simplicity

It's been an emotional roller coaster recently.  

I haven't felt like doing much of anything.  My running isn't helping and I've even been bored in the kitchen. That's no good...that's supposed to be my place of solace and it hasn't been.  I've let my dishes pile up, I've eaten more bread and cheese than I should.  Sigh.  These are just the ebbs and flows of life, I guess.  

I did stumble upon a few things tonight.  A marinade that's great for pork or chicken and doesn't take too long to settle into the meat....ew, that can kinda sound gross.  Whatever.  It's easy.  You need, a ziplock bag, whatever meat you are using and here's how it goes: Put your meat into the ziplock, pour in a healthy dose of olive oil, salt and pepper, a good pour of low sodium soy sauce, about a tablespoon of honey and a big spoonful of chile sauce...found next to the Saracha at the grocery store, same brand but in a smaller bottle w. a green top...seal and let sit in the fridge for an hour (or more, I did three b.c I was doing stuff) and then broil your meat until done.  Or if you have a grill, I bet it would be great grilled.

I also stumbled upon this and it made me smile, so I leave you with it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

may my heart always be open to little
birds who are the secrets of living
whatever they sing is better than to know
and if men should not hear them men are old
   
may my mind stroll about hungry
and fearless and thirsty and supple
and even if it's sunday may i be wrong
for whenever men are right they are not young
   
and may myself do nothing usefully
and love yourself so more than truly
there's never been quite such a fool who could fail
pulling all the sky over him with one smile

- e.e. cummings

Oh my meatballs

Dang guys...I made meatballs tonight and they were INCREDIBLE. Restaurant good. I would, for sure, order these a second (or third) time if I ate them somewhere other than my house...extra bonus!?!? They are easy to make and now are my go-to meatball. Everyone needs one, right? I think Emily Post wrote about it at some point in her life.

If you don't eat meat, I understand, well I don't but I respect it and I'm really thankful that I love veggies too. But, I'm not sure I get it...back to the main objective here...meatballs. The reason these might be so good is that they are from 'the Frankies Spuntino's' cookbook. I'm sure I've talked about this before...Rory's sister (my future sister-in-law!!!) gave me this book for Christmas and it's awesome. It's so great. If you are as much of an Italian food fan as I am, you might do yourself a favor and go buy this cookbook. Seriously.

So, I didn't follow the recipe to the T because I didn't have everything I was supposed to, and if I'm 100% honest...I don't know how I feel about raisins in meatballs. Here's my version of the Frank's meatballs. Enjoy 'em!! (oh, and if you want the original recipe email me and I will get it to you!)

Jordan's version of the Frankie Spuntino Meatball

Makes about 15 meatballs; 4 servings

Ingredients

2 slices of wheat bread (about 1 packed cup)

1 pound ground beef

2 garlic cloves, minced

A hardy handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

Almost 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

A hardy handful of chopped walnuts

Salt

20 turns on your pepper grinder

2 large eggs

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Tomato sauce (you can make your own or use store bought, I used TJ's marinara)

How Ta Do It

First, heat your oven too 325 degrees. Then put the bread in a bowl and cover with water. Let sit for about a minute or so. Pour out the water and squeeze out as much water as you can, then crumble and rip into small pieces. (by the way...this is one of those use your hands and get dirty kinds of recipes!)

Next, in the same bowl combine all the remaining ingredients (sans the tomato sauce). The original recipe said to combine them in the order listed, however, I added the meat right before the eggs. The whole mixture should be moist wet, not sloppy wet so your breadcumbs may very...you might need more, you might need less.

Shape the meatballs in your hands to a little bigger than a golf ball size.  Space these puppies evenly on a baking sheet. You may want to line the baking sheet with parchment paper or something similar...I ended up with a messy pan. Bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, I only baked for 25 minutes. The meatballs should be firm yet still juicy and gently yielding when they are cooked through. (Feel free, at this point, to let these guys cool and pop them in the freezer for some later date.)

Meanwhile, heat whatever tomato sauce you have choose in a sauté pan large enough to accommodate all the meatballs.

Dump the meatballs into the pan, simmer for about 10 minutes (original recipe calls for 30...I was way too hungry.) you want to make sure that they have had the opportunity to mingle with the sauce.

Serve the meatballs 3 to a person with a generous helping of sauce AND cheese! Yum. I ate 4 and had asparagus and a poached egg...I like food. Please try these and let me know what you think!!

Xo

Double Celebration!

First of all - Rory has done it again!! Check out his most recent Land Rover commercial:

Pretty sweet huh!? And secondly, he proposed to me this weekend at an Explosions in the Sky Concert! Song. Ring. YAYAYAYYAAYAYAYAYAY!

 

xo

Did it again.

I am currently working on a project with my niece about baking. I asked her what she wanted me to bake and she said 'bread, from scratch.'  So before I actually teach her how to do it, I've set out on my own mission to find a simple, easy recipe that's kid friendly.  

I initially tried the 'No Knead Bread' that was covered by Mark Bittman in the NYTimes a few years ago, that resurfaced last year.  I wasn't satisfied. And I don't know how that guy from Sullivan bakery doesn't have his dough all sticky and too tough to work with after the first rise - I keep adding flour and more flour and more flour.  So I tried it again, this time with a little extra salt and with a light knead at the suggestion of my Cook's Illustrated iPhone app.  Much, much happier.

 

I slashed the top in an 'x' and actually checked the temp inside the loaf...It's supposed to get to 210 degrees, I got to like 200 and got impatient and worried about burning.  This time around, the bread tastes better too. However, I'm still not 100% satisfied, so I have to come up with something else or tweek the recipe a few more times.

Have any simple bread recipes that you think a 7 year old might enjoy making?

Easter! Nummy Bread!

I was inspired by my Mother last night.  She said she was making Pork Roast for Easter dinner and we have a guest in town so...it seemed fitting to make a nice dinner.  It was great.

Roast Pork w. Mustard and Herb coating (I don't like the word coating, it feels kind of gross.  But I can't call is a rub or a glaze because it's not either of those things.) It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Found it on epicurious.com.  Also made Seared Rainbow Chard w. Leeks (I added beet greens too) also found on epicurious.com, had I been away from my computer I would have used my handy-dandy iPhone app. Unnecessary statement.  Lastly, I threw together some mashed red potatoes w. garlic.  The most exciting part is that the Swiss Chard, the leeks, the beet greens and the green (!!) garlic all came from my farm share. Oh farm share, how I love you.

The highlight of today is that I am making a Banana Cranberry Walnut Cornmeal Quick Bread. I can't wait to show it to you. I tweeked the recipe from Joy the Baker. Here it is for you.

Banana Cranberry Walnut Cornmeal Quick Bread

adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup medium or fine ground cornmeal
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup honey (or pure maple syrup if you have it on hand)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 super ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (reserving a small handful for decorating the top)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, or two slightly smaller loaf pans.  Set aside the greased and floured loaf pans.  

In a large bowl, whisk together both flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.  

In a smaller bowl whisk together honey, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, bananas and vanilla extract.  Make sure you really mash up the bananas.  If you don't have buttermilk - and who does, you can make some.  I took a cup of milk and added 1 1/2 teaspoons of cream of tartar.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until blended.  

Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.  

Divide batter between two smaller loaf pans or into one large loaf pan. Spread evenly in pan and tap out the any bubbles.  Add the whole walnut halves and place in preheated oven.  I probably should have made two smaller loaves because I have bits of batter spilling over onto the bottom of my oven.  For smaller loaves bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes of clean.  For the larger loaf, bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. I baked mine for like 80 minutes. (yikes!)

Cool loaves in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.  Invert onto a plate or board.  Serve warm with butter. 

xo

things to remember

50 WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS

Get up 15 minutes earlier. Prepare for the morning the night before. Don’t rely on your memory ... write things down. Repair things that don’t work properly. MAKE DUPLICATE KEYS. SAY “NO” MORE OFTEN. Set priorities in your life. Avoid negative people. Always make copies of important papers. ASK FOR HELP WITH JOBS YOU DISLIKE. Break large tasks into bite sized portions. Look at problems as challenges. Smile more.  Be prepared for rain.  SCHEDULE A PLAY TIME INTO EVERY DAY. Avoid tight fitting clothes. Take a bubble bath.  Believe in you. Visualize yourself winning.  Develop a sense of humor. Stop thinking tomorrow will be better today. Have goals for yourself. SAY HELLO TO A STRANGER. Look up at the stars. PRACTISE BREATHING SLOWLY. DO BRAND NEW THINGS. Stop a bad habit.  TAKE STOCK OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS. Do it today. Strive for excellence, NOT perfection. LOOK AT A WORK OF ART. Maintain your weight. Plant a tree. Stand up and stretch. Always have a plan B.  Learn a new doodle. Learn to meet your own needs.  BECOME A BETTER LISTENER. Know your limits and let others know them too.  THROW A PAPER AIRPLANE. Exercise every day. Get to work early. Clean out one closet.  Take a different route to work.  LEAVE WORK EARLY (WITH PERMISSION).  Remember you always have options. Quit trying to “fix” other people.  GET ENOUGH SLEEP. Praise other people. RELAX, TAKE EACH DAY AT A TIME ... YOU HAVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

got this from cup of jo and she found it here. easy enough, right.

Friends and good ol' comfort cures

I just got back from a week out of LA. It was great, it was needed and even though I've come back a little sick (I think OR it's allergies) it was awesome.

We road tripped to San Francisco for my birthday and for Rory's CD recording. We stopped in Monterey, had a birthday beer.

Checked into our hotel, rested and relaxed and went out to celebrate my 30th birthday. Went to the Elbo Room in the Mission, a bar that has arcade games and a photo booth plus great cocktails. This is where Rory surprised me with one of my birthday presents.

Then we went to Delfina, a lovely Italian (DUH!) restaurant in the Mission. We had a lamb ragu, a spicy cauliflower pasta, roast chicken and a buttermilk panna cotta with balsamic strawberries. Yum. Yum. Yum. We also had a lesson in determining if our wine was good or not.  We got a bad bottle, thought it was okay and the sommelier wasn't so sure, so she tried it and brought us a different bottle. We were thankful that she was so honest. I enjoy San Francisco, a lot.  Rory had two awesome shows and I'm pretty sure he's going to be happy with his album. 

Then I drove 9 hours to Vegas - long long trip but I drove through San Luis Reservoir and it was gorgeous. Had birthday dinner with my family. 30 candles!

Hung out with this guy, Aadi. He's pretty adorable.

Got to hug my super pregnant friend, Tiff, while hanging out with a ton of friends.

And now, I'm home and a little under the weather, so, I made chicken soup. Easy and delicious. 

Old Fashion Chicken Soup 
slightly adapted from here
serves 12 or more

16 cups chicken stock (low sodium or not)
1 4lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I forgot this step!)
2 leeks, sliced
8 oz dried wide egg noodles (I poured the whole bag in...oops!)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley


Break down your chicken. I demolished my chicken...not the way I was supposed to I don't think. You can always buy pre-brokendown chicken or you can goggle breaking down a chicken and follow someones steps.


Combine chicken stock and chicken in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes. Take the chicken out, let it cool. Let broth cool and skim the fat off the top. Discard the skin and bones (you can keep the bones for your own stock! I forgot and put the bones into a freshly bleached sink), tear chicken into bite-size pieces and reserve.


Return the broth to a simmer, add onion, carrots and celery.  Simmer about 8 minutes.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet, add the mushrooms and leeks, saute until the mushrooms are a little brown.  Add to the broth, stir in the noodles, parsley and chicken.  Simmer until noodles are tender, season with pepper and salt if you need it. And enjoy. 


xo