Fractions

Must. Get. Pumpkins. Maybe I’ll go this evening to the big grocery store to see if they have any left. I can’t let this Halloween go by without carving them…I love to carve pumpkins. I am a little sad that my favorite carving template site is no longer offering the templates for free. They were really good, but I think I printed off a few extra last year that I can still use.

Sometimes after I read something I really really like (Middlesex), I find it hard to get into something else. Like I need to let it stew or something. So only about 40 pages into Locust, finding it interesting (and can fascinate my coworkers with information about how locusts are different than cicadas), but not engrossing yet. Listening to Dark Star Safari, so far so good, though having some trouble keeping the African names distinct. I know if I saw them in print, I would be able to…but just hearing them can be confusing.

Last night after my class on how to use my sewing machine, I was inspired to work on a few projects. I pieced the backing of holiday quilt #4, and pieced the binding. So I am ready to quilt the whole thing, but I find it easier to do all the quilting in one shot, so I need a block of time to do that. This will be the first time I have made a quilt large enough that I had to piece the backing fabric which means that it is wider than 44 inches. I also worked on some extra blocks for a future project…not sure yet. After I finish the holiday quilts though I need to start thinking about Commission #1, though I have a potential plan for Commission #2. This, with finishing my block of the month quilt, and quilting the 3 tops that are finished, and a possible horizons quilt will keep me really busy until this time next year at least!

Hurry up weekend!

Its a Family Name

Must. Not. Let week go by without posting. In small news, I’m are work, on a “break” Friday mid morning. The weekend with all its possibilities looms large. In big news, Tim and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. It went fast, but also seems like it was so long ago. I can’t remember if the first year is supposed to be the hardest or the easiest. Anyway, it hasn’t been hard, but maybe because we had already lived together and bought a house together. It has been a wonderful year, and I can’t wait for what is in store in the future.

To celebrate our 1 year, we headed out to Sea World here in San Antonio. Tim has been wanting to go since we moved here, and it was on my list of things to do. The weather has finally cooled off a little tiny bit, so seemed like the perfect time to go. We had a blast. I love rollercoasters. The higher, loopier, faster, bumpier the better. I will scream like a little girl, and laugh uncontrollably. Nothing like making loops with tears running down your face. We also watched some of the shows, fed some birds (Tim got pooped on), petted and fed dolphins, saw a tropical fish feeding, saw some clydesdales, rode the empty moving walkway along the penguin path, didn’t get really all that wet in the water rides (thankfully), and wound up with having dinner with Shamu. Right next to a deep pool, we were treated to a buffet and ate while 4 killer whales played next to us. The trainers talked to us a little bit and learned that there isn’t just one Shamu…its a family name.

I am working on getting my holiday quilts done before the holidays. I’ve got two down and am in progress on other ones. I love looking at quilt books, websites and magazines…but I really don’t have any time to start any more projects. After I finish the holiday four, I have a few others conceputally lined up, and have the three I still need to finish. Recently I have started to feel a little like an outsider in my monthly quilting group as one of the few young people and seemingly the only non Bush supporter. Therefore it has been nice to come across a few quilt blogs of young women who are into quilting (and also oddly enough home improvement and book groups).

• Hip to Piece Squares
• Material Girl
• All Too Quilty

We have most of our halloween decorations up, but need to put the Grim Reaper back together, he needs a little repair. And almost time to buy our pumpkins! I love Halloween. Also finished (and have updated the book post…check it out) Middlesex, which was the SG Book Club pick for October. It was great. Really great. I started the November pick already…Locust. So far, so good…pretty interesting. Also back on my bike after a break in September…my goal is two rides a week through the fall/winter. It is still int he 90s here, so trying to do morning rides for a few more weeks!

Confidential High Importance Letter

Dear Jerk,

I think that you are aware that yesterday, Tuesday, October 12th, at about 4:30 in the afternoon you almost hit me on my bike. I did everything in my power to avoid the collision, which should be a relief to you and your insurance company. However instead of showing your concern or gratitude, you flipped me off and continued into the parking lot of Hollywood Video on Blanco Road, just south of 1604. While I didn’t get the numbers on your license plate, it was from New Hampshire, like who wouldn’t remember that? Or the Air Force sticker on the window on the back of your tan 4 door Saturn/Kia/Hyundai? Or Your blond buzz cut reinforcing the Air Force sticker that was seen out the window as you flipped me the bird? Classy. Real classy.
Note: Next time you see a cyclist in the bike lane 6 FEET from the intersection in which you would like to turn, don’t try to turn in front of said cyclist. WAIT. I know it is rush hour, and you are in a big hurry to get to Hollywood Video or the Sprint store or where ever, but it would have taken me 10 seconds to cross the turn in, after which you could safely turn.

Still Thinks You Are A Pinhead,
Sarah, Innocent Cyclist

Far Flung Friends

Check it out. The Snotty Girls Book Club is official. Sort of. We are deep into our October book, Middlesex and unanimously loving it. I don’t know why we waited so long, or thought it was going to be crappy. It isn’t, it is wonderful and has sucked us in. You can check out more about the SGBC and my co-founder at the official site.

Speaking of far flung…if you haven’t already, check out Amy’s travel blog too. She has just spent a few weeks in Peru and is getting ready shortly to move on. She will be traveling up to the winter holidays and then hit the road again. But let her tell her own story…she is good at it, and there are lots of beautiful pictures!

Cookbooks

Since I am to make a recipe from every cookbook I own, I thought I should make yet another list of a)the cookbooks I own and b)what recipes I make out of them.

The Cookbooks and the Recipes in no particular order:
1. The Big Book of Breakfasts: Serious Comfort Food for Any Time of the Day by Maryana Vollstedt
   It was suprisingly good! I made my first quiche tonight (7/26/05) with recipes from this cookbook which has tons of recipes! I might have to try some of the breakfast breaks or muffins. Anyway, so I made a quiche using their quiche crust recipe (which I made last night) and pre baked tonight. Though I didn’t read the part about weighing down the crust as you are pre baking and had a big bubble in the middle! So when I poured in the egg mixture (recipe also from this cookbook, though I added broccoli…so good with the cheesy egg mixture) some seeped out the bottom on one side. But it still came out pretty good, not too pretty but still yummy and flaky on the sides. Might even have to make again and play with some other ingredients. Also must weigh the crust next time too.
2. The Big Book of Soups and Stews: 262 Recipes for Serious Comfort Food by Maryana Vollstedt
   I love to make soup. I love starting off with some veggies in butter or olive oil in the bottom of my hot Le Creuset pot. Yesterday (11/30/04) was actually chilly by San Antonio standards, in the 50s and was a perfect day for soup. I made the Potato Ham and Cheese soup that was really yummy. I had leftovers for lunch, and Tim had them for dinner tonight, so that is always a sign that it was really good.
3. Colorado Cache Cookbook: A Goldmine of Recipes
   Green Chile Burritos were on the menu tonight (6/27/05) as the new recipe of the week. I must say that I altered the recipe quite a bit (what’s new?), but they were really good and easy. I started off following the recipe, simmering diced pork loin in some chix broth for about 4 minutes until done. Then I added one can of diced tomatoes, and two small cans of chopped green chiles. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes. I simmered for a little longer than that, and it was really tasty (but then I also added some fresh black pepper and garlic). The recipe then states that you are supposed to roll all the burritos, and bake. Hmmm…I got home late, so I just heated up some veggie refried beans (which the recipe does include). And we warmed up a few tortillas and spread the beans on them, then with a slotted spoon, slopped on the meat mixture and added a sprinkle of cheese. So good! I would skip the baking step again next time.
4. Jane Brody’s Good Food Book by Jane Brody
   I love that the subtitle of this book is something like “Cooking the High Carbohydrate Way”. Hee. In a world of low carb diets, this seems like an old school throw back. However, not too many of the recipes jumped out at me. What to do when a cookbook isn’t right up my alley? Make soup. Tonight (2/27/06) I made the Pork and Potato Chowder. It was easy and very delicious. Instead of the smoked pork or canadian bacon the recipe called for, I used cubed ham and cooked everything in one pot (the recipe called for cooking the meat in a different pan). Other than that I made it pretty much as the recipe calls for and found it satifsying, easy and good. Will make again.
5. Betty Crocker Cookbook
   Made the Curry Sausage Couscous for dinner tonight (4/8/05). Really tasty, though I notice that the recipe online is a little bit different in that it calls for much more sausage than my very old print cookbook (which only calls for 1/4 pound). I substituted ground turkey for the sausage anyway and 1/4 pound was enough, though it could go up to 1/2 pound. I also added orange bell peppers and had to add a lot more oil due to the turkey vs. sausage substitution. This was a very good dish, one I would make again.
6. Wild Women in the Kitchen: 101 Rambunctious Recipes & 99 Tasty Tales
   by Nicole Alper, Lynette Rohrer, Wild Women Association
   Stephanie gave me this cookbook sometime after I graduated from college and it has interesting stories about infamous women and food. While it is good reading, I had never made anything from this cookbook until today (10/9). I made the Bubbly Beer Cheese Soup. And I made a lot of it. It didn’t occur to me to half the recipe, and wouldn’t you know it, Tim didn’t really like it. I didn’t think it was too bad, but probably won’t make again.
7. Culinary Treasures by Ladies Philoptochos Society, Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, Ft. Meyers, Florida
   Tim and I bought this cookbook at a Greek restaurant in Ft. Meyers, where the family sat at a big table in front, and with the wife, the cig voices, the bombshell daughters and the head of the household, it was something like the Greek Godfather. Made the Souvlaki recipe from this cookbook last night (4/12/05) and have also made it before. As always, made at least one modification. The recipe calls for pork, but we have always used chicken. When marinated overnight in the olive oil, lemon juice, oregagno, salt and pepper, the chicken is delicious. We skewered the chicken with bell peppers and onions (as called for by the recipe) and served it with garlic buttered rice and a spinach salad with grape tomatoes, feta and olives. One of my favorite meals.
8. Cold Soups by Linda Ziedrich
   Because it is 7pm and still 91 degrees outside, I decided it was time for something different. I have always loved gazpacho, but haven’t made it at home. Tonight I made the Classic Gazpacho (6/20/05), and it was pretty good. I didn’t tinker too much with the recipe, though I did add some cayenne and lots of freshly ground pepper (which the recipe didn’t call for). Served with some additional chopped cucumbers and croutons, it was quite tasty. I think next time though for the two of us, I will halve the recipe. I served this as a main course (what with all the bread in the soup and the croutons on top, it is deceptively filling) with some cheeses, spicy olives and pistachios. Yum.
9. Cool Kitchen: No Oven, No Stove, No Sweat! : 125 Delicious, No-Work Recipes for Summertime or Anytime by Lauren Chattman
   Tonight (6/22/05) I made Curried Chickpea Spread in a Pita. And yes, I did make modifications, why do you ask? I sort of took this recipe as a guideline. For the spread, I only used a tiny part of the cilantro it called, and added in some italian parsley and oregano. I don’t have “curry” so I added a mix of spices, and more olive oil than the recipe calls for. The recipe also suggests you serve the spread in pita with lettuce tomato and cucumber. Instead, I grilled some greek style flat bread (soooo much better than pita) and some yellow squash. We built our sandwiches on the grilled flat bread with the spread, some bibb lettuce, grilled squash, feta (a genius addition I might add), super thin carrots (sliced on the mandoline) and tomatoes. Soooooo good. Though Tim said that he would want a little cucumber next time.
10. All Around the World Cookbook by Sheila Lukins
    I love looking through this cookbook for recipes from the four corners of the world. The problem is that most recipes, while looking delicious, seem to involve hours. I don’t usually have hours to cook after work, but finally found a recipe that seemed not too bad. I made Pasta Arrabiata tonight (4/26/05), and it was really delicious (though maybe more suitible for wintertime). I can’t find a similar recipe online to what is in the book, but there was ground Italian sausage, sliced sauteed fennel, marinara sauce, chopped kalamata olives, fresh basil and parmesean cheese smothering a pound of penne pasta. Yum. Will certainly make again, and I even followed the recipe!
11. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook by Neva Beach, Ghirardelli Company
    Tim brought this cookbook back from a work trip to SF a few years ago, and I’ve never used it! Admittedly, I am not much of a baker (than a soup-maker…ha!) but today I made Classic Blondies to serve tonight (11/11/05) to guests. Everything went pretty well…though my melted white chocolate and butter got a little, er, lumpy but I think it smoothed out in the end. But the one part I really don’t get now that they have baked is the whole line the dish with parchment and then butter the parchment. It makes for very uneven edges of the blondies. They better just slide out of the pan though, and I guess makes up for easy clean up. Will taste tonight, but the batter was great!
12. America’s Kitchen: Traditional & Contemporary Regional Cooking : Featuring Recipes from America’s Most Celebrated Chefs by Anthony Dias Blue
    Larissa gave me this cookbook in 2000 and I love looking at this cookbook, the information given in supplement to the different American styles is wonderful and the photos are beautiful. Maybe two years ago I made Vermont Cheddar Soup (from the New England section) that was pretty good. However, with this new project, I vowed to do a new recipe even though most of the recipes are lenghty and complex. So I cheated and picked an easy one. Tonight (9/19/05) I made Twice Baked Idaho Potatoes (from the Midwest section). Easy, I guess so. They still tok a long time, but were really good. I pretty much followed the recipe and served them with a mixed salad and fresh sliced tomatoes. Very yummy. Will make again.
13. Art Lover’s Cookbook: A Feast for the Eye by Carolyn Miller (Editor)
    Many times I have made the Vegetarian Black Bean Chili from this cookbook, but never had tried anything else. Tonight (6/6/05) I made Pilaf with Chicken and Orange Zest. Apparently this is an adaptation of an Armenian dish. I substituted (of course there is always something….) diced dried apricots for the raisins it called for and cut the orange zest back by about 85%. Tasted right after it was done, and it was VERY sweet. I added much more salt, pepper, some garlic powder, cayenne and even some cumin to cut the sweetness. It turned out alright, but not a huge hit. Still very orangy also.
14. Gourmet’s In Short Order: Recipes in 45 Minutes or Less and Easy Menus by The Editors of Gourmet, Romulo A. Yanes
    Andrew gave me this cookbook many moons ago, and have picked it up many times, even marked pages, but never got around to making anything. On Friday 10/15, I made Spicy Cheddar Puffs to serve with some beef filets, roasted potatoes and spinach salad. They were actually really yummy and easy to make. I cut back on the spice, but turns out it wasn’t enough. And maybe next time I might try them smaller, more bite sized.
15. Finger Foods: Bite-Size Food for Cocktail Parties by Elsa Petersen-Schepelern, William Lingwood
    Hmmm…I have put off making a recipe from the cookbook forever! Many of the recipes are deceptively time consuming or complicated. Or both. Tonight (9/30/05) I made Cheese Sticks, which I always go back to when I pick up this cookbook. And? Maybe I should have refridgerated the dough (I hate improvising with baking!). I don’t know. My dough looked good, but all of a sudden got very crumbly. How can I roll out thin strips and twist them with crumbly dough? Maybe I should have refridgerated them. Instead, I rolled out thick rectangles and baked them longer. Eh. I like them, but they aren’t really flaky like I think they should be. Maybe I should have refridgerated them, maybe I need a different recipe for cheese sticks.
16. Get Togethers: Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals by Rachael Ray
    Completed 10/25/04. Suzy gave me both of these Rachael Ray cookbooks and I really like them. I have made several things from both and most things turn out and are yummy, not to mention pretty fast (though I don’t always come in under the 30 minute mark). I love to make soups, and so does Rachael. I made Leek and Potato Soup. This totally counts, even though I didn’t serve it with the little bread thingies, and we just had a regular spinach salad with it. Oh, and I added a shot of cayenne pepper too. But really good, one of my new soup favorites. I took some over to my recovering neighbor too.
17. 30-Minute Meals 2 by Rachael Ray

    Completed 10/01/04. From this cookbook, I made the Stuffed Pork Chops with Cream Cheese Potatoes. Ok, so I just made regular smashed potatoes with this dish. The stuffing is good, and really tasty with the porkchops. If you have the cornbread muffins (which I made from scratch earlier that day), it is an easy and yummy. It isn’t considered cheating, I hope, because I’ve made this recipe before. Wait, I am making up the rules. No, no cheating here.

18. The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso, Sheila Lukins
    To go along with the homemade ice cream that I made, I made a dessert recipe from this cookbook for the 4th of July. I made the Baby Brownies, which were perfect with ice cream, though I don’t know if they would have been that good on their own due to the chewiness. I like the recipe because it was designed for a small (8 inch square) pan, and therefore we wouldn’t be left with tons of leftovers. The other thing about this recipe…it called for both baking chocolate and chocolate syrup.
19. The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Pasta by Erica De Mane
    I am always looking for quick meals, and in the middle of July (7/12/05), I also need meals that are light (read: sadly not soups). So tonight I made Penne with Prosciutto and Butter. Basically sautee some sliced onions in butter (I did 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil) until soft. Add 1/4 cup chix broth and simmer for 1 minute. Pour over cooked penne and add sliced prosciutto, grated parmesan cheese, minced italian parsley, minced sage, pepper and a dash of nutmeg. The recipe also called for lemon zest, which would have been great. But Tim has a thing against lemon zest in things that aren’t desserts. Anywho, it was yummy! An easy light perfect summer dish.
20. Williams-Sonoma Collection: Ice Cream by Mary Goodbody, Chuck Williams (Editor)
    I got this cookbook and the ice cream maker for our wedding two years ago and have actually used it several times, though this is the first time I’ve used the cookbook. Today (11/10/05) I made Meyer Lemon Sorbet to serve to guest tomorrow night. I followed the recipe to a T (not that many ingredients) but did have to substitute regular lemons for the Meyer ones that I couldn’t find. So the recipe says that if you do the substitution, add a little bit more sugar, which I did and it is still a little bit tart, but yummy. I will probably make more recipes from this cookbook…I love homemade ice cream!
21. True Thai: The Modern Art of Thai Cooking by Victor Sodsook
    So the flavors of the Mu Wan, or Sweet Pork, I made tonight (8/1/05) weren’t a total hit, the technique was really easy and good. I served the Sweet pork over jasmine rice with egg rolls on the side. I thought it was pretty good, but turns out Tim REALLY doesn’t like fish sauce, though he ate some anyway. Who knew? So next time I think I might try this again, but just skip the fish sauce and add some plain soy sauce. Maybe add a few scallions.
22. Julia’s Casual Dinners by Julia Child, E. S. Yntema, James Scherer

    After putting it off for weeks, I finally made Steak Diane tonight (10/24/05) with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. I had to make a special trip for the steaks, but the actually turned out ok, and Tim really liked them. I would probably decrease the amount of dijon mustard in the sauce, but other than that I wouldn’t really change anything (except for the things I already changed). I don’t know if I’ll make this recipe that often, but it was a nice diversion from the regularly scheduled recipes. Thought I have to admit that I feel a little bit cheated because over 1/2 of the recipes listed in this cookbook are also listed in the following one…

23. Julia Child & company by Julia Child
    Made Rum Balls today (12/23/05) from this cookbook…fairly simple and easy for Julia. I didn’t deviate much from the recipe, but did double it to take to neighbors for the holidays. The outside coating is pretty bitter…could do with a teenytiny bit of powered sugar or something. But good flavor and texture inside. May try again.
24. What to Have for Dinner: The Best of Martha Stewart Living by Martha Stewart
    This of course is a beautiful cookbook, but another one that I have never made something from. Tonight (6/16/05) I made not one, but two recipes out of this cookbook! I made Cucumber and Radish Salad, which involves cucumbers, radishes and scallions dressed with rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt, cayenne (ok, it called for red pepper flakes) and a garnish of chopped peanuts or cashews. I garnished mine with almonds instead, and I really liked it. Nice sweet, tart, crispy side dish with a hint of heat. Yum, though it wasn’t one of Tim’s favorites. ALso made Stir-Fried Chicken with Noodles. Chicken, red bell pepper, scallion pieces and shiitake mushrooms stir fried. Add chix broth, soy, rice wine vinegar, and my addition of sesame oil. Let boil and add cornstarch mix. Remove from wok, and add cooked soba noodles (I used whole wheat noodles) and the sauce from the chix. Serve noodles with chix mixture on top. Garnish with sesame seeds. Pretty good, but not great.
25. Savoring Ireland: Cooking Through the Seasons by Nuala Cullen
    This cookbook also given to me by Stephanie upon my second graduation from IU, along with the Finger Food one. I love to look at this cookbook with the beautiful pictures of Ireland, but most of the recipes are along the lines of Hare in Puff Pastry and Whole Roasted Pheasant. Not exactly weekday fare. But there was a recipe for Soda Bread with Carmelized Onions that sounded good. I loved the soda bread at the Irish Lion, and made it there a few time too. This was nothing like that. It was so sticky! Super sticky. I think more of it ended up stuck to my hands than anyplace else. I added lots of extra flour, but think that made it too bulky, because I couldn’t get it to be “done” in the middle. I was going to serve it with the Beer Cheese Soup from above on 10/9, but we ate it with crackers instead. I am willing to try another recipe for soda bread in the future though. Just not this one.
26. The Herbs and Spices Cookbook: How to Make the Best of Herbs and Spices in Your Cooking by Christian Teubner, Sybil Schonfeldt, Ulrich Gerhardt, Daniel Ruhlemann, Eckart Witzigmann
    Completed 3/26/06. This afternoon I made Chive Butter from this (a gift from Stephanie Donovan) cook book, which has fewer recipes than just general information about herbs and spices. Most of the recipes are sauces, salads or rubs. I wasn’t totally clear about the recipe, so not all together sure if I deviated from the recipe or not. While I probably won’t make too many other things from this cookbook, it is beautiful to look at and read, just for the general information.
27. Los Barrios Family Cookbook : Tex-Mex Recipes from the Heart of San Antonio
    by Diana Barrios Trevino
    
    Completed 10/04/04. Maybe I should have been wary of the 20 minutes of poaching, before the 20 minutes of baking with the sauce. The chicken is covered in the sauce with the simple ingredients of roasted poblanos (roasted and peeled by me), cream cheese, butter, salt, pepper and chicken stock. Seemed fool proof, but somehow I think my sauce came out quite runny…not at all “creamy” as mentioned in the recipe. Baked it anyway, and while the sauce didn’t firm up any in the oven, it was quite tasty. Served it with homemade Spanish Rice that needed a little more seasoning.
28. The New Professional Chef by Mary Deirdre Donovan, Culinary Institute of America
    I love this book, but have never made anything from the recipe section. The first 800 pages are filled with great information and techniques. With all the color photos it is a great reference, and I have often pulled it off my shelf to just look at. Tonight (7/25/06) I finally made something! Most of the recipes are insanely complex (and often reference other recipes) and the ingredients are listed in weights (I don’t have a scale). But I made Green Beans with toasted Walnuts tonight and they were actually really good! I think I will make this recipe again, even though Tim opts out of the toasted walnut topping.
29. The All New, All Purpose Joy of Cooking by Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, Irma S. Rombauer
    
    Andrew gave this cookbook to me for Christmas this year, so I thought I would add it to the list. I was looking for a cookie recipe to take to a get together tonight (3/5/06) and decided to make plain ol’chocolate chip cookies. The recipe was easy, and I didn’t vary any from the recipe (though I didn’t turn my pans in the oven 1/2 way through cooking). The cookies came out delicious. There are other cookie recipes in here that I may try later, but I wanted some that would please a crowd of people. Hope they are a hit!
30. The I Love Elvis Cookbook: More than 50 Hit Recipes by Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen
    This is a fun cookbook given to me by Tim’s parents, and another one I often look through. Tonight (7/25/06) I made Cheesy Baked Grits. What with all the butter, milk, cheese and scallions, how could they be bad? Not sure this is a recipe I’ll make often, but I actually really liked them!