Samosa Pot Pie

I found this recipe here on The Women's Colony blog. Isn't it pretty? Wouldn't it have been prettier if I'd taken a picture before I cut into it??



I added a little cooked chicken, and I forgot to buy frozen peas, so they were omitted. I thought it was really good. Indian-y and a little spicy. Homey and comforting. It smelled great while cooking. You could spice it up a little more if you like spicy Indian food (add more curry and red pepper).

After some initial suspicion, it turned out that Jason liked it, too, and he ate two pieces. It probably won't be something that I'll make every month, but I do plan to make it again some time.

Makin' Marshmallows

Now that my self-imposed reading prison sentence is complete, I can take more time to make weird things, like homemade marshmallows to take to a New Year's Eve party. (I pronounce that word "marsh MELLows" not "marsh Mal-os". Please read along with my pronunciation to get the full effect of being here.)

Here's the Martha Stewart recipe that I'm following.

First, put some water and gelatin in a mixing bowl and let it collude to form a rubbery disk.

Meanwhile, boil up a bunch of sugar on the stove. I didn't take any photos of either of those steps. Just use your imagination!



Then, mix the rubber disk and the boiling sugar syrup together, and it creates a disgusting smell! You might shout, "Ew! Hot gelatin smells like the horse hooves it's made out of!" and make your loved one go, "WHAT? GELATIN IS MADE OF WHAT???" Then get your loved one to come over and smell it so you can both be grossed out together. Good thing you're taking them to a party, since neither of you finds marshmallows very appetizing now!

Mix it more and more furiously! It will eventually smell like marshmallows.

The mixer has to mix and mix until the motor wears out -- that's how you know they're done. In the meantime, think back to the first time you ever heard of anyone making their own marshmallows. For me, the woman was a rather controlling, possibly obsessive, and almost-always bossy person. And she may or may not have turned out to be kind of batshit, but that doesn't have to ruin marshmallows for the rest of us. SHE dipped them in melted chocolate (Martha doesn't even mention that idea but just shows a picture of a giant marshmallow floating on a cup of hot cocoa -- pretty pedestrian, Martha!)



Finally, when the stuff looks like taffy and your mixer is all clogged up, try to move the hoof+sugar from the mixing bowl and into a pan that has been previously both sprayed with cooking spray and lined with plastic wrap. Still, you will wind up sticky.



Smash the stuff down with a double-whammy top layer of plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray! Flatten it out; beat it into submission. Now let it sit calmly and think about what it did for two hours. Then you can cut it into pieces and cover them in chocolate, or put them in your hot chocolate, or make s'mores, or whatever.

Now, riddle me this, MARTHA! How the hell do I get the oh-so-sticky marshmallow stuff out of the mixing bowl???




...Oh, simply soaking it in water will eventually drain the sticky of all its power?
Okay, thanks.

Truffles: First Attempt

One day, earlier this month, I suddenly became VERY INTERESTED in making chocolate truffles. I'm sure that reading the sequel to Chocolat played a role in this obsession. I found a few recipes, including this one for Honey Vanilla Chocolate Truffles from Martha Stewart. I rounded up all the chocolate and what-not that I needed, and set to work.

I envisioned beautiful chocolates that I could package and give as gifts, wowing people left and right!

Well, the Honey Vanilla Chocolate Truffles turned out DELICIOUS! But I thought they were too ugly to share, even when sprinkled with colored sugar. Even the one that was rolled in chopped slivered almonds. With practice, and maybe with something called Luster Dust (which I hear was invented as an edible body paint-type thing, but then got co-opted by bakers), perhaps I can make attractive truffles next year.

 

The OTHER batch I made was just regular chocolate truffles, except that I added some peanut butter to the mixture. Well, I did it WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! My ganache never hardened. It spent the night in the freezer and was still too soft to roll into balls.

But it tasted really, really good. So, I did what I had to do. I made some yellow cupcakes and used the peanut butter ganache as icing and it was so, so good!

They may look ugly, but my taste buds did not mind at all.


 

Lessons learned:

*The first time I make something, I should follow a recipe instead of winging it.

*But sometimes winging it leads to a great cupcake icing or other surprise treat.

*And if you make ugly candy and are forced to eat it instead of giving it away, YOU GET TO EAT A BUNCH OF CANDY! And cupcakes!

Halloween!

Today and tonight, we had family visiting and at least 4 sports games were watched on the giant TV. We got enough trick-or-treaters that Jason had to shut off the porch light at 8:15 (we still have a few pieces of candy left, but obviously we need those for our own treats).

It's 50-some degrees outside, and clear. I can't remember a single Halloween when I didn't need my winter coat and usually an umbrella, too! Lucky kids this year.


I made brie with pecans, chicken tortilla soup (quite spicy! It made me sweat.), hamburger tortilla pie (not quite spicy enough), a jack-o-lantern, and roasted pumpkin seeds. Plus we had chips and queso and salsa and lime beer. We are stuffed.



Usually in October, I watch lots of scary movies, and I had looked forward to it this year, too. But somehow I only managed to watch 1.7 scary movies and they were not very good! Quarantine looked interesting -- it stars Jennifer Carpenter, who you may know as Dexter's sister or one of the skinny friends on the Wayans brothers' White Chicks. It's a little Blair Witch-ish, in that it's filmed in all camcorder-style. I give it a MEH and a shrug. It didn't grab me.

I watched 7/10 of The Wicker Man, from Scotland circa 1973. A Scottish policeman receives a letter stating that a 12-year old girl has disappeared from a small, weird island known for its fruits and vegetables. He flies out to investigate, but finds the locals to be exceedingly unhelpful. Soon he discovers that they're all pagans! He thinks they're going to sacrifice the girl because they had a bad harvest! They have sex in the cemetery! He himself is like 38 years old and is waiting until he gets married to lose his virginity. Then it's May Day, and they're teaching the children -- the GIRL children -- that the Maypole is a phallic symbol, and he's trapped on the island because they did something to his plane, and then I didn't see the end. So. If it were more engaging, or if there wasn't QUITE so much folk music, or if it were funnier that he was such a prude, I would have finished watching it.

Ooh, I just read a spoiler, and it turns out that the locals need to sacrifice a virgin to appease the crops gods, and HE IS THE ONE! And, I see that the actor playing the virgin cop was 43 at the time. So, there you go. Oh, plus there is a kid named "Myrtle" but with the Scottish island accent, it took me like 8 times of hearing it to figure out what the heck her name was. So there's that. Accents always add something to scary movies.

Today, on Halloween, I thought lots of channels would be playing scary movies while I carved my pumpkin, but nope. "America's Next Top Model" had a marathon. "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" was on (which could definitely be a nightmare under some circumstances).

So, I've left the menfolk to their many sports events and am typing away while I watch the original Friday the 13th. Finally, life seems to be in order. October = scary movie. Or, in horror movie terms: Ch, Ch, Ch, Ch. Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah.

Taco Shop "Burrito"

 


There's this little fast food restaurant in Hays, Kansas that all the locals are addicted to. They love it! I don't get it. They serve American-Mexican food, but it is shockingly unlike any Mexican food anywhere else in the Americas.

This burrito, for example, tasted like mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce. It's just not right.

Cinnamon Ricotta snack

Here's a surprisingly good snack. I don't know why I even tried it, since it sounds so weird to me. But I did!

1/4 c. skim or part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 c. berries
1 tsp. cinnamon

Again, with the no pictures.

Waldorf-y Salad recipe

Here's something yummy!

This is based on a Waldorf Salad, which I've never eaten. This version is good, though. If you use the smaller amounts given, it should be around 500 calories for the whole thing.

1 - 2 cups of cooked chicken, cut up
1/2 - 1 cup of plain yogurt
half an apple, cut up
a handful of grapes
1/8 - 1/4 cup of sliced almonds
a splash of lemon juice

I forgot to take a picture before I ate most of it. Sorry!

Things I made today

 
I made roasted chicken and potatoes for dinner. Here's how to make chicken really tender:
1. Marinate the chicken in some form of liquid. I used water, but often we use beer. You can use fancy things, if you are fancy. If you are fancy, you should probably pronounce it Frenchily: "Mahr-ih-nodh."

2. When it's time to cook the chicken for dinner on Monday night, say, "Hey, do you feel like going to Chili's for dinner?"

3. 24 hours later, finally remove the chicken from the marinade or (water) and cook it.

I put some chopped ginger and garlic on half the potatoes. Since it was a new experiment, I didn't want to ruin all of the potatoes if it was gross. But, it wasn't! They were good, and not too strong. I think a good idea might be to puree the garlic and ginger and then brush it on. Maybe next time.


I made two pillows today.

 
Their job is to sit in my chair, not only looking cute but also keeping Francis the Cat from sitting in and shedding all over it. He loves that chair so much, and fits so well in it when he curls up to nap, but it is a magnet for his fur.

I also took a lovely walk around the lake and enjoyed the nearly-70 degree weather! I was astounded by the periodic winds that roared and stung my eyes. Tomorrow we are supposed to wake up to snow. The weather people are admonishing those who drive to work to leave 20-30 minutes early. I don't have to be anywhere until 2:00, when I will get my teeth cleaned after 4 years of not seeing a dentist. Hopefully there are no bad surprises. I have always loved that post-cleaning feeling of sharp edges between my teeth.

Semi-Homemade Thanksgiving

 
 
 
This year, Jason and I were on our own for Thanksgiving, and I decided to cook. Please imagine me dictating this post in Sandra Lee's snotty, nasally, condescending voice.

The only dish I made from scratch is mashed potatoes. I add a little bit of garlic for extra flavor without too much extra salt. Jason really likes it, though I'm not sure he knows WHY he likes it.

I heated up a pre-cooked turkey breast, which had a great, peppery taste. I love peppered turkey from the deli!

I made Stove Top stuffing, cornbread variety.

Crescent rolls from a tube.

I heated up corn and beans which I did not grow myself.

I bought a pecan pie and a frozen pumpkin pie, and used Cool Whip instead of whipping my own cream.

As far as beautifying the table, we appreciated the beauty of our new table without adornment, and the cleanliness of it with no cat hair or cat footprints or cat on it.

It was a success! I only very slightly burned the crescent rolls, and everything was ready at the same time: 12:40. I had predicted that it would be ready between 12 and 1, so it was right on. I don't think I've ever coordinated so many dishes to be ready at the same time before. I really admire that my Dad is an expert at timing meals with many dishes.

After we ate, Jason loaded the dishwasher and hand washed some stuff while I cleared and cleaned the table and put away the leftovers. That was really nice! It's so nice to split up the clean-up.

Then he watched football and I watched You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle while finishing making some ornaments. I love watching movies and doing a project. It was a great day, with a lot of appreciation for how much I have and how lucky I am to have time and means to do the creative things that make me so happy. I am also so lucky to know so many great people. Thanks, my friends, for adding to my life!!!

Parsi Chicken Soup with Rice

This is one of my favorite cold-weather meals. Jason goes back for seconds, so you know he really likes it. I think it originally came from a San Francisco newspaper, which I used to read when I lived in Napa in 1998.

3 lbs chicken, cut into chunks
6 c. water
1 tsp. salt
3 Tblsp. oil
1 c. onion, cut into chunks
1/2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 c. tomato paste
cooked basmati rice

Cook the chicken in the 6 cups of water with salt over medium heat for 20 minutes.

In a food processor, or with a hand blender**, puree the onion, ginger, and garlic.

Heat oil in a skillet and over medium heat, fry the onion paste for 3 minutes.

Add the cumin and chile flakes and stirfry the mixture for 3 minutes more.

Add the mixture to the chicken and water, along with the tomato paste and simmer over moderately low heat for 20 more minutes.

Serve over rice, or add the rice to the pot. Yum!


**Mine is this same set, but I just checked, and when I bought it in 2006, it cost me $24.99. If you can find one at a reasonable price, they are incredibly useful and convenient. But I don't think it's worth $114.99. And certainly not $199!!

Two Weeks Ago

 
 
 
We had a party, with dinner. I made a flourless chocolate cake, which you can see on the counter. It looked awful! But it tasted great, especially with vanilla ice cream to cut the rich, rich chocolate flavor.

Our kitchen was a mess while I was cooking enchiladas and making guacamole. It was a lot of fun. Maybe in a few months, we'll do it again. By then, we will forget how much work it was.

 
 Here are some shots of my fruit tart. Wasn't it pretty? I don't mean to brag, but I was so happy that it turned out just like I had hoped. Beautiful and delicious. I'm making another one today, since I bought 2 pre-made pie crusts. This time I'm using regular cream cheese instead of marscapone (Italian cream cheese). Philly style is quite a bit tangier, but I think it will still be good.

The little one was for Emily, who can't eat wheat. I thought she might enjoy having her own little dessert, and I didn't want to waste any crust!
 





This is the chicken in its marinade. It was a caribbean-style recipe, and was good. It was not anything like jerk chicken that I've had before at restaurants, but still good. Not nearly as spicy!
  These are Jason's pickles. He was a little disappointed that they all got eaten at our dinner.

We had a really nice time with our company. Talking to them also reinforced my own decision not to be a lawyer. They were so stressed! They were so late from having to work all weekend on bullshit! Two have ulcers or pre-ulcers, in their 20s! That is SO not the right life for me. What a successful dinner. :)

Batch 2 of Bears is DONE

Here are the finished bears from batch 2.
I've made a yellow head for the 3rd batch.
The pattern is from this book, if you want to make some bears. The ones that the author made are much more perfect than mine, and yours could be, too.

Guess what! We're cooking more food on the grill tomorrow, with some more friends. Here's what I'm making:

* Jerk chicken (I haven't ever made it before, so I hope it's worth the trouble. I have enjoyed eating it before, so I think it will be good. I'm using a recipe from Emeril which was printed in Everyday Food)
*Pasta salad
*Watermelon lemonade (I might as well just say that I'm heavily inspired by this month's Everyday Food, which is a BBQ issue. This recipe is from there, too, and Martha recommends adding vodka.)
*Fruit tart (not from Martha!)

So, hopefully that tart will look gorgeous and I'll take a picture of it.

The Weekend

I don't have any pictures, because I didn't take any.

I made 2 kinds of cupcakes for Jason's birthday: white cake with whipped vanilla frosting, and devil's food cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. MMM! We froze a bunch of the cupcakes, since we had way too many (just don't frost them before freezing, and thaw them unwrapped, and supposedly they will be good as new). So, we can eat them whenever we get a desire for cake. Let's be honest, I'm the one who sometimes craves, with all my heart, a piece of cake. Lately, it's chocolate cake.

The British call cupcakes Fairy Cakes, which makes me want to put pink glitter on them.

Yesterday, we walked by Boulder Creek, which is in (drumroll, please!) Boulder! It was awesome! It was about 90 degrees outside, but in the shade near the creek, it was perfectly cool. We saw a pigeon, a little black bird that shook its fanny when it walked, and lots of people.

If you want to do a writing assignment, here is some inspiration: Take one of these overheard snippets of conversation, and expand it by writing a sentence, paragraph, or short story related to it, or including it.

1. Two women walking together.
#1: "Were they young?"
#2: "They were mid-life . . . CRISIS!"

2. A group of young people (20-ish)
Boy: "Was it like *Unsalted Butter*?"
Everyone laughs.
Girl: "Yes! It was like *Unsalted Butter*!
("unsalted butter" was said with emphasis, and was very well articulated.)


We also saw a drum circle, which is my favorite (NOT!)
Tons of people had brought their grills to the park to cook food. Now, some were those little, portable grills. But several people had somehow brought those giant big grills to the park, and wheeled them clear out into the middle of the grassy area. I was dumbfounded.



Then, we saw people practicing Capoeira, which was kind of cool. I have done that a little bit when it's incorporated into kickboxing workouts. It's fun! I asked Jason if he wanted to try it, but he did not.

We also saw people tubing down the creek, and we loved to see whether or not they'd go down the falls (sometimes they'd get out and walk on the shore instead). Some of them just casually drifted down the falls and went on their way. Some of them got dumped out, and some got trapped in the swirling water at the bottom.

Sparky, I did not see anyone pee in his own face while tubing. Maybe next time!

Today we were going to go to Water World, but since it's only 70 instead of 90, we're afraid it might be a little too cool. I think we will go to Six Flags instead, which has a little water park in it. If it's warm enough this afternoon, we can still ride some water slides and float in a wave pool.

later for you!

Scramble

 

Tonight for dinner I ate this scramble: eggs, spinach, avocado, tomato, provolone cheese. Yum!

BBQ

Our BBQ was fun. People even liked my fake cheesecake.



Joe tried out being a Noogler. Please note the spinner on top of the hat.






Here is little Iris with her new bears. I heard that she had syrup in her hair, which explains the style of it.

Little hanging house for creatures

Here is a birdhouse on our patio. There used to be birds that lived in it, but lately I have only seen wasps going in and out. I don't like wasps!

Today is a rainy day, like yesterday. There's something great about a cool, rainy day in the middle of a bunch of 80 degree days.

I think I might make a cheesecake for Saturday's BBQ, even though one guest won't be able to eat the crust. She is allergic to wheat (and she's a vegetarian) so it makes it really tricky for me to think of things to bake (or cook). I looked online for gluten-free crust recipes, but you have to buy special flours and mixes and stuff. So, maybe she can just eat the cake and not the crust? I think there has to be a crust, right? And we can put berries on top! It sounds so good. That's the kind of thing I have to make when we have company, so that I don't eat the whole thing myself.