The High Price of Obscurity

CHICKEN POT PIE

I have always loved the movies and I must admit I'm a bit of a celebrity gossip junkie. As a matter of fact, my conscience has just found it necessary to stop my subscription to People Magazine which was one of my only true indulgences. It's so expensive, and these days I can get my daily fix via Perez. A few too many upskirt shots for my taste, but he does seem to have all the buzz before many of the squeaky clean outlets i.e. Entertainment Tonight, etc. So, upon my subscription coming to an end I've been deluged with mail from People. They keep sending me these notices asking me to renew, and reminding me how much that would cost. It's easy for me to discard the notices, but what else in our budget can I trim? We aren't hurting yet, but who knows what's next? Gasoline is just ridiculously priced, but you knew that. Groceries are getting insane. Hard to believe we'll soon have to decide whether we should fill up the tank or buy more organic milk for Joe. Thank goodness we don't yet have to pay for cable or internet. I've been trying to cook more and have high aspirations of cooking every night, but I get exhausted watching Joe all day. He's "potty learning" now. That's the new politically correct version of Potty Training. Well, he's actually in the very early stages and I doubt he'll be wearing diapers to college, but if he doesn't get out of them soon we won't have any money to help him get there!
I've really been trying to use up any food in the house before buying more. Joe loves plain yogurt with a little vanilla, honey and my homemade granola sprinkled on it. I managed to make a Chicken Pot Pie the other night. Hey, stuff it with enough veggies and you've got a one dish meal - can't beat that! A few nights ago I made Ham and Potato Soup with some Easter ham I had frozen. Matt just came back from Sam's Club, a.k.a. Hell on Earth with $176 worth of groceries. It did not seem like an enormous amount of food, nothing that wouldn't fit in the refrigerator. I just spent about an hour making various marinades for chicken and flank steak so that we can freeze it and use our grill this summer. It looks like we will be eating a lot of salads and small amounts of meat in the near future, which is fine by me. I am so thankful that we are not struggling too much and hope that every one else is coping with the high price of obscurity at least as well as we are.

Joseph in Wonderland

First of all, no one voted. Secondly, it's only hair & will grow back. Lastly, we think it's cute -even if he looks a little bit like Curious George.
MaryAnne has been telling me about Dutch Wonderland for a couple of years. Yesterday was absolutely spectacular weather, so we decided to take Joe to the Kiddie Kingdom. He had an amazing time although he cried repeatedly throughout the day. The problem was that he was very upset each and every time his ride ended. He wanted more more more! Too bad so many of the rides were so brief. I guess that would suit many 2 yr. olds, but not Joe. He has an adventurous spirit and was not afraid to try anything. He climbed up a high spiral staircase in a tower and slid down all by himself. Over and over again. Then again. Then he cried because we tried to take him to a different activity. The he wanted to do that one over and over again and cried when we tried to take him somewhere else. Fortunately, by the end of the day he was so tuckered out that he didn't cry at all when we left the park. He slept like a rock last night. Who am I kidding? We ALL slept like rocks. Whew, to be two years old again...

Won't Sit Still

These are pictures Dan took on Mother's Day 2008. The ultra short wobbly bangs are a result of Joe's overzealous mom trying to save a few bucks, combined with an extremely active two year old. Dan did mention that he couldn't get any pictures of Joe until it was time to sit still in the highchair. Next haircut time it will either be Cartoon Cuts or a crew cut. Feel free to send in your votes.

Loafing Around

UNBAKED LOAVES

In the past, I've never been succesful with bread making. The loaves just never would rise for me in this drafty house. A couple of months ago I decided I just had to be able to make bread. I think it's the stubborn Scot in me (no offense relatives). I searched the internet for hints, tips and voodoo. After much trial and error I came up with this recipe. I use Red Star yeast in a jar and my heavy duty Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook to make it. If you like sweeter bread, increase the sugar. I found that I have no problem getting my bread to rise if I take a 9"x13" pan and place it in the bottom of the oven and then add about an inch of boiling water to it from a kettle. During the first rise I place the bowl on a shelf directly above the water pan and during the second rise I place the bread pans on a shelf directly above the water pan filled with an additional inch or two of boiling water. The steamy, cozy oven seems to be a happy environment for the dough. As you can see above, my bread actually rises now! When the loaves are fully risen, remove them from the oven and turn it on. Remember to remove the water pan before baking the bread!

Romasco World Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 cups white bread flour

2 cups wheat bread flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time, alternating between white and wheat. Knead dough until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

3. Punch dough down. Kneed for a few minutes, and divide in half (for best results use a scale). Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9"x5" loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

I've Been Experimenting

Matt and I have really enjoyed some of the Indian food we've tried. I enjoy most of the mild stuff and Matt's up for anything. I decided to try making Chicken Makhani at home. It's one of my favorite dishes. I read through all of the reviews and decided to grind my own cashew nuts as a thickener and to make my own Garam Masala. It turned out very good and I can't wait to tweak it a bit and get it just right. I got the Garam Masala info. from ochef:

Garam Masala is the most aromatic and fragrant of all Indian spice blends. Used throughout North India in all types of dishes — from appetizers and soups to yogurt salad and main courses — this blend is indispensable to Moghul and North Indian cooking. It is widely available, but this homemade version is more fragrant and, of course, fresher.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons cardamom seeds

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken up

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon saffron (optional)
Instructions:
Put the cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves in a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until they turn several shades darker and give off a sweet smoky aroma, about 10 minutes. Do not raise the heat to quicken the process, or the spices will brown prematurely, leaving the insides undercooked. Cool completely.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the mixture to a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a powder. Stir in the nutmeg and saffron. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Garam Masala keeps for 3 months.
Yield: Makes about 1/2 cup