Mother's Day Feast

We ate well today at the GW household. Husband outdid himself yet again with his brisket and an asian-style grilled veg dish; I made pea salad and tomato salad, as well as a simple strawberry shortcake for dessert. My boys spoiled me well and truly today: not only did I eat like a queen, they also gave me the nifty video camera with which I filmed the boys for the post just above, and a new camera lens that I took all of today's pictures with. Hopefully I'll get better with the latter in short order. Oy.

I think a good day was had by all. I know I had one. Thanks so much to my trio of hardworking, loving guys. I definitely don't deserve even one of you.

And now, of course, some pictures. Can you say "smoke ring"? I can.

This had some smoky, sesame oil, bit of spice thing going on. It was amazing.

I will never get tired of tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzerella. Ever.

Preparing for pea salad:

And the best way to end the day:

This is the nicest picture I took today with the new lens. Lambie looks 75% sweeter than she is in real life. Technology is an amazing thing, isn't it?

I hope your day was as good as ours was. Happy, all.

Lenten Perfection

Husband bought me this treat today while he was at Whole Foods, and I can't imagine finding a better treat to eat during Lent. It's vegan, raw, and gluten free --- and absolutely amazing. The raw coconut oil gives it a rich, creamy mouth-feel, almost like a flourless chocolate cake. It also has only 360 calories, which is not bad for a sweet. I wouldn't want it in place of my favorite dulce de leche cake cake from Pico's, but I'd eat in instead of anything else at the Whole Foods bakery, even when it's a non-fast day. Yup, it's that good.

Enjoy!

Behold the Power of the Pig

Usually, my nightmares come in the early morning, just before wake-up. The monsters of childhood are gone, since I know what real monsters look like now. Instead, friends die, Husband tells me he's never loved me, my children were never born: I am alone. Last night was especially bad: an old friend was here in Houston for cancer treatment and my mother in law knew and didn't tell me (logic plays no part in dreams, does it?), the children didn't exist, and I was hiding a lost puppy that everyone wanted to kill when Husband cruelly gave me away and laughed while the dog was hauled from my arms. I was angry with him, angry with the mother in law, crying and miserable. And then, slowly, my dreams began to change. There was no one there but my Husband, and we weren't fighting anymore. He smiled at me, I smiled at him, the nightmare melted away, and I began to wake, eager to start the day. Why did it all change? Because downstairs in real life Husband had begun to cook bacon, and as the smell wafted upstairs it. changed. everything.

Remember: you can never go wrong with bacon.

Happy New Year, y'all.

Smack, it's What's for Dinner

Here's just what we all need to bring sanity and reasonableness to the debate surrounding childhood obesity and what we should feed our kids:



Isn't this how you feel when you treat your kids to burgers? And don't you think this ridiculously-overboard load of guilt will help parents who feed their kids fast food more often than they should stop and give them tofu instead? Sure it will. Of course. Because nothing motivates people like hysteria and obvious manipulation. I don't know how I get the boys to do anything without those two key parenting tools. ::thickwithsarcasm::

HT: James Lileks.

First Day

Back to school is here already! It's easy to get ready, having boys and living in a swamp; I mean, it's not like anyone has been begging me for new school clothes. They went off today in their favorite shorts and tees, eager to get on with 2nd and 5th grade. We've heard nothing but good things about their teachers this year, and they were really ready to go.

I've also resolved to go back to packing their lunch every day, even if it means sacrificing a little sleep each morning. They ate school lunch from January to May last year, but I really want to get them back on the brought-lunch wagon. Why? Well, One lost 6 lbs this summer: was it because he was so active, or did he just gain too much last Spring with all those tacos and burgers? I'm guessing half and half, but we're still not going back to school-bought food. Here's what they brought today; every day will look pretty much like this.

And if you're interested in what to feed your kiddos and all other things lunch, Bettina Siegel's blog The Lunch Tray is a great site to check out.

Fourth of July Weekend in Pictures

This Fourth of July we went for a simple celebration: eat until you almost explode, then light some sparklers for the kids and watch them from the porch. I have to say, I like it.

Dinner on Sunday night:

Some grass-fed ribeyes:

Husband's secret grilled broccoli - I'm about to get my hand slapped here for peeking under the foil before it went on the grill.

Tomato and feta salad - this made a delicious lunch on toasted sourdough bread today, too:

And, for dessert, what else?

Tell me you don't want a bite?

And then tonight:

Husband's brined and grill-roasted chicken:

Pea salad:

Kelly's peaches with balsamic and blue cheese:

And her smoked salmon with corn pancakes - and if you're not checking her food blog, The Meaning of Pie, on a regular basis, you might could have a screw loose:

And again, for dessert, who can resist a repeat performance?

Combine all that with some sparklers and firecrackers, and we couldn't be happier.



Lighting the last of the firecrackers:

Where did they go, Dad?

Happy Fourth, y'all, and may God Bless America.

Tacos and Ice Cream Saturday

Simple Shortcake

As you can tell from my last post, Spring makes me want to cook. Or rather than "cook", assemble delicious things that don't require much actual cooking at all. Here is my favorite dessert of all, especially in the Spring and Summer. This is the antithesis of super-sweet shortcake dishes that are made with vanilla ice cream and those sticky shortcakes you buy at the store. Not that there's anything wrong with those little cakes (toasted lightly and used instead of the biscuits in this recipe? Divine!) but this is a less-sweet version that puts the emphasis on the berries and their natural sweetness.

Berry Shortcake:

1 package of Cream Cheese Biscuits ( I use Whole Foods', but you can buy Michael Gagne's from Stonewall kitchen, apparently). One way or the other, you need 6.
2 lbs strawberries
1 small box of each: blueberries, rasberries, and blackberries
1-2 tsp really good brandy
Sour cream or creme fraiche
Agave nectar
Demerara or turbinado sugar

Wash berries, cut up strawberries, and combine in a bowl with a bit of water on the bottom. Add the brandy, a squirt of agave, and put the lid on. Give a rough shake or two, and put in the fridge for at least an hour.

To assemble: break a biscuit in half and place at the bottom of a good-sized cereal bowl. Top with berries and some juice. Follow with sour cream or creme fraiche, and sprinkle with sugar.

Eat. Shove others aside and go back for seconds. Enjoy.

Salads for Spring

It's finally Spring, and I've traded out my pitifully small repertoire of winter vegetable recipes for my favorites: salads.

Here are 2 that I promise you'll love:

Pea Salad

Cleburne Cafeteria in Houston makes a version of this, and we love it to death. Here is what I came up with to try to mimic theirs:

1 large bag frozen peas, drained
1 red pepper, cut into small pieces
4-5 scallions, cut small
1/2 cup+ of mayo - you'll have to eyeball it
Squirt of yellow mustard
Cheddar and Monterey jack cheese, cut into small cubes - again, use the eyeballs
celery salt and pepper to taste

Combine. Too simple

Another variation I thought of was to use blue cheese, red onion and apples in place of the cubed cheese, scallions, and red pepper. Haven't tried it yet, but I love just about anything with those 3 ingredients involved, so I'm betting it would work. You might want to use Dijon mustard instead of yellow, as well.

Broccoli Salad

I know "broccoli salad" aren't the most appetizing words you've ever seen, but you really have to try this recipe. It started out as something Whole Foods serves in the summer, and I messed with it from there.

Broccoli florets - enough for 4-5 people who really, really love broccoli
Mayo - start with 2/3 cup but you may need more. you want moist, but not drowning
Cheddar cheese - grated, at least 1 cup
6 slices bacon, cooked very crisp, then crumbled
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecan pieces
1 shallot, cut up
3-4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3-4 Tbsp agave nectar
salt and pepper to taste

Cut broccoli into pieces and combine with all ingredients. Take 2 knives and "chop" salad until everything is in fairly even-sized pieces.

Husband is virulently anti-raw-broccoli, and he ate an enormous pile of this last night and proceeded to praise it to the skies. Proof that bacon and cheddar cheese can make anything taste good!

One's New Hero

One has a new hero:

Yes, that's Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farms in Virginia. It's my fault, as I bought One the young reader's version of The Omnivore's Dilemma* recently. He argued against spending his own money on it, but I insisted and bought it for him myself. He then proved me right (did I tell him he would love it? Yes, I sure did) by staying up past 11pm reading it ("But Mom, I can't put it down!") He now spouts wisdom (and a fair amount of disgusting information) about what's on the table at practically every meal. I am now considering buying meat that has been properly raised at a local farm, and he is full of energy and excitement: can we visit? does it look and operate like Polyface? will they know about his hero?

I love it when he's passionate about important things. I am eternally grateful that at 10, humane and healthy farming techniques get him more torqued up than the latest Green Day release. He has his "blah - I'm ten and everything bores me" moments, the ones when he practices being a teenager, but most of the time he's excited about and involved in everything that's important to him. How he got this way? If I could figure that out I'd write an instructional manual and retire early. But it's inside him, not out; it's not the result of something Husband and I forced on him as some cool parenting technique. It's simply what makes him his odd, endearing self.

It's hard to be odd, and passionate about different things, especially when you're ten. I'm glad he has the courage to do it, even though it can mean being alone more often than he'd like. He doesn't know he's brave - not yet. Someday he'll figure that out - or at least realize that he's capable of being brave when it counts - and that will be a great moment indeed. One of the ones that makes parenting the most satisfying, if I had to guess.

Although these ordinary, everyday moments - they seem to be quite satisfying enough for me most days. If I go to bed fairly sure I didn't get it wrong, it's food for the soul.

I got this one right. This time.

*Buy, buy, buy this book for your avid reader (or hunt it down in the library at the very least). If a generation starts to care where its food comes from, one of the right kinds of change might get here at last.

What's for Dinner?

Like everyone else today, I am in the midst of planning for the Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. Here's what's on the menu:

Husband's perfectly brined and roasted turkey (he could win awards, I kid you not).

Mother-in-law's stuffing with raisins, onions and celery. Lots of white bread and butter - yum.

Whipped sweet potatoes, full of honey and butter and topped with mini marshmallows. Because you're never to old to pretend you're seven again.

Brussel sprouts roasted a la Barefoot Contessa. This year I may add some red onion and apple to the pan, just to change it up a little. This is Husband's favorite vegetable, so perfection is important.

Green bean casserole - not the traditional one but a new recipe from my friend Kelly. It involves sour cream and lots of cheddar cheese, so I knew from the moment I saw the recipe that it was made for us.

Some cranberry salad nonsense, also provided by the Mother-in-law. She and I love the stuff. We open a can of whole berry cranberry sauce for Husband, who has lived through too many Thanksgiving cranberry salad nightmares to be able to eat in anymore. If you ever think of it, ask him about the lime jello salad with shredded cabbage his mother made one year. He brings up the subject at the Thanksgiving table every. single. year. Poor, scarred man.

Rolls of some sort, being purchased perhaps right this second by Husband, who is at Whole Foods looking for last-minute ingredients. I married well - have I mentioned that before?

Pumpkin pie with whipped cream and Goode Company BBQ Pecan Pie with vanilla ice cream. I. love. pie.

The best meal of the year is only 24 hours away! Aren't you excited?

Hypereating, or Food is my Hobby

Interesting article.


"If a bear walked in here right now, you would stop listening to me and you'd focus on that bear. We're all wired to focus on the most highly salient stimuli. For a lot of people, that highly salient stimulus is food. It could be alcohol, it could be drugs, it could be gambling, but for many people, it's food. It's not just people who are obese, or overweight. Even for people that are healthy weight, food activates the neural circuits of their brains, and they have this conditioned and driven behavior we call conditioned hypereating."


I recently made the decision to try to lose some weight, so this is of particular interest to me right now. I'm also trying to wrap my mind around the Orthodox concept of fasting, and how much of the goal of fasting is to pull yourself back from food as a goal in itself and get back to food as sustenance. This is a huge challenge for me; I think about food a lot. I love food - I don't necessarily love to stuff myself silly, but I love tastes, textures, flavors, the vocabulary and the sight of food - you name it.

I don't want to be driven by my desire for food, except to the extent it's a simple matter of hunger. It's psychologically and physically unhealthy, and, more importantly, a spiritually bereft pursuit.

Two on Sunday Brunch

I. LOVE. BACON.

Two's Little Obsession

This took him maybe five minutes, if that:

Putting One to Bed

One doesn't like to fall asleep, in part because his overactive imagination makes him prone to nightmares, and also because he knows if he fails to drop off, I will make him a large mug of this:

12 oz lowfat milk
1 scoop unflavored whey powder
generous squeeze honey
1 Yogi Tea - Bedtime flavored - tea bag

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a saucepan with a whisk, then add the teabag. Stir gently over very low heat until warm. Let rest for 5 minutes or so to allow the tea to steep a little more, pull out the tea bag (squeeze all the yumminess out before you pitch it), whisk one more time, and serve.

You will have one very sleepy youngster on your hands in a matter of minutes, I promise.

Mommy's Little Food Connoisseur

Two: "Raise your hand if you love pork rinds!"

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut ...

Are nut bans for children really necessary, and are they reasonable given the risk involved?

A NYT article worth reading.

Not Me Monday - the Girl Scout Cookie Edition

Here we are again, at the confessional end of the week:

I did not have anything to do with Girl Scout cookies this week. Those boxes neatly folded in the recycling bin -I have no idea how they got there. I did not eat them for breakfast, I did not eat them in secret in the kitchen when no one was looking - I didn't eat any of them.

I did not entice my dieting husband with the aforementioned Girl Scout cookies. Uh-uh. I did not eat so many in front of him that I drove him screaming into the kitchen for the cookies and a bowl of ice cream, causing him to fall off the Adkins wagon for the first time in months.

I did not come up with a completely lame place to hide The Cookies, one that even a 2 year old could figure out. I also did not share said hiding place with the boys in the vain hope that they would keep it a secret.

I didn't do it. It wasn't me. I don't even like Girl Scout cookies.

Scout's honor.

I'm Just Sayin'

If you happen to really, really like whey powder and think it makes things like shakes so nifty, I still wouldn't go so far as to add it to your macaroni and cheese. Just in case you were thinking of doing such a thing. I was a little concerned and thought you might need a tip.

Just thought you should know...

The. Best. Chocolate. Shake. Ever.

This shake is uber-milky and wonderful; give it a try.

12 oz lowfat milk
2 scoops unflavored whey powder
1 1/2 T raw cacao powder
1-2 bananas, preferably broken in several pieces and frozen
1 tsp vanilla
a shake or 2 of cinnamon
big squeeze of agave nectar

Throw everything in the blender and blend until smooth. This will make 2 big, fluffy shakes.

Some extras to note:

*You can add ice if you want it Frosty-like
*Breaking up bananas into several pieces and throwing them in the freezer in a bag is the best way to deal with them when they are ripe and no one wants to eat them. They work great in any shake.

This shake is loaded with all kinds of goodness, especially a whopping dose of protein. It will keep you and your kids away from sweets and other nasty carbs for hours.

Enjoy.