Thought of the Day #275 - Graham

Homemade, buttery graham cracker crust is such a wondeful flavor. Why
can't premade crusts or desserts with the "graham" crust taste like the
homemade or even something close?? It just seems so simple. Instead, the
storebought crusts taste like floury cardboard with some wheat chaffe
thrown in. Always soooo disappointing.

Thought of the Day #263 - B & L

In days gone by, when working at the office or in school, I rarely ate
breakfast or lunch. I wouldn't get hungry nor suffer any ill effects.
Jump ahead to the synthetic thyroid hormone years and now I actually get
downright crabby if I don't have something to eat during the entire day.
Today, I was too busy to eat during the day. Long about 4o'clock, I was
in a "don't bother me!!" mode. Grrrr. I didn't really have physical
effects, but dang, my emotional strings were short! Had dinner and all
was well with the world again. I almost think I was better off being
hypothyroid...my moods weren't dependent upon nourishment. Of course I
didn't have extreme highs either...just a constant hummmmmmmm....

Thought of the Day #262 - Plums

The dark blue/purple plums, fresh off the tree, are awesome!! I'm just
sayin'...

Thought of the Day #151 - Lemonade

Why is it so blasted hard to find genuine (read good!) lemonade? So many
restaurants and beverage places offer the reconstituted powdered
lemonade. You know, the "dusty" lemonade. The kind of crap that doesn't
really make you pucker, but rather there's a dry scratchy feeling from
the added acid and that dull flavor that makes ya want to cough? Yeah,
that stuff. There was a place in Minnesota that offered a partially
real lemon drink that was mixed with 7-up, that was *ok*, but something
about it always made me puff up. Something mysterious about that.
Anyway, I know lemons are pricey, but c'mon! It's relatively easy to
make. I make it at home once in a while and it's always yummy. Lemons,
sugar and water. Why can't I get this in a restaurant situation? Even
at 5 bucks a glass? Pretty please??

Thought of the Day #144 - Deep Fried

You know that pretty much everything comes deep fried if you look long
enough. Today? Deep fried jalapeno slices. Hot and greasy...and it
keeps on burning long after they're gone.

Thought of the Day #123 - Cinco de Taco

I've never met a taco I didn't like. From the Americanized seasoned
ground beef, hard shell variety to the roasted pork street taco in
small, thin soft corn tortillas, it's all tasty. I can only think of
one bad taco experience...on vacation in Mazatlan, I had a chicken taco
that featured a chewy load of chicken skin. Aside from that yucky
experience, tacos are all good.

Thought of the Day #105 - Food Choice Clarification

I really want to clarify that I still eat crap food, but try to make better choices. I know what better "wholesome" food choices are, but when I'm feeling lazy or craving crap, I will eat a double double from In-n-Out with the best of them. Speaking of which, I hear new In-n-Outs are moving into the Salt Lake area. Woot!

Thought of the Day #104 - Food Choices

I now rarely eat french fries. Most aren't that tasty and why eat
something if it's not very yummy nor good for your body? I'd rather
save the calorie expenditure on something I'll actually enjoy.

This has been a huge shift in mentality for me. Before, if it was on the
plate, and it was *ok* tasting, I would eat it. I'm getting pickier as I
get older, methinks, and I'm trying to listen more to what my body needs
and craves. It's tricky especially now that I'm starting to actually
know "hunger" due to the large amount of synthroid I'm on. (Who knew
about this hunger thing and didn't tell me??)

I'm not trying to lose weight, but rather get in touch with what I need.
I think as wee kids, we instinctively know what and how much our bodies
need to thrive, but we're lost in a field of advertising and
socialization surrounding food. Throw in emotional drama and we end up
eating things because they're there, we're stressed out and because the
television says we should consume, consume, consume.

I don't recall the person who said this...maybe Chopra? ...but
basically, we should be eating closer to the Earth. No, don't put your
ear to the dirt at dinner time! What it means is to eat things that are
less processed. So, a raw vegetable or fruit is one step from the Earth;
a grain shucked grain would be two steps; a cooked vegetable would be
two steps, too; a piece of animal flesh is three; a can of chili is
several steps; and a can of soda probably doesn't even rate on the
scales.
Basically, this theory is the opposite of all that is thrown at us ain
the advertising media. Nutrition and simplicty are rarely encouraged in
advertising. The less something is processed, the less potential for big
business profit, so why bother with simplicity?

Blah, blah...this could go on and on, but the theroy put simply: eat
simply and eat only what you like. I think this is possibly the best
way to secure good health.

Thought of the Day #90 - Cinnamon

 

When making cinnamon rolls, don't use plain ol' cinnamon. Use Vietnamese cinnamon for a strong, almost biting flavor. Soooo good. Cinnabon uses something similar, and you know, the airport always smells good because of it.

Bonus for Being Super Fat

Woot! I just knew there had to be some extra bonuses for being super-fat. Now, when in Arizona, I'll be sure to stop by The Heart Attack grill for free food. Everyone over 350lbs eats free! Take that under 5 year olds, who seem to always get the free meals. :-) http://www.heartattackgrill.com/350.html

A Halloween Treat - Oreo Truffle Eyeballs.

I don't have any pictures of these goodies from last year's Halloween party, but trust me they were a hit. Tasty, creepy and sooo NOT good for you! The basic recipe is here. Take a peek and then come back...ok... That's right...a package of Oreos and cream cheese. Not really a health food.

To accomplish the eyeballs, make the truffles as directed, up to the point where you dip them in semi-sweet chocolate. Instead, dip them in white chocolate. Let them cool in the fridge. Then, apply the iris of the eye using colored white chocolate. In addition, apply a pupil to the center of the iris with dark chocolate. Oh, you're not done there...no sirreeee, you need to apply some blood-shot eye veins using red colored white chocolate. When it sufficiently looks creepy and somewhat like eyeballs, chill in the fridge again. Then, enjoy!

A Little Ironic? Joy of Cooking Frozen Food

From the cookbook that has more detailed cooking techniques than you know you'll ever use comes frozen foods. Just heat, repeat. I can't be the only one that sees a little less "Joy" in this. They should have named the product line "Joy of the Microwave" or "Joy of the Reheat" or most simply "Joy of Not Cooking".

Munch Munch

A recommendation for some yummy, yummy macadamia nut toffee -- V Chocolates in Salt Lake City: http://www.vchocolates.com/toffees.php. We received a box of this yummy (did I say that yet?) confection right before a trip to Vegas. It's delicate, choc full of macadamias and so, so...ummm...yummy! It came in an almost-Tiffany colored box, so you know, if you want to send someone a gift that is almost as nice as a fine piece of jewelry, this may be the trick.

Recommended Yummy Goodness

I'm a sucker for oaty and nutty granola type bars although I can go for months without ever missing them. THIS, however, is a different story. It's all nuts...and a little bit of sweetness. Think of it like a peanut or almond brittle that won't --1. drive your blood sugar through to the next county and ---2. cut your gums into tiny shreds. The latter is really the big reason why brittle doesn't ever get eaten aside from one bite. Ouch!

Anyway, it's also not a chemist's wet dream. The simple ingredient list: Nuts (peanuts and/or almonds depending upon the variety), sunflower seeds, sugar, corn syrup, salt, and almond flour. That's it.

I bought 'em a couple of weeks ago when Smith's was having a "Buy General Mills crap for a $1.00 days". A buck a box? Heck, I thought, I'll try 'em. So, yeah, they were good. I went back and bought four more boxes. Now I'm lamenting the fact that I didn't buy 10.

The Jams Are Coming! The Jams are Coming

Just a pre-announcement about my little Etsy.com shop which will, shortly, feature some of my jam creations. I started taking photos this weekend and will be putting up the jams, butters and conserves this week. If you're a jam lover, here's the flavors I will be offering: Apple Butter; Apricot; Apricot Butter; Apricot-Jalapeno; Apricot-Pineapple; Blueberry; Blueberry-Apricot; Green Grape; Peach; Peach-Grape; Plum; Plum Conserve; Quince; Raspberry-Blueberry; Raspberry-Chocolate spread; Raspberry-Jalapeno; Raspberry-Lime; Raspberry-Peach; Raspberry-Pineapple; Spiced Apricot Butter; Strawberry; Strawberry-Apricot.

*phew* It was a busy jamming year in 2007. The majority of the fruit is grown in our orchards in an organic way...no pesticides or herbicides. This is just a heads up. I'll post a "c'mon down" to my etsy shop: http://catay.etsy.com/ when it's open for business.

Thanksgiving Recipe Round Up

I hosted Thanksgiving this year and, for the most part, everything turned out great! I borrowed the oven next door to get it all cooked, but aside from a few over cooked bottoms the dual oven trick worked out pretty well.
To recap the full menu:

• 17 lb Turkey (I made an additional breast, too, 'cuz most everyone enjoys white meat 'round here.) Simple seasonings like onion and sage.
• Stuffing -- made from dried out bread, onions, celery, broth and a boatload of poultry seasoning.
• Mashed potatoes
• Gravy -- Ivan made this -- he's a whiz at gravy!
• Carrots
• Spinach and Cheese Puff -- recipe here at Martha Stewart. The Gruyere cheese was a bit tricky to find and quite expensive. I think that substituting Swiss would work out quite well.
• Corn Casserole -- Recipe Here at Foodnetwork.com. My first introduction to this was with my boss's creation at a work potluck several years ago. Soooo easy and sooo good!
• Sweet Potatoes (someone brought these, so I didn't haffta cook 'em!
• Cranberry Apple Jell-o Salad. Recipe here. at KraftFoods.com. I added about a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, too.
• Pumpkin Pie -- followed the recipe on the Libby's can, but as my mum always did -- double all of the spices to get a better flavor. Yum!
• French Silk Pie -- Never made this before, but it turned out to be a hit. I used this recipe, also from Martha Stewart. Very similar to the French Silk pie I loved as a kid. Now that I know what's actually in the pie, I passed on seconds!
• Cranberries with Ginger -- I can't find the recipe I used. Basically, one bag of cranberries, a cup of sugar, a teaspoon of water, one tablespoon of grated fresh ginger.-- Very good. The fresh ginger is strong, but it's a good match for the cranberries.
• Fresh Cranberry Sauce -- easy and it doesn't have the can-rings on it. Just follow the recipe on the back of the cranberries.
• Candied Almonds - Can't find this recipe either. Basically -- egg whites, cinnamon, sugar, almonds, salt. Bake until crispy.
• We also had a banana cream pie, and a pecan pie that were brought to the table by family and friends.
• Finally, a selection of pickles and olives at each table. I didn't make those, either. :-)

Even after having 13 people over, we have LOTS of leftovers. If you're looking for a good meal, c'mon over!

Rambutan - Scary Fruit

 

When in doubt, buy the scary fruit, just to try it. It can't be poisonous, right? I mean, they wouldn't sell it if it was, right? Well, you know, aside from all of those recent food recalls, I mean. So, there, next to the mini pineapples (gotta love those! They're soooo cute!) was a bunch of furry "Rambutan" fruit. $5.99/lb. Kinda pricey as far as fruit goes, but hey, you only live once. Oh, and c'mon, they're SMMMMMAAAALL. I bought five of 'em and it probably only weighed 1/4 lb. A cheap food risk!

I get home, look up how to eat 'em online and am a wee bit scared of the white egg-like center. Quite freakish, really. If I were to imagine a fruit from another planet which would harbor little creatures, this would be it. (I must remember it for Halloween next year!) The texture of the "egg" inside was a bit like...hmmm...a hard boiled egg...or maybe an overly Jello'd Jell-o jiggler. The flavor wasn't intense at all. Very sweet, but no ZIIING. Let's say if I'm stranded on a Malaysian isle, I could eat these to survive. Otherwise, hmmm, I'll pass.

Oh, and since you didn't make it to the party...

Have a piece of fruit pizza! It looks a bit like a color blindness test, doesn't it? Enjoy!

Here's the recipe if you're so inclined:

Fruit Pizza

Crust: Shortbread Cookie • 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the butter and sugar together. Add flour. Knead about 20 times -- don't over knead. Press into pan and bake for 25 or so minutes. You'll want the top of the crust to just start to turn brown ever so slightly.

For the pizza shown above, I needed to double the recipe. If you're using just a regular size pizza pan (12"-14"), one recipe should do it.

Sauce: Cream Cheese Goodness

• 1 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• Sugar to taste -- usually about 3 tablespoons to 1 pkg of cream cheese
• Vanilla and/or fresh lemon juice to taste. It's a personal preference thing! I prefer quite a bit of vanilla.

Mix it all together and spread on cooled crust I doubled the recipe for this large size pizza. For a regular 12" or 14" pizza pan, again, one recipe should suffice.

Toppings: Fruit!
• Any seasonal fruit will do. Especially good are tangy fruits such as orange/pineapple/strawberry. Whatever you think would work well with cream cheese, really.
• Optional - Coconut to give it that "cheese" appearance.
• If you use fruit that browns, apply some "Fruit Fresh" or lemon juice to keep it looking decent.

Refrigerate until served. It can sit out for quite a while and still be safe/tasty.

Animal Crackers

Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
Gosh oh gee but I have fun
Swallowing animals one by one

I am here, taking a break from work and munching on a few animal crackers...ok, they're cookies really, and there's no soup involved. I got to thinkin' that most of the animals in my selection are on the endangered species or threatened species list. If I were in charge (like that would ever happen!), I would make the most endangered animal crackers be super rare. You know, one out of a thousand cookies or something. I think it would send a message to the kids who eat 'em, that the particularly rare animal is rare in the wild, too.

Dried Fruit Goodness

Sunsweet Cherries, Mangoes and Blueberries are yum-diddly-dum-dum! I was looking for some new fruit to add to my granola and came across these beauties today. OH MY GAWD. They are soft and chewy and gooey! If you've ever had the Williams-Sonoma tart dried cherries, the cherries are DEFINITELY for you! I have loved 'em for years, but most grocery store varieties are bland yet sweet. These are tarty tart and sweet to boot. They will be perfect in the Williams Sonoma Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies recipe that I haven't made in eons 'cuz the good cherries are so hard to find. The blueberries are like super soft raisins...not like the hard nubs ones that one typically finds. The mango is super softly-chewy, huge strips, and dang yummy, too! They had a Berry Blend that I passed on...but I will be going back for. It has Blueberries, Bing Cherries, Raspberries, Cranberries and Red Tart Cherries. Save some for me!

Cinnfully Crunchy

I just picked up a bag of Pringles Select Cinnamon Sweet Potato chips. Yum. But then I like cinnamon and crunchy together. It's kind of like the outer part of fried ice cream like the serve in Mexican restaurants only crispier! Not a lot of sweet potato flavor, but if'n you like cinnamon, Yum. Yum. Yum! I can definitely see dippin' into some ice cream with these or maybe a scoop on top of a bunch of 'em. Yum! Did I say that yet? :-)

Celebrate Easter with Hannibunny

Do your Easter lack that classic Silence of the Lambs feel? If so, then get yourself a Hannibal Bunny! Perfect for scaring the kids and making chocolates!

"Tastes Just Like an Oreo..."

That's their basic push in the advertising for Chocostix. Maybe it's just me, but if it tastes just like an Oreo, why would I buy the ChocoStix? Is it the chocolate on the outside that's supposed to sway buyers? If so, why wouldn't they just buy the chocolate covered Oreos? Is it the stick shape? If it's the stick shape that is drawing me in, I might as well buy a KitKat. Are confectioners losing creativity or is the general public too tied to familiarity? Why not a candy bar that "Tastes just like a cherry pie?" or something equally hard to find in a handy portable shape?

Hey. Hey. Hey NOW...

I can’t avoid artificial sweeteners. I mentioned this before, but the “sneaking” of artificial sweeteners like sucralose and Ascesulfame Potassium is getting WAY out of hand. It’s freakin’ everywhere. In foods that are NOT “diet”. I just bought some Kool-Aid singles. I rarely have a need for more than just a single serving, so having a pitcher full of the stuff in the fridge would be pretty wasteful. So, here I am makin’ my cup of childhood-summer-in-a-glass. I take a peek at the ingredients. HOLY SUCKWADS. Sucralose and the ascesulfame K. Oh, but the first ingredient IS sugar. So, why the artificial crap??GRRRRRRRRR. What the f*ck. No where on the packaging does it indicate it’s low sugar or “diet”. I’m really, really convinced now that they’re trying to get us quietly addicted to the chemicals. Write your congressman now. We need proper labeling on this stuff. It needs to say on the front that the product contains artificial sweeteners!!

Chicken Toes

I'm just not brave enough to give this taste treat a try even if it is the cheapest thing on the menu. I spotted this on an order sign at a place in Delta, Utah. Maybe I'm living in the dark ages, but is this becoming a common fast food offering?!

Self-Heating

If you like science, and I know you do, check out the new self-heating coffee from Woflgang Puck. Don’t buy it for the coffee. It was pretty blechy. What’s awesome is the self-heating science experiment at the bottom of the can. To activate the heating, you push a bladder of greenish liquid into a hidden chamber. That liquid sets off a chemical reaction in the base of the can that starts the heat for the coffee. It says it gets up to 140 degrees F in about 5 minutes. All in all, pretty awesome. The downside is that the 10 ounces of coffee costs about $4.00. But think of the science of it! I remember hearing about some companies in Japan using it for cans of soup. It’s awesome that one can find it stateside now. OH! When writing this, I decided to look up the product. On the WP site I found this video that describes the technology. Fun!

While shopping for Halloween...

While I was shopping for Halloween food stuffs, I came across something REALLY scary: Libby's Potted Meat Food Product. Yes, that's the exact name of the stuff. I wrote it down on my shopping list. Apparently it's cat food for humans. It's inexpensive at just 45cents per can. I guess if I were really hungry, blind and had a horrible cold to block out the flavor, it might be appealing. Has anyone out there tried it?! Please let me know how it was. I can't bring myself to purchase it.