Cooking For a New Baby

So my cousin and her husband had a baby! (Unfortunately, the baby can't eat real foods yet, but .... soon)

And since I live three hours away, unfortunately I don't have the opportunity to bring them dinner on a regular basis, to make their lives a little easier.  What I COULD do, is make them a bunch of frozen dinners, that they could then heat up whenever they wanted to, and it was almost like I brought them dinner (but on their own sleep deprived schedule, which is probably even better) 

So the baby was born, and the next weekend, I booked it up to New Jersey to make use of my Mom and Dad's kitchen, and prepare a bunch of stuff to make for them. 

All the food before I packed it up! 

I made a bunch of stuff, (obvoiusly) but I only took pictures of the process of one of them, and that's the turkey shepherd's pie. 

The first thing I did was prepare all of the ingredients: Sauteed onions, and ground turkey, and then make a gravy to go with it (a little flour and chicken broth, seasoned, with a dash of half and half at the end to make it creamy) 

First layer!

Then, I did the arduous task of opening a bag of frozen veggies. Guys, my life is hard. So hard. 

Veggies are layered in!

Then, I made my mashed potatoes- Yukon gold potatoes, put through a ricer so that they are nice and smooth, then added butter, half and half, and a good amount of salt and pepper, stirred through until it is the right consistency. 

Shepherds pies ready to go! 

Then I labelled the top of them, with the cooking instructions: 

I made some other stuff for them too: 

 Roasted Veggie Lasagna, and Cold Peanut Noodles (these were for the fridge, not the freezer)

And you can't forget the dessert! I threw a bone to the brand new dad, and made one of his favorites: Banana Pudding. These are nice because you can also freeze them! 

A hat tip to my cousin Kelly, who advised me to use containers that did not need to be washed- I went to a party store, and got these aluminum pans, and they are just perfect- after they are done with them, they can just toss them out! No worrying about extra dishes.

I hope this makes their lives a little easier- I can't imagine how exhausted they must be, with their one hour naps substituting an actual night's sleep. I also can't wait to go and hang out with that kid some more! I think I may be increasing my trips to NJ in the near future :).

Black Currant Jam- into Jelly

So something you may not know about me is that I love the flavor of black currant.  It started on my trip to Ireland when I was ten, and has not left me since.  Every time I have a friend or relative who goes to Europe, I request that they bring me back black currant flavored things, because that flavoring is not very common over here.  I can find it occasionally, and Trader Joe's recently got a black currant juice that is pretty solid, but finding it in other things is pretty rare. 

And then, at the farmer's market this morning, there they were: tiny little black currants, calling my name. vaaaaaaaal, vaaaaaaaaaaaal! buy usssssssss! they yelled.  Anthropomorphic fruit aside, I knew what I must do. 

Buy the berries. 

And then make some Jam. 

Canning supplies!

prepping for jamming.  I used this recipe, and tweaked it a little (I added some lemon juice, because I like it tart) 

Berries on the boil

Delicious jamming action. 

It was at this point that I realized that a) I couldn't find the thermometer, and b) this jam was really, really seedy.  So I made the executive decision to strain it before I put it into the jars. This resulted way less product than I had intended, but I will guard these jars with my life. 

the top one is just a little tasting amount. 

Bring on the summer of canning! 

Ten Things Monday

These are ten things that are making me right now:

1:  My new job! (numbers 2-5 will also be regarding my new job)

2: My new job's hours, which are 9-5, and allow me to have nights and weekends free; this is a luxury that I have not had in over two years, which is amazing. Also weekends! Whole, glorious weekends where OTHER people are off!  (I imagine that that this new-ness will wear off, but right now, I am enjoying the hell out of it)

3: Getting a parking spot close to my house every evening.  It's amazing what not getting home at after 10 and having to walk two or more blocks when I'm crazy tired will do.

4: Packing lunch every day, and not just relying on grabbing something at work.

5: Bocce! I'm playing in the Hampden summer league, which I could not do if I worked at my old job. (see how I did that there?)

6: The baby shower for my cousin went off amazingly well! Everyone really liked the food I made, as well as the 40 jars of jam I canned as favors.  (making jam is not easy, yo)

7: Joining a CSA this summer! Get ready for some What The Hell Do I Do With These Veggies posts.

8: I have dubbed this The Summer of Canning. Or the summer I Put It All Up. Or I put summer in a jar... I don't know. I could probably use some help coming up with a catchy title.  I'm planning on making more pickles (dilly beans, gardiniera, ect) and Jams- Blackberry, peach, and if i can get my paws on some black raspberries I will do those too. I'm planning to go picking as well, to make all the jam.

9:  Tots and Trivia on Tuesdays. Man, I love my neighborhood bar. I can't wait until it starts!

10: The summer is stretching out in front of me- filled with opportunities and possibilities.  I drive home, blast some poppy music, and am just enjoying the hell out of everything right now.

What is making you happy right now?








What is making you happy right now?

Ten Things That Are Making Me Happy Right Now

1 Lizzie Bennet Diaries


So this web series is a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice, and the format is Youtube Channel (Lizzie Bennet is a vlogger)  It is really smart, and fairly faithful to the books (people who are sticklers about sticking to the books might want to look away; there are some small liberties and changes made, but nothing huge)  there are 97 episodes so far, and I'm willing to bet that they'll wrap up at an even hundred. New episodes are Mondays and Thursdays, and I need someone to catch up because I love it so much and want to taaaaaaaaaaalk about it!   Some of you have to be insomniacs/have too much time on your hands/ need something to do while you're knitting, right? COME ON, IT'S AWESOME.

2  Chocolate Milk- Trader Joe's Organic Midnight Moo + Tall glass of milk = Very Happy Val

3 Pickles! I know I've already posted about the pickles I've made, but my dad and grandmom recently tried them, and they said that they were authentic to how my great grandmother made them! It seriously was the most rewarding experience I've had cooking in a while- to be able to make them for my dad and G... it was great.  Now I'm contemplating making a whole dinner from that book. 

4 The Mountain goats, specifically the songs Love Love Love and This Year. 


5 Tomorrow is the first day of spring!  I am looking forward to this winter being over. 

6 Cooking Project: Making preserved lemons. This started because of a joke, but they look really pretty chilling on my counter. 

7 Apple Cider Caramels: I made the Smitten Kitchen ones with my friend Abby, and then I went rouge and made orange caramels and covered them in chocolate. Result: pretty good. 

8 Have I talked about this hummus before? no? Go make it. It sounds fussy, but it is TOTALLY WORTH IT. Look how pretty mine is:

9  Planning Canning for the summer!  I am going to utilize the heck out of the farmer's market.  Making my own jams, more pickles, and tomato sauce- it's going to be great. 

10  My cousins are coming to visit in April!  The Rhode Island contingent is hitting Baltimore hard.  I can't wait to show them my city!

What is making you happy right now?

Tilly's Pickles

I never had the chance to know my paternal great grandmother Tilly. All I have is the stories of her, the family lore. That, and the repeated stories that indicate she was a great cook.  She worked as a cook as well, in a school for many years, before the days of frozen meals and burgers and fries in school cafeterias. 

This Christmas, my grandmother gave me one of the best gifts I've ever received. It is the cookbook that was given to her, by her mother, when she got married. The publication date is 1952, and it was the cookbook that my grandmother and great grandmother cooked out of. It is so wonderful to have this piece of family history to look at, and, because I'm me- to cook from. 

The bread and butter pickles are one of the things that my great grandmother was known for, and as soon as I got the cookbook, I started plotting to make them.  

So I chose a day that I dubbed "Pickle Day", and set out to make my pickles.  I also was making Sriracha pickles, because I have had a bunch of requests from my co-workers to make more. 

Here is the cast of characters: 

And the cucumbers and onions, all sliced up:

Sidenote: I used my mandoline for the first time making these pickles, and while it is efficient and made it a whole lot faster and easier, it also took a chunk of one of my knuckles off. That thing is SHARP.  I need to get one of those metal mesh gloves. Or to use the guard it comes with.... 

 Jars getting ready to be sterilized:

The fruits of my labor! (the Sriracha pickles are here too)

There's something to using recipes from the past (although I had to update this recipe slightly, because I processed the jars instead of just hot-packing them) It makes me feel more connected to my family, and to a woman I've never known, but hope that some of her love of cooking has been passed down through me. 

A thing that I did; A thing that I'm doing.

So I've been working a lot lately, and haven't been posting much- but I'm excited about an event that I catered (mostly on my own! but with some help from some awesome people)

I can tell the story in some pictures:

Obligatory Crudite shot- served with a Mediterranean feta dip

 Look! it's the whole table!

 Sundried tomato and goat cheese crostini that my friend lisa made- delicious!

The spinach artichoke dip that will shave years off your life, but is so worth it! (four cheeses, much deliciousness)

 Procuitto and melon skewers!

Medjool dates stuffed with goat cheese and topped with honey toasted almonds

So while I'm not catering things on my own, really, (this was for an Iron Crow Theatre Holiday Fundraiser) I am building my own Culinary Instruction Business! I am teaching cooking classes, either for a series- eight classes, or one night events, like "how to roast a chicken" and "appetizers for a party"    so I was advertising with my new cool business cards: 

If you know anyone who wants to learn to cook, send 'em my way!

Workbowls

So last week my roommate and I went thrifting, and I found a set of ten nestled anchor bowls that were nested. It has made my prep work so much easier! 

All of the chopping

I have been working on making sure I have my Mis-en-place (french for everything in it's place) when I am cooking, and I have to say, It makes for much easier cooking. (The downside is the amount of dishes) But I'm also finding it's easier to clean as I go with them. 

So today's my day off, and I started off by roasting this chicken: 

Hello, chicken, you are tasty.

Then, I started with a riff on the Pioneer Woman's White Chili, Which i think is perfect for the fall weather that we've been having.   Now the stock is simmering on the stove, and my ingredients (above) are patiently waiting to become Chicken Corn Chowder. 

If only my other day off activities were this rewarding and delicious.  However laundry, it is not. 

Ten Things That Are Making Me Happy Right Now.

1.  Rainy days, with the day off, making corn chowder (and probably cookies later)
2. My awesome roommate, who rocks on multiple levels, and having some time to spend hanging out with her. She went on a buisness trip last week, and I really missed her!
3. Instagram

4. This song, played over and over and over again.



5. Having some time, and space to do the things I want to do. 
6. My camelback water bottle. You have to bite down to get the water! It's like a sippy cup! Very strange. But awesome.
7. Doing research for upcoming projects.
8. Baking bread. Lots of bread.
9.  SONG POP.
10. Living in Hampden, and spending more time hanging out with Jackie because she's so close! You know, even when she demands I cook things for her.

What is making you happy right now?

#10: Learn How to bake bread.

Ok, I am totally going to say this. I can bake bread, but I have not Mastered bread baking.  But I still think I got this one done (and since I'm scarce on having list items done this year, I'm taking it as a win)

If you have been around any sort of cooking/baking blogs in the past few years, I'm sure you know this recipe.  It's made the rounds- mostly a few years ago, and I think I made it back then, but wasn't 100% impressed.  It's Jim Lahey's no knead bread. 

But I have been having a hankering for bread lately, and the minute it cooled down a little (and I had a couple of days off)  the concept is pretty simple; a small amount of yeast, and a long proofing period develops the bread with some awesome flavors. You mix together flour, yeast, salt, and warm water, stir, and let it sit on your counter for 12 hours.  Then you punch it down a little, form it into a ball, and let it rise for 2 more hours, at which point you bake it in a preheated cast iron pot.  And ta-da! Bread!

This bread is awesome. It's crusty, and chewy on the inside, and if you put a little butter on it- MAN, it is good.   I made the regular recipe, and then for the next one, I chopped up some kalamata olives and put them in.   This is what it looked like:

isn't that sexy?

Then, for breakfast this morning, I took the remaining regular bread, tore it up, put it in a casserole dish with custard base made with vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon, dotted it with butter, and then shook a little cinnamon sugar on top.  I don't have a picture, because it was devoured so quickly- but it was so good. the insides were eggy and warm, and the top was crisp with the toasted bread pieces, and the cinnamon sugar made the outside crust crackle a little.  Having made it once, I can't stop thinking about it, and what changes/improvements I can make. (next time I'm going to sprinkle the top with maple sugar, I think)

But I'm back in the saddle again, and I can't start to bake more of this bread, especially because it is so easy.  It is totally worth the burns I got mishandling my cast iron pot.

Dinner with Jack

I was in a cooking mood, so I picked up some stuff as I was leaving work on Wednesday, and called Jack to see if she wanted me to cook her dinner. To the suprise of exactly no one, she said yes. So I trucked over to Hampden, and made dinner for Jackie and her roommate.  (You know, because I'm the Best Sister Ever). 

The first thing I did was set some artichokes to steam (or more accurately, to boil)

While we were waiting for them to finish, I made some avocado toasts: 

Toasted bread, a little butter, avocado smushed on, salt, pepper, squeeze of lemon. 

And some Caprese toasts: 

Toasted bread, balsamic vinegar, kumatos, basil, mozzerella, and a little salt. 

By then, the artichokes were done, and I served them with lemon butter and a mock- Sauce gribiche (if you follow the link, it's the smoother one) to dip the petals in.  We ate outside, and relaxed- it was a really nice spring night.  I'm looking forward to more dinners in Hampden when I move there next month!

And dessert was mascarpone lemon dip for strawberries and Toasted Coconut Thins: 

mmmmmm, lemony goodness....

One of my favorite things to do is cook for other people, even when it is as simple as this. 

Ten Things That Are Making Me Happy Right Now

Sometimes your friends are right, and you need to update your blog, because it's been forever.

And while I haven't done one of these in a long time, because life has been crazy, and stressful, it is still important to recognize things that make me happy.

1. My parents will be in Baltimore for dinner on Friday!   I was sick when my mom wanted to come down to visit a few weeks ago, and I felt terrible about not being able to hang out, so I'm glad that they are stopping on their way home from Savannah. (Sidenote: am totally jealous they went to Savannah)

2. Irish Bangers are in at Trader Joe's! I'm not gonna lie.... I've been debating buying a case. That's how good they are.

3 Kate and James are going to be hitting Baltimore for a little bit in April! (woo!)

4  I just realized I never posted about this!  I crossed another item off my 30/30th list!

That's my dftba tattoo! (it stands for Don't Forget To Be Awesome)

5  Iron Crow is putting on a staged reading of 8 the play by Dustin Lance Black (the same guy who wrote Milk, and it's been getting really great press and it's almost sold out!

6 Planning the Chincoteague vacation. It is going to be EPIC this year- Rib cookoff, Wing cookoff, and for those of you who are fans of the TV show Cougar Town, there will be a lot of Penny Can.  (and giant, oversized wine glasses)

7 Have gotten into recipe planning again, I have a couple of ideas, but now that the weather is so warm, all i want to make is cool-weather things. I need to carve some time out to cook!

8 My friend Julie was in a pretty bad accident (the kind where she needs how to learn to walk again) it was really scary, but it seems like she's on the mend.

9  Today is Pi Day! You should eat some pie.

10 Corny Jokes! I now have an app for that on my ipad. My favorites of late:

What do you call a donkey with earplugs?  ..... anything you want, he can't hear you!
What is ten letters and starts with gas?  .... an automobile

.... heh.

Nana on my mind.

It may seem strange to remember my Nana most when it comes to Superbowl.  She wasn't a football fan, I don't think she'd ever watched a game her whole life. But my parents have a big party every year,  and every year she would come, ringing the doorbell at a house that everyone just walks in and says hello.  She would bring her wings, and I think about her in her kitchen, cooking them up, for an event that she didn't care about, for her family, that she did, very much.

Of course I have lots of memories of her- twenty seven years of Christmases, birthdays, family get togethers, sleepovers at her house, twenty seven years of love, and kindness, and beauty. But this is one that sticks to me, I can almost see her, sitting at my parents' dining room table, cup of tea in hand, the game blaring in the other room, catching up with my cousins, who she hadn't seen since Christmas.

When I close my eyes and concentrate really hard, I can still feel like it was to hug her, bending a little, because she was shorter than I was (imagine that!) warm, and soft, and comforting. She was a great hugger.

Memories of her are hitting me hard lately. but that's what grief is, right? Rolling waves that ebb and flow, sometimes threatening to overwhelm you, but you hold your breath, let them crash over you, and when they recede, it's a little easier to take than the last time one hit you.

I think about the things she's missed since she is gone, and it makes my heart ache.

It's been almost three years.  I still miss her so much.

This entry was spurred by this article, which I just read, and brought up a lot of stuff for me.  If you've ever given a eulogy for someone, or think you may one day, you should read it.
                       

October's Over!

So I have emerged from the craziness that was my month of October.  It began fantastically- an amazing weekend at the beach with my mom, aunt, cousin and sister.  I went back to work on Monday and then on Wednesday, I ran back to New Jersey to pick up my birthday present (the fancy-ass camera that took all of these pictures!) and then I had to go to the courthouse downtown, because I was called for Jury Duty on the 6th.  I sat there, confident, when the judge said that it was a three week case, because I knew I wouldn't be called. It would have been a financial hardship! My job doesn't pay for jury duty!  I was called up to the judge and told him that, and sat back down.   And then, at the end of the day, I was called up. Instead of being dismissed, I was put onto the jury. For three weeks.  And because I don't get paid for jury duty, I had to use my vacation time at work, and work on the days that I wasn't on jury duty. Which meant that yesterday was my last day off since October 6th.  It was glorious. 

So that debacle is over, thank goodness, and I can focus on the good things that are happening. 

For one, I got the TV that has been traveling around in my backseat for... a long time into my apartment! Check it out- it's so huge! 

Also on my day off, I put together these shelves, which house my kitchenaid, my "bar area" with my new bar stuff from my aunt, and other various and sundry kitchen things. 

Also: I've been dating a totally cute girl who is, to use my favorite adjective, quite awesome. 

And aside from the fact that I haven't been there that much, work has been great. 

Plus! I have had some time in the kitchen- I made a roast chicken, and my own stock, and chicken and dumplings... all fall flavors and deliciousness.  Now that I have some more time, I'm looking forward to having more time to play around. 

If I compare where I'm at this year to the same time last year, I think last year Val would be super impressed. It's been a long hard road, but I am finally happy. 

To end, some gratuitous Earl pictures: 

For real, he's super cute, right?

Ten things that are making me happy right now

I haven't done this in a while!

1

Cousins, and the most wonderful birthday weekend ever. 

2

Duckpin bowling

3

Sunsets 

4 My crazy cat, who is not currently biting my feet right now, but is looking at them hungrily. 

5 Temps dropping to the fifties

6 Glee Tuesdays

7 Picking up crocheting again

8 Spiced Apple Cider

9 Work is really, really good (if exhausting, at times)

10 My fancy-ass new camera that I love SO MUCH.