KateThoughts

Affogato x 2

The Song: Twenty Five by Lake Street Dive:

 

The Recipe:

The title was supposed to include "x3" for a short vid of the members of Lake Street Dive sharing Affagato.
This blog platform won't accept the link for inserting or embedding, but you might get there with a copy/paste of this address:
   https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xBEwLf-cKks

 

Two Tales

The Good The Bad, and the Ugly...

The Good:
My current pet-sitting clients use the Green Chef home meal service and forgot to cut off the deliveries soon enough, so I inherited 3 meals to use for myself.  Yay! Yippee! I've always wanted to know something about these services.
The quality of food in this service is Very Good. Everything seems completely fresh; all is organic; and all is portioned out for easy prep and cooking. I've tried 2 of them so far, and both were very tasty. No complaints at all about flavor or ease. My clients are on a 2-person plan. There are several plans based on how you eat: Omnivore, Carnivore, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, & Paleo.

The Bad:
This plan is NOT good for single people. There is way too much food for one, and (at least these 3) are not ingredients that will necessarily freeze well. Also, the company has NO plans suitable for singles, and NO plans that deliver fewer than 3 meals a week except for Families...and with those you're getting food for 4. NOT an option for me.

The Ugly:
The Green Chef believes that their packaging is Eco-Friendly. They devote a whole page of their website to it. But they don't take into consideration where their customers might live. I've found plastic jars in 2 of the meals, and as many as 11 (yes, eleven) plastic bags in each...ALL of them UNrecyclable in my location, unless I want to drive 89 miles to Las Cruces. Now, that is really Ugly.

A Minor Miracle:

As I was cooking a bit ago, I reached for a 32 oz bottle of olive oil (almost full) that I proceeded to drop on the floor! The miracle? The bottle landed standing UP and did not break! Whew!

I got a small EVOO facial and a few spots on my clothes (still in my day-dress, doesn't matter a whit!), and probably much less than a 1/4 cup splashed on floor, cabinet door and stove. Actually, this is a fairly major miracle when I consider what might have been  :)


I love my life.

A Pretty Nice Thanksgiving...

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were eight for dinner yesterday. I didn't think to take the 'after' picture, or the buffet spreads... should have. And my picture of the turkey is no good; I hope Carol's is better. If so, I'll post it. It was a GORGEOUS turkey, perhaps the prettiest I've ever made (credit to Michael Simon). The secret to a beautiful browned skin is to cover the bird in a few layers of seasoned-butter cheesecloth and then leave the bird alone in the oven.

And I wish I'd photographed the Veggie Pie... I say, this was my year for Pretty, and I didn't document... no doubt fond memories will suffice. :)

We had a pot-luck menu, from talented cooks.

Soupe au Potiron (Savory Pumpkin Soup)

Herb-Roasted Turkey with Onion-Apple Dressing and Pan Gravy

Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows  ~  Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Double Crust Vegetable Pie
Yeast Rolls and Butter

Salade de Poireaux (Leek Salad)

Wines ~ Beer ~ Tea ~ Fresh Lemonade

Sweet Potato Pie ~ Chocolate Meringue Pie ~ Pumpkin Pie ~ Fudge



Did I say we ate well? Why, yes; we did. : )

To begin, each of us read a quote about Gratitude from a bowl passed around the table. Then we toasted my Dad with a version of his "Big Orange" That was served in the small flutes with a slice of Orange. It's really nothing more than a vodka cocktail that he had every day about 3 in the afternoon. Not all of my friends drink alcohol, so the cocktail had only a token 1/2  teaspoonful in the mix for all 8 of us. (Some of us added a little kick from a small pitcher passed at the table.)

Since the first bird was cooked on Tuesday, we had a wishbone all clean and pretty. We'd decided to give that to a 'lucky' winner who picked the right number, and let them wish on it ...  but we forgot to remember...  I suppose Joel and I will do that tonight over turkey leftovers.

Football did play a factor in the festivities, but the group broke fairly evenly among fan-atics and chatters and those who moved between the two. Two other friends stopped by, also. It was a thoroughly lovely day.

And the Dad part played out perfectly for me. and then was done...

So, the first dish-washer load ran last night - thank you, Honey! The second load is in and it's time for me to finish up the kitchen and pack the leftovers for the next stage; some to the freezer, some to care packages, and some for lunch!! TTFN

 

Cape Cod Adendum

The cheese whose name I don't want to forget is Taleggio. Jane says it's stinky, but I thought not-so-much. It IS wonderful, however, so I'm hoping I can find it at TJ's on the way home. If not, there is always online! :)

Cape Cod Catch-up #6

Some of you have asked about the storms that came thru Boston and the northeast.

All we got of the storms was a brief rain and some wind. Funny, in fact.

Jane and I were running around in the rain, moving Dave’s container veggie garden out of the rain, and dealing with the EZ-up tent canopy that was over the golf cart… getting wet and laughing, moving furniture in the garage so that we could put both the cart and her car back into the garage. All took about 20 minutes. Exactly as soon as we were done, the rain stopped. An hour & a half later we had sunshine.

Rilee and the kids had a different experience: stuck on the tarmac in Boston, then finally driven back to the terminal. They had to spend the night, but had fun once they got out of the plane! The next day, they changed their destination city, and got stuck on the tarmac again, but did finally make it home late that afternoon.

We had some rain again this morning, too. And the humidity is back. I'm hoping there will be enough 'weather' to pull something new onto the beach...but it doesn't really matter.

Yesterday, Joel, Bearly and I took a spin around the neighborhood:

  

 

 

 

 

 

Wasn't he sweet to pose for me?

 

 

 

Shore IS. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, we went shopping with Jane - for 'stuff', and for the next perfect wine glass, and and a lovely meal at Bleu.

(I apologize for not thinking of the photos before I thought of tasting...but what can I say?)

Joel and Jane had Bacon, Tomato and Gruyere quiches with small tasty salads.

I, sticking to my plan for as much seafood as possible, chose Seared Diver Scallops on Arugula and Walnut Salad with a Maple & Grapefruit Glaze. Oh, my...
Happy Mouth - Happy Woman :)

Then we shared a Strawberry Panacotta - containing chocolate-covered strawberries. 'nuff said!

 

We loved the meal, enjoyed the shopping and found some lovely things. I even tried on clothes! Those who know, know how rare that is!

And last night, with David gone to New York, we played dress-up in Jane's closet!
Can't really believe that. But it was really fun, now that I can actually wear 'real' clothes. I will definitely be shopping differently (and in a different town) from now on.

Cape Cod Catch-up #5

Sunday Morning Showers - of the BEST kind. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a GREAT place for rinsing off beach sand or enjoying a wonderful Sunday Morning. In the second shot, you can see the bench seat and a part of the sliding door. Third is the view from inside looking up. I couldn't get low enough to capture the real height of the trees. The last shot is what you see from inside if you don't close the doors... 

This is one of Bearly's favorite hang-outs. The full-size screen door lets him keep an eye out for Dave coming home. He lines up toys there, too. Too Cute!

 

 

 

 

 

Just one of several garden areas around a nice little shopping area. There are fountains and benches and gardens everywhere. Beautiful. AND there was The Cook's Store (among others)! Fun!
Don't want to shop, or get tired while..? ...enjoy a latte or lunch at a little sidewalk shop. I'm sorry I didn't take more photos... Next Time! :)

I love these little guys. If I get a chance, I'll go back and take shots of one of them in place in the garden.

And the next time we come up here it will be with our own wheels...tons of stuff I'd like to bring home.

 

Well, we'll be off for our morning walk in a few minutes. Bearly's ready for his first time out at about 5:30 here...hope that doesn't translate to 3:30 when we get back home!! The mid-morning walk will be around the neighborhood - don't know how long in miles - can make it anything you want in time 15 minutes - 2 hours... Bearly's getting stronger and his socialization skills, while always good, have skyrocketed.Such a charmer. And yes, I'm biased; sure me! hahahaha

If you've never been to this part of the world, you really must plan a trip. It is unlike anything I have seen.

So, TTFN; check back tomorrow.

New Year's Day and I'm baaaacck! sort of...

This one will be short, though. The golf course is calling to me.

Laura commented about her blogging friends fading away; a food blogger I read (Simply Cooking) has recomitted to hers...and it seems that things are coming together to move me forward in this area, too.

HOWEVER...  :)
The disc golf course is calling. It's noon already and the days are short. Time to get out there. Especially since I have not done much moving in the last week.

So, for now, I'll just say a couple of things, just in case any of you old readers still check in now & then.

I'm getting physical in my old age. :)
Can't say what's driven it, exactly, but I do know that I LOVE to eat, and I can't keep doing that (and live) if I don't move my butt.
Back in the summer, Jim told me about Lance Armstrong's site, and a special feature there called My Plate. (I don't care much for the separate Men/Women portals, but it seems to make little difference.) The KEY is that I can track what I eat and what I DO. For a couple of months, I just tracked food. Then I finally put in a weight goal and am really succeeding!

It's very satisfying to me... and I rarely miss a day. Missed a couple over the holidays, or was incomplete...but basically I have a new healthy habit! But this new consciousness about food has become quite a happy event, and is so TOTALLY different from any other approach to food control I've tried in the past.

I've also joined a hiking group called the Trail Snails. I hike with them on Wednesdays when they do a 3-5 miles 'easy' hike. On Mondays, they go for about twice as far... and usually much more difficult terrain. I'll be ready for that one come this summer! there are tons of pictures from these excursions, as you might imagine, and I'm sure some will show up here.

And my good friend, (and tai chi teacher) Jim, has introduced me to disc golf. I'm hooked. It's a lot of fun! and burns some good calories. 

Music is still a big part of my life. This winter I got (briefly) into Karaoke and have a lot of fun singing harmony with my friend, Ile. I'll post some pictures later on.
I've been on hiatus from the bass, too; but am still finding cool things to play. I'll be exploring a music editing program, too so I can be my own one-woman band. Stay tuned!

That's it for today. See you soon.

 

 

Christmas 2008

This has been a very interesting season. For now, I'm going to tell you about the last couple of days and how I spent my Christmas time.

Almost first thing, after starting the coffee, was my morning walk. The coolest thing has developed: Mango goes with me! He really likes the walk, and becomes impatient (so it seems) if I take too long to get to it - or if I don't get to it at all.
Here is that cutie pie:
Our walk is only a half mile circuit, but it has some BIG hills. I guess that Mango covers about 3 times the distance that I do.

Christmas Eve morning was gorgeous. We were out early enough to see the morning sun hit The Mountain.

So. yeah, you can't really see anything for the trees, but it was great. And contrasted sharply with this morning. We had sunshine for our walk, but the western sky (where The Mountain sits) was gray & cold & promising interesting weather for later on... I tried a picture, but it showed even less that this last one did. 

We always see deer, usually in the yard as they were this morning:
This shot shows a buck at the end of the driveway, and more of his herd across the street in the meadow.

Carmel met us in our neighbor's drive way, but won't take the walk with us. We've finally got some great shots of him:
Here's a closeup of Mango, too.

I love the way the light hits his fur in this one.  Be sure to click on it to see it larger.

Aren't our boys beautiful?!

OK...that was Christmas morning until about 7:30 or 8:00.
Now it's time to get down to the food.
Carol & Nancy came over for breakfast. Nancy brought a terrific casserole of grits, cheese, green chili, and eggs. I made my famous (Rachel Ray) bacon: thick sliced with brown sugar and red chili flakes. We had some outstanding sour dough bread that Carol brought, and a Finnish Breakfast braided bread that Nancy & I found in a Great Harvest bakery in Albuquerque on Monday. If there is one of those any where near you, check it out. They grind their own grain and the baked goods are wonderful.

Here we are enjoying the feast: Nancy, Carol & Joel in that order left to right. That's me, behind the camera.

And now, I'm enjoying playing with the blog and thinking of stuff. And enjoying some quiet. Everyone's gone right now; some to the Casino, Nancy to her family across town.
I'm heading to the bath tub to enjoy a soak & a good book. Later on, we'll meet at the baby casino (The Travel Center) for a family-style turkey dinner...unless it just seems like a better idea to order pizza or eat left-overs.

For my money, this day has been about perfect so far.
I'd love to be seeing my brother & sister, but I'll see them soon; and on holidays they tend to be followed by lots of other people and quite a bit of noise.

There is one really special thing that happened this year I want to tell you about. You may not really understand, but it won't matter; I got it.
In a recent conversation with my friend Shaula my Mom's quillows came up. Mom made some years ago; mine had a cat on it. Shaula saw it years ago - oh, maybe 15 or more. She loved it and commissioned Mom to make some for her & her girls which Mom did...all five of them. And Shaula & her girls still have them & love them. Shaula found out that mine was gone. (Why it's gone is another story for another time.)
In any case, Shaula came over on Christmas Eve with a gift for me - we usually only exchange cookies or such.

Shaula had packed up her own quillow and brought it to me.
I have one of my Mom's quillows again! Oh, the bawling that went on...we had Joel & Carol crying too. It was so sweet and so touching. Thanks, Shaula.

And for those who don't know, a quillow is a cross between a quilt & a pillow. They're usually about lap rug size, as these Mom made are. The quilt has a special pocket into which the quilt folds, so that it can sit out on your couch and look just like a beautiful pillow. Here's my 'new' one:

I wanted a good shot of it unfolded, but Mango got involved and is now certain that the quillow is his. We will have to talk.

And for a final treat, I believe it has begun to snow.

Love & Joy to you & yours

A Holiday Tradition: Mom's Cleo Salad

Mom always called this Cleo's Corn Salad, because it came to her from someone named ...wait for it... CLEO.
I call it Mom's Cleo Salad because I can't think of a holiday meal when she didn't make it. And it's one of the dishes you can make ahead, always a boon on these big cooking days.

So here it is:

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup light oil (corn,  canola, etc. just keep it light in both color & taste)
1 (scant) cup sugar (I use about 3/4  c.)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt.

Add these to a small sauce pan, bring them to a boil. Set aside until cool, then refrigerate.

Then:

1 cup bell pepper, chopped (Mom's was all green bell; I like green and red bell mixed)
1 cup celery, chopped
2 bunches fresh green onions and tops, chopped or sliced thinly
(Let your chopping/slicing suit your eye; a 1-2 inch julienne is very nice on the peppers. Celery looks nice in very thin diagonal slices.)

Then:

1  10 oz. can of white shoe peg corn
1  small can Le Seur peas
1  small can French sliced green beans

Mix well all the fresh & canned ingredients, then pour on the chilled dressing.

Notes:
I add just a touch of Red Chili flakes. All the ingredients can be adjusted to suit your own tastes or to accommodate your guests.
You'll learn how much sugar suits you. Start with less and taste the result while it's still warm. It's easy to add more then and still insure that all the sugar is melted.
The Salad keeps beautifully for up to two weeks, though it is unlikely to last that long.   :)

This year we're sharing a group effort with friends bringing their favorites. And (yea! for me) Carol & Mary are bringing HAM, a favorite of mine.
I'm going to try out Ann's version of Daddy Mac's chocolate pie, too.
It's clear we may be napping in front of the football games later.  

Hope your Thanksgiving Day is special and spent close to those you love.

I hope you read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

I haven't finished this book yet.

• Are you concerned about your health?
• Do you use supplements?
• Do you use 'fat-free' this & that?
• Do you use 'sugar-free' this & that? 
• Do you want to live longer, better?

Please read Michael Pollen's In Defense of Food.

And you might note that some (much) of what has happened to and in the food industry and to our food, is the result of ...wait for it...lobbyists and politics.   Arrrgggggggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!

Birthday Bonanza!

You might not know this about me: I can stretch a birthday out for days, sometimes even weeks. It's working that way this year, too! Friends have taken me to meals: New Mexican food for lunch on Thursday, regular and tasty American bacon & eggs for breakfast on Saturday, wonderful roast duck w/dark cherry sauce for dinner on Saturday, a terrific chicken Marsala on Sunday evening, and Joel has promised me lunch out today - the real birthday. Yum! Along with those I've enjoyed great wine, a Dirty Martini, imported beer, and a couple of tasty desserts. And time on my own back patio with friends.

In case you haven't noticed, I really appreciate dining out. From eggs to exotics, I just love to share food & fellowship. Such a great time. I'm the chief cook & bottle washer around home, so it's a double treat when someone else is doing all the work.

Dad sent some cash, as always. This time it will go with us on our trip to Florida tomorrow morning. That will buy some lovely grouper or stone crab while we're there. ...savoring the anticipation already.

Today is the actual official birthday. I got up early, made some coffee and was sitting in a corner with a ton of windows, reading a book, when the movement of this beauty caught my eye.

                                                                                        

 

He's just across the street from me; in this shot maybe 40 ft. away. He lives near here somewhere, and is the same elk we saw last Christmas morning. What a treat to see him today.

Elk is a power animal for me. I don't really understand that, but my heart beats quicker whenever I see one. To have one so close is wonderful. And to have him appear at sunrise on my natal day is just the grandest thing.

Thanks, Universe.

This one isn't a great picture, but I shows his rack. BIG!

During this I'm wandering around outside with my camera and my sleep shirt, probably scaring the neighbors, but not really caring. what fun!

The cats were with me, as they usually are. Here's one right behind the elk. They stayed fairly near me, then walked me home.

Such a wonderful morning.

I've received many great cards, including one with a 'scratcher' that won me $20. Every single block on the card was a winner!

I just realized, as I linked this post to the one from last Christmas, how much the woods have changed. The land & cabin was purchased (nice couple) and the woods have been cleared for fire control and view stuff... It's not really woods anymore, but a nice tree-studded yard.

The elk looks really different, too, without his winter coat, but I'm confident he's the same one.

Here's a shot of our Big Boy taken on the 26th and a little later in the day.

One of the greatest things for this birthday came to me from my sister, Susan, by way of my Aunt Conny. It's a cool necklace of pewter and bone and shells and beads that my Mom made for her sister, my aunt, back in 1981. Such a special thing to have it come back around to me.  Thanks Susan & Conny.

So, bright & early tomorrow morning we begin the trip to Florida. Since we live in the back of beyond, that starts with a 3 hr. drive to the airport in Albuquerque, from which we head to Denver in order to get to Orlando. (Only the airlines...) We'll be spending time with my Dad, and a friend we met a few years ago when we were living in FL. We'll also share an airboat ride with my Dad and stepmom, Frankie.

On the 3rd & 4th, for the fireworks, we'll be in Clearwater Beach. Joel and I just love fireworks! and Joel will never get enough of beaches and big water. On this trip, we'll get to spend time on both coasts: the Gulf side and the Atlantic. Just so excited - more birthday, as far as I'm concerned!

So, miss me while I'm gone. I'll share photos when we get back.

Christmas Goodies

Wow! My Christmas goodies were a huge hit! Just warms my little cockles.
Since some of you are halfway round the world, I thought I'd post the recipes here.

Never Fail Fudge ~ This recipe has been on the Marshmallow Fluff label since WWII.

5 c. granulated sugar (could use a little less ~ we will next time)
1 (12oz.) can evaporated milk
¼ lb. butter or margarine
12 oz. Marshmallow Fluff
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. walnuts (or you own favorite nut)  (I didn't use any)
24 oz. chocolate chips

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, marshmallow, & salt in a 6-qt. Saucepan. Stir over medium heat. Boil slowly for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, (overcook, rather than undercook).

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, nuts, and chocolate chips. Pour into a buttered 13 X 9" pan or 2 9" sq. pans.

Tip: line your pan with plastic wrap instead of butter. Makes removal & cutting SO much easier.

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Holiday Cookies ~ Started at FoodTV, but changed it all up to get this:

1 (16oz.) roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough. (or your favorite recipe)
1 c. pistachios, lightly chopped ~ we like it lumpy!
1 c. dried cranberries
1 (11oz.) bag white chocolate chips (I skip this or use lots less) (We really prefer them W/Out the chocolate!) (See NOTE at end of this recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350º. Allow dough to come to room temperature.

Put chopped nuts & dried fruit into a large bowl and add chocolate chips. (I leave these out entirely most of the time or use about ½ as much.)

Mix to combine, and then begin pressing in the dough with your hands. The resulting dough will be very stiff ~ forget about trying to use a spoon or mixer.

Drop onto prepared cookie sheets in small balls using a teaspoon. I like small cookies, but you may make them however you want – just adjust the baking time.

Bake 7 – 11 minutes until golden around the edges. Let cool in the pan about 1 minute, then transfer to cooling racks.

NOTE:
The original recipe suggested that you melt the chocolate in a double boiler, then dip the bottom ½ of the finished cookie, then cool on waxed paper or parchment. Haven't tried it; just too many steps for me.  ; )

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Sugar Plum Drops ~ This came from a magazine I read in the dentist's office but I don't remember which one! Sorry.

½ c. raisins
½ c. dried apricots
½ c. pitted dates, lightly chopped (or boxed chopped dates ~ but those are tougher/drier)
¾ c. dried cranberries
¾ c. pecans
1 c. blanched almonds (I started with slivered)
¼ c. sugar, granulated or powdered (I used powdered, obviously) for rolling; NO, the balls, not YOU!   (hmmm - rolling around in powdered sugar...sounds like a possible topic for a whole other post... )

Combine the fruit & nuts in a food processor and pulse until you get a coarse mixture, about 1 minute. Add the orange juice (hold back a bit to make sure you need it all), and pulse again until the mixture sticks together, about 15 seconds.

Shape the mixture into 1 in. balls, then roll them in sugar for a sweet coating. Refrigerate. Makes about 2 ½ dozen depending on how big you make them.

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And a Bonus Recipe: The BEST Cranberry Punch Ever!

2 cans (16 oz. ea.) jellied cranberry sauce – no, I'm NOT kidding.
1 ½ c. Orange Juice (pulp free, if that's available to you)
1 ½ c. lemon juice
2 bottles (3 liters ea.) ginger ale, chilled
Ice cubes

In a large pitcher or punch bowl, whisk cranberry sauce until smooth. Whisk in OJ and lemon juices. Whisk a lot! Then I added a bit of the juice and whisked some more.

Just before serving, slowly stir in ginger ale. Add ice cubes. Yield: 3 ½ qt.

Several recipes similar to this call for red wine to be added (or served on the side to add or not). I've also used this recipe with vodka for holiday cocktails with great success.

 

 

The BEST Skillet Cabbage Ever!

From the Kitchen of Velma Menzen, by way of my favorite step-mom, Frankie
With modifications by me

Velma’s/Frankie's version:
1 head of cabbage (chopped) 2-4 cups
1 cup chopped celery
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped, OR 1 can stewed tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 tbls. Sugar
2 tbls  corn oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place cabbage, celery, onion, red and green peppers, sugar, salt and pepper in skillet with small amount of oil in skillet.

Cook on medium heat approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Put lid on skillet, reduce temperature and simmer, covered, approximately 5-10 minutes.

Kate’s adjustments:
I always make a bigger batch; it keeps well in the frig and we like it cold, too.
I use olive oil.
We leave out the peppers, but add crushed red pepper flakes to heat it up. Do this to taste.
I use fresh tomatoes and only one.
I add Basil and Oregano (or try something different each time).
I add fresh garlic.
I use quite a bit more Splenda (sugar substitute). We like it sweet/hot!
I add about 1 cup of fat-free chicken or vegetable stock and cook it about 10 minutes, then remove the lid and reduce the liquid to concentrate the flavors.
As you can tell, the recipe is Very flexible and Very good. Try it for yourself. Enjoy!

This is a very low-cal, low fat recipe. I’m not a carb-counter, so I can’t comment on those. This is terrific!

Yum-O!!!

(Originally posted to www.katethoughts.blogspot.com on 8.26.06)

Chocolate Cake!

equal parts Frangelico and vodka in a shooter
followed immediately by a sugared lemon wedge!!!

Can't explain the chemistry of that combination, but your mouth will think it's chocolate cake.
I s#%* thee not!