Category Archives: kitchen stories

>Eating the Opponent: Chicago!

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>Why are you reading blogs? It’s Christmas Eve! Oh, yes, it’s NFL football day, too. My Green Bay Packers play tomorrow, though. However, Green Bay maintains its popularity in the NFL schedule by playing on the national stage again, this time on a holiday: Christmas Day.

In the Okay By Me homestead, we’ll eat the opponent on Christmas Eve. Tonight. After a day of wrapping presents and organizing gifts and cleaning the house, I just don’t feel up to cooking something special. Neither does Chuck. It’s a good thing the Packers are playing the Chicago Bears. We picked up a Chicago style deep dish pizza yesterday from a take and bake place. Followed by Christmas cookies for dessert, it will be the perfect Christmas Eve supper.
After the presents are unwrapped, the brunch eaten, the naps taken (believe me, I’ll need one), we’ll gather around the Christmas tree and watch our Packers take the field once again. It’s Aaron Rodgers’ neighborhood, remember, and Sunday promises to be a beautiful day.

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>Rouxbe Cooking School

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>It was an impulse. I admit it. I signed up for a trial of five lessons with Rouxbe Cooking School online. I thought, “Why not?” After all, I enjoy playing in the kitchen, I like to post recipes on my blog, and the folks at home (mainly Chuck, my ever-tolerant and loving husband) will enjoy the results. On top of that, I teach online; surely I can learn the same way.

Each lesson follows the same structure. First, goals of the lesson. We teachers would call those objectives. Second, the lesson video. Rouxbe recommends watching, rewinding, watching again. Next comes the fun part: Practice, also known as Edible Exercises. Last, I’ll take an interactive quiz and then participate in a discussion board.
Readers, my dearests, be prepared for reviews of the cooking school. I’m more of a simple cook, where my husband is more of an Iron Chef type in the kitchen. Whenever he’s interested, I invite him to look over the lessons and participate in the practice portion with me.
Meanwhile, I’m baking cookies. It is, after all, the night before the night before Christmas!

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>When nothing is going right…the Worry Monster

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>Heard on Twitter – “When nothing in life is going right, go left.”

I lean pretty far to the left as it is, so I find other ways to cope. The hardest part of coping with life in general is facing the Worry Monster.
The Worry Monster invades my thoughts when something unpredictable or uncontrollable is coming up, something I need to face but can’t really change. The Worry Monster enters through the side door, suggesting I worry about something coming up – a routine medical procedure, perhaps. As I’m consciously deciding not to worry about it, the Monster will suggest something else that deserves worry. By the time the Monster leaves, laughing its evil laugh, I’ve probably worried about a number of upcoming dates or vague future events.
I fight the Worry Monster by staying active. Politically, the Worry Monster thinks I should worry about all that’s going on in Madison. In place of worry, I choose concern. I write letters and emails. I blog. I volunteer with Organizing for America (OFA) by entering data after phone banks and canvass days. I make an occasional donation, but my main contribution is time.
I fought the Worry Monster before the frost came by working in the garden. Simple and mindless tasks such as weeding and watering provided think time. Think time isn’t worry; it’s work-things-through time. As long as I remembered the mosquito repellent, I could stay in the garden for hours, weeding, watering, and processing thoughts. The garden really does nourish the soul.
Now, when the garden lies sleeping the winter away under a blanket of leaves, I play in the kitchen. Cooking is work; baking is play. It’s productive, fun, and a great creative outlet. I’ve considered attempting sourdough bread; maybe it’s time to get serious and create a sourdough starter. Maybe – after the holiday cookies are done.
So take that, Worry Monster. If not much is going right in life, I just turn to the left and get busy.

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>Pumpkin Bread for the Bread Machine

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>Bread Machine, Breadmaker, Breadmaker, Bread Machine. You know what I mean. It’s the appliance that allows us busy cooks to have fresh bread with a minimum of fuss.

Here’s a special variety of bread for the upcoming holidays. I’m tempted to add raisins or nuts to it: maybe next time.
Ingredients:
Add to bread machine in this order.
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter, cut up
3 cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
Select basic white bread cycle. Enjoy!
Adding nuts can happen at the “add more goodies” beep mid-cycle or at the beginning. Readers, any preference as to timing?
Enjoy the bread, and have a great holiday full of good food and family fun.

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>Banana Bread with Crumble Topping

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>Recipe from Bakesale Betty: Oakland, CA. This was part of our Eating the Opponent challenge as the Packers prepared to play the Oakland Raiders.


Ingredients: banana bread batter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed rip bananas – 2 to 3 medium
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
1/4 cup honey (local, of course)
Crumble ingredients:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
Directions:
Butter and flour 9″ by 5″ by 3″ bread pan or alternative
Whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.
Whisk bananas, eggs, oil, and honey. add dry ingredients; stir to blend. Transfer batter to pan(s). Mix crumble ingredients; sprinkle over batter.
Bake bread at 350 for 1 hour – less if splitting it into smaller pans. Cool bread in pan for 30 minutes (if you can wait that long). Turn pan on its side; slide out bread, being gentle with topping. Turn bread right side up and cool completely.
This might just become my Christmas morning standard. It can bake and then cool while we’re opening presents. By the time we’ve left the wrappings as playthings for the rabbit, we’re hungry enough to enjoy a special treat. This banana bread with more could be just the right treat.

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>Hickory Farms Gift Baskets

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>

Every year I create gift baskets for our extended family. I’m lucky; if I start early, I have time. My gift baskets are no match for the professionals, though. Hickory Farms, for example, sent me a gift basket to review and I was impressed.

When the box arrived, I was eager to open it and see what had come from Hickory Farms. It was like an early Christmas gift from Mom Central! The basket was a good size, wrapped well, and looked like it contained a lot of delicious treats. I emptied the top layer and stood back to look it over.


I noticed that the packaging was paper, shredded small and crinkled. The effect was a nice looking basket with a neutral background for the fruit, sausage, cheese, and more, and then a reusable or recyclable batch of packaging. This was a case of good packaging, keeping the pears and apples from bruising, and filling the basket as well. Within the layers of shredded paper fill were more pears and apples!


The fruits were delicious and fresh. One popular feature at Hickory Farms is their $3 – 3 Day shipping. Freshness matters when giving food. I recommend this shipping option because my fruit and cheese was just right and ready to eat when it arrived. See below for a close-up of the fruit. The racing sausage guys were a little jealous when I paid attention to the Hickory Farms sausages, so I let them join in the picture.

The cheese was fresh and flavorful, a smooth and tasty medium cheddar. The beef summer sausages sliced easily and tasted good with crackers and cheese as we watched our Green Bay Packers trounce the Detroit Lions. This was definitely a winner in my book – er, kitchen. I enjoyed the Hickory Farms basket, and so did the rest of my extended family.
I wish I could have found out exactly where the cheese and sausages were produced. In a state like Wisconsin, where cheeses abound and sausages even race around a baseball field, it’s logical to want to trace the origins of these products. Product quality was excellent, and freshness a plus. Wherever the butchers and cheese makers are, they do their work well.
As for the basket and the packaging, there are two birthdays and the Christmas holiday coming up. I know I’ll reuse these by filling them with my own homemade goodies.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a product sample to facilitate my review. And what a generous and delicious sample it was!

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>And more Granola

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>In our home, I’m the one who most likes granola.

In our home, I’m also the only one who enjoys coconut.
Here’s another granola recipe, this one including coconut. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks good. Maybe I could take out the coconut so Chuck could enjoy it, too. My current granola is delicious on yogurt and makes a good breakfast cereal, too. It’s certainly less expensive than the granola-type cereals in the store.
Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup wheat germ (What about flaxseed?)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (Do you think olive oil would work?)
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut (I hope this is optional. I’d think so.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins (plump by adding water, microwaving for 1 minute; let stand and drain)
Directions
In a glass dish, heat oats for 3 minutes on high in microwave.
Add brown sugar, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, oil, honey, coconut, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir well to coat dry mixture evenly. Microwave 4 to 5 minutes on high, stirring twice. Add raisins. Microwave 2 minutes on high, stirring midway through cooking.
Cool. Store in airtight container.
Well, readers, what do you think? How does this compare to my other granola recipe? And my other question: would this work in the oven like my other granola recipe? I’ll try it as is first, and then play with it a little. Maybe. If I can resist making changes the first time… I hear you. Yeah, right.

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Granola with Fruit Butter

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If you’re not reading Food in Jars, you should be. This is based on one of her recipes. I made it with my apple butter, and it’s making the house smell so good! If it turns out well (and so far, it is), I may include small packages of this in my holiday gift baskets.

2 cups oats (old fashioned are best, quick oats will do)
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup peanuts
1 cup fruit butter or sauce – I used apple butter.
Spices to taste.
Stir together.
Toast at 325 degrees F., turning on the baking sheet several times.
Optional: after cooling, add raisins or other dried fruit. I like dried cranberries (a.k.a. craisins). As for the nuts, 1 1/2 cups of anything nutty will work.
My apple butter has its own unique flavor, so I didn’t add spices. Ginger or nutmeg might have been good. I think any combination of nuts would do. Next time, I might experiment with nuts, too.
It’s fun to find a recipe that offers so many options and yet is so easy to make.
This granola is simple and delicious. Next batch might be made with my super-thick cinnamon applesauce.

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>Eating the Opponent: Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay

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>There was a recipe email in my inbox this morning with the subject line: “Plan ahead now for Thanksgiving!” Ahem. If you haven’t started planning for Thanksgiving yet, it’s not early. In fact, grocery stores will probably be mobbed this weekend with people who really did plan ahead.

Before the harvest celebration next Thursday, the family at Chez O.K. will once again be eating the opponent, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ style. Chuck did a little research and found that the Tampa area plays host to restaurants that serve foods with a Spanish influence, a nod to Florida’s history. The menu for tonight features that influence.
Albondigas: Meatballs made from a blend of ground veal and beef with breadcrumbs and jerk seasoning simmered with tomato sauce and carrots and potatoes. No, we’re not calling the Buccaneers jerks. We’re using seasoning with a Caribbean influence. The tomato sauce will feature some of the last fresh tomatoes, harvested before the final frost and ripened indoors.
Breadsticks warmed with olive oil and cayenne pepper
Fruit salad of Passion fruit and oranges
Key Lime Pie for dessert. I admit it, the Florida Keys are not directly related to Tamp Bay or NFL Football. It is, however, delicious.
Main course alternatives were:
Grilled snapper topped with olive oil, diced tomato, garlic, onions, and artichoke hearts
-or-
Chorizo Espanola: sliced chorizo and onions sauteed in olive oil
We’ll save those for next year. Go! Pack! Go!

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>Eating the Opponent: Wild Rice Hot Dish

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>Yep, Green Bay played Minnesota last night. The Badgers played the Gophers, too, for the prize they call Paul Bunyan’s Ax. Saturday night Amigo and I had a wild rice dish to invoke the taste of Minnesota.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup Minnesota wild rice, uncooked
1/2 lb. fresh muchrooms, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons beef bouillon mix
1 1/2 cup water
Directions:
Rinse and soak wild rice in hot water for up to three hours. Drain.
In a four quart saucepaan, cover rice with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain any excess water.
Brown ground beef in a nonstick skillet. Drain any fat or juices. Combine cooked ground beef with remaining ingredeitns in a large casserol dish. Mix thoroughly.
Cove and bake one hour at 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake 15 additional minutes.
Serves 6. Amigo and I had a lot left over.
Daisy’s comments: I also added a diced chili pepper, one of the last from my garden. It spiced up the mix considerably. The final result was rather monochromatic. Delicious, but not much to decorate a plate. Next time I’ll add something with more color. Various peppers, perhaps, or corn or peas (frozen from the garden or Farmers’ Market, of course) would make this look as good as it tastes.
One more addition: this wild rice dish with its flavor and its beef made a great addition to potato soup. Potato and beefy wild rice soup; easy and delicious. I’m packing some in my lunch tomorrow.

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