Archive for September, 2009

Okay, remember that picture i posted almost 24 hrs ago…. i woke up to THIS this morning…

Seriously…WTF.

I have almost considered changing recipes. Some how reflections on an endless summer doesn’t feel very relevant now… AND i was being all proactive, i wrote the later part of this post last night feeling very good about myself- finishing something early – i haven’t done that since high sch- okay, i didn’t do it then either.

Perhaps today will be bonus day!

Last night my father and i experimented with a new recipe. Gordon Ramsay’s (see I’m giving him full credit for this…) Salmon en croute (so frenchy!) it was divine, and easy!

Unfortunately we did not take a picture of it, there was nothing left after we devoured it – but you can see it here – and it does turn out exactly like the picture

SALMON EN CROUTE

2 tsp of fresh basil – chopped
1 tsp of fresh dill – chopped
2 tbsp of butter- at room temperature
zest of one lemon
2 salmon fillets (one whole salmon split in two – skinned. About 1x1kg a side)
1 tbsp ancient or seed style mustard ( i bought Edmond Fallot seed style mustard and it is great!, i think it would be lovely cooked inside chicken breasts… just a thought)
2 pkgs. of tenderflake puff pastry (i threw the boxes away but i think they are 350g boxes)
1 egg
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400F

Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out both boxes of puff pastry about 2 inches larger than the salmon on one side and 1 inch larger on the other

In a bowl, mix the butter, chopped basil and dill, lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

Place the salmon pieces in the center portion of the pastry

On one side spread the butter mixture

On the other, spread the mustard ( i used more then 1 tbsp about 2 ish and i could have put more)

Make an egg wash by beating the egg in a glass

Rub the egg wash on half of pastry that has the 2 extra inches of excess

Sandwich the two salmon pieces together in opposite directions so that both ends are of similar thicknesses and side of salmon with the longest pieces of pastry is on the bottom.

Fold down the shortest pastry side, trimming the excess. And then bring up the longest pastry sides also trimming the excess, making it into a parcel

Place the packet on a cookie try – seem side down (so flip it over)

Cut some X’s on the top – don’t go all the way through the pastry, and brush with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with salt and pepper

Bake in the over for 25-30 minutes until golden brown

Oh sooooooooooo good

And now for my ‘planned’ recipe and post…. Written while enjoying a HOT and SUNNY day…

I hate summer fire bans.

I appreciate the need to prevent forest fires, but it does removes the key element that makes camping, well, camping.

The camp fire.

Without a campfire you cannot have smores. And they are NOT the same cooked over a propane stove.

Smores are very complicated. Granted they only require three ingredients, but its the strategic way with which you bring these elements together, that makes a smore, a smore.

The marshmallow must be hot and gooey, but not burnt. The chocolate must melt and not be hard, the graham crackers need to smosh but not squeeze the mellow.

Graham cracker, mellow, chocolate, graham cracker, camping perfection.

I take this very seriously.

And it wasn’t until i came across an article in a parenting magazine that i realized you can actually improve on this age old recipe.

This is my brother and i holding my mother up for ransom… Also notice the super sexy matching 80′s sweat pant and sweater combos we are all wearing.

CAMPING SMORES

Mellow stick
Bag of large marshmallows
pkg of graham crackers
chocolate
milk

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl and add a bit of warm milk. Mix until smooth.

Crush the graham crackers in another small bowl.

Roast a marshmallow until perfect on the mellow stick

Dip the mellow (while on the stick) into the chocolate

Dip the chocolate covered mellow into the crushed graham crackers

Enjoy.

Isn’t that great! It like smore magic, mellow, chocolate and graham cracker perfection – and its super easy for little kids to eat – there is nothing worse then handing out a perfect smore and a kid squashing the mellow out from between two graham crackers….

Now… for all of you who camp in motor home luxury…

This is a recipe for gourmet smores

SMORE TIRAMISU

This recipe needs at least 6-24hrs to chill and firm up

2 pkgs. of graham crackers
2 tbsp Vanilla
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 (8-oz.) package softened Cream Cheese
1 cup strong coffee
3 chopped milk chocolate bars
2-3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

Beat whipping cream, vanilla and chill in the fridge.
In a double boiler whisk eggs yolks and sugar until thick and pale, cover and chill in fridge

Beat cream cheese at medium speed 30 seconds or until creamy. Gradually add cooled egg mixture. Gently fold in whipped cream mixture.

Place coffee in a bowl. Quickly dip graham cracker pieces, into coffee, and place in an 8-inch square lightly greased pan to cover bottom. Add one more layer of coffee dipped graham crackers.

Spread one-third of cream cheese mixture evenly over crackers.

Add another two rows of coffee dipped graham crackers

Spread another third of the cream cheese

Add another two rows of coffee dipped graham crackers

Spread last layer of cream cheese

Cover with chopped chocolate, and top with mini marshmallows.

Broil 5 inches from heat about 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed and golden. Let cool 10 minutes.

Dust with cocoa. Cover and chill at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

*Note to self
Isn’t it a rule… No snow before Halloween?

This the view this morning as i sit out on the deck of my grandmothers house. Nice isn’t it.

Today is the day after my thirtieth birthday, and i had cake for breakfast. Do you know what i miss most about birthdays? Not so much miss, but there comes a time when your just to old to get goodie bags. I love the goodie bag.

My mother gave out the best birthday goodie bags – and this was WAY before dollar store crap. They were stuffed with beaded necklaces, candy, bouncing balls, stickers, tattoos, little toy cars – it felt endless, like stuffed stockings at Christmas.

Actually our Christmas stocking were pretty awesome, as well…

Goodie bags are just fun, you leave a party and get to take a present home with you, how cool is that?

I guess the adult equivalent is the hollywood swag bag. I could do that. Leave a party with a bag full of swag.

“Wow, is that diamon watch?”
“Nice isn’t it”
“That must have cost you a fortune”
“I was at a party last night, got it in my swag bag”

So far the closest thing to swag bag i’ve ever received was a knoted shopping bag full of pee clothes.

*Note to self
Goodies bags at next years party.

I know, I know, I’m cutting it a little close for a Wednesday – But its still Wednesday! So it counts. The following is a wonderful recipe for paella. Follow is exactly – it’s easy – but does require love to come out perfectly…

PAELLA

2 tbs olive oil
3 large chicken breast cut into cubes
3 chorizo sausage links sliced in half and then sliced thickly across (little half moons)
3 cloves of garlic
½ onion chopped
1 liter chicken stock – I LOVE – Imagine Organic Chicken Broth
1 sprig rosemary – FRESH!
1-2 tsp salt
1 28oz stewed tomatoes (hand crushed) with juice
About 20 Green beans – fresh, broken in half
2 cups long grain white rice
30 prawns (fresh or frozen)
1 Lemon

In a heavy stock pot, or paella pan, fry chorizo, garlic and onion in oil until onion is soft

Add chicken

Stir in stock, tomatoes, beans salt and rosemary – heat to boiling

Add rice, mix slowly until blended, cover and cook about 20 mins until rice is done

Remove from heat; mix in prawns and let rest 10 mins until prawns are cooked

Squeeze the juice from lemon and pour directly over paella and mix lightly

Enjoy, serves four hearty eaters

*Note to self
Good paella makes me smile

To put it blunt, Miss Olivia, has been difficult.

Perhaps it’s a terrible two thing – she’s almost three so THAT shouldn’t be it. She’s too young for all the awful three year old issues I hear so much about…right? So what could be the source of that little bee that has been wedge up her butt lately?

I think its SCHOOL. Yes, I said it, school. All summer long we have been planning and waiting for school. Those two sweet hours twice a week that would give me a few minutes of freedom and her, a chance to play and burn off some energy. Who would have thought, the thing i waited so patiently for, planned for days everything i could with 120 minutes a free time, thought about the lattes i could enjoy in peace and quiet… could become the bane of my existence.

Day 1 – she brought home a cold. WTF. I worked very hard the past two and half years, making sure we NEVER caught colds. I send her out into the world one day and some other little snot probably oozed on her.

Awesome.

It’s because of all those overprotective, paranoid, bath your kids in Purell type mothers. Their kids are immune to NOTHING and they spread EVERYTHING – a little germ never hurt anyone. It’s good for you.

Not that I am suggesting we should all start licking mold for Aspirin… would that be cheaper?

By day 2 we had problems… Olivia, until her sister  Audrey was born was numero uno around here. The transition from only child to big sister has actually been very smooth. Only lately have we had the odd issue as ‘Babies’ is starting to getting older and mobile.  She’ll grab a toy Olivia suddenly wanted and it’s the end of the world.

And with Olivia, when I say I end of the world I mean…

END.

OF.

THE.

WORLD.

I’ve got one of those make Everest out of a mole hill type kids… And I’m starting to think school is stressing her out, with all their “sharing” and “team work.”

Isn’t that what The Wonder Pets are for? Didn’t I put in enough hours watching that crap, singing “whats going to work TEAM work” before she went off to school?

I can’t get that time back people. It’s gone. Like that two hours I spent watching Battlefield Earth on the Space Network at 2am… nothing was on… I was curious… it really was THAT bad.

The teacher asked to speak to me at the end of day 3.

I guess Olivia, has been having a hard time. She’s coloring on other peoples papers, and hugging. I guess not every other kid wants a free hug, or appreciates her artistry.

The teacher and I both agreed that this should eventually work itself out. She IS one of the youngest ones in the class, and its pretty normal… I actually had that conversation.

Out of all the drama and shit I deal with on a regular basis, I am getting a 10 minute lecture about coloring. I now believe Olivia is overcompensating for her weekly four hours of mandatory sharing. As a result, she is refusing to do it at home.

Last nights conversation over Pajamas

Said sweetly “Come on Olivia, time for jamies”

“No”

“Yes, we have to wear clothes after the bath”

“NO”

“Come on, jamies, then story”

Whinnnning “I don’t want a story, I want jamies like Babies”

“I don’t have pajamas like Babies, you’re a big girl, you wear big girl jamies”

“IWANT JAMIES LIKE BABIES, I WANT JAMIES WITH FLOWERS”

Fuck. I don’t have any with flowers – how could I have been so stupid to change the baby first. (Digging through the drawer) No flowers, no flowers, no flowers – HEY! – Pants with flowers, awesome.

“Look Olivia jamies WITH flowers! Like Babies”

“ IIII Don’t want those onessss”

“But look, they have flowers on them”

“I don’t likkkkke those onesssss”

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG “Okay, what about the Dora ones?”

“Noooo, I don’t wannnnnnnna wear jamies”

“Olivia, pajamas now.”

“Nooooo” Followed by an incomprehensible slurring of words, crying, and wild jumping.

“Olivia! I. Am. Serious.”

Screaming “I don’t want Dora jamies, I don’t like Jamies”

This is the point when you start to rationalize with yourself  which is more important:  screaming or quiet.

If she wins by not having to wear pajamas, ending the tantrum and my migrane, will that scar her development…just this once. Or do I hold firm, stay strong and force her into pajamas, driving her further into hysterics… Obviously Supper Nanny would tell me to stand my ground… but Supper Nanny isn’t here. And I cant afford a nanny. If I could SHE would be dealing with this… But I am SO tired of the screaming… but then she knows she’s winning and will start screaming for everything… Hold firm, Hold firm…but the screaming, it’s….wearing…me…down…

“Look mom, I got my pants on!”

“Wow, Olivia that’s great, what a big girl”…

WTF?

*Note to self

If only my husband was so cooperative

For some added excitement I decided to create  ‘Wednesdays with Morley’. It will be a weekly feature that shares an awesome recipe. Keep in mind I covet these recipes and I NEVER share them…

The reason… Because when people have random conversations about great banana bread, I know it goes as follows…

“Wow I just love banana bread.

Me too…I wish I had a great recipe for it.

Do you know who makes awesome banana bread?

No?

Alanna! She makes the greatest banana bread in the world.

She does? Wow, I need to to try that!

That Alanna is great isn’t she.

Yes, yes she is…”

…Or at least something to that effect, and if i shared these recipes – who knows what direction that kind of conversation could turn into.  It could from banana bread to strippers and porn in an instant…

“Wow I just love banana bread.

Me too…I also like strippers and porn.

Me too…”

SEE!?! Spiraling out of control already…

In general I have very strong feelings towards my kitchen – essentially – STAY THE FUCK OUT. That is my area, and I don’t take kindly to people who want to help out. You can watch. That’s it.

Not to say I don’t appreciate a contribution, you can come over and bring something, I will accept that.

Moving along…

For the very first Wednesday’s with Morley… (get it?…were still book title blogging here people!) … a nice CLAM CHOWDER – and not that dirty Manhattan kind either…who puts tomatoes in clam chowder anyway?

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

• 5-6 bacon rashers
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 3 (6.5 ounce) cans of clams
• One can of clam nectar
• 2-3 cups cubed potatoes
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart half-and-half cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt – more to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch depending on preferred thickness

Fry the bacon in a large stock pot – don’t burn it! But cook it enough to crumble it in large pieces. Remove bacon and set it aside to cool, and then crumble

Pour out some of the bacon grease, and add the onions and celery and cook on low for about 5 mins.

Add the can of clam nectar to the onions and celery and continue to cook on low until tender.

In a separate pot, boil the cubed potatoes until cooked. Drain and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until smooth. Slowly add the cream whisking until thick.

Pour the cream sauce into the clam pot and continue to heat – DO NOT BOIL

Add the clams, potatoes, bacon, dill and salt

*If you prefer a thicker sauce mix together 2-3 tbs of cornstarch and cold milk – add slowly to the clam pot until desired thickness – DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR

Stir in the red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste

*Note to self

Eat and say yum

**PS

Your still going to have to wait for the banana bread recipe

A couple weeks ago was Olivia’s “Meet the Teacher Day”. This should actually be called “Leave your mother standing like a dork in the middle of the room while you go play day.”

I am very proud of my strong willed and independent child, however, sometimes it would be nice if she could hang back just a few seconds longer until l could assess the room, find a secluded spot to stand and then push her out into the world.

I always feel obligated to start a conversation with someone at these types of functions. I hate small talk. I hate asking someone how old their baby is – let’s be honest here- I don’t actually care about your baby. Firstly, it will never be as cute, smart, or advanced as mine, so what really is the point of comparing notes? I’ll give you one of those “aww, so sweet” smiles with a tilt of the head.

Do you know what that tilt actually means? It means I am looking out the corner of my eye to find my kid and make a quick exit.

The problem with preschool is that there are returning parents who already know each other and have a little parent cliques. God forbid I come off as “the standoff parent” – when did preschool get to be so high school?

Another exciting fact about “Meet the teacher Day” is that it’s an open house. Which means there are no definitive start and end times for this function. In the adult world that works wonders, you can slip in and out making an appearance but not having to stay. In little kid land, there is no way your leaving that place without dragging your kid kicking and screaming because they were having fun, and nobody else was leaving yet.

Awesome… Nothing like a group of parents watching The Mother of the Year drag a two and half year old away from fun.

Hey. I had been there and hour and a half and I needed a latte.

We did, however, get to break up “Meet the Teacher day” and the first day of school with one last (and first) long weekend excursion to my parent’s property in Princeton. Our accommodations were a luxurious ultra modern suite. It was free of clutter and furniture and could apparently hold six men… I brought one. Had I known, I would have called a few others.

Camping was a titch on the chilly side – a perfect opportunity to pull out the PNE sweaters. Every year I go to the PNE with one thing in mind that does not include mini donuts, sweaters!

In the marketplace an Ecuadorian woman sells all these wonderful wool sweaters for $20. The only other place you can get them (if you’re not in Ecaudor) is at Grandville Island at Inkary but, they are more expensive.

First Day of school was a success; Olivia came home with a cold, and had apparently pushed a boy. What more could I ask for?

*Note to self
Two hours is not as much time as you think its going to be, but there is always enough time for a latte.

I know technically the season isn’t over until harvest time, but September has a tendency to bring out the “clean up the backyard and put it away” feeling in me. I can no longer tolerate the kiddie pool, waterless, filled with tree shrapnel, sides half empty with air, (…or is it half full?) sitting on the middle of my deck? Yes… I keep a kiddie pool on my deck… I am far to cool for a circular patch of dead grass in the center of my lawn. There, I said it, my lawn is more important than my own children’s happiness.

Actually, I think the real reason is the spiders. I know those little suckers come out on the eve of August 31, build hundreds of invisible webs all over my yard, (and by all over I mean right in front of the backdoor – thanks Mr. Spider, whom I now suspect is living in my hair… bastard) making it completely annoying to harvest anything from the garden. There is nothing worse then picking green beans with a spider stick.

I digress…

I am in a reflective place these past few weeks, and as I stood outside on my, now,  kiddie pool free deck I was looking out to the garden and wondered what I had done differently this year than last, and what I would do differently next year.

In fact, I think it might be a handy bit of information for all you other beginner – or wannabee- gardeners out there… let me share my experience…

This year I moved the garden and chopped down a tree. Those were the big changes. Last year, my garden was tucked nicely away on the left side of the yard, grew a fine crop – lots of lettuce and zucchinis, but sickly little green beans, and oddly shaped carrots with fingers… strange… creepy carrots…with fingers.

Needless to say its location was annoying my chi and needed to move. So this spring we moved it to the back half of the yard, under a lovely tree.

The second major change was the removal of the lovely tree. Tree blocks the sun and the garden needs sun, try to explain that to my husband…

To the tree huggers, keep in mind I did have to put up with a husband who criticized the entire tree removal process and complained about its absence- ALL SUMMER LONG. Insisting he loved THAT tree and feels threatened that I may also cut down – THAT SUPER ANNOYING PINECONE TREE THAT DROPS PINECONES EVERYWHERE, AND WHEN I GO TO MOW THE LAWN THEY SHOOT OUT AND ATTACK DOGS AND SMALL CHILDREN (… don’t worry, I will…I am an arborist!)

Moving on… Now that the garden was in a lovely new sunny spot I decided to use this year as the year of the “experimental garden.” Kind of like an ornamental garden… but not. I decided to try planting a  lot of different things in clusters and see what happens.

This is what I learned…

Tip 1 – SPACING IS IMPORTANT. That’s why on the back of seed packets it tells you how far to space the seeds… who knew?

This year, like last, I started my seeds indoors and grew huge specimens for transplantation. Now my father, he thinks himself to be a wise man (actually he is, in fact he’s the smartest person I know, after me – excluding this one time) and recommended I wait to plant on Memorial Day. What he was not taking into consideration, was that this was a week before, and i wanted to do it NOW.

Needless to say the seedlings succumbed to a monsoon. And I re-planted on Memorial Day.

Tip 2 – Plant on Memorial Day, because my Daddy said so.

As the summer progressed everything started to grow really nicely. In the main garden, I planted, spinach, onions, edamame, tomatoes, green beans, leeks, carrots, cucumbers, garlic and herbs for filler. (Like i needed filler…)

In the second section, I had two raspberry bushes (which morphed like gremlins into 50) and three tires  filled with zucchini. Yes, I said tires – and they worked great! Look how environmental I have become…that totally makes up for the tree.

Tip 3 – Tires are awesome

The early stage was the easy part, planting seeds, labeling the rows, watering… the challenge comes with the growing crop and fighting with bastard squirrels for a piece of your own zucchini. In fact, I would call these squirrels Basterds.

The carrots – Carrot seed tape is wonderful, except for one thing, when the package says ‘no need to thin.” I now have two hundred little carrots with no room to grow. I did like the ease of the seed tape, so I have decided next year I will make my own – PRE SPACED- tape. (Instructions at the end of the post… thank you internet – how society ever survived without you, I will never know)

Tip 4 – Spacing is everything (did i already say that?… It’s important) 

The onions – For some reason they never grew. The internet told me beans and onions don’t grow well beside each other – that would explain 50% of my problem. Onions = little sad sacs.  Beans = Jack quality giant beanstalks (get it Jack… giant… beanstalk… Jack and the Beanstalk…the fairytale…anyway…)

I also believe I planted them too late. Same goes for the sad little garlic’s I grew. I will try replanting them again at the end of September when I harvest/remove everything else for the winter.

 

The cucumbers – these were an afterthought. They were dinky little plants that survived the monsoon and I felt sorry them. How could I rip them out of the ground after they had been through so much? They had no room to grow, and as a result never did amount to much (don’t tell them that) just a pickle and a ball… Ha! That’s dirty.

Tip 5 – re-read Tip 4

The green beans – They grew beautifully. And then they grew and grew and grew. What didn’t help was that I planted about 20 seeds in a 6 foot area. So I have tons of plant growth and to much overcrowding to grow a lot of beans. I also get attacked by sticky leaves every time i climb in there while holding a spider stick…

(Did I mention tip 4 and 5?)

The tomatoes – Okay, I never expected 8 foot tomatoes.

Tip 6 – Plan for 8 foot tomatoes.

When they started growing beyond the tomato cages I knew I was in trouble. I read some suggestions about staking the stalks, but I was far too late to try it. So I did what every person that gardens with tires does… I tied them up with ropes suspended from a shed and tree stump. The whole situation is embarrassing.

Tip 7 – If you buy your tomato plant as a little seedling ( I have never have luck starting tomatoes straight from the seed) bury them in the dirt past their first two rows of leaves, about 2 inches up the stalk. Tomatoes need a solid root system to grow well.

Tip 8 – Plant basil beside them, they like it, they become friends.

Tip 9- Stake the stalk  if you are growing them in a garden. They go crazy in a garden with all that freedom! Potted tomatoes tend to stay small enough for cages.

The spinach – I don’t know what happened to my spinach, but it wasn’t like the kind you buy at the store. It was weird and had long thin leaves. Maybe I bought the wrong kind, not sure…

The swiss chard – It’s wonderful! Especially as a replacement for spinach in cooking – very hearty, love it, love it, love it.

The edamame – Planted them with the green beans, didn’t yield a crop worth the effort, buy them frozen, its easier.

The Broccoli and Brocoflower- Okay, so apparently you need a TON of room to grow these and when I mean a ton I mean 2 feet between each plant. I had tiny broccoli’s, not even cute little broccoli’s, just tiny ones I thought would grow bigger but they bloomed and wilted instead.

The zucchini – These never fail. I love growing zucchinis because they yield a great crop and for the first month I had zucchini, after zucchini, after zucchini. It was wonderful. I love zucchini – I had so much zucchini that I made zucchini brownies!!! Soooo good. And then the unthinkable happened. Some little bastard squirrel found my zucchini plants and has been munching on them ever since. The little shit.

Tip 10 – Kick squirrels in the face.

Raspberries – I started raspberries at the end of last year.  I bought 3 plants from Rona for $3.  They were wilty and unimpressed with life, but I figured it was a good deal and decided to see what would happen. Two made it through winter, and today I have about 50 new shoots. It spreads like a weed.

Tip 11- Tie raspberries back early – with wire! Make little raspberry enclosure. It can be aggressive.

In retrospect, we’ve been eating pretty well and I have cherry tomatoes growing out of my ears, and I’m okay with that. I have been lucky with hardly any pests – excluding a mother fucker of a squirrel – and I know that as I write this, next year will be a very pesty year…

My last little tip is the most important. And can save you the most trouble from the beginning.

Tip 12 -The internet. The internet can be your best friend. Forums are very good for advice, helpful tips and ideas.

I think it has been a very good year …for small town girls, and soft summer nights… see, Frank agrees… I AM an expert gardener.

*Note to self
I always preferred Dean… You can’t beat a rainy fall day, warm scarf, latte and Dino singing…

 

Carrot Seed Tape

1. Unroll a strip of 2ply toilet paper on a table and mist it with a sprayer, and place the seeds along the center of the strip. SPACE THE SEEDS

2. Fold a third of the paper over the center (leaving the seeds in the middle section) and cover the seed with the remaining third again. Mist the seeds again.

3. Place your seed tape in a strip down your garden furrows and cover with soil.