Menu Review: Week of 5/16

Coming off a week of mostly great weather and mostly great dinner recipes!

Rachael Ray is notorious for (among many other annoying things) creating recipes that - while delicious! - somehow seem to dirty every pot and pan I own. Sometimes I feel like I need four additional hands just to keep on track with getting everything done at once. Two of the recipes I made this past week were no exception... the outcome for the pork chops with balsamic strawberry salad and orzo was worth the extra dish-washing. When I was getting everything together to make this dinner, I realized that I had forgotten to buy orzo, so I had to work with what I had... and that was couscous. So instead of making the orzo as written, I threw the butter (I only used 2 tbsp - it was plenty), cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper in with the water required to make the couscous, boiled, cooked and fluffed, and then folded in the pine nuts. Instead of prosciutto, I used bacon (already had some on hand), and I put it on the salad instead of the orzo couscous. The salad was the best part of the dinner and I definitely plan to make that again (complete with bacon). Everything together was very good, but the salad was the real stand-out of the meal. On the flip side, the fish and pasta recipe, while good overall, wasn't good enough to make up for the extra clean-up. I liked the pasta and may make that again, but everything together was just too much work for a mediocre payoff. Oh, and we didn't put the pasta in "lettuce bowls" as the recipe requests. For real?

I admit that I was skeptical (and maybe a bit confused?) about the use of "no boil" lasagna noodles in the BH&G recipe for Lemon Chicken with Olives & Ricotta, but I decided to give it a try because I always have those around. It was good! I added about a stalk worth of rosemary into the pan with the olives and deglazed the pan with a little chicken broth afterwards, but otherwise I made this as written.

What I especially loved about the Avocado and White Bean Salad was that it didn't require any actual cooking. Sometimes you just want something that comes together easily without using the stove and I think this will be a go-to recipe for those times in the future, especially as the temps continue to rise here. This salad was really good and has to be super healthy with all of those good fats and vitamin-packed veggies. I used baby spinach instead of arugula, but otherwise made it as written.

The pizza was good and interesting but I don't think I'd make it again (I used a roasted chicken breast instead of the rotisserie chicken). The enchiladas are something we've made a few times before, we're fans - just don't use low-fat cheese as listed in the recipe. Ew. And make sure you season your veggies to taste (they don't add any seasoning in the recipe and I think it's lacking without).

-----
What we're eating this week:
Lemon Rhubarb Chicken
Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Tuna Orzo Salad (a favorite recipe of ours)
Apricot Turkey Burgers (another make-again)
Parmesan Chicken and Greens with Lemon Vinaigrette
Shrimp Cakes with Carrot Slaw

Flashback

Were Tretorn kicks the thing to have in other people's middle school days or just mine? I saved up a lot of babysitting coin to buy some. I proudly sported both the classic white with blue signature "swoosh" and the white-on-white. I wore those puppies into the ground.

So obviously as a tribute to the era of my most embarrassing personal style choices, I'm really needing to get my hands on a pair of these from J.Crew.

Anyone need a babysitter?

Adventures in rice cereal

I've recently discovered that few things are cuter than a baby learning to eat from a spoon.

Phee's verdict was that her thumb was still the tastiest item on the menu.

First Train Home

My first introduction to Imogen Heap as a solo artist (after being a huge fan of her lead vocals for Frou Frou) was in the final episode of Season 2 of The OC (sigh, how I miss that show). Moments after hearing Hide & Seek playing over Caleb's funeral and the final scene where Marissa shoots Ryan's brother, I downloaded the single and happily overplayed it for several months (ok, maybe the rest of 2005) while I anxiously awaited the release of Speak For Yourself. Then I took a bit of an Imogen break. I'm back on the bandwagon now, happily overplaying her latest album released last summer. This song is definitely my favorite.

Jerky

I finally got around to reading the latest issue of Food & Wine last night and now, thanks to Rachel Graville, I'm wanting to make homemade beef jerky.

I'm sure my husband wouldn't protest.

15 yards

Well, hello there, pretty fabric.

You and I have a date with the sewing machine this weekend.

Lunch, Day 11

Yes, I kind of fell off the (chuck) wagon on my lunch challenge. I'm climbing back on this week!

Today I made a slightly modified version (based on what I had at home already) of this Cantaloupe Chicken Salad. Instead of green onions, I used some snipped chives from our garden. Instead of celery, I used half a chopped apple. I wrapped it up in a tortilla instead of putting it in a pita. Normally I'm not a big fan of either tarragon or cantaloupe (so I'm not sure why this sandwich seemed like a good idea to me), but it all came together to make a really delicious wrap! Yum.

Menu Review: Weeks of 5/2 & 5/9

We had a really busy two weeks with visits from both of my parents-in-law (separately) and a trip to Connecticut to spend time with my family, so as house chef I was pretty much on vacation. Over the past two weeks I only cooked four dinners! In addition to the orzo (mostly disappointing) and chicken salad (good, but nothing to write home about), I also made two delicious recipes from Everyday Food...

First, Steamed Cod with Ginger and Scallions. I love recipes that are both simple and delicious and also make me feel healthier. To go with the fish, I cooked some jasmine rice in my rice cooker (which is my favorite kitchen gadget second only to my mini-prep) and added some toasted coconut and lime zest. Definitely look forward to making this again.

Second, Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa. Yes, we all know I'm an avocado addict. Normally recipes involving cayenne pepper end up too spicy for me and not spicy enough for my husband (who has happily munched on raw habanero peppers, successfully completed a plate of what is supposedly the hottest curry in the country, and been known to douse everything in this condiment, if that gives you any idea of his passion for spicy food), but this was the perfect level of spicy for me while managing to at least register on my better half's spicy scale. Another simple and delicious dinner to make again.

-----
What we're eating this week:
Lemon Chicken with Olives and Ricotta
Pork Chops with Balsamic Strawberry Salad & Pine Nut Orzo
Chicken, Red Grape and Pesto Pizza
Avocado and White Bean Salad with Feta
Black Bean, Corn and Zucchini Enchiladas*
Spiced Chops with Mango Mint Salsa
Parmesan Crusted Fish with Bowtie Pasta

*we've made this before and it's a hit!

sweet saturday morning

I just devoured the first issue of the new online magazine from one of my favorite bloggers - Sweet Paul - while the sun is streaming into my office, my sheets are in the laundry, and Phee is peacefully napping. I'm now craving this delicious sounding (and gorgeous looking) apple and goat cheese salad...

Soon we're heading off on an adventure to the park, hopefully capped off with some soft-serve ice cream this afternoon...

Fabric, check!

After a few days of temps in the high-80s recently, as I sat sweating in my office, I was scared into making a decision on the fabric for my curtain panels. I've been waffling between the P Kauffman fabric, a more graphic Waverly print (Chippendale Fretwork), and two other no-name fabrics that I stumbled upon... and my final decision? None of those.

I guess considering the fact that the yellow paint color was a spur-of-the-moment, spontaneous decision that I hadn't considered in my lengthy pre-painting deliberations, it makes sense that the main fabric in the room came about in the same way. My original plan of using shades of aqua, green, and blue as accents seems to be out the window (pun intended) now as well.

So I've got 15 yards (as retro as 63" panels seem, I figured I'd be drowning in fabric in this tiny room if I went with full-length ones) of Amy Butler's Optic Blossom in Linen en route as we speak. I hope I made the right decision. Ack!

I Sing I Swim

The house is quiet and I'm trying to catch up after a week of visiting guests and a long weekend away... this song is currently keeping me company while I do.

chop chop

Everything about this photo from the summer Toast catalog makes me want to cut my hair short-short again.

I'll take the outfit too please.

Celebrating!

When I was in the second grade, my class made pin cushion gifts for our moms for Mother's Day (my brother, with the same teacher, made the exact same gift five years later). The project involved spray-painting an empty tuna can and gluing in half of a round styrofoam ball covered with a small square of fabric. In spite of the fact that the styrofoam is nearly disintegrated at this point, my mother still has and uses her two tuna-can pin cushions that my brother and I lovingly crafted for her more than twenty years ago.

Every day with my daughter feels like the best Mother's Day gift ever. But I admit that I can not wait until my daughter makes me a tuna-can pin cushion.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms I love -- my own mom, my parents' moms, my friends who are moms to babies and toddlers and older children, my friends who are moms-to-be with bellies of all shapes and sizes, my friends who are moms to pretty pooches and crazy cats. And most especially, to my friends who are "moms in training," as I was on this holiday last year. I'm celebrating all of you today!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Home!

Our house is technically about 90 years old, but just 2 years ago today - after 38,946 signatures at the closing - this house became our first real home.

Our home is a work in progress. My ideas are always bigger than my budget and my expectations are always slightly loftier than my abilities and free-time can deliver on. But the ideas and the expectations and the home itself are all mine. And it just doesn't get any better than that.

For two years I've had the privilege of learning my home's personality and quirks... which floorboards creak the loudest, where the best sunlight streams in at each hour of the day, which radiator makes the most startling bang in the wee hours of a winter morning. This little piece of real estate fills me with pride and happiness, even when there's a little water in the basement or a family of ants infiltrating the dining room.

Many memories, from both ends of the sad to joyful spectrum, have already been made here. I know there will be so many more to come.

While we've never planned for this to be our "forever" home, we couldn't ask for a better home for "right now."

Yes, please

I need another tote like I need a hole in the head.

Yet my willpower weakens...

perfect afternoon

gorgeous weather + an iced chai + a stroll with my girl =
a perfect afternoon

Storeyshop

When Phee was born, my brother and his girlfriend (who is so fun and stylish and wonderful and I hope will someday be my sister-in-law!) sent us the most adorable hand-cut personalized card from Storeyshop on etsy. It currently sits on a little shelf in Phee's room and it makes me smile when I see it.

I just wanted to pass the idea along incase anyone is looking for a cute personalized keepsake for a new baby, some newlyweds, or anyone else you'd like to remind that you love.

And Phee is 16 weeks old today - gah! Why is my baby growing up so fast?

Happy Tuesday

The humidity is gone, it's a lovely morning, the babe is napping, our water is coming directly from the tap again, and I've got a new song du jour.

Lemonade

When life gives you a boil water order and gross muggy weather, er, I mean, lemons...

... make ginger lemonade!

-----
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 quart water
3/4 cup sugar
1" peeled fresh ginger root, sliced

Boil water, sugar and ginger together, then remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let cool for 20 minutes, strain out the ginger.

Serve over ice (made with boiled water, if you're also under orders) in a very tall glass. Pretend you are somewhere cooler. :)

Menu Review: Week of 4/25

We're currently under a "boil water order" here. Boiling anything when it's 85+ degrees outside is not fun.

Everything was good this week, but here were the stand-out, make-again recipes...

First, the risotto. I admit, I've never met a risotto I didn't want to marry and have babies with. But this was a particularly good risotto. I didn't use the "good" olive oil and I used boxed organic chicken broth and it was still a delight. The fact that it was full of yummy spring veggies even made me feel like I was eating something healthy. Swap out the chicken stock for veg and it's vegetarian-friendly. Yes, make this.

The pistachio-crusted chicken with carrots was a really great dinner as well. The carrots were especially delicious. I just used regular (toasted) sesame seeds instead of black. I know this recipe is from a fitness magazine, so this would kind of defeat the purpose, but I feel like the crust on the chicken would have been even better if there was a little oil drizzled on there before baking. I plan to do that when making this recipe again.

I've actually never had General Tso's Chicken before - when it comes to fattening Chinese take-out, my heart belongs to kung pao - but it's my husband's favorite, so when I came across the Everyday Food recipe for Lighter General Tso's Chicken I had to give it a try. I had nothing to compare it to (thought it was very good!) so I defer to my husband's review which was two enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Bonus recipe! This weekend we had the treat of visiting some friends on the South Shore for lunch. One of the items served was this incredibly delicious Israeli Couscous Salad which I can't wait to make very soon at home. Highly recommended! As a side note, we brought cupcakes from Sweet for dessert and I am now head-over-heels in love with their cheesecake cupcake. It is not an exaggeration that it is one of the best sweet treats I have ever eaten. I wish I had a whole box of them right now actually... ;)

-----
What we're eating this week:
(a very light week for cooking with family visits aplenty on the calendar)
Toasted Orzo with Olives and Lemon
Chicken Salad with Green Beans, Almonds and Dried Cherries