anyway--at the </span><a href="http://mountainlakehotel.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mountain Lake Resort</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> in Pembroke, Virginia. It's being hosted by two of the best food bloggers in the land, Susan at </span><a href="http://doughmesstic.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">She's Becoming Doughmesstic</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and Paula at </span><a href="http://www.bellalimento.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bell'alimento</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But, hurry! There are only three tickets left! Tickets are $329, but that includes lots of fabulousness. I'm seriously blown away by everything these two lovelies have in store for Mixed. Did I mention you get to meet Duff? Yep. And there's a limited number of tickets, so it's not like there'll be throngs and throngs of Charm City Cake fans to compete with either.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Plus, when you've got sponsors like </span><a href="http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/page/home"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Kitchenaid</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.oxo.com/default.aspx"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">OXO</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.johnboos.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Boos</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.stonyfield.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Stonyfield Organic</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><a href="http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=20002&langId=-1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Le Creuset</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, and tons more, you know the swag is going to be crazy good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In addition to the swag, there are a bunch of drawings for even better stuff like KITCHENAID APPLIANCES. Yes, you heard me right. Appliances!! Two lucky winners will bring home a fancy new stove from Kitchenaid... Or I should say myself and some other lucky person will, cause I'm gonna win, you know. And there are more prizes from Le Creuset, </span><a href="http://www.dixiecrystals.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dixie Crystals</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.luckyleaf.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lucky Leaf</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, and many other sponsors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What? You're not a food blogger, you say? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">No worries. You don't have to be a food blogger or even a blogger to come to this conference. The conference is going to feature sessions led by photographers, videographers, stylists, and editors. Even though the prizes and everything sound awesome, I'm even more super-stoked to learn a lot about how to make my "hobby-when-I-have-free-time-and-remember-to-snap-pics-and-write" blog into something better. Something sleeker. Something that looks a little less "high school graduation project-ish" and more for realz. So, if you're curious about blogging. Or you like to bake. Or you just wanna hang with people that do those things, buy your ticket. Now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I mean it.</span>Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-391998008796107772012-11-16T10:50:00.001-05:002012-11-16T10:50:14.790-05:00My addiction....Aside from good cheese and "Sex And the City" reruns on the Style Network.<br />
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It's recipes that I print off the Internet. I have quite a hefty stack on top of my microwave waiting to be made. The problem is they've been waiting and waiting and waiting.<br />
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I just can't help myself. I read a lot of food blogs, and you food bloggers are talented photographers. Everything looks so darn tasty. And <a href="http://pinterest.com/jennelle28/">Pinterest</a> has only added to my stacks. The worst is browsing pinterest right before lunch. I'd rather be waterboarded.<br />
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I'm kidding. I really don't want to be waterboarded.<br />
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I've tried to sort them every few months. I throw out ones that seemed like a good idea at the time, but I know I'll never make. The ones that make the cut, I've tried to organize into season, so I can buy the feature ingredients seasonally. And I have a stack of "baking" recipes. Aside from breakfast muffins, I really don't bake a lot.<br />
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I realized this week when I was cleaning my kitchen, that these stacks have gotten out of hand. I need to do something to thin them out. In the past, when I've made recipes that I've found online, if they are worth repeating, I put them in either a ring bound cookbook that has pages for filling in recipes or a binder that I keep recipes in that I've stumbled on over the years. If the recipe is just okay, and I can't see myself making it again, I just pitch it.<br />
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So what if I promise to make five of these recipes each month? Given the size of my stack, if I don't add any more to them, it'll only take me 11 and half years... I'll make them and blog about them and I shall call it ... "Project Recipe." Not very catchy, I know, but it's simple. I'll tell you which ones are keepers and which ones to not waste your time on.<br />
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I was thinking that I needed a new challenge or something for this blog anyway. I really miss the <a href="http://notdabblinginnormal.wordpress.com/dark-days-challenge/">Dark Days Challenge</a> this year.Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-67303363660846506572012-11-14T12:18:00.001-05:002012-11-14T12:18:31.937-05:00Ok. So Prop 37 did not pass. Now what?Yeah. So. Prop 37 did not pass.<br />
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I've at least a dozen articles about what it means to the "food movement" since Prop 37 did not pass. Most say that the narrow defeat should certainly not discourage the proponents, and that the issue galvanized those that believe we have a right to know what is in our food.<br />
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But all that aside. What are we going to do since food containing GMOs will not be labeled?<br />
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I'll tell ya what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna continue trying to avoid those pesky GMOs on my own, just like I was before the election. And I can report that in the last few weeks, I overcame two of the hardest things to avoid in my diet. Coffee creamer and salad dressing.<br />
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This summer, I quit buying salad dressing. When you want a salad and you don't have salad dressing, you're forced to make your own. I'd been making balsamic vinaigrette at home from time to time for quite a while. Just equal parts balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. But now it's all homemade, all the time. Even at my office. This is big time now, ladies and gentlemen.<br />
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Generally, vinaigrette dressings are easy to make. Like I said before, it could be equal parts vinegar and oil, mixed really well. But you can get fancy here. The variations are endless. When I got tired of balsamic and extra virgin olive oil, I tried cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, and added some dried tarragon, kosher salt and garlic. You can switch the vinegars and oils. Sesame oil would be fantastic since it has such a rich flavor on its own.<br />
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Now that local honey is available, I've switched it up to honey mustard. This one is also super easy.<br />
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I use about one fourth of a cup of honey, two big table spoons of spicy brown mustard, a splash of cider vinegar, and a pinch of kosher salt. Mix the honey up completely. The cider vinegar helps to thin the honey a bit, making it easier to get mixed up. I only had a little bit of honey left, so I mixed this batch up right in the honey jar. This will make about four to six servings, depending on how much you like to put on a salad. This dressing is so tasty, you might find that you don't need as much. And there are no nasty preservatives or high fructose corn syrup in it. The mustard has only a few ingredients but at least I can pronounce them all: mustard seeds, water, salt, spices, tumeric, and natural flavors (Natural flavors is a red flag since it could be anything, and we don't know exactly what it is. It's not the worst thing, though. At least there's no artificial dye in it.)<br />
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It is perfect on my seasonal salad, with greens from the Monroe Farm Market, toasted pumpkin seeds, blue cheese, radishes, carrots, dried cranberries and blue cheese crumbles.<br />
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I've even branched out and made some buttermilk ranch and blue cheese. I used recipes from my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crockers-Cookbook-Bridal-Edition/dp/0764563262/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352912055&sr=8-2&keywords=betty+crocker+cookbook+bridal+edition">Betty Crocker Bridal Edition Cookbook</a>. I need to refine those recipes a bit, because they call for mayonaise, and I'll bet I can figure out how to make them completely from scratch without mayonaise. These dressings are better if you make them ahead of time and let the flavors blend for a few hours.<br />
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The other thing I gave up, that always seemed impossible, was coffee creamer. I have tried and tried, and I just cannot enjoy my coffee black. I have, however, weened myself off of flavored creamer. I just take a little bit of half and half in it now. The half and half that I buy is from Homestead Creamery, and it's sold at my local Krogers. This dairy is a small family-owned operation that raises cows on green northwestern Virginia grass.<br />
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I like that their products come in glass bottles, that cuts down on plastic in landfills. You have to pay a deposit when you checkout for the glass bottles, but if you bring them back, you get your two dollars back. And if you save up several and return them all at once, you get quite a nice little wad of spending money... not that I've ever resorted to that or anything.<br />
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The second thing about giving up flavored coffee creamer is I started buying the "good" coffee. If you're going to really enjoy the taste of it without mysterious artificial flavors, then why not. I have a Keurig, and I buy Newman's Own Organic Fair Trade at Sam's Club. It's a dark roasted coffee, which is my favorite, and Sam's is the cheapest place I've found to buy k-cups. They have a few other brands, but the selection there is pretty limited.<br />
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We also have a coffee grinder and an espresso machine, and on the weekends, it's always nice to have a cappucino or latte with freshly ground coffee. I try to buy fair trade, but I really like Starbucks Italian Roast.<br />
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These are just a couple things I did recently to cut out GMOs, but sometimes in certain situations, they're just impossible to avoid. Salad dressing should be one of the most simple foods, as it can be just oil and vinegar. But I'm floored as to how many chemicals are in the stuff you buy at the grocery store. It's completely unnecessary. As a rule, any packaged food most likely contains GMOs. Food that is certified organic, even if it is packaged should be GMO free. And of course, shopping locally and for minimally processed food is a good way to avoid GMOs.<br />
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The data regarding GMOs is mixed. Of course, the food industry cites <a href="http://www.noprop37.com/facts/scientific-evidence/">studies</a> that show there is no harm in having GMOs be a part of our diet. Proponents of labeling have highlighted <a href="http://www.nongmoproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/GM-Crops-just-the-science.pdf">studies</a> that raise concerns about the long-term exposure to GMOs in our food. Whatever side you fall on, it's a choice that consumers can make and vote with our forks. I am going to err on the side of caution, and avoid them as much as I can.Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-84606776308692003812012-11-05T11:25:00.001-05:002012-11-05T11:25:22.301-05:00Sunday NightsFor the last several months, there's been a routine on Sundays at my house.<br />
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Sunday evening, I make food for the week. Something to carry out the door for breakfast, something to pack for lunch, and maybe something to stick in the oven for dinner when we get home from work.<br />
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The week goes so much more smoothly when I take a couple hours to do this. <br />
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This Sunday, I was putting together <strike>beef</strike> venison noodle soup, apple pumpkin muffins, and salad.</div>
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I take my lunch to work almost every day. It's just easier if you count calories. And way cheaper. And I love soup. So I make a pot of soup almost every week. If I don't take soup for lunch, I like to take leftovers from dinner. In the picture on the top left, I was filling up the containers I take soup to lunch in. They're from CorningWare and they are so handy. Here's the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CorningWare-1035985-French-White-20-Ounce/dp/B0002KZMCO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352129480&sr=8-2&keywords=corelle+soup+cup">Amazon link</a> to buy them. I have a carrier and a hot plate on my desk made to set them on. If I set them on when I get to work, they are hot by lunchtime.</div>
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I like soups that I just throw everything in a pot with a lid and simmer it for a couple hours. Last week, I made the best vegetable venison soup I've ever made. We still have several jars of deer meat that Jeremy's mom canned last year, so I've been trying to use it up. Putting it in soup in place of beef is a great way to use it. I used two quarts of chicken stock that I had frozen from this summer, an onion, two carrots, one quart of deer meat, spices, and half a bag of whole wheat egg noodles. If Jeremy is going to be in his office, he likes to take soup as well. But if he's working out in the field, then I have to pack something that travels a little easier like peanut butter sandwiches and a piece of fruit.</div>
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While the soup was cooking, I put together a salad from lettuces and radishes I bought from the Monroe Farm Market, and some radishes I pulled out of my garden yesterday evening. I swear by my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SOFTWORKS-1045421-SoftWorks-Salad-Spinner/dp/B0000644FC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1352129799&sr=8-4&keywords=oxo+salad+spinner">OXO Softworks salad spinner</a>. It will keep delicate fresh lettuce good for around two weeks.</div>
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With my lunches covered for the next few days, I needed to make something for breakfast. I had some pumpkin left in the fridge from the pumpkins I roasted last weekend. I needed to be used soon before it went bad. I also have some apples in the fridge leftover from the half bushel I bought to make into applesauce and can. Muffins are easy and the flavors are interchangeable depending on what's in season. I used a blueberry muffin recipe in my Betty Crocker Bridal cookbook, but subsituted chopped apple for the blueberries and pumpkin puree for the vegetable oil in the recipe, which cuts calories. </div>
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For the past few years, I have always tried to make soup to take to lunch, but it was last spring when I started making something for breakfast, too. Jeremy is a notoriously picky eater when it comes to breakfast. I was always happy with a bowl of Cheerios--my "go to" breakfast for years. I used to buy him frozen things like Hot Pockets or Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits, but a few years ago I decided they were too unhealthy and expensive. He likes baked goods, so I started trying to make something like muffins or scones or quick bread for breakfast. I began eating those things too when I realized how much time I was saving in the morning, just grabbing something on my way out the door. Now on Sundays I try to bake for breakfast for weekdays, and I'll boil a few eggs. He won't touch hard boiled eggs, but I like them with a muffin, or whatever it is I've made. The hardest part has been staying out of the baked goodies when they come out of the oven Sunday night, all warm and smelling delicious. Sometimes I just can't.</div>
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When I hear people say they don't have time to eat breakfast in the morning, I always think that I don't either, but I still make it happen. Health experts tout the importance of eating breakfast to help regulate your blood sugar throughout the day. It's so easy to grab my breakfast on the way out the door. It took me less than 20 minutes to mix everything together, and these muffins bake for less than 30 minutes. If something happens and I can't bake on Sunday night, I always have old-fashioned oatmeal on hand, although it's not as convenient as a muffin, and I have waffles and pancakes in the freezer for Jeremy. When I make a batch of either on the weekends, I always freeze what's left after we eat. They are super easy to heat up in the mornings, even when they're frozen.</div>
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Everyone is busy these days. I'll take spending an hour or two in the kitchen on Sunday afternoon to make my life easier on weekday mornings anytime.</div>
Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-76962323867714938982012-10-23T15:57:00.000-04:002012-10-23T15:57:42.475-04:00"Pho Real" Vietnamese food in South CharlestonHar har. Please indulge my cheesy food humor. Seriously. The pho jokes are endless. But I digress.<br />
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The Hubs and I recently discovered pho.<br />
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Last winter, <a href="http://www.deliciouspotager.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-pho.html">I made</a> the recipe for it in my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Splendid-Tables-Supper-Award-Winning/dp/0307346714/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351018610&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+eat+supper">The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper</a> cookbook. (On a side note, this cookbook is no-fail. Do yourself a favor and buy it. Now.) I'd never had pho before, but I'd watched Anthony Bourdain eat it a number of times on <a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/anthony-bourdain">No Reservations</a>. If you've followed the show for any lenght of time, you know how much he loves his pho. Mine was actually pretty good.<br />
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Flash forward just last week, and we again found ourselves ogling Tony Bourdain slurp up some pho. I said to the Hubs, "Ya know, that pho I made wasn't bad, but I'd like to actually try it at a restaurant sometime." Like any shameless Generation Y'er, I made some words to that effect my Facebook status. Within minutes I had at least a handful of recommendations on where I could have some pho in the comments.<br />
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South Charleston!! Wait, South Charleston?!? Yep. Pho Real. No really, Pho Vinh Long on D Street.<br />
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We stared out with an order of spring rolls. They were delish, but I was surprised they had shrimp in them. I don't think the description mentioned shrimp, and it's something I try to avoid ordering unless I know where it came from. But they were good anyway. They came with a miso dipping sauce that was sweet. It kinda reminded me of the peanut butter and syrup sandwiches we used to get on vegetable beef soup and sandwich day in elementary school. But I put a little bit of sriracha hot sauce in it and it was divine!<br />
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I'm admittedly not familiar with Vietnamese cuisine, and I didn't recognize any of the dishes on the menu except for pho. There were several different kinds of pho, and I went with the combination version. It had three kinds of beef in it: london broil, meatballs and something else I don't recall. The Hubs stayed safe and ordered the same. I'm not sure if that's what we got, but what we got was so, so delicious. <br />
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It came with the lime, jalepenos and bean sprouts on the side (much better with bean sprouts than when I used alfalfa sprouts--but that's what I had on hand), but I noticed there was no cilantro. Eh, no biggie. I added just a little bit of sriracha and it was perfect. The Hubs added too much and his was a little too hot, even for him. We both slurped up those rice noodles and commented about how filling the dish was. The price was pretty reasonable, too. We spent about twenty dollars for two spring rolls, two large soups and Jeremy had a soft drink. I will definitely be back, especially for a bowl of that piping hot, steaming soup once the weather turns cold.<br />
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All I can say is, thanks, Josh, Lindsay, Jody, Drew and Brian for pointing me in the direction of Pho Vinh Long! To borrow a phrase from a fellow pho lover, the food was pretty "pho-king awesome!"<br />
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Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-67487853215496442012-10-18T16:22:00.000-04:002012-10-18T16:22:39.087-04:00Greens, potatoes and mountains: the past week's eats.Sometimes I end up with a bunch of random pictures of food on my phone. Yes, I my food pictures are almost exclusively taken with an iPhone 4. It takes better pics than my 'ol point and click. Plus, it's always in my pocket or within an easy reach.<br />
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This was one of those weeks. I had taken the most stunning pictures of swiss chard last week as I was washing it, but I didn't take a picture of the final dish. It wasn't nearly as beautiful as the fresh stuff. It's hard to imagine this shooting up out of the ground. It was so colorful, it looked fake. But it was not. In fact, it was delicious. I was making an Asian fish dish, and I made the chard on the side wilted with a little mirin and seasame oil. It paired with the fish in the loveliest of ways.<br />
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Seriously, how could I not share these pictures? They really don't do the chard justice. So beautiful! I bought it from the Monroe Farm Market. I can't remember which grower I got it from.</div>
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Here's a couple pics I quickly grabbed of the bushel of kennebec potatoes I bought. I work with a man who has a farm in the northern part of the state. He sells a good bit of his produce and plants at a local farm stand, but he can always be counted on to bring some of his wares down when he comes to Charleston. I bought a bushel of potatoes for $15, which I think is a steal (Although, the price was $10 last year). A bushel will last us all winter. Last year, we kept them in the garage, and by the time planting season rolled around, we had a handful of really soft potatoes left that had sprouted some impressive eyes, so I just planted them. I'd never tried to grow them before, but they may be one of the easiest things to grow. I'm definitely going to plant the leftovers again next spring.</div>
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Look at the size of that sucker! Softball-sized! I like kennebec potatoes because they have thin skins, and we almost always eat the skins. Primarily because I'm too lazy to peel them, but the skins are where most of the minerals and vitamins are, so it's healthier to eat them anyway. They probably would be outside the 250 mile limit that I consider "local," but they're from a farmer that I know and he was coming to Charleston anyway, so I don't count those "food miles."<br />
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Last weekend, we rented a cabin up in the mountains with my in-laws. It was so nice to get away, and Canaan Valley is one of my favorite places to visit in West Virginia. We spent several days there last year exploring on our anniversary trip. It was such a memorable trip, that we can't go back without being reminded of all the fun we had there last year. We took the family to our favorite place to eat there, <a href="http://hellbenderburritos.com/">Hellbender Burritos</a> in Davis, WV. This time I had the Lost Hiker, which was sauted mushrooms, tomatoes, lettuce, rice, beans and guacamole with homemade blue cheese. It was outstanding. Jeremy had the Hellbender with shrimp, which had rice, blue cheese, buffalo sauce. You could order it with chicken or shrimp. I tasted it, and it was super hot--too hot for me. The newbies in our group were overwhelmingly impressed. Everyone was stuffed and satisfied. <br />
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Right up the road from Hellbender Burritos is <a href="http://mountainstatebrewing.com/">Moutain State Brewing Company</a>, a microbrew that has been cranking out awesome beers for the past few years. We took three growlers with us, and got those filled--twice. This place only has four beers in regular rotation, but they do all four really well. I cannot choose a favorite because they are all so good, but I am partial to the Coal Miner's Daughter Stout.<br />
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The next night, we got pizzas from the little cafe across the road from Hellbender Burritos, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/siriannis-pizza-and-cafe-davis">Sirianni's Cafe</a>. I had never been inside the original location before. I'd only had their take out, but I went inside to pick up the pizzas. Wow! What a cozy place to sit and have a plate of pasta or a pizza! It reminded me of an old country store, but not in a cheesy Cracker Barrel sort of way. And the pizza is fantastic. I've never tried the pasta, but that is on my list for next time.<br />
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In between meals, we took in the beautiful fall scenery in the area. This is seriously one of the most beautiful parts of the state.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackwater Falls</td></tr>
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I can't wait to go back. Jeremy and I have been known to make the two and a half hour drive on a Saturday afternoon for Hellbender's and to get our growlers filled. Now that we've gotten a recent taste, we might find ourselves jonesing for it and head back up.Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-70152977924431103142012-10-11T14:49:00.001-04:002012-10-11T14:49:30.834-04:00This video made me squirm.This video from <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/">The Center for Science in the Public Interest</a> was going viral yesterday. You might recognize a passing similarity to the Coca-Cola polar bears. That's no doubt on purpose. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, so I'm neither recommending or discouraging anyone to watch it--just telling you my reaction to it and the issue. Make up your own mind. It definitely hit home for me--I had second thoughts about the mini Twix staring me down in my office yesterday afternoon. If you choose not to watch it, here is a <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/introducing-real-bears-animated-short-film-takes-big-170900884.html">link</a> to a Yahoo News story yesterday discussing the video, so at least you can get the gist of what is in it.<br />
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If I've learned one thing since I started taking an interest in food politics, it's that NO one likes to be told how to eat. Food plays such a deep personal and emotional role in all our lives, criticizing how someone eats is almost an affront to who they are. But, I don't think anyone can deny that we have a public health problem with obesity and diet-related illnesses.<br />
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This video reminded me of my grandfather, who was a type-2 diabetic later in his life. While he didn't have the complications that the papa bear has in this video, his life was dramatically changed by the diagnosis. He was reminded of that at every meal and sometimes in between as he'd prick his fingers to check his sugar. I remember a lady who cared for him as he neared the end of his life (and had suffered a stroke and needed round the clock assistance), bought him a birthday cake from the local grocery store. She proudly proclaimed that it had sugar free icing so he could enjoy it. <br />
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That strikes me as so absurd now. Imagine, an entire industry of food tailored so that those who are diabetic can continue enjoying the same food they always have. It didn't even occur to my grandfather to CHANGE his diet outside of switching to sugar-free food products. I suspect there was very little discussion or support from his family doctor about changing his diet, although I can't be sure. I wasn't in the room with him at the doctor's office, but if it wasn't discussed in a gentle and supportive way (remember no one wants to be told how to eat...), it was a huge missed opportunity.<br />
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The other thing that the video made me think about is all of the effort the soda industry has been going to to cooperate with government and various groups promoting health and fighting obesity. I certainly applaud some of the effort. The posting of calories on soda now, especially the calories for the entire container, if it is, for example, a 12-ounce can, rather than per serving, which was eight ounces, is a step in the right direction. And I was pleased to see Coca Cola widely offering smaller-sized individual containers, such as 12-ounce plastic bottles and eight-ounce cans. However, serving sizes are still confusing--24-ounce bottles being sold along side "single" servings such as the 12-ounce bottles at convenience stores, rather than with the two liters.<br />
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Don't be fooled, though. Soda companies are in business to make money. There's nothing wrong with that. How they market their products in a way that is border line coercive is what's wrong. Demand for food used to be fixed. The market was finite. Our stomachs only hold so much before we get full and don't want any more food. The food industry has mastered the tactic of getting consumers to buy (and eat) as much as they possibly can, and then convincing us we need more of it. The steady creep of portion sizes is an example. In the video, the advertising for the soda promises happiness if you drink the soda. How many soda ads can you think of that feature superstars, are flashy eye-catching displays of graphics, contain a message of happiness and contentment or nostalgia, or even worse, feature cartoons in kid-friendly formats? <br />
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The advertising and the message the soda industry is sending to us to drink more soda, coupled with social changes have gotten us into the mess. The social changes are in the role that we see soda in today. In my mom's childhood, a soda was a "treat" you got when you went into town or went to the store, which wasn't that often. People she knew didn't keep it at home. It wasn't drank on a regular basis. Now, it has a place at all three meals. Just look at the breakfast menu board at a fast food place. "Don't care for coffee?? Of course, we have 32 ounce and bigger soft drinks available!!" It's everywhere, and its consumers are all cultures, races and ages. Even babies.<br />
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I'm still unsure how the video will be received by those that need to hear the message the most desperately. Some (the soda industry) have <a href="http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/the-real-bears-anti-soft-drink-film-highlights-health-issues-angers-industry/story-fneuz92c-1226493323387">criticized</a> it as being a little preachy and fearmongering. If nothing else, this video probably will probably make people stop and think for a second. Hopefully, we will all think about what kind of future is in store for this country and for our kids. Even if you chose not to watch it, we've already started the discussion about what role the soda industry deserves in our daily lives, and hopefully we can eventually reach some positive resolution.Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-41158162324033581772012-10-08T13:22:00.003-04:002012-10-08T13:22:46.819-04:00No rest for the wicked.Yesterday was chilly and windy and overcast. And all I wanted to do was stay in my pjs all day lying on the couch watching football. But sometimes Mother Nature nudges us in the most annoying ways. I still had peppers in the fridge from <a href="http://www.deliciouspotager.blogspot.com/2012/10/too-much-of-good-thing.html">Pepperpacalyse 2012</a>, earlier last week. Since I have a busy week lined up for this week already, I had to do something with them or risk losing them--which I did not want to do.<br />
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Last week, I chopped some of the remaining peppers into rings for pickling. I've got Italian peppers in tomato sauce, pepper jelly, frozen diced peppers, so I figured pickled hot peppers would be a way to add to the variety. Chopping them ahead of time was a huge time saver when it came time to can them. Also, the Hubs volunteered to help me can them. If you've ever canned, you know how invaluable an extra set of hands are in the kitchen. It makes the processes exponentially easier. This time, he did most of the work, with me supervising and guiding him. He's helped me maybe one other time before, but this time he pretty much did the whole thing start to finish.<br />
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And the results are gorgeous!<br />
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I think these will be great on pizza or salads, or maybe tossed in with some pasta sauce for a little extra kick. They were all hot peppers, not a mix with sweet, but I think the pickle brine will mellow out the heat a little bit. I can't wait to try them.<br />
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As if canning a batch of peppers wasn't enough yesterday, I also made soup for dinner from a recipe from the <a href="http://www.closetcooking.com/">Closet Cooking blog</a>. This guy has an astonishing talent for food photography, on top of his creative and simple-from-scratch recipes. The entry for <a href="http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/09/bacon-double-cheeseburger-soup.html">bacon double cheeseburger soup</a> caught my curiosity, and the weather yesterday could not have been more perfect for soup.<br />
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The croutons were made from toasted hamburger buns, and I almost didn't make them. But they MADE this soup. They were the little something extra that made this soup even more hearty. I took a little break from the kitchen toils to enjoy soup and salad made from fresh spicy greens mix I bought at the <a href="http://monroefarmmarket.locallygrown.net/">Monroe Farm Market</a>.<br />
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Then it was back at it for the rest of the night. Yesterday, I also made 3 quarts of vegetable stock from accumulated vegetable scraps I keep in a zip lock bag in the freezer. I also made pumpkin scones to eat for breakfast this week with the last of the pureed blue hubbard from last year, and I used the remainer of the puree to make butternut squash lasagna rolls from a recipe in the <a href="http://beekman1802.com/heirloom-cookbook/">Beekman Heirloom Cookbook</a> for dinner tonight. I know neither of those recipes call for blue hubbard, but I think those are interchangeable, and blue hubbard has such a bright orange color (its probably higher in beta carotene for that matter).<br />
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After all that, I was completely worn out and sick of cleaning up my various messes and standing at the kitchen counter. But I had dinner ready for Monday evening, breakfast for the whole week, and another batch of homemade vegetable stock in the freezer. I gave myself a little pat on the back for all that work.<br />
Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-73751300536742071512012-10-04T15:10:00.000-04:002012-10-08T13:24:29.682-04:00Too Much of a Good Thing?So. My mom brought a garbage bag of hot peppers to my house on Wednesday. It wasn't for us to share or divide up. It was all for me. She had her own garbage bag full at her house.<br />
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But I bought a half a bushel last week at the Capitol Market for canning. I had canned eight pints of Italian peppers in tomato sauce and chopped up enough of those peppers for two batches of pepper jelly.<br />
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So, last night, I canned another two batches of pepper jelly (everyone is getting that for Christmas this year, I think... I know no one will complain.) I diced up almost three pints to freeze and cut up into rings another two quarts to make into pickled hot peppers. I also roasted a couple dozen to freeze.<br />
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Peppers were on every possible inch of countertop. But they are beautiful.<br />
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She didn't grow these peppers. A generous friend told her to come and pick what she wanted. She only picked off the first few plants. And he and his wife have already gotten all that they want from the plants this year. It's supposed to frost here in the outlying areas on Sunday night, and she and I talked about whether we wanted to get more before they're gone. We decided that while we don't need anymore, we both hate to see them wasted, so I think she's going to go pick more this weekend.<br />
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We must be crazy.Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-11377368835447561122012-09-28T12:20:00.003-04:002012-09-28T12:20:56.364-04:00A Feast for the Eyes at the Farmers MarketMy mom called yesterday and asked if I wanted to go to the Capitol Market with her. I love going to the market just to look around, even if I don't need anything, like yesterday. The market is starting to wind down for the season. Some of the produce stands have packed up and moved out for the summer. The remaing stands will transition over to more pumpkins, foddershocks and ornamental gounds and squashes for decoration. (One huge pet peeve I have are the folks who buy those funky looking winter squashes to decorate their porches and yards and then throw them away. If you take care of them, particularly if they're under some sort of covered porch, you can eat those after its time to take down the decorations!)<br />
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I almost always end up buying something because it just looks so beautiful and tasty, but I had to hold myself back yesterday. I knew I didn't have time to do anything with all the beautiful produce I wanted to buy. I'm definitely going to go back next week, when I have some time to can apples and chop up veggies to put in the freezer. I figured if I wanted to enjoy all those beautiful vegetables, the next best thing to buying them would be to take pictures.<br />
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While the usual offerings of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and corn are fine, I was pleasantly surprised to see THREE varieties of eggplant for sale! I would have like to buy one of all three and prepare them together to highlight the subtle differences. Beautiful!<br />
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Check out these gorgeous <a href="http://www.cherrygal.com/beanbushoctoberheirloomseeds2008-p-4985.html">October beans</a> with pale yellow pods mottled with hot pink. So pretty!<br />
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It's also apple season, and most of the remaining vendors had tables overflowing with beautiful apples. I wanted to buy one to eat right there so badly (but then I rememberd pesticide!). The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia has quite an apple industry. All of the apples for sale at the Capitol Market are from farms in the Martinsburg, WV area. Virtually none are organic. This is one of those tough situations where you have to weigh what's more important: organic apples, since apples are one of the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/">Dirty Dozen</a>, or supporting a local economy. It's a tough call. I've bought these apples for the past few years, but I always wash them, and I never eat the skins. I mostly make them into applesauce or pie filling and can them. Once I asked our Deputy Agriculture Commissioner, who is from the Eastern Panhandle, why none of the apple farms are organic, and he said organic apples are one of the hardest crops to grow because worms and pests are so hard to control in a commercial orchard.<br />
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Speaking of canning, yesterday I canned eight pints of Italian peppers. I call them Italian peppers because they're canned in a tomato sauce mixture. Actually it's ketchup, sugar, oil and vinegar. Not exactly healthy with the sugar and ketchup, but they are delicious on bread, pizza or pepperoni rolls. And I might even try putting them in chili. I mostly used sweet Key Largo peppers, but I mixed in a few hot banana peppers for a little kick. I bought a half bushel of mixed peppers earlier in the week at the Capitol Market for twelve dollars. You can't beat that deal! I used almost half of the box on the Italian peppers, and I use what's left making hot pepper jelly and freezing some chopped peppers.<br />
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My mom bought a box of apples to can this weekend and some mums. Next week, I'll get my own box of apples to can, and probably some beets, tomatoes, corn and beans before it's all gone for the year. All of the produce vendors will be gone by the end of October to make room for the Christmas tree vendors to move in for the following two months. Then, the stalls will be empty again until next spring.Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-6859342276818389932012-09-25T11:59:00.000-04:002012-09-25T11:59:17.091-04:00Why Wagyu?I mentioned in my last post that the Hubs and I took our (what's becomming) annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas earlier this month. Oh, how I love that place. I know everyone says that, but really. I do. People have asked me on more than a few occassions, "What do you guys do in Vegas?" For a while, we were kind of embarrassed to fess up, but now we bravely tell people that we go to Vegas to eat.<br />
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There is no where else on Earth where you can eat at one of the finest chefs' restaurants every night for over two weeks without repeating. Because we only go for a few days at a time, the planning begins long in advance. As soon as the airfare and hotel are booked, I begin thinking about where I'd like to eat while I'm there. Then I make a list. Then I narrow it down and narrow it down. I'm not joking. It gets quite involved.<br />
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Steakhouses have been on our list of places since went there way back for our honeymoon. There are just so darn many of them. Vegas has its share of old school steakhouses, which I love, but this time, I wanted to be "wowed."<br />
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"Wowed" I was.<br />
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I picked Tom Coliccho's <a href="http://www.mgmgrand.com/restaurants/craftsteak-steak-house.aspx">Craftsteak</a> in the MGM Grand. I started out my search for a steakhouse looking for a place that served grass-fed steak. I love grass-fed steaks first and foremost because of the beefy beef flavor, and secondly because I believe in how these cows are raised. Sadly, most places serve grain-fed steak and are proud of it. I found this <a href="http://www.vegasmadeeasy.com/dining/steakhouses/81-steaks">amazing website</a> that someone who takes steak very seriously put together. It breaks down the science behind steaks: wet aged, dry aged, wagyu, kobe, certified angus beef. Knowing that I'm a grass-fed flavor fan, I opted for a steakhouse serving dry aged steaks. Craftsteak was the website favorite overall. After also consulting <a href="http://www.yelp.com/">Yelp</a>, the call was made and we had our selves a date with some fine red meat.<br />
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I've never had the opportunity to try Wagyu beef before. So, I dove right in. I ordered the domestic wagyu skirt steak. Jeremy ordered a strip steak from their regular beef menu, which was <a href="http://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/">Certified Angus Beef</a> (C.A.B.), so we could compare the two side by side. But we were surprised to learn it was like comparing apples and oranges.<br />
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Let me explain. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagyu_beef">Wagyu</a> refers to a breed of cattle native to Japan. This breed is known for its high marbling--or the distribution of fat throughout the muscle. Actually, domestic Wagyu is a crossbreed between full-bred Japanese Wagyu cow and an angus cow. A ranch in Colorado is pretty much the exclusive supplier of domestic Wagyu. Traditionally, these cows are amazingly well-cared for. They are fed a diet of alfalfa, barley, corn, wheat straw, and beer. And they are massaged. Beer and massages sound like a pretty nice life for people, let alone cows! Because of the even and broad distribution of flecks of fat throughout the muscle, steaks from Wagyu cattle are much more tender and juicy. Which is exactly why I was able to order "skirt" steak as a grilled steak entree. The cut that is skirt steak is a generally more lean and tough cut because the fat content is lower than other cuts. But because of the even marbling of Wagyu, it works. This steak was so tender, I laid my knife on the steak, sharp side down, and the weight of the knife itself cut the steak. I'm not even kidding.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wagyu skirt steak with stewed onions and demi glace.</td></tr>
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The Wagyu skirt steak was 14 ounces, which is a larger portion than I would usually haveliked, but I wanted to share it with Jeremy. And it was so good, we ate every last bite. It came cut into strips, which I thought was weird, with stewed onions and demi glace. We shared an order of grilled corn, which one Yelper dubbed "crack" corn. I can understand why. I don't know what it had in it besides a little salt, butter and cilantro, but damn, it was good.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeremy's C.A.B. strip steak and "crack" corn.</td></tr>
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The C.A.B. strip steak was wonderful; one of the best I've ever tried. But you couldn't even compare it to the Wagyu. It was completely different. We enjoyed a roll from the complimentary bread that was brought to the table in a small cast iron casserole, but we didn't want to fill up too much before we got to the "meat of our meal." Speaking of filling up before we got our entrees, I wanted to take the Wagyu experience to the next level, so I ordered the Wagyu steak tartare as an appetizer. I've never tried <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_tartare">steak tartare</a> before, so I figured why not go all out. Unfortunately, I'm probably ruined now. The next time I order steak tartare, it most likely won't be Wagyu, and I'll be dissappointed with it. Steak tartare is a dish of finely chopped raw marinated steak, usually served with toasted bread and a raw egg yolk on top. Ours was the classic version with a quail egg yolk. It. Was. Amazing. We practically licked the bowl.<br />
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Our waiter was great and a wealth of food knowledge. I had about a dozen questions about Wagyu beef, seeing as how I am a food nerd. We ordered our steaks medium rare, and after I'd gotten the Wagyu steak, I was asking him about what it's like when it's cooked medium well, given the high and even fat content. It seemed to me that it could be really dry and would burn easily, once all that fat started to render out from the cooking. He said that that they do serve them medium well, and that it actually only takes a few minutes to get to that doneness. He said they will grill them quickly and finish them in the oven so as to not burn them or dry them out.<br />
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Craftsteak offers a few different menu options, including a couple tasting menus, which you get to sample most of the menu, including several different types of steak. Since it was the two of us, we figured there was no way we could eat all that food. But if we would have been in a group of four or six, this is definitely the way to go. It's probably cheaper and a good way to get to try a little bit of all the amazing offerings. Even just with a couple rolls, an appetizer, a shared side dish and a steak each, we left feeling stuffed to the gills but in a state of total steak bliss!<br />
Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-32551383530288808532012-09-18T16:24:00.002-04:002012-09-18T16:24:40.783-04:00Whew! I'm back.. with a Reverse Meatless Monday recapIt's been a couple weeks, but I'm back. I had to take a little break. Things just got too crazy, and I couldn't find the time to fit in this long overdue update to Reverse Meatless Monday.<br />
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First, the Hubs and I went on our annual pilgrimage to Vegas. Then, when we got home, I had to hit the ground running at work. This has happened three times this summer, and I vow I'll never do it again--be out of the office for more than a couple days and the first day back have interim meetings all day for the next three days.<br />
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But let's get down to business, shall we?<br />
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This is what I ate the last few days of Reverse Meatless Monday:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h-yp0nV0wZY/UFjSGoO17ZI/AAAAAAAABUc/Z_Tn-ee8Bok/s1600/IMG_2182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h-yp0nV0wZY/UFjSGoO17ZI/AAAAAAAABUc/Z_Tn-ee8Bok/s200/IMG_2182.jpg" width="143" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7KXNPnEp84/UFjSJ2OvpuI/AAAAAAAABUk/QGC2jC_wpDY/s1600/IMG_2186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7KXNPnEp84/UFjSJ2OvpuI/AAAAAAAABUk/QGC2jC_wpDY/s200/IMG_2186.jpg" width="149" /></a> Clockwise starting at top: chick pea and quinoa stuffed peppers from the <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Meat-Lovers-Meatless-Cookbook-Vegetarian/dp/0738214019/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347998527&sr=1-1&keywords=meatlovers+meatless+cookbook">Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook</a></em>, sauted brussel sprouts (without bacon grease--who knew?!?); fried green tomatoes and graniteed broccoli; Bridge Brew Works Moxxee Stout at Pies and Pints; and pizza with tomatoes, carmelized onions and mozzarella, and "The Mothership" tomato salad from <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Home-Cook-Your-Good/dp/1401322425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347998500&sr=8-1&keywords=jamie+at+home">Jamie At Home</a></em>.</div>
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The quinoa and chick pea stuffed peppers were amazing and surprisingly filling. We love quinoa, and when I see a recipe for it, my curiosity is always piqued, especially when it also has goat cheese in it. I also, had both brussel sprouts and fried green tomatoes using without bacon grease. And it was good! More vegetables without bacon grease might be in my future! One night of the last week of the project, we went out to eat at one of our favorite local haunts, Pies and Pints. They serve great draft beers (naturally) and Bridge Brew Works is a Fayetteville outfit turning out some fantastic beers. I am a dark beer lover, and I couldn't resist their offering that uses coffee from a local coffee shop. Delicious! About half of the specialty pizzas on Pies and Pints's menu are meatless, so it's a great option for vegetarians. Those pizzas will even satisfy meat eaters. Finally, I made pizza at home from some dough I had in the freezer. I really need a pizza stone. I vow to not make homemade pizza again until I get one. My pizza crust has been getting progressively worse each time I make it. But caprese on the side of sad pizza cheered me right up.</div>
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I intended to do a final recap of my Reverse Meatless Monday project, which was us not eating meat except for one day a week, for the entire month of August. Here's what I learned:</div>
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The project was more difficult than I expected! But it was a "challenge," so I didn't want it to be a walk in the park. I wanted to take something away from it and learn something from it. And I did, so mission accomplished.</div>
<br />The project's difficulty surprised me for a number of reasons. First, I did not realize how little some restaurants offer by way of meatless choices. Sometimes it's a real challenge to find something on the menu besides a side salad. Who wants to go out to eat and get a bowl of iceberg lettuce and mealy tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese? I have a new appreciation for vegetarians who are stuck with these places and have to be a little creative when it comes to ordering.<br />
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Another reason, and perhaps the biggest surprise, was how sensitve my body really is to what I'm eating. At the start of the challenge, I figured we could just have fresh green beans out of the garden and grilled squash for dinner, or whatever happened to be in the garden, every evening. But about a week and half into the challenge, I noticed how much of profound difference this was making to my energy level. I needed to be going to the gym after work, but instead, I felt like I could barely put one foot in front of the other to make it to my car from my office. How is this supposed to be making me healthier if I don't have the energy to work out? Being a vegetarian takes thought and planning, I learned. I needed to seek out alternative sources of protein to fill the void that meat had left. The day this really hit home was when we were heading out for wings and beer on our "meat" day to celebrate Jeremy being home from travelling for work. I came home and took a nap because I was so tired, then we headed out to get wings, and I noticed handfuls of hair on my shoulders!!! Sure enough, not getting enough protein can cause your hair to fall out. After that day, I made an effort to find some other sources of protein to work into the meals. Which means researching what foods are high in protein, and planning and more time spent trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Add to the challenge of all that, that Jeremy doesn't really like beans. Only likes eggs fried. Is iffy on tofu. Seitan is out of the question for him. So, that doesn't leave me many choices. We ate a lot of quinoa and cheese.<br />
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We would have spent less on food for the month, but I felt like since we weren't eating meat, it freed up money to spend on better quality food that we were buying. I bought the "good" cheese and lots and lots of beautiful vegetables and fancy things I wouldn't normally buy. We definitely ate better quality food during the month.<br />
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I like the concept of Meatless Monday. There's no doubt it will impact your food budget and waistline in a positive way. And it's been well documented how it is the single-most significant change we can make to reduce our carbon footprint. I do plan to keep up Meatless Monday. However, so I appreciated that steak the first time I had it in September.Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844364481146659007.post-32313822749324063982012-08-31T16:24:00.000-04:002012-08-31T16:24:07.426-04:00An All-Natural Food Guide to TailgatingHa. Ha. The running joke in the food revolution community is any food calling itself "all-natural."<br />
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But I couldn't think of a general description for the food I'm talking about, and "GMO-, Hormone-, Carageenan-, Antibiotic-Free Guide to Tailgating" didn't sound like a good blog title.<br />
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Tailgating is tricky because it usually involves a processed-food laden spread. Don't get me wrong. I'll be guilty tomorrow of eating some bad-for-you foods, but I try to minimize it when I can. And having junkfood every once in a while or for a special occassion isn't going to kill us. Just don't make your special occassion every day. And with a football season that stretches at least five months, six months for the NFL, tailgating food can really become a regular diet, rather than a treat.<br />
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I've been following the plight of <a href="http://www.bing.com/news/search?q=Prop+37&qpvt=Prop+37&FORM=EWRE">Prop 37</a> on the ballot this fall in California for the last couple months.<br />
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What is Prop 37, you ask?<br />
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It's a ballot initative that would require all food, both raw and processed, to be labled if it contains genetically modified organisms (commonly referred to as GMOs). California would be the first state to require this, and many believe (hope) that if such a law passes in California, food makers would roll it out nation-wide, because it just doesn't make sense to have special packaging for a market as large as Califonia.<br />
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Studies have produced conflicting evidence regarding the safety of GMOs in our food, but either way, I really don't want to eat them if I can help it. GMOs are designed to be resistant to pesticides and herbicides, so you can bet if you're eating something with GMOs in it, those chemicals have been judiciously applied. The problem is, hence the push for labeling, is that its just so darn hard to tell what has GMOs in it these days. I am pretty viligant about looking for them in my food, but I frequently and horrified to learn that they are in the foods I like to eat and the brands I buy.<br />
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Probably the best way to avoid them is to buy from the companies that are currently supportive of Prop 37. Companies like Stonyfield and Garden of Eatin' are two of those companies. Additionally, organic foods are free of GMOs by definition. Your best best are always whole foods, but these don't really say "tailgate."<br />
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One failsafe is to take a couple bags of <a href="http://www.gardenofeatin.com/">Garden of Eatin'</a> tortilla chips and pico de gallo. My BFF has a killer recipe for pico, which we call "pico dip" that has like 6 simple ingredients: tomatoes, jalepenos, red onion, cilantro, sea salt and cider vinegar. Just make sure the ingredients are organic.<br />
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As a matter of fact, there are a lot of options for dips that aren't filled with chemicals. You can make guacamole to go with those tortilla chips, or even hummus. Both would be welcome at any tailgate. Also, hamburgers are a perennial favorite at tailgates. You can volunteer to bring the beef if you get it from a source you trust doesn't use antibiotics or hormones. Bonus points if your ground beef is grass-fed. Grab some local artesianal cheese, some spicy mustard, and some buns from the local bakery, and you're set. Even if all the ingredients aren't organic, you're still doing better than pre-formed frozen patties and artificially colored and flavored "cheese-like" slices. If there's not a local bakery for the buns, if you buy from the bakery department at the grocery store, you'll get better buns than if you buy off the shelf. The buns on the shelf have chemicals added to extend their shelf-life, and the buns from the bakery department most likely won't. Skip the ketchup with high fructose corn syrup and go for spicy brown mustard with only a few ingredients like vinegar, mustard seed, water and spices. With quality beef and cheese, I doubt you even miss the ketchup.<br />
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What about the beverages? Well, I'm a beer person. I'll pick a tasty dark porter over wine or spirits any day. For a long time, I have been meticulous about what I eat, but what about beer? <br />
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Ingredients aren't required to be listed on the label, so who knows what it's really made of these days. Historically, beer was required to brewed according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot">Reinheitsgebot</a>, the German purity law that required only water, barley and hops to be used in brewing beer. However, few national brands adhere to this today. If you do find a beer that is still brewed by this guideline, there's a good chance it's all-natural. A few brands actually list their ingredients, such as <a href="http://www.rogue.com/">Rogue</a>. Obviously, organic beers are going to be free of any nastiness, but in my experience they are hard to find. Craft breweries are generally a good bet. Because they make small-batch beers, they can be more selective and discriminating when it comes to choosing the ingredients. Many craft brewers are committeed to producing an excellent product, and often more natural ingredients are best. And, pick a beer that is unfiltered, if that is your thing. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrageenan">Carageenan</a>, a natural seaweed derivative, is used to clarify beers that are mass produced. Carageenan is <a href="http://www.bing.com/search?q=carrageenan%20dangers&FORM=BSRTLB&PC=BBSR&QS=n">believed</a> to be a harmful additive that leads to gastrointestinal issues (it is also used to thicken dairy products, particularly low-fat and fat-free dairy). You can be sure you're not getting any of the bad stuff if you stick with unfiltered beer. <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-Natural-Beer">This</a> is a great article about how to choose a natural beer with some good tips.<br />
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Other snacks that will pass muster at an all-natural tailgate are, of course, a fresh veggie or fruit tray. I always look for these for something to balance out the greasiness of the rest of the food I'm eating. Nuts are another good idea, too.<br />
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If you bring any of the above items (particularly the Rogue beer) to a tailgate to share with friends, I guarantee you won't be turned away or ridiculed for being an "all-natural nerd." Quite the opposite, probably. Let's put it this way, if someone brought some good grass fed hamburgers or homemade guacamole or premium beer to my tailgate, they would definitely be invited back for the next one!<br />
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Lastly, I couldn't resist posting a pic of my afternoon snack because it was so darn pretty!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-50Ro_xtl6xQ/UEEb-YuN3oI/AAAAAAAABTw/dZ_smWo-N8Q/s1600/IMG_2188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-50Ro_xtl6xQ/UEEb-YuN3oI/AAAAAAAABTw/dZ_smWo-N8Q/s320/IMG_2188.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Heirloom tomatoes with a little bit of garlic-infused olive oil and salt--the orange ones are Jaune Flamme, the yellow are Pineapple,and the red are Mountain Princess. All were grown by my father-in-law from plants that I gave him. These were so tasty! This time of year, I wouldn't complain if someone brought a platter of these and some salt to my tailgate either.<br />
<br />Jennellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772190620046553331noreply@blogger.com0