Gourmandery

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

I had to make a run to Michaels for a few crafty things before we head north tomorrow. On the way back to the office I decided to stop at Checkers for lunch.

That is a lot of food, people. And I had no clue that a medium drink would rival a large at other fast food establishments. I opted for the vanilla shake rather than a soda and I’m still trying to down it all. I figure the quantity of calcium counter balances the sugar, although we’ll see how active the baby gets when the sugar kicks into gear.

Good burger though. And the fries were delish.

Monday, November 20, 2006

I’ve been checking Craigs List daily for a couple of weeks now for a freezer that we could put in the basement. Originally, we found a 5 cu ft chest freezer for about $50, but the guy never responded to our emails. So I kept looking and I found one on Friday - $50 for a 10.5 cu ft upright freezer.

Beau picked it up that afternoon after talking with the owner and was working it down the stairs when I got home. It’s about 2/3 the size of a regular frig and seems to work well. We immediately moved some stuff from the frig-freezer down there that night. And then I went to Wegmans on Saturday morning to buy groceries and stocked up on meat since they had good stuff for good prices. I bought a huge 7 lbs pack of ground beef and once home I separated it into 5 smaller vacuum packs using the FoodSaver we also found on Craigs List a little while ago.

I also bought the stuff I need to make the dessert that we’re taking to the in-laws’ for Thanksgiving. I won’t say what it is so that Beau’s Sis and Beau’s parents are surprised should they read the blog before we see them on Wednesday. I’ll be making the same dessert and my chili for the office Christmas pot luck lunch in a couple of weeks. And now that I have the APO address for Beau’s nephew who is in Iraq, I plan to bake a bunch of cookies to send to him for Christmas.

In the next few weeks, I’m hoping to put together some prepared meals to freeze so that we’ll have stuff on hand after the baby arrives. I need to get it done before Christmas because I’m already starting to lose the energy I had in the 2nd trimester - yesterday I did too much and it made me feel sick by the time we went to bed. I have a feeling that by the time we get to Christmas, I’ll not have much motivation to do anything other than lay around waiting for Jesse’s arrival.

Friday, October 13, 2006

So now that I’m pretty much back to normal, I’ve started cooking again. On Saturday I cooked some salmon fillets - simple really. I merely seasoned them with Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic. Then I seared one side in the cast iron skillet. When it was time to turn them over, I then placed the skillet in the oven to finish cooking them for about 15 minutes. Tender and delicious. The sides were black beans and lima beans.

Then on Monday I made my lemon-mustard chicken with rice and steamed veggies. Yummy and easy.

I’m trying to decide what to make tomorrow - probably salmon again since we have it on hand. We need to go to the store to stock up on meats and fresh veggies. I want to make a pot of beef stew next week now that the temp has dropped. And maybe some of that Texas Chili, too.

Beau, start a list, hon.

Friday, October 06, 2006

I’m so happy it’s Friday and that Monday is a holiday. I’m tired.

We went to small group last night - my first time back since the morning sickness kicked into high gear. It was great to be back with our friends; we had a good discussion from Acts. But it was a late night - we didn’t get home until after 10pm so I’m dragging a bit today. Add the dreary rain and I just want to be at home, curled up with a good book or the TV.

We have a good weekend ahead. It shouldn’t be too busy. We’ll go to church tomorrow night and then on Sunday we’re taking my mother out for her birthday to The British Pantry for a brunch tea.

We have no plans for Monday, but I’m sure we’ll find something to do. Or not. I’ll be happy to have a lazy day to chill out before starting another work week.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

I love autumn. The cooler temperatures with fresher, cleaner air. The colors of the dying leaves.

Coffee.

I bought my first cup of coffee (decaf) (since I found out about the baby) this morning. Sure was tasty.

Bring on the Pumpkin Spice Latte*!

* Although, I went to Caribou this morning - Lite White Raspberry Mocha, thank you.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

I ate too much to post anything yesterday afternoon. It was all I could do to keep from hurling it all up in relief.

I still can’t figure out when I’ve eaten too much while I’m still eating and feeling hungry. It’s more critical in my current condition - the misery after eating too much these days is far more than before. And it’s only going to get worse as things expand and shrink in the next 6 months. *sigh*

That said, we had a feast yesterday and we’ll enjoy the leftovers for the next two days as well. The corn pudding went over well - there’s none of that left. The isn’t much of the potatoes or beans either.

The other primary cook brought scrumptious pulled pork, of which there is plenty. I can’t wait to dig into that at lunchtime.

Beau enjoyed some of the leftovers last night, including some chocolate cake and apple pie.

The good news is we’ll have another of these farewell luncheons at the end of September/beginning of October when another deputy departs us.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

This is a rich, delicious favorite.

Corn Pudding
1 can cream corn
1 can whole corn, do not drain
8 oz sour cream
1 stick melted butter
2 eggs
1 box cornbread mix
grated cheddar cheese (I use about 1 cup)

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake in 350F degree oven for 35 minutes covered, and then 15 minutes unconvered.

It smells heavenly when it bakes. Yum!

The quantities listed are complete estimates because I didn’t measure anything that I put into the pot. You’ll have to experiment to get it to your taste.

Jen’s Baked Beans
2 cans white northern beans, not drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste

In a 3-4 quart casserole or crock pot, mix all ingredients well.

If in a casserole, bake in a 350F oven for up to an hour.

If in a crock pot, cook on high for at least an hour and then reduce to low.

This batch of beans is in the crock pot. After about 90 minutes, the beans were still a bit al dente, but the flavors were coming together. I have a feeling the beans still had crunch because they sat in the frig overnight before we turned on the pot this morning.

Here’s the recipe for the potato casserole that my office loves and devours every time I bring it.

Hash Brown Casserole

2 lb bag of frozen hash brown potatoes (the cubes), thawed
1/2 C melted butter
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 Tbsp dried minced onion
1-2 C sour cream
2 C grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
bread crumbs, for topping

Mix all ingredients (except bread crumbs) together well and pour into a 9x13 casserole. Top with bread crumbs. Bake for 1 hour in 350F degree oven.

For our office luncheons, I double the recipe and pour the mixture into a crock pot. I have one of those crock pots with the removable bowl, so I put that in the oven for an hour and then I finish the cooking in the crock pot in the hours between when I get to the office and when we eat. Plus it’s an easy way to keep them hot all day.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

I’m busy at work since it’s the end of the month. However, I have a few random things rolling around my head that I thought I’d share.

1. We’re having a pot luck tomorrow here at the office. I will post the recipes for my contributions if you’re interested: hash brown casserole, baked beans, corn pudding.

2. John Mark Karr vs DA Lacy: I was an early skeptic that this whacko’s assertion that he killed JonBenet Ramsey was true. However, it seems to me the Boulder DA’s office did the exact right thing regarding this sick nutjob. I was amazed last night that almost immediately she and her team were being villified for making the arrest in the first place. From the little I got from their presser today, it seems that they had no choice but to arrest him.

3. Baja Fresh rulz.

4. Paul at Wizbang! (a New Orleans native) puts forth a very plausible explanation of how the levees broke before Katrina’s fury hit in full force. Why isn’t this news getting more play?

5. I have the best husband a gal could ask for. I love you, Beau.

That is all. Happy Tuesday.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

I was perusing the hard candy at the store this morning since I’m about finished with the Creme Savers I bought last week. I decided upon Lifesavers this time - mint doesn’t bother me like it used to, praise be - come on Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream!

Anyhoo, I usually opt for Pep-o-Mint but I noticed the new Sweet Mint and thought I’d give it a try.

I love.

Not too minty. Not too sweet. The perfect blend of sweet and mint. Sweet Mint!

Monday, August 14, 2006

As has been the case, this weekend was a whole lot of lazing about with a couple outings.

First, Beau’s Sis arrived Friday evening to pick up Falcor. We convinced her to spend the night and then we ordered Chinese and just hung out. She left at about 10am on Saturday. I never did take a picture of Falcor - too lazy to get the camera. But he’s a sweet, snuggly little pooch and I enjoyed having him around.

Beau went left Saturday AM for the last day of the leadership conference. On Friday our pastor has issued an invitation to all and their spouses to meet at Maggiano’s for a late lunch after the conference was over on Saturday. I was very happy to be having a good day and made it out to Tysons Galleria (yes, we have a galleria). I arrived at the restaurant just as we were getting seated. From there we enjoyed a fun time, good conversation, and delicious food. I especially enjoyed the calamari fritte and mozzarella marinara. I ate really well and finished it all off with cheesecake and tiramisu.

Sunday we went to church and then lunch with Dad. Mom wasn’t feeling well and stayed home. Then we lazed at home before heading out for dinner with some of my college friends who came into town for the weekend. It was great to see them and they enjoyed meeting Beau.

And that’s about as exciting as the weekend was for us. I was happy to be able to eat well, keep most everything down, and actually enjoy food. Progress!

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Following up on the post about the Hershey’s Kisses Coconut Cream, I need to tell you that I found them at the Target by my house.

I just now remembered that they were in my bag. After eating two, here’s my assessment:

1. They are all right - not awful, not great. I’d pick Hugs first, though.

2. The coconut center is creamy, but not smooth. There is a grainy texture to it, the coconut, that is a little odd. It’s not like the coconut center of a Mounds, which I think I prefer, even with the dark chocolate.

3. The chocolate coating seems too soft. If you press them too hard, the chocolate breaks a bit.

Overall, I think this product gets a 3 out of 5. Maybe. It’s more like a 2.75 out of 5.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

I have many thoughts about Monday’s episode of HK. First, go read Jay’s and Beth’s posts - both are heavy on the spoilers. Then come back and read mine, which you will find behind the link…

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

I think I will love these.

They will solve my issues with Mounds - well, it’s really only one issue - the dark chocolate. I’m a milk chocolate lover.

So now I’m looking forward to the chocolate cravings. Beau, prepare yourself, love. I will be wanting these.

[via dogette]