July 31st, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
No, I will never be Julia Child, I will never approach being a real chef. I would never play one on tv or on a blog. However, I was reading this post (HT – Instapundit) and not only did I find what looks to be a most excellent recipe for roast chicken, but I remembered to order DVD’s of Julia Child’s old shows. As I commented to Virginia over on her post, I was very surprised that my husband thought we should get DVD’s of Julia Child.
When I was a kid, Julia’s show was on the local PBS station. She was very funny and cooked wonderful things that I would never see in my mother’s kitchen. In any case, I much prefer those old shows to the new movie that is out (Julie and Julia). So I bought them.
Yes, I own Julia Child’s book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I bought it because I love reading older cookbooks. I do wish I had the… um… interest in being a chef. However, I don’t, and I think at this point I can say I never will.
I love good food, I love reading cookbooks. But I cook in order to eat not because I love it. I am too lazy. Maybe if I had someone to chop things for me and clean the kitchen after me, I might be interested. Sadly, I am not sufficiently motivated by the thought of creating culinary masterpieces to go to all that trouble. I’ll leave that to chefs like Julia, and wonderful hostesses like Richmond who love it.
In the meantime, if you like roast chicken, you should hit the link at the beginning of this ramble and copy the recipe. (I did) Now though, I’m off to get some fish and chips from our local fish place. They cook so I don’t have to. We’re all happy!
Bon Appetit.
July 30th, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
On days I do pilates, it is impossible for me to eat for at least 3 hours before I start class – longer is better. That’s because the “core work” is so intense, having food in my stomach means I can’t do the exercises properly. Most of the time when I head into class, I’m really really hungry. (I happen to be one of those people who is a “grazer” I don’t tend to eat lots of food at one sitting, I am more likely to eat some bits of food most of the day).
Well, if I’m hungry heading in, you know about 20 minutes after class is over I literally get the shakes unless I can find calories quickly. On really desperate days I will stop at Starbucks and get a drink. Desperate days are days when I haven’t got food in the house – which happens too often because I’m a slacker when it comes to grocery shopping. Most times though, I head home and grab something quick to eat. I really like it when I remember to buy tuna or have some sort of meat available for protein. But most times it’s cheese and crackers which will work for about 30 minutes before I’m shaky again.
Therefore I twittered that I was going to have to create my own snack bags to take with me to pilates so I could eat them on the way home. Some mix of nuts and dried fruit with maybe a little chocolate (because everything is better with chocolate!).
Then SarahK tweeted about Clif Nectar bars. I looked at ingredients (Sarah recommends the Lemon, vanilla, cashew and the cranberry, apricot, almond) and decided I’m ordering some from Amazon – the lemon ones I can get with my Prime account – free 2 day delivery… yay! They sound delicious! Now if I can eat them and not get a headache – I shall be ever grateful. (well, I am grateful for the recommendation in any case, but it’s always a bonus if something is good and doesn’t cause migraines)
I will know soon.
July 30th, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
Okay I decided to play around with the template as you can see. This particular one can be personalized with any pics I so desire in the header. I don’t have any good food pics yet, so I’m leaving the original header until I get something I like.
While I liked the other theme, I just kept feeling it was too narrow for when I post pictures… not that I have lots, but it bothered me. I don’t want to spend money on a theme, so this one seemed to be the best widthwise.
Who knows, I may change it again. I don’t like changing stuff, but sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what works for me.
Stay tuned.
July 28th, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
So how are the crops coming along? Well, not too bad.
I can’t remember how tall corn is supposed to be about now. I think taller than this, but I could be wrong, that might be a midwest thing.
We also have the squash that was under lots of plastic not too many weeks ago. Now you can see they have the buckets ready because some of it is ready to pick.
Never having lived on a farm, I didn’t realize that the method for picking vegetables like squash is for someone to make a pass through to pick and someone else to come along and collect. At least that’s how I think it’s done. Because we have all these buckets and then if you look down the rows, you see many a squash lying on the ground.
Well, it’s a bit easier to see when you are there in person. But there it is, the limitations of the internet and pictures.
In the meantime, someone else is leaving champagne bottles laying around. Somehow I don’t think someone will be by to pick this up.
Gotta love the blue state “greenies”. Keepin’ it clean. Of course the bottle IS green isn’t it. Hmmm…
July 23rd, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
I prefer my chocolate dark… not milky. But one company is trying to change things up.
Camel milk chocolate company Al Nassma hopes to be ‘Godiva of the Middle East’
I have to say it does not sound at all appealing to me.
Dubai-based Al Nassma is the world’s first brand of chocolate made with camels’ milk, and it hopes to start selling its sweet treats in the United States in the next few months, according to Reuters.
There will be some who hate it or love it based on who is producing it. I’ll just stick with looking at it as a food instead. I don’t like milk chocolate (too sweet) I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t matter what kind of milk was used.
I can’t imagine I would like camel milk, I might be wrong on that. Of course if someone offered me some, I’d try it. But I don’t even like Hershey Kisses anymore since I stopped eating additives (they now taste metallic to me) which means I am not their demographic. Judging by the kinds of things I have seen other people eat, they may be a smashing success.
I’ll wait and see. I won’t be first in line though. Heh.
July 21st, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
Haven’t forgotten my poor little food site, just haven’t had the energy to post lately. As it is, I still don’t have much, but thought I should bring you…
News of the Food
The latest headlines on food. There have been a few things going on lately.
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No doughnuts under Newsom’s SF healthy foods plan
Looks like the mayor of San Fransisco is going to MAKE you eat healthy whether you want to or not. What a swell guy! I especially liked this bit:
That means less junk food and smaller portions at staff meetings.
Okay help me out here. If it’s not breakfast or lunch or even dinner – why is there food being served at staff meetings? Are people incapable of feeding themselves on a regular basis? Do they need donuts to get through every frigging meeting?
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Domino’s Pizza sales surge amid recession and swine flu fears
Sales at Domino’s Pizza are booming amid the economic downturn and could get a further boost if more people stay at home because of swine flu.
Excellent idea – stay home and get swine flu from your pizza delivery. You can be sick and fat at the same time. Heh.
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Fruit juice has one slight problem
Oops. No fruit.
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150-pound Minn. cupcake sets Guinness record
Well, I guess it can be called a cupcake if the person making it decides to name it “cupcake”… but anything that big is a cake in my book.
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Last of all, there is something really wrong with chocolate that doesn’t melt.
Low-calorie and melt-resistant: Swiss manufacturer creates the perfect chocolate
I don’t care what they say – if it doesn’t melt when warm, it’s not real chocolate.
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That’s it for now. Happy Eating everyone.
July 16th, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
Ree Drummond (the Pioneer Woman just in case you didn’t know) has started yet another web site.
***how does she do it? I have trouble keeping up with 2 much less the huge site she has going. Good heavens! I am envious – in a nice way – I know how hard it is to simply get posts out and she’s got an entire mega site and photography, cooking, home schooling… you name it thing going on. I’m not worthy – at all.
Anyhow it’s more like a forum from what I can gather and all about food. So there will be lots of people contributing.
The Tasty Kitchen
For a long time, I’ve wanted to create a happy little place on the web where people who love to cook could easily share recipes. Where the community would be able to tap into the bounty of tried, true, and tested recipes that exist in the arsenal of home cooks everywhere. Where recipes could easily be shared, searched for, found, and printed—and, most importantly, cooked, baked, prepared…and enjoyed!
I haven’t looked at it much, but if you are looking for new recipes, head on over and check it out. Ree does love to cook. It might be very very yummy.
Enjoy!
July 14th, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
Last week my neighbor was on vacay. She asked me to look in on her cats, which I was happy to do (cats are so easy to take care of when the owner is gone for a short time).
Anyhow, when she got back, she brought a blueberry pie she bought up north (where they grow tons of blueberries) and a bottle of wine as thanks. I love blueberries, but had never had a pie made from them before. These are the tiny wild blueberries that are very flavorful.
It’s a good pie, but there is something missing… I’m not quite sure what. Some sort of zip or zing. Mind you, we are happily eating it, I just think it would be even better with something added. Rather like strawberry pie benefits greatly by adding rhubarb. That sort of thing.
I just can’t figure out what. I am so not chef material.
July 13th, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
When you live in Chicago, the only way you get noticed is to be a character. If you’re a character people enjoy, you can make a living at it.
He carries a tune to pitch his beer
Even though there are no lyrics to composer Gioachino Rossini’s famous “William Tell Overture,” beer vendor Mark Reiner has added his own as he walks the aisles at Cubs and White Sox games.
The 55-year-old Reiner, a south suburban social studies teacher in the off-season, is better known to thirsty fans at Wrigley and U.S. Cellular fields as “The Singing Vendor.”
Hit the link and listen to the video. Fun times at the ball park and you get a beer to go with it.
I have to say, I like his singing better than Ronnie Woo Woo’s, wooing.
Personal preference – no I don’t drink beer. Heh.
July 11th, 2009 | Author:
Teresa
Just stopping by to check things and I saw the number 666 on the visitor counter. Hmmm… Run away! Run away!
Nibbles at the Table