tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36444018899845869622024-03-13T23:15:32.769-07:00Seriously yum.Rule One? Make sure it tastes at least as good as it looks.pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.comBlogger443125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-59873503777840969262015-03-06T21:29:00.000-08:002015-03-06T21:29:21.743-08:00No one likes burnt coffee. No one. Holy crap, it's March. It's been an insane 2015. Since the new year, Hubs accepted a new job and therefore agreed to move closer to LA. We moved February 1st. Which means and we're now OUT of my Central Valley political hell—hooray!—yet smack dab into my own personal hell. The Inland Empire. The IE. The place I grew up. The place I swore I'd never return. <br />
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I now live quite literally a stone's throw from the house I grew up in. My parents still live there. We take a "hike" (aka a third of a mile walk up a steep hill) to their house. The dude likes the walk. (Even though his legs "hurt" halfway up and it's always "sunny.") <br />
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Is this bad? Totally not. My parents are amazing. They've cooked for us and watched E for us and given far too many financial handouts in the midst of all of this. (I should note that we've firmly reached the horrible threes. E is his sweet self about 6 hours a day. At least one of those is between 2-3am. My parents have handled this about as well as we have, which is impressive.)<br />
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But. Shit. I basically moved back home. It's still my parents. You know how it goes.<br />
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So we're finding the plus sides. We live at the base of a little mountain. (It's literally called Little Mountain.) So we hike the three miles to the top 3 days a week or so.<br />
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It's beautiful. I hate every second of starting the hike, but love every second after about a 1/2 mile up. Plus Hubs and I are sharing an office these days, so it gives us a little chance to take advantage of this working from home bullshit. And the dog actually sleeps afterwards.<br />
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I've even been cooking a lot in my <strike>fucking tiny</strike> smaller than average kitchen. I've made Chicken Saltimbocca. Stuffed tomatoes. Swordfish. Caramelized onion and blue cheese pasta. I also made spinach pesto this week. And it was delicious. I've had it with pasta, on salad, and in orzo. And <i>it also gave me <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm247099.htm" target="_blank">Pine Mouth</a>.</i><br />
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PEOPLE. THIS SHOULD NOT BE A REAL THING.<br />
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Pine Mouth, as it is so aptly and unfortunately named, is a rare yet real condition where eating certain pine nuts affects certain people by basically shitting on their taste buds for a week or so. Basically, eating any other food causes your taste buds to puke (not actual scientific terminology), causing your entire mouth to taste like you just drank the bottom of a burned coffee pot after not brushing your teeth for a few days. After. Every. Bite. You. Take. <br />
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Let that sink in. <br />
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It's been an interesting month at my new house. I'm fully intending on giving recipes for a few great things I've made...but after this taste goes away. I'm utterly unable to give any sort of accurate review currently, and the thought of the good stuff I've made recently just makes me sad. And a little hungry. <br />
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Til then, lay off the pine nuts, y'all. It's not worth it. <br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-25784388175671135062015-01-03T15:31:00.001-08:002015-01-03T17:55:09.388-08:00I officially need a bigger kitchen.Well, my family officially thinks I live in the kitchen. Christmas gifts included:<div>A set of 4 meat thermometers </div><div>A new cutting board</div><div>A cookbook holder</div><div>A Bobby Deen cookbook</div><div>An Ina Garten cookbook </div><div>A new kitchen timer </div><div>A bottle of vodka </div><div>A new <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">potholder </span></div><div>A skillet</div><div><br></div><div>I'm not complaining. Almost all of the above were desperately needed and/or much appreciated. </div><div><br></div><div>First thing I tackled (after the vodka, natch) was the Bobby Deen cookbook. 30 minute meals under 350 calories? Good work, Ma. So far everything we've tried has been easy and delicious, so I'm sold. </div><div><br></div><div>Well, not the zucchini and corn fritters. I don't want to talk about those. (Hubs thinks I "saved them" by making them a hash and putting them under some chipotle pork chops. But that was not the intent. I have long standing deficiencies in the fritter/fried cake department.)</div><div><br></div><div>Last night we tried the Lemony Greek Chicken Soup with Spinach. Adjusted it just a tad to make a bigger pot by adding more low sodium broth (half regular and half low), two small chicken breasts and more spinach, but otherwise followed his recipe. I was afraid it wouldn't be enough as a main course, but it worked for me. Hubs had two bowls. Some French bread would have been a nice addition. Or a spinach salad, actually! </div><div><br></div><div>Trying to update to a better photo btw. Low light and yellow soup are a bad combo...</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Dpt7BHjWfGw/VKidetXbQpI/AAAAAAAACNA/Jvk6VqSUqHU/s640/blogger-image--512019757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Dpt7BHjWfGw/VKidetXbQpI/AAAAAAAACNA/Jvk6VqSUqHU/s640/blogger-image--512019757.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div><b>Lemony Greek Chicken Soup with Spinach </b></div><div>9 cups chicken broth </div><div>1/2 cup orzo pasta</div><div>8oz chicken breast, cooked and cubed</div><div>Half a bag baby spinach, rough chopped</div><div>Juice from one lemon (1/4 cup)</div><div>3 eggs, room temp </div><div>Fresh pepper </div><div><br></div><div>Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook 7 minutes (or 2 less than the box tells you to). Stir in chicken and spinach, cook two more minutes. Turn off heat. </div><div><br></div><div>In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon until it gets nice and frothy. Keep whisking as you take a ladle full of broth and very slowly add it to the eggs. Repeat with another ladle or two. Then stir the soup as you pour the egg mixture slowly back into the soup. (This makes sure you don't end up with scrambled eggs. This isn't egg drop soup.) </div><div><br></div><div>Season with fresh pepper and serve immediately. </div><div> </div>pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-25336645952692229092014-12-06T15:09:00.001-08:002014-12-06T20:17:30.335-08:00Need a party app?<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td>It's early December, which means it's prime holiday party time.<br>
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Need a dish? Here you go. My sister likes to call this sort of thing "naughty." I call it delicious, and no one says you need to eat the whole damn thing. If you did, however, I wouldn't call you naughty (not to your face, anyway.) I <i>would</i> say you have excellent taste, however. <br>
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Served with triscuits and wheat thins (both the low-fat variety), and I couldn't decide which was better. Maybe try with both? There's plenty to go around. Please don't eat this by yourself. I don't care what I implied before. <br>
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You need to cook it on whatever you're going to serve it on. I didn't have anything spectacular, just a small baking dish, so I used that. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Cucina-Stoneware-2-Quart-Pumpkin/dp/B00NS4O6TQ/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2RFSIF56F6W5J" target="_blank">(RE: CHRISTMAS HINT????)</a> <br>
<br>Enjoy! <br><br> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dFqYaoa7kxs/VIOP5kv4XcI/AAAAAAAACMY/wvJkgl6Ok7I/s640/blogger-image-720312040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dFqYaoa7kxs/VIOP5kv4XcI/AAAAAAAACMY/wvJkgl6Ok7I/s640/blogger-image-720312040.jpg"></a></div><br><b>Baked Feta with Pine Nuts and Honey</b><br>
(From a <a href="http://www.popsugar.com/food/Feta-Honey-Pine-Nuts-34978218" target="_blank">popsugar</a> recipe)<br>
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One 8 oz block feta<br>
Olive oil<br>
Honey (I used organic alfalfa honey, but any kind would work)<br>
1/4-1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted<br>
A handful cleaned mint leaves, minced (A tbsp or so)<br>
Zest from one orange (about a tsp or so?)<br>
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Preheat oven to 400.<br>
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Place feta block on an oven-safe serving tray (or whatever you have that's reasonably pretty). <br><br>Drizzle with olive oil. Maybe a tbsp? Enough to cover lightly. Throw it in the oven and cook about 10 minutes or until soft. <br><br>Remove, and change oven to broil. Make sure there's a grill close to the top (broil area). <br><br>Pour or spoon about 2 tbsp of honey (again, enough to cover) over the feta. Stick back in oven under the broiler for 3 minutes (keep an eye on it. Less if it looks like it's going to burn). <br><br>Sprinkle the pine nuts, orange peel, and mint. Serve with crackers. Don't eat it all. (Or do. I'm at capacity on disclaimers.) <br>
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-84722747354345442042014-12-06T13:38:00.000-08:002014-12-06T13:40:23.958-08:00I'm hoping you don't still have turkey in your tupperware, but...I've been trying to write down my recipes ( I swear). BUT, my laptop has decided to make itself my personal nemesis, and only decides to charge when it's in the mood (I swear!).<br />
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Today, it's in the mood. <i>And</i> E asked to nap at 11:30 (I feel like I'm having to swear a LOT today) <i>and</i> Hubs is out of town for another few hours, <i>and</i> I have mimosas, soooo let's talk turkey!<br />
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Are we sick of it? I'm totally over it. We didn't even have it on Thanksgiving (prime rib this year!) but we did take pity on my poor baby sister who spent her Thanksgiving sick at home alone (her story, anyway) and had her over on Sunday and made a smallish turkey breast with all the <strike> leftovers</strike> fixings.<br />
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Even still, we've been stuck with leftovers all week. I'm going to attempt a brie, asparagus and turkey breast (with sun dried tomatoes for me) pasta with the last of it tonight. I'm hoping it turns out at well as the Chef's Salad I made the other night. Cause that? Was. Delicious.<br />
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Chef's Salad is soooo easy. And I never, ever make it. I never think of it—partially because it always seems so fattening. Though I love wedge salad, and that's totally not better. It's actually rather a dumb salad, really. At least a Chef has a wide range of delicious, albeit fattening, toppings.<br />
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ANYWAY, I used low-fat blue cheese dressing, only a sprinkle of gorgonzola, and organic bacon bits rather than fresh bacon. Egg is protein. Avocado is healthy fat? So I figure it's totally acceptable once in awhile. Maybe this can be a post-Thanksgiving tradition? And hello, we all have leftover chicken ALL YEAR LONG. Oh, god. We're going to get so fat.<br />
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<b>Turkey Chef Salad (serves 2 dinner portions)</b><br />
One bag mixed greens/romaine<br />
Light blue cheese dressing<br />
Chopped or cubed cooked and cooled turkey (or chicken)<br>
1 half avocado, cubed
<br />
Bagged bacon bits/pieces<br />
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled and sliced<br />
Cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
Gorgonzola or blue cheese<br />
Pepper to taste<br />
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Arrange salad greens on a plate. Drizzle with dressing. Line up all the other ingredients all pretty-like. Sprinkle with pepper, if desired.<br />
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And, done. Seriously. So easy. Go eat it and get Thanksgiving out of your fridge and minds for awhile.<br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-8205099328413139212014-11-12T19:11:00.004-08:002014-11-12T19:13:42.606-08:00If you can make this easier, I would love to hear it. <table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td>This is not the first chicken tortilla soup recipe I've posted. It's not even the<a href="http://omgdinnerwasyum.blogspot.com/2013/10/break-out-crock-pot-big-one.html" target="_blank"> first one</a> using a crock pot. Sorry. BUT. If I promise that it's easier (AND tastier), am I forgiven? Yes? Fabulous. <br />
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Hubs is fighting the World's Longest Cold™ and I've worn a sweater two days in a row, so soup is officially in order. I'm feeling particularly lazy, however, so I figured I'd do it with as little work as possible. And I totally lazied the crap out of this one. If you have raw chicken, throw it in. Still frozen? Throw it in. Mine was straight out of the freezer and worked. just. fine. <br />
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The only thing that could have made it easier would have been pre-chopped onions so I wouldn't have a chopping board/knife to clean. (Hint: buy pre-chopped onions.) Well, to clean twice, anyway. You'll still need to chop up some cilantro at the end. <i>Or not</i>. Be as lazy as you want, my little slugs. That's all you. <br />
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<b>Chicken Tortilla Soup </b><br />
<i>Throw all of this into a crock pot*: </i><br />
Half an onion, sliced or chopped (1/2-1 cup's worth)<br />
1 heaping spoonful minced garlic (out of a jar)<br />
1 tsp chili powder<br />
1.5 tsp cumin<br />
1/2 tsp thyme (or oregano)<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
16 oz jar fire-roasted salsa verde<br />
1 can diced tomatoes<br />
1 32oz box chicken broth (don't use low sodium. If you do, you'll need to add some salt. See? Pointless.)<br />
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts<br />
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Set it on the 8 hour setting. Go do something else. I'm not bossy. Do what you want. After about 6-7 hours, pull the chicken out and shred it with a couple of forks. It should break apart easily. It won't be hard. I promise. Throw it back in and let it cook til your little light/timer goes off. <br />
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<i>Top with any or all of the following:</i><br />
Tortilla chips (hence the name...) <br />
Shredded Mexican cheese (out of a bag, natch)<br />
Chopped cilantro<br />
Plain Greek yogurt<br />
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* It doesn't have to be in a slow cooker. Cook the chicken separately, shred and then throw it all together and simmer a half hour or so, and I'm sure it'll all still be just fine and dandy**. <br />
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** American Horror Story has now ruined the word Dandy for me. Amirite? Gahhhh. <br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-51277336590047661822014-10-30T19:29:00.002-07:002014-10-31T07:54:39.856-07:00Your kitchen willl totally reek of veggies after this.<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td>I've posted a version of Divan <a href="http://omgdinnerwasyum.blogspot.com/2010/05/another-oldie-but-goodie.html" target="_blank">before</a>, but I wanted to change it up and get some extra veggies in here. Because the adults in this house like some greens. The child? Um, no. So rather than try and trick him into eating something he'll probably refuse to taste anyway, I just made this for us.<br />
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The last time I made Divan, I used a <a href="http://eatingatjoes.com/2014/03/11/trader-joes-cruciferous-crunch-collection/" target="_blank">mixed veggie mix</a> from Trader Joe's rather than straight broccoli and it was pretty awesome. This time, the steam in the bag fresh Brussel Sprouts were on sale, so I went that route. Next time I may try something else...everything I've tried so far tends to work. (But when does veggies and cheese NOT work? I mean, really.)<br />
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Speaking of, I added more cheese than I normally do, but with all the extra veggies, I went with it. A good call, I think.<br />
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<b>Chicken Brussels Divan</b><br />
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About 16 oz. chicken breast<br />
About 16oz halved Brussel sprouts, steamed <br />
One small head broccoli, cut in small pieces and steamed<br />
1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup (Campbell's is best)*<br />
About 1/4 1% cup milk<br />
1 cup finely shredded cheddar jack cheese<br />
1/4 cup breadcrumbs<br />
Curry powder<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
<br />
*Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom work well, too. Regular or low-sodium. <br />
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<br />
Season the chicken well with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Cook at 375 about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly and cut into bite sized pieces. <br />
<br />
Mix chicken pieces with brussels, broccoli, soup and milk. Season with a pinch each of S&P. Spread into baking dish, sprinkle evenly with cheese and then breadcrumbs. <br />
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Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted and everything is bubbly. <br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-91746164492847494012014-10-21T14:15:00.000-07:002014-10-30T19:29:55.900-07:00Lemony Quinoa Risotto<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td>Well, hello!<br />
<br />
I thought we were in need of something a little more upbeat after that last post. No?<br />
<br />
How about Fall? That seems to cheer everyone up. I'm wearing a sweater today; I wore a Giants sweatshirt while walking the dog this morning (Yes, the ones going to the World Series TONIGHT. Oh, you didn't hear that? You must be a Dodger fan. Sorry about that.) I loooove me some cozy clothes. And cold weather food...the kind that often leads to the need for cozy clothes, unfortunately.<br />
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Know what else makes me happy? Risotto. And playing with new recipe ideas. Lemony Quinoa Risotto, this time. I started with a mushroom risotto recipe on the back of my quinoa package and jumped off from there, ditching the mushrooms and creme fraiche and instead bumping up the garlic, adding lemon, and tying in the cream cheese I used for my Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken (Which I totally made up, recipe also below). And it was Delicious. Capital D.<br />
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I used 2 tbsp cream cheese, but you'd be fine with 1 tbsp, depending on how creamy you like this sort of thing! Also, I totally forget how annoying stirring risotto can be. Pro*-tip: Grab a chair and hang out with some wine while you do it. <br />
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*I am not <i>actually</i> a pro. I just like to sit. And drink. <br />
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<b>Lemony Quinoa Risotto </b><br />
Half an onion, chopped<br />
About 1 tbsp minced garlic<br />
1 tbsp Olive Oil<br />
1 cup rinsed quinoa<br />
1/3 cup vermouth (or white wine)<br />
3 cups chicken stock/broth <br />
zest of half a lemon<br />
1 tsp lemon juice<br />
1-2 tbsp light cream cheese<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Saute onion and garlic in OO for a couple minutes, then add quinoa. Move all of that around for a few minutes, til the quinoa starts smelling a little toasty. Over medium high heat, add the vermouth and stir until it’s almost all evaporated. Then add half cup broth, stirring often, until mostly gone. Repeat, half a cup at a time, until the quinoa pops open (each grain will have a halo-type look to it). It’ll take 20-25 minutes or so. It may take more than 3 cups. It depends on how high your heat is, how much you stir, etc. It usually works for me right around there. <br />
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Once the last of the liquid is evaporated, stir in the lemon zest and juice, then turn heat to low and stir in the cream cheese. Season to taste. Serve hot. <br />
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<b>For the chicken, I stuffed the breasts with a mix of:</b><br />
1 package frozen chopped spinach, steamed, then squeezed as dry as possible<br />
A bit of minced garlic<br />
a couple oz of light feta<br />
2 tbsp light cream cheese<br />
1/2 tsp dried thyme<br />
Zest from half a lemon<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
breadcrumbs <br />
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Seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper, and rolled it in some bread crumbs. Cooked at 375 for 25 minutes. If you don't have/want breadcrumbs, all good. Hubs just made some last week and I'm trying to use them up. <br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-34402740968554621252014-10-15T21:13:00.000-07:002014-10-15T21:13:18.748-07:00Plans change. <table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td>Last Monday, I was officially 10 weeks pregnant. On Tuesday, we were set to take ultrasound pics, which we'd send out as fun "surprise!" texts to close friends on Wednesday. <br />
<br />
That was the plan. It was a good one. <br />
<br />
Instead, on Tuesday afternoon, mid vaginal ultrasound, my doc very matter of factly asked me how far along I was supposed to be. "10 weeks? This-see this? Remember from him? (points to E, who was suddenly being held very closely by my tight-faced husband) This should be full. This is where the heartbeat should be. This sac should be full…see how it's crumpled here at the edge? I'm very sorry." She kept talking. Something about how in this situation she's required to perform the ultrasound again for a colleague, who would confirm that what I thought was a 10 week old fetus was instead a roughly 6 week old non-viable embryo.<br />
<br />
Instead, on Wednesday, I wasn't texting photos. I was sitting in a hospital gown, poked full of needles and IVs, in a pre-op room with my husband for 5 and a half hours while they waited for an opening in the OB/GYN surgical suite. Instead of texts of giggles and joy, there were texts to make sure E could be picked up from day care and watched, that the dog could be let out, assurances that I wasn't having a total freakout session. <br />
<br />
But I wasn't freaking out. I went into that appointment on Tuesday completely expecting the doctor to tell me there was no heartbeat. I'd had a knot in my stomach all day. I'd had a bad feeling for weeks. It's not something I can explain. Half of me knew I was doing the pessimistic preparation I do before any big announcement-to better prepare me IF. But the other half. just. knew. A week before, I'd silently cried in the shower. I knew this baby was damaged. I struggle every day to be a good mother to a perfectly healthy, wonderful child. Having a second was terrifying enough. Having a baby with special needs? I just didn't think I could do it. <i>Would</i> I be able to do it? Would I consider <i>not</i> having it? I didn't know. But the guilt of even having those thoughts was paralyzing. <br />
<br />
It didn't matter. There <i>had</i> been something wrong. My body had done its job. There was no baby. I'd miscarried. <br />
<br />
I've been struggling with how to mourn. I'm not religious. My idea of the soul is very real, but it is something that grows with a person, and dies when they are gone. There are no angels in my world. It was still an embryo. There wasn't even a sex yet. I didn't lose a <i>baby</i>. I lost the very real beginnings—the idea, really—of a baby. And that, I'm realizing, is still a very real loss. <br />
<br />
A very, very wise friend put it more beautifully than I ever could. She's been through this twice, which is twice more than I'd wish on anyone. She also has three wonderful, healthy children. And will have another, if her body is kind to her. <br />
<br />
And yet through (because of?) her own pain, she held my hand last week. And through our conversations, she made me something beautiful. Here is an excerpt of the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Those roots, they may have died, but they are not gone. Just as a plant in the earth, they linger, still reaching into parts of us we didn't even know of. Eventually, like any part of the earth, they break down, begin to decompose. A day finally comes when your lost baby is no longer the first thing on your mind. And still, no matter how many years, how many other babies, the memory of this baby, these roots, is forever in you. A tiny piece in the soil of your life. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In memory of a life too short, but no less real. A tiny quilt for a tiny baby, who leaves a big bundle of roots in your life. </i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_1azrGH3A4/VD9C8YSDdPI/AAAAAAAACKg/1v-86Cdajbw/s1600/quilt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_1azrGH3A4/VD9C8YSDdPI/AAAAAAAACKg/1v-86Cdajbw/s1600/quilt.png" height="305" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A photo of the now-framed quilt. </i></td></tr>
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<br />
I didn't realize today was National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day when I started writing this. (No, I also did not know that was a thing). Kind of amazing how that sort of thing works out, though. Thank you to all of you who have and will share your stories with me. Miscarriage and lost pregnancies are more common than they should be. They're painful—debilitating—sometimes. But they're something—with the help of our loved ones—we get through. My heart is with you all today. <br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-91956000036623096332013-12-08T19:11:00.000-08:002013-12-08T19:30:56.509-08:00Kobe's back!And so is Kobe soup!<br>
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You may remember that when Kobe scored 81 points in 2006, Hubs and I were eating Tom Ka soup, which we thereafter dubbed Kobe soup. It's one of those that I don't use a recipe for, so it's a little different every time...I realized, however, that the way I did it tonight was enough different (and enough better) than <a href="http://omgdinnerwasyum.blogspot.com/2011/06/it-may-take-awhile-but-ask-and.html" target="_blank">when I posted it last time</a> to warrant a Take Two post.</div>
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<b>Comeback Kobe Soup </b></div>
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<b><i>(Tom Ka Gai)</i></b></div>
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Peanut oil<br>
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8oz chicken breast, thinly sliced<br>
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1 package extra firm tofu, drained well and cubed in 1 inch pieces<br>
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2 cans light coconut milk (I like the Thai Kitchen brand)<br>
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14oz chicken broth (fill one of the empty coconut cans)<br>
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About an inch of fresh ginger, minced<br>
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1 tbsp or so chopped lemon grass (I use the kind in a tube from the produce section)<br>
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3 tbsp fish sauce<br>
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1/4 cup lime juice<br>
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2 tsp palm sugar<br>
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about a tsp turmeric<br>
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1-2 tsp chili paste<br>
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2 dried chiles, chopped fine<br>
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One can peeled, broken (or chopped) straw mushrooms, drained<br>
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one can baby corn, drained (cut them in 3rds or 4ths if they're whole)<br>
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Thinly sliced green onion and chopped cilantro, to serve<br>
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Heat a large soup or stock pot over medium high, add a little peanut oil (1 tbspish). Add tofu and let cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until they start to brown (takes like 10 minutes). Remove tofu, and add chicken, and cook a minute or two. Add turmeric, lemongrass and ginger and stir to coat. Cook another minute. <br>
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Add broth and coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir tofu back in and remaining ingredients (besides the cilantro and green onion), and let simmer about 15 minutes.<br>
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Top with the green stuff, and that's it!<br>
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-52283580073070222492013-12-01T13:32:00.002-08:002013-12-01T13:33:26.331-08:00I know y'all are sick of turkey by now. Have a shrimp taco instead. It's a lazy Sunday afternoon and it seems our parade of Thanksgiving weekend guests has finally come to a close. My girl Ness ("You can just call me Doctor") just left to finish the second leg of her drive home (one nice thing about being in the armpit of California is that the majority of my friends either live south but have family north or vice versa, and it's a long ass drive. Our pull out isn't mighty comfy, but it's always free. Cost wise, anyway. There's almost always a cat on it), and asked for my shrimp taco recipe from last night as she left. I told her I'd email it, but I figured as long as I was typing, I might as well share with all y'all.<br />
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They are some awesome tacos, it's true. And I think she was impressed by how fast (and easily) they come together. </div>
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I didn't write anything down as I was making them, so this is rough, per usual. Adjust as you see fit. They're spicy but not unreasonably so. Adding more sauce and/or cabbage on top helps. There's no photo, but that's ok. You can take your own after you make them.</div>
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<b>Chipotle Shrimp Soft Tacos</b></div>
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1 chipotle pepper (from the can), chopped fine</div>
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3 garlic cloves, minced</div>
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About 1.5-2 lbs medium sized raw shrimp, deveined and tails removed</div>
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Peanut oil (or canola or olive)</div>
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About a cup greek yogurt (0% works better but regular is fine)</div>
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About a 1/2 tsp cumin</div>
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A little less than 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro</div>
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Salt and fresh pepper</div>
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2 limes (One halved, one in 1/8ths)</div>
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Water as needed </div>
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Corn or flour tortillas, warmed (We did some of each, both are equally good)</div>
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Shredded cabbage </div>
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Chopped cilantro to top</div>
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Salsa or hot sauce to top</div>
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Combine the chipotle, about 2/3 of the garlic, shrimp, a good sprinkle each of salt and pepper and maybe a tsp of oil. Combine well so everything is coated, and let marinate in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. </div>
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In the meantime, combine the yogurt, the rest of the garlic (about a cloves worth) cumin, cilantro, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the juice of one lime. Mix well and stick in the fridge until needed. </div>
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Heat a swirl of oil over medium heat in a large skillet. <i>Depending on how large your skillet is and how much shrimp you're using, you may need to cook the shrimp-as follows-in two batches.</i> Add shrimp, and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn over each piece and let cook another 2-3 minutes or until opaque and cooked through. Remove to a clean bowl. </div>
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Take the sauce out of the fridge and taste. Add more lime or more cumin (or a bit of cold water if too thick) as needed. </div>
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Throw some shrimp, a handful of cabbage, and a glob of sauce on a warm tortilla. Add salsa and cilantro if you want. Squeeze one of those lime wedges over everything. Eat. Say "Mmmmmmm...I'm SO effing glad this isn't turkey." Repeat. </div>
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This served 3 hungry people, 2-3 tacos each. </div>
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-49635803415050044092013-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:002013-11-13T08:00:07.212-08:00On my own, yet never (ever, ever) alone.<br />
<i> cross posted today at <a href="http://Saltandnectar.com/">Saltandnectar.com</a>.</i><br />
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When E was 8 weeks old, I went back to work part time. But as I worked for an ad agency with networked computers and servers (and email, the best invention of all time), working from home was a total option. Plus, I'd always had side clients who couldn't afford agency rates, so between the regular paychecks and the freelance work, I had plenty going on for a new mom who really wanted to work from home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lj7_W5xMbf4/UoLROzjSzmI/AAAAAAAACHQ/an9BFcYUPwc/s1600/IMG_3383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lj7_W5xMbf4/UoLROzjSzmI/AAAAAAAACHQ/an9BFcYUPwc/s320/IMG_3383.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4-5 weeks old. I'm amazed only 1/3 of us are sleeping here. </td></tr>
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For awhile, anyway. Loooong story short, and without placing any blame one way or another, the agency and I eventually parted ways in January of this year.<br />
<br />
At first, I freaked the &^@# out. No regular paycheck? No health insurance? Hubby was working for a local sports team, and it was definitely a job for a single 20 something, not a man in his 30s trying to support a family. But we support each other, because we're a team (seriously, I should make us T shirts for the amount of times we've reiterated this to each other the past year). So we talked, we freaked out together, and we realized that we'd make it work, no matter what. We had savings, we had motivation, and we had each other. And we had moms willing to help how they could—one subsidized rent, the other E's (incredibly pricey, but that's for another post) insurance. <i>Thank you again and eternally to you both.</i><br />
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And then, because this is how things tend to work, a new job fell into his lap. A good union job with incredible benefits in a big company with plenty of room for growth. But it's also at the low end of the totem pole for now, so he's not making enough money for me not to work.<br />
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So, <i>that</i>. Not working has never been an option for me, anyway. I've got seven years of full time college education, two degrees, and enough debt to tell me that not doing what I love and pursued as a career would really just be, well, <strike>stupid</strike> unfulfilling.<br />
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Plus, I love E. He's incredible, he's amazing, he's breathtaking. I love being his mom. But I am still me, first. I decided to become a mom in addition to—as a part of—being me, not to redefine my life. I have the utmost respect for women who want and are able to be stay at home moms…it's just not for me. I need to be creative. I need to share the talents I've spent the past 10 years honing with other people. And I need to do it for a living and feel like I'm helping to financially support my family.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L_In5TvL_Pw/UoLRUoL-1mI/AAAAAAAACHg/lIDfpLo11HE/s1600/photo-24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L_In5TvL_Pw/UoLRUoL-1mI/AAAAAAAACHg/lIDfpLo11HE/s320/photo-24.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet my intern and personal stylist, E. </td></tr>
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And so now I'm a full fledged small business owner. Sole proprietor, according to my taxes. I get to work from home, I get to work part time, and I get to do what I love. I've been on my own for almost a year now, and I've never been happier. I've added clients locally and nationally, small and large. It's been, in a word, great.<br />
<br />
Is it hard? Oh my god, <i>unbelievably</i> so. I work in an industry with deadlines, and I've got a 20 month old son with plenty of deadlines of his own. And his come first, but I'm not about to tell my clients that (though the vast majority of my clients ARE parents, as well as small business owners themselves, so I really don't have to). He has needs. They have needs. And I constantly have to find ways to balance that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uktq9JxECkQ/UoLRTz1sosI/AAAAAAAACHY/Pp-HfkUyk7c/s1600/photo-23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uktq9JxECkQ/UoLRTz1sosI/AAAAAAAACHY/Pp-HfkUyk7c/s320/photo-23.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Priorities, people. He's showing me leaves. </td></tr>
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We struggle financially, seeing that some months I'll get 8 checks and some months I get maybe 2. I miss the stability of a regular paycheck, but we're making ends meet, so that's really all I can ask for at this point. Plenty of small businesses fold within the first year, and knowing that, I can hold my head up and say we're doing just fine.<br />
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But I'm still really looking forward to daycare when he turns 2. Mama needs a nap herself now and then.<br />
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<i>Need logo/branding help? Brochures or business cards? Invites or other event collateral? Check out <a href="http://facebook.com/PamHuberDesigns">facebook.com/PamHuberDesigns</a> or <a href="http://pamhuberdesigns.com/">pamhuberdesigns.com</a> for more info. And Pam can always be reached by email at pamhuberdesigns at gmail.com.</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"></span>pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-61737226872893265382013-11-11T18:40:00.000-08:002013-11-11T18:41:45.085-08:00Kale's just a leafy green, people. The insanity confuses me. <div>
Have you joined the Kale craze yet? It's freaking everywhere. That's not to say I'm not on board...I am, mostly. The hubby likes it, it's super healthy, it's not romaine...but it's a little bitter and thick and a little rabbity. </div>
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But <i>basically</i>, I'm willing to play with it. I tend to just buy the pre-cut/washed bags, cause I'm lazy (what?) but if you do, make sure and pick out the pieces with the giant stems still attached. Cause they're what we refer to as nasty. </div>
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Anyway, here's an easy one to try if you're curious and/or already on the Kale Train. Homemade Shake and Bake chicken with a roasted tomato and garlic kale salad. Try it. Let me know if you're on board.</div>
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And if you have kale recipes YOU like, let me know. Normally we do a golden raisin, pinenut, cheese with garlic lemon dressing concoction. So I'm open for new ideas!</div>
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<b>Walnut Panko Chicken with Tomato and Kale Salad</b></div>
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12 oz chicken breasts (3 4oz pieces or equivalent) </div>
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1 cup milk</div>
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1 tbsp vinegar</div>
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1 tbsp Dijon mustard </div>
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1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts </div>
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1/4 cup panko, toasted</div>
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2 tbsp Parmesan </div>
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1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)</div>
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1/4 tsp fresh ground white pepper</div>
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1/4 tsp salt</div>
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A couple cups fresh kale, trimmed and cut in pieces (just buy a bag) </div>
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Olive oil</div>
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A cup quartered cherry tomatoes</div>
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3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced </div>
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Balsamic vinegar </div>
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Preheat oven to 425. </div>
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Mix milk, vinegar and mustard in Tupperware or large bag. Add chicken, and let sit in fridge for 5 minutes-2 hours.</div>
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Mix remaining chicken ingredients (walnuts through salt) in shallow bowl. </div>
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Place kale in a salad bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Use your hand to toss well, till everything is well coated. Set aside. (This tenderizes it a bit. Not a necessary step, but a good one) </div>
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Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.</div>
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Make a separate foil "bowl" about 6" square. Fold up the sides so the contents don't leak. In it, place the tomatoes and garlic. Sprinkle well with olive oil and a good dash of balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. </div>
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Place bowl on one side of cookie sheet. </div>
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Remove chicken from milk bath, let excess drip off, then roll in panko mixture till well coated on all sides. Place on other side of cookie sheet, then bake everything for 20 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through).</div>
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Let sit 5 minutes. Add tomatoes to kale and toss. Serve with a bit of Parmesan on top. </div>
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-790005240196322122013-10-31T14:18:00.002-07:002013-10-31T14:18:41.946-07:00Break out the crock pot. The big one. So, the crock pot.<br />
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We like to pretend it's magical and frees us from "cooking." It doesn't. It makes it easier. A little. Sometimes. You still have to chop. You still have to clean up. However...there's something about doing the work early in the day that makes it <i>seem</i> like you didn't really cook. And I'm on board with that.<br />
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Plus the house smells good all day. Though when you're watching your calories and all you smell is chicken and cumin deliciousness wafting from your kitchen <i>all day</i> this may be more obnoxious than "good," but I digress.<br />
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Anyway, I informed hubby we'd be having a crock pot heavy fall this year. I probably say that every year, but I'm going to try and<i> mean it</i> this time.<br />
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You need a big crock pot for this one, just to warn you. You could also just simmer in a stock pot on the stove for a couple hours if you had to, but that kind of kills the point of crockpotting, doesn't it?<br />
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<b>Crock Pot Tortilla Soup</b><br />
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 large and 3 small)<br />
One small onion, chopped<br />
4 garlic cloves, chopped<br />
8 cups chicken broth<br />
Large can (28oz) diced tomatoes<br />
4-5 tsp cumin<br />
1/4 tsp cayenne<br />
1/4 tsp chili powder<br />
1/4 tsp pepper<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
3 bay leaves<br />
1/4 tsp dried oregano<br />
2 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces<br />
about a cup frozen corn<br />
juice from one lime<br />
about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro<br />
more chopped cilantro (to top)<br />
shredded mexican style cheese (to top)<br />
greek yogurt or sour cream (to top)<br />
tortilla chips, crushed (to top)<br />
Tapatio or Mexican hot sauce (to top, optional)<br />
Radish slices (to top, optional)<br />
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Throw everything from chicken to oregano into the crockpot. Stir gently, and turn on for however long works for you. I did 6 hours.<br />
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After about 5 hours (or 30-60 minutes before you have it set to be done), remove all the chicken to a big bowl. Use two forks and shred into pieces (it should basically fall apart). Add back to soup and add in the tortilla pieces, corn, cilantro, and lime juice and keep cooking.<br />
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When it's done, serve with more cilantro, cheese, yogurt and tortilla chips, etc. on top. People tend to like to top their own food to taste, but you can be a Type-A host and do it for them. Just really depends on how many small bowls you have/want to wash/fancy you want to be.<br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-26241629041174004092013-10-23T16:38:00.000-07:002013-10-23T16:42:09.454-07:00It's still like 80 out. Don't care. It's fall. It's stew time.Ok, raise of hands, please. When you hear the phrase "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" do you humm along, or do you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about?<br />
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Yeah, not so much a raise of hands situation, more of a polling question, but still.<br />
<br />
My husband and his best friend Chef (actually the opposite of a large black man...still with me? Too many cultural references in one post? You can do this.) had no idea what I was talking about when I came prancing into the living room mid-meal-making singing it. I believe the question from Chef was, "Are you singing about herbs?" And I'm like, um, the guys who sing the Mrs. Robinson song? What's their name? Simon and Garfunkel? WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT? (Possibly it was the prancing, now that I think about it)<br />
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So I play it. Chef goes, "Oh, I know <i>that</i>." Hubby just looks at me. We've been married 5 years. I should know his faults by now.<br />
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Annnnywho, I made stew tonight. It had...wait for it...parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. And bay leaves. And wine. And deliciousness.<br />
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<b>Herby Beef Stew</b><br />
<br />
1.5 lb stew meat, cut in bite sized pieces if needed<br />
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2 cups baby carrots</div>
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About 20-25 pearl onions, peeled</div>
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3 stalks celery, sliced in 1/2 in pieces</div>
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1.5 lb fingerling potatoes, cut in half or thirds (so all are the same size-ish)</div>
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1/4 cup Flour (I used oat flour)</div>
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Salt and pepper</div>
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1/2 tsp garlic powder</div>
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1/4 cup red wine</div>
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3.5 cups beef broth</div>
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1tsp rosemary</div>
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1tsp dried parsley<br />
Good pinch dried thyme leaves (1/4 tsp?)<br />
Good shake sage (1/8 tsp?)<br />
2 small bay leaves<br />
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In shallow bowl combine flour, garlic powder, and a good pinch each salt and pepper. Add meat cubes and toss until well coated. </div>
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In large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add meat, and brown about 3 minutes, turn, and cook another 3 minutes. Add wine, and move everything around to deglaze pot. Add broth, rosemary, parsley, sage, thyme, and about another 1/4 tsp pepper, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook one hour. </div>
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Bring back to a boil, and stir in potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, and bay leaf. Reduce to a simmer, re-cover, and cook another hour. Add salt to taste, if needed.<br />
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Remove bay leaf before serving.<br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-67836479291978652252013-10-11T08:16:00.003-07:002013-10-11T08:16:39.856-07:00Eat more garlic. It's good for you. I love garlic. Love it. I normally buy it by the head and use as needed, but once in awhile I cheat and get the bag of pre-peeled cloves. Problem with those, however, is that you really need to use them quickly, and they include a LOT of garlic.<br />
<br />
Enter 40 Clove Chicken. I make this kind of a lot. But usually with chicken breasts and just do it on the stovetop (also delicious, but more of a mess. And healthier, cause I replace most of the butter with sherry) and serve with mashed potatoes. I just searched this blog for that recipe but apparently I've never posted it?? I <i>apologize</i>. Next time I do it, I will.<br />
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You can use bigger pieces of chicken for this, whatever fits in the skillet without being squashed (Breast, thigh, etc., but it'll work best if they are bone-in pieces. Cook it a little longer—up to 1.5 hours for an entire chicken.)<br />
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Oh, and crusty bread is necessary with this one. You need something to smash those roasted garlic cloves onto. Also, the final product photo is terrible, but I'd already dug in before I realized I hadn't taken one, and it was too late to do any art direction on my plate. Sooooo, yeah...here it is before I stuck it in the oven.<br />
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<b>One Pot 40 Clove Chicken and Potatoes</b><br />
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1.5-2lbs chicken wings/drummettes (About 16 pieces)<br />
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Salt and pepper<br />
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1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves (or 6 fresh sprigs)<br />
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Olive oil<br />
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2 tbsp butter<br />
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4 medium yellow potatoes, quartered<br />
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About 40 cloves of peeled garlic<br />
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Heat oven to 350.<br />
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Sprinkle chicken well with salt and pepper. In large heavy skillet, heat about 2 tsp oil and 2 tbsp butter over medium high. When hot, add chicken and brown about 3 minutes, turn and brown the other side about 3 minutes.<br />
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Add potatoes, and stir to combine. Turn off heat. Add garlic, and do your best to get all the cloves on the bottom (under the chicken and potatoes). Sprinkle thyme, salt and drizzle a little olive oil over the top of everything. <br />
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Stick skillet in hot oven, cook for an hour. About half way through, turn the chicken pieces over and throw a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top. Add salt to taste and let rest about 5-10 minutes before eating.<br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-76848054233267290812013-10-06T15:00:00.002-07:002013-10-06T15:00:59.500-07:00I *sniffle* hate the f*sniffle*ing Santa Anas. What is it about these annual winds that makes everyone crazy? I grew up with them, and they're basically the weather equivalent of a full moon. People. Act. Nuts. Besides the normal nutty behavior associated with having to deal with downed trees and power lines, destroyed hair, dirt in your eyes, and head congestion, I mean. It's probably all the electricity in the air? Serious, check Wiki's Health Effects <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_winds" target="_blank">section</a>. It's legit crazytime.<br />
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Anyway, I just got back from visiting my parents in the Inland Empire‚ which is like, Santa Ana central. Their house even shakes in these winds, which is actually cool to me, because in So Cal we often like weird things that terrify normal people (i.e. earthquakes, eating raw fish, flip-flop tanlines.) Anyway, it also means I returned with a head full of snot and completely plugged up ears. They got so pressurized on my drive home over the mountains that I literally couldn't hear E whining in the back seat. So, not all negative, I guess.<br />
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I woke up this morning and the sore throat was gone and I can hear out of my left ear, so it's getting better, but I still wanted something soupy for lunch. I was going to make <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/20616-thai-red-curry-chicken-soup" target="_blank">this</a>, but I had tofu that needed to be used, and some bean thread noodles my mom sent home with me (she may have discovered they weren't actually another form of bean sprouts and some hilarity may have ensued, but that's for another day), so I did some substituting. And it was delicious. And easy. And I will definitely be making again.<br />
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You could probably substitute green curry paste, if that's more your thing (I will be next time, cause I love it), but I had red in the fridge so I went with it.<br />
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<b>Red Curry Coconut Soup</b><br />
1 tsp peanut (or canola) oil<br />
2 tbsp red curry paste<br />
6 cups chicken broth<br />
1 can light coconut milk<br />
5 tbsp fish sauce<br />
juice of 1.5 limes<br />
3 tbsp sugar<br />
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed or thinly sliced<br />
2 small bundles of bean thread noodles (or about 4oz any asian rice noodles)<br />
cilantro, chopped, to top<br />
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Heat the oil and curry paste in a stock pot over medium heat. Add broth, coconut, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce, bring to a low boil. Add noodles and cook until soft, anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on the kind of noodle.<br />
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NOTE: If you used really thin noodles (like bean thread) take a sharp knife or some kitchen shears, stick it in the soup, and cut, cut, cut. It'll still be a bitch to serve (and will require chopsticks to eat) but this helps a ton.<br />
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Add tofu and let cook another minute. Turn off the heat and let sit a couple minutes to let tofu get hot.<br />
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Add more lime juice to taste and top with cilantro.pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-30620992852788849162013-09-29T11:30:00.002-07:002013-09-29T11:31:23.369-07:00Use those figs! Yay for figs! They've been everywhere here lately-the farmers market, the grocery store, the other grocery store...so obviously I had to figure out how to use them. This originally was going to be a goat cheese and thyme stuffed chicken, but I only bought goat cheese in my head, so plans changed about 5 minutes before I started cooking.<br />
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Luckily, too. This was delicious. And I did it all in one skillet. (Plus a bowl here and there. You are welcome, hubby.)<br />
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This recipe might call more the most butter I've ever used, like ever. It wasn't a huge quantity, but it was in <i>everything</i>. And it was awesome. The recipes I found and combined to make this all called for a LOT more, so I actually replaced some with a bit of olive oil, and still ended up using 3 tbsp less than directed. So if you're a Paula Deen at heart (the butter loving part, not the <i>other</i> part), go ahead and throw some more in there-you can add at least another tbsp to the sauce. I just didn't want the calories and didn't miss it. Your call.<br />
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Also, I've been making 3-4 servings of everything lately so hubby can take leftovers for lunch. So this will work with 3 or 4 chicken breasts. It's not exact. You may have some leftover cheese mixture if you make 3, or just don't fill the chickens as full and make 4. I trust you can figure this one out.<br />
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I served with a side of simple mashed red potatoes (skins on, mashed with some butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste). <br />
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<br />
<b>Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Walnut Chicken with Fig Sauce</b><br />
<br />
3-4 boneless chicken breasts<br />
Half a medium-small red onion, halved and sliced thinly<br />
about 3 oz blue cheese<br />
About 2 tbsp chopped walnuts<br />
salt and fresh pepper<br />
8-10 figs, halved<br />
1 cup red wine<br />
1 tbsp sugar<br />
1 cup chicken broth/stock<br />
butter <br />
olive oil<br />
toothpicks<br />
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Heat oven to 400.<br />
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Heat about 2 tsp butter and a dash of olive oil over medium heat in a large oven safe skillet (if you have one, otherwise a large frying pan or similar is fine) and cook onions for 8 minutes or so until they are soft and starting to brown. Remove to a medium bowl to cool. <br />
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Add the wine and sugar to the pan and bring to boil (high heat). Reduce to medium and simmer until it's reduced to about half. Add the broth and reduce again til about half gone. Pour liquid carefully into a pyrex or bowl (or whatever you've got) and set aside.<br />
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Take the cooled onions and add in the blue cheese and walnuts. Gently mix together. <br />
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Take your chicken breasts and with a thin knife, make a hole into the middle of the narrow end, fanning your knife a bit to make the hole wide on the inside. It may be easier at this point to stick a finger or two in there and widen a bit more (don't break through!) If you have a different way you want to make a pocket, do it. The point is that you're gonna put stuff in it and you don't really want it escaping. <br />
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Take the cheese and onion mixture and (with your hands) push it down into the pockets. Take a toothpick and close the hole up a bit, if you can. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. <br />
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Add 2 tsp butter and a splash of olive oil to skillet/pan and heat to medium. Brown the chicken for about 3 minutes a side, then either put the skillet straight into the oven or transfer the chicken to a (cooking spray coated) baking dish. Let cook 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let set. If you used the skillet method, remove from skillet and place on a serving dish before continuing.<br />
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In the skillet/pan, add another tbsp of butter and once hot (foamy) add the figs, cut side down. Let cook 3-4 minutes, then add the wine sauce back in. Cook another few minutes until hot and the figs are pretty and brown. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over the chicken. <br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-82024571159229332192013-09-05T09:52:00.000-07:002013-09-05T09:52:50.009-07:00I eventually get to the Edamame Pasta here. Hubby is so very good about my fondness for vegetarian nights. He's also very good about just shutting up and eating, however, so that could also have something to do with things. He winced ever so slightly when I told him I was going to make an edamame pasta, but he had two large servings, so <i>whatever</i>, I'm gonna take that as a win.<br />
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I kind of feel like I can just stop writing right here and let you get on with the recipe, but maybe you've missed me and therefore I need to keep blathering for a moment. Plus I've had a <strike>couple</strike> V0&Diets tonight and that obviously means I think I'm far more interesting than I actually am. Or it means I <i>am</i> more interesting than I usually am, and so either way, I can't stop.<br />
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So. What's new? I spent a solo weekend in San Diego for Labor Day, not laboring other than the giant amounts of work my stomach did.<br />
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Case in point: <a href="http://www.saffronsandiego.com/" target="_blank">Saffron</a> for lunch on Saturday. My <i>favorite</i> Thai, and I get it approximately once every 5 years, so it was even more appreciated. And delicious. Holy shit, it's delicious. And THEN I had sushi. Like, a lot of it. For two days in a row.<br />
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I also went <a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/Jul/20/leopard-sharks-la-jolla-swim-snorkel-how/" target="_blank">snorkeling with sharks</a> (and my two fave SD dudes) but NBD. Also, they are LEOPARD Sharks. I kept calling them Tiger Sharks, cause whatever, cat sharks, but my snorkeling host/oldest&dearest/<a href="http://psychothermia.com/band/" target="_blank">guy on fire</a> Jon pointed out that Tiger Sharks will eat you, while Leopard Sharks will let you, like, snuggle with them. So, yeah. <br />
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Ok...enough of that. Pasta time! I used yellow tomatoes but red are of course fine, and I like romano cheese, but parmesan would be just as good. Just pick a pasta that has the little grooves in it, cause it holds the pesto better than the smooth kind. <br />
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<b>Edamame & Pesto Pasta</b><br />
<br />
1 package frozen shelled edamame (about 2.5 cups)<br />
About 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves <br />
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint<br />
1/4 cup lemon juice<br />
1 teaspoon salt <br />
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />
3 garlic cloves, chopped<br />
1/4 cup extravirgin olive oil<br />
1 pound (1 box) uncooked cavatappi (or similar) pasta<br />
1 cup grape/cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
1/2 cup grated fresh Romano cheese<br />
<br />
Combine basil and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Slowly pour oil through food chute (or just pour it in there if you need to, whatever), and keep blending/processing until all evenly mixed.<br />
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Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. In same pot, place edamame and cover with water. Bring back to a boil (or until hot), then drain them into pasta. Combine pasta, edamame and basil mixture in large bowl or the pot, tossing gently to coat. Add tomatoes and half the cheese, tossing to combine. Taste and add salt if needed. Sprinkle with remaining cheese to serve.<br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-2914633313142550362013-08-09T12:39:00.000-07:002013-08-09T12:39:11.086-07:00Seriously Literate, IRL editionWell, hellooooo strangers. My phone is once again full of photos of dinners I haven't written about, so here is the first attempt to rectify that little situation. <br />
<br />
Anyway, I've read so little since the monkey weaseled his way out of the womb and into the world that it's embarrassing. Like, for real, my library card <i>expired</i>. So I did the only thing I could think of that was sure to work—I started a book club. With other actual people who would hold me responsible and, obviously, also like to <strike>drink wine and eat</strike> read. <br />
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I hosted the first go around. Book was <b>Monday Mornings</b>, chosen by my friend A, who claims a friend of hers had recommended it. And I'm totally calling her out here, because the book was horrendous. <br />
<br />
Ok, it wasn't horr<i>end</i>ous. But it wasn't something I'd recommend. I can see it making a good tv series, if you happen to be in the market for another medical drama (Oh, you aren't? <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2013/05/tnts-monday-mornings-cancelled/" target="_blank">No one else was, either.</a>) but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanjay_Gupta" target="_blank">Sanjay Gupta</a> should stick to being a neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent. I mean, I don't mean to be harsh; it wasn't poorly written, it was just, well, pretty one dimensional. I just didn't care about the many, <i>many</i> characters, most of whom weren't particularly well developed, if developed at all. It was just chapter after chapter after chapter, and then the ending was just <i>blehhhhhh, really?</i><br />
<br />
So let's talk food instead! It was a small group this month, only 5 of us, so I of course had to go overboard on the food. And yes, I made food cards. Shh. My mom already made fun of me. Yeah, they had books on them. It's BOOK CLUB, y'all. But know what I <i>didn't</i> have to do all night? Tell people what they were eating. Boom. It's the little things, peeps. <br />
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We had my mom's ham rolls, which are flour burrito sized tortillas spread with low-fat cream cheese, sprinkled with a garlic salt, dried oregano, pepper and basil mixture, layered with thin sliced deli ham, then topped thinly with chopped green chiles, chopped green onion and chopped olives. Rolled up, chilled, then sliced about 3/4 in thick. It's quite possibly one of the best things in the world.<br />
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I also tried a lemony, rosemary ricotta dip I found online (an Anne Burrell <a href="http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/10/baked-ricotta/" target="_blank">recipe</a>. I liked, didn't love, but was still a nice something different) and my favorite summer soup—gazpacho. Served it in a pitcher with the toppings on the side to make serving interesting/easy, which I had to pat myself on the back a bit for later. Especially the plastic cup/bowl part. Nobody wants to do dishes after a get together. <br />
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Don't know how I've never posted my gazpacho recipe, so here we go...also a great use for all those summer veggies y'all are growing in climates more suited for that sort of thing than mine.<br />
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<br />
<b>Gazpacho with Fresh Corn and Goat Cheese </b><br />
<i>(adapted from a Real Simple recipe)</i><br />
<br />
(Just roughly chop all of the veggies, you're gonna blend them)<br />
2.5 lbs ripe red tomatoes<br />
2 cucumbers, peeled<br />
1/2 a peeled white onion<br />
2 large garlic cloves<br />
2 bell peppers, any color (but red or orange is prettiest)<br />
Juice from half a lemon<br />
About a tbsp tomato paste<br />
1 tbsp rice (or other) vinegar<br />
Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
More lemon juice (the other half?)<br />
Couple dashes Tabasco (optional)<br />
<br />
To top:<br />
Fresh corn (just cut it off the ear, it doesn't have to be perfect) <br />
Crumbled goat cheese<br />
Chopped cilantro<br />
<br />
<i>Immersion blender?</i><br />
Chop everything up and toss it all (veggies through vinegar) into a bowl (or two, depending on the size of your bowls) and use an immersion hand blender to combine everything until pretty liquidy. Stir in 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. <br />
<br />
<i>Blender/Food processor?</i><br />
Get two big bowls. Chop everything up and toss all the veggies into one. Then just blend as much as will fit into your blender at a time (AKA work in batches) and transfer the blended batches to the other bowl until you get it all. Add the lemon, tomato paste, vinegar, and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper and combine well.<br />
<br />
Then stick it in the fridge to chill, at least an hour. When it's nice and chilly, add more salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste and Tabasco (if using). Combine well, and serve with a handful each of cheese and corn on top, sprinkled with a bit of cilantro. <br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-79319844978923159082013-06-28T20:25:00.001-07:002013-06-29T15:12:49.116-07:00Cheers to Summer. And Strawberries!<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: '.Helvetica NeueUI';">
So it's a friend's birthday today. She moved away; I miss her much. She texted that she was drinking strawberry Long Islands, so it was only fair of me to join in from afar. </div>
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Of course, I have nothing for a Long Island. I do, however, have strawberries. And tequila. And limeade. (I may have anticipated something here). </div>
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So here we are. Easiest strawberry margaritas ever.* They'd be even better with sugar rimmed glasses, but I'm too impatient for that sort of thing. </div>
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<b>Quick Strawberry Margaritas</b> </div>
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1 part strawberry purée </div>
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(<i>aka cut a bunch of cleaned/stemmed berries in fourths and then pop them in the food processor/blender til smoothish)</i></div>
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3 parts tequila (or to taste) </div>
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3 parts Limeade<br />
A splash of triple sec</div>
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Shake all well with ice in a shaker and pour all into a margarita glass. (Or blend if you're into that sort of thing.)</div>
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FYI This came to like a tablespoon of purée and a 1-2-3 count pour of each liquid. </div>
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*or make it a cocktail and top it off with some 7-up. Or whatever. You're the one drinking it. Cheers. </div>
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-38800781446940139192013-06-06T15:13:00.000-07:002013-06-06T15:35:16.927-07:00Let's be real, I don't really care what he eats as long as he eats.So remember when I was a smug childless and was all, "Geez, parents-feeding-their-toddler-pre-made-crap, get your shit together and cook them some real food?"<br />
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Yeaaaaah, sorry about that. I need to get my shit together.<br />
<br />
But what do you do when they refuse chicken, but will eat defrosted nuggets dipped in ketchup??<br />
<br />
You give them defrosted nuggets with a <strike>vat</strike> side of ketchup. I would much prefer that E ate <strike>actual</strike> fresh food, but when he pushes it away (literally)...well, the kid needs to eat. <br />
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I really do make the effort to give him the best versions of crap I can. I get the chicken nuggets with the least saturated fat I can find, the organic, wheat frozen waffles, and the all-fish fish sticks. We get the gluten free, organic mac and cheese. The non corn-syrup ketchup. You know, the expensive shit. Yes, sigh, whatever. <br />
<br />
And when I caved and bought him some Uncrustables (frozen, pre-made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Oh. EM. Gee.), I got the whole wheat, low sugar version...but I hated myself all the same. I could have made him the same damn thing myself from scratch. So why didn't I?? Cause last night I made him a quesadilla, peas, a sweet potato, and cottage cheese. And he ate the potato. That. Was. It. And maybe I was still a little burnt. OK?? Maybe I know that he likes whole wheat English muffins with peanut butter on them for breakfast, and I knew he loves (LOVES) some berries, so he'd be all over it. And I could actually give him a quick lunch without him sulking outside the baby gate, whining that he's hunnnnnnngry (by means of non-verbal baby bitching, which is so much worse) while I made him something.<br />
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DAMN IT PEOPLE, THIS BABY SHIT IS HARD.<br />
<br />
Deep breath. SO. When my friend <a href="http://ironshawna.com/" target="_blank">Shawna</a> posted what I'm sure she thought was just a fun "check this out" <a href="http://www.theburlapbag.com/2012/07/2-ingredient-cookies-plus-the-mix-ins-of-your-choice/" target="_blank">repost</a> on tumblr today, I died a little. <br />
<br />
A cookie recipe with two ingredients. <i><b>Two</b></i>. Bananas. Oats. Let's just say I was enjoying my very first "Mama's out on a beach towel killing her weird tan lines while reading an InDesign refresher course manual and possibly checking social media at the same time while bebe naps" mid afternoon break, and it turned into a, "Holy shit, I'm making this NOW" situation. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>OMG Ma, these are amazeballs.</i></td></tr>
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The recipe made 10 smallish cookies. E ate 4. I was hoping he'd eat more than that, but he's 15 months old, and I can't reasonably expect my toddler to overcompensate for my eating issues. On the plus side, even if I HAD eaten all of them, I'd have eaten two bananas and a cup of oatmeal. I can deal with that.<br />
<br />
More importantly, if that's what he'd eaten, COOL. Oatmeal and a banana? That's like...breakfast. If he wants that for a snack? DONE. Eat as many breakfast cookies as you want, sweet thang.<br />
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I thought this was a bit lacking on the sweets department, so I'm gonna add 1 tbsp sugar or a handful of mini chocolate chips and some vanilla next time. Which is gonna be like, tomorrow. <br />
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<b>Vegan, Baby-Friendly, Just Make Them Already Cookies</b><br />
2 large ripe (brown) bananas<br />
1 cup quick cook Oats<br />
1/4 tsp extract (Vanilla? Almond? Pick one. Or none, whatev.) <br />
Dash Cinnamon<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350<br />
Mash bananas and oats til evenly mixed. Gently include any other ingedients.<br />
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Coat cookie sheet with cooking spray (IMPORTANT!), and spoon it out drop-style, aiming for 10-12 cookies.<br />
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Cook for 15 minutes. Serve warm, cause they get a little mushy when they're more than a few hours old.They probably won't last that long, though. Cause they're HEALTHY COOKIES AND YOU CAN GORGE ON THEM.<br />
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You're welcome. <br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-18841578211054929382013-05-18T22:40:00.003-07:002013-05-19T11:33:31.176-07:00I'm not exact. You've been warned many times. I bought my first skillet last month. I don't know why I've never had one. Should I have? I dunno. It seems like an obvious thing to own. But I own a mandolin and never use that, so I assume it evens out somehow.<br />
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Anyway, I used it to make Laab tonight, and I now understand why people in the south are fat. </div>
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(Southern food is cooked in skillets. I think? This is a highly unresearched fact I'm dropping right now. Stay with me here.)</div>
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Holy crap, everything sticks. You need some serious fat or oil. Or something. I'm a cooking spray devotee and that shit just ain't doing it here. I'm sure using low fat content turkey didn't help anything, but wow. </div>
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On the plus side, I now realize I've been browning meat incorrectly in my nonstick pans all this time and OMG I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WRONG FOR YEEEEEAAARS NOW WHY HAVEN'T I HAD A GODDAMN SKILLET???</div>
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Soooo my point is that if you're trying to cook a lower fat meal, or one where your meat isn't supposed to be browned, the skillet is not your friend. </div>
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I'm still glad I got to use it. It's been hanging out in my oven all this time, forgotten until I have a tray full of something ready to be baked (it happens, ok??) and there's a freakin' hot ass skillet chillin' in the middle of the pre-heated rack. This is has obviously led to hand burns, cursing, and many an eye roll. It's happened. It's traumatic.<br />
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SO ANYWAY LAAB. LARB, However you want to spell it. I made it, it was great, and I'd give you the recipe, but I didn't write it down and I make it different everytime. I know, this is kind of the worst post ever.</div>
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<b>So here's the idea:</b><br />
<br />
<i>One package ground turkey cooked with:</i><br />
shallot slices (1 or 2)<br />
garlic slices (4 or 5)<br />
lime juice (1?)<br />
salt and pepper <br />
<br />
<i>Tossed with:</i><br />
2 parts lime juice<br />
1 part fish sauce<br />
1 part sugar<br />
chili paste to taste<br />
celery, chopped<br />
cilantro, a handful, chopped<br />
mint, a handful, chopped<br />
green onion, a handful, chopped <br />
cooked rice noodles, a couple servings<br />
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<i>Over:</i><br />
romaine (like a head)<br />
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<i>Topped with:</i><br />
Sriracha to taste<br />
chopped roasted peanuts (the rest of my mostly empty jar)<br />
<br />
Seriously, this is my recipe. If you want more specifics (AKA you're not down for a little <i>adventure</i>, you can try <a href="http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2013/03/thai-inspired-ground-turkey-larb-salad.html" target="_blank">this</a> (it's pretty similar to mine) or <a href="http://shesimmers.com/2009/06/how-to-make-larb-gai-lahb-gai-laab-gai-larp-gai-laap-gai-lahb-gai-%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%88.html" target="_blank">this</a> or even <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/turkey-larb-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">this</a>. <br />
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Do it. It's delicious. </div>
pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-37680987626583902422013-05-16T18:14:00.001-07:002013-05-16T18:14:36.140-07:00I love how my kitchen smellsWhen this sort of thing starts happening.<div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O4g314fR80c/UZWEerrvOrI/AAAAAAAAB6Y/9kdb8-khdxo/s640/blogger-image-774598585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O4g314fR80c/UZWEerrvOrI/AAAAAAAAB6Y/9kdb8-khdxo/s640/blogger-image-774598585.jpg"></a></div></div>pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-8889586077999959522013-05-15T22:13:00.002-07:002013-05-16T21:18:52.917-07:00I just put stuff in front of him.In today's edition of weird things my one year old will eat:<br>Curried garbanzo beans<br>Tofu in spicy peanut sauce<br>Blueberries. Lots. and lots. of blueberries.<br>Whole wheat, untoasted english muffins<br>Gluten free corn pasta<div>Fish sticks<br>Goulash <div><br>
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...and totally normal things (or things he loved last month) that he will not eat (I WILL NOT DO NOT GIVE THOSE TO ME I WILL PICK THEM OUT IF YOU TRY AND HIDE THEM IN SOMETHING):<br>Hot dogs<br>Broccoli<br>Grilled cheese (Last week they were the <i>best ever</i>. Last week they were on gluten-free bread. I just don't know.)</div><div>Sweet potatoes</div><div><br></div><div><br>
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</div></div>pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644401889984586962.post-57454240997280716342013-03-29T22:25:00.002-07:002013-03-29T22:25:10.887-07:00Are you alone?Any other non college sport fan wives/partners/roommates sick of march madness already? OMG, I'm soooo bored. In a brilliant twist of fate, however, Season 5 of Mad Men was released this week, (Um, you can spell Mad Men OUT of March Madness, hello) so I have watched the entire season in my office while the mister watches basketball on the living room tv <i>while</i> watching Giants preseason baseball on <strike>my</strike> our laptop.<br />
<br />
Sigh.<br />
<br />
Before you get the wrong idea, he offers to change the channel every evening...it's totally me "being thoughtful." Or something, I don't care. This has been my own little indulgence—I watch what I want, he watches what he wants, and next week we'll go back to watching things together.<br />
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God, I love Mad Men. It makes me miss advertising so. Not that I don't still do that...(<a href="http://pamhuberdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Hire me!</a>), but most of what I do these days is graphic design <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/pamhuberdesigns" target="_blank">(and onesie designs, cause why not</a>) and it just isn't the same.<br />
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Again, sigh.<br />
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Soooo, I design, I watch indulgent tv, and I make like 5 meals a day (E is <i>really</i> into scrambled eggs right now). This is my life. And I'm not complaining. But when I break out an old recipe and the hubby comments, "This is always one of my favorites," I do a little swoon inside. Because<i> thank you</i>. I can't <i>always</i> be creative. <br />
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Great with something off the grill-chicken, beef, etc.<br />
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<b>Tomato, Bean and Mint Salad</b><br />
Juice from half a lemon<br />
about 2 tbsp rice vinegar<br />
good pinch each sea salt and fresh pepper<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
large handful mint, chopped<br />
1 can white beans (or black or pink eyed peas), rinsed and drained <br />
1 package cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
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Whisk together lemon, vinegar, S&P, Garlic and olive oil. Mix in mint, beans and tomatoes. Toss well and chill til ready to serve. <br />
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pammyhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05151455832580637235noreply@blogger.com1