CookWomanFood.com » Opinions

What’s for Dinner?

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:28:45 +0000

What’s for dinner is always the usual question posed in my house. Of course, the answer to the question usually falls into my hands since it is just my husband and I living here. Kids were smart, very smart, and moved out west where living is at its highest (and not because they live in the Rockies). It just seems that the energy level out west is a little more higher than here in the northeast. It can’t be because we’re tired of shoveling snow as they have more than us. It could be that they are kids and are younger, but then again, not that young. But, I digress. Back to the food issue. I am a little tired of trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Can’t read people’s tastebuds or minds so it might be helpful to be given a damn clue to what the heck is wanted for dinner. I, myself, am not a problem. I am back on food restriction due to an overbundance of food consumption over the holidays. He, on the otherhand, is one of those pain in the butt people that can eat what they want when they want and not gain an ounce. Of course he smokes the cancer sticks so that could contribute to the no fly zone of weight. What the %^&*#. It is totally unfair! I am the cook, the master of the kitchen domain. I am the shopper, the queen of the grocery store. I am the dieter, the matron of fat. But, then again, I am not the loser!! So, I found something positive. Back to the question? What is for supper? Leftovers!! That’s right, freakin’ leftovers!!

Beef Tenderloin on the Grill

admin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:11:23 +0000

Walking through the neighborhood last evening actually determined what dinner would be. I was taking my usual jaunt when, poof, it hit me like a ton of bricks: the aroma of barbecued beef and chicken. It is interesting how smells and memories stimulate the appetite. Studies have shown that appetites are increased when pleasant aromas are present. I have issues with studies as usually one study can disprove another. However, did you ever get a whiff of home baking bread? That one is enough to send me over the edge! Cinnamon, there’s another one. Unfortunately for me the list of appetite enhances is endless. I guess that is why I have to keep walking in the neighborhood! BTW, the barbecue beef I had was beef tenderloin, sprinkled with some Montreal Steak seasoning. Simple, easy to prepare, delicious to eat!

Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:08:38 +0000

This was one of those hungry mornings. I decided to utilize my fresh blueberries and made some buckwheat blueberry pancakes. I used War Eagle Mill’s Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix. It is an organic grain mix and is quite delicious. Buckwheat pancakes have been my favorite since I was a young child. My mom would go to Old Sturbridge Village to get the mix and it has been very hard to duplicate the taste and texture I remember. This mix comes very, very close. I followed the directions on the package except added lots of fresh picked blueberries. I also used local maple syrup. The end result was spectacular!

War Eagle Mill’s buckwheat mix can also be used to make waffles and muffins. One of the recipes is for buckwheat blueberry muffins which is next on my list. I suggest a visit to their site if high quality products are a must for your kitchen.

Popovers, A Delish Dish from New England Cupboard

admin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:30:43 +0000

Have you ever bitten into a little bit of heaven? If you haven’t and would like to, try Blue Ribbon Popover Mix by the Winterport Co. of Maine that has been in business since 1992. These little gems are very light, airy, and make the perfect breakfast or accompaniment for a dinner. Popovers are easy to make, especially when everything that’s needed is available in one little bag. It even states on the bag that these popovers are light, puffy muffins that rise to any occasion. This is sooo true. They are simply a wonderful treat. I enjoyed making them and actually felt like I was little Miss Homemaker of 2009. I always thought popovers were a little tricky to make. This past birthday, better left forgotten, my friend Lise gave me a popover pan and a family recipe. I will eventually make that secret recipe and if I get permission I will post it (It won’t be a secret any longer). For now, if you get the urge for a popover, pop on over to the Winterport Co. site and order some! They also have an oatmeal popover mix and gift sets. There are many other products that they feature that are of very high quality and reasonably priced. Enjoy!

The Perfect Pineapple Tip

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:17:14 +0000

I had to write this post. I am so happy to have learned this tip from my friend Phyllis who should actually have her own column on little nifty tips. She never fails to amaze me on her knowlege base of facts pertaining to food. (She’s also a damn good teacher!) I recently was visiting her and noticed that she had a pineapple sitting upside down on the counter(if pineapples could sit). She informed me that pineapples ripen from the bottom up and the sugar sits at the bottom of the pineapple. If you place it on its top the sugar seeps down throughout the pineapple and sweetens it! Cool, huh? I thought so. I tried it and little Miss Phyll is correct!! I am so friggin thrilled that now I will always have sweet pineapple, which by the way, the pineapples have been incredibly delicious! I love to eat strawberries with my pineapple and they are both great with a serving of cottage cheese. Very refreshing! Don’t forget about pina coladas. Here is a recipe for sangria, perfect for those summer cookouts and gatherings:

Sangria

1 bottle red wine
1 liter lemon-lime flavored soda
1 orange
2 limes
1 cup fresh pineapple – peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup cherries, pitted and halved

Slice the fruit up into bite-size pieces and place in a punch bowl. Crush the fruit for more flavor.
Pour in the bottle of red wine, and stir in carbonated soda, but make sure to not over dilute the wine.

Happy Mother’s Day!

admin — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:01:55 +0000

Mothers. Everyone knows one, though she may not be a relative. What would we do without mothers? I for one love being a mother, from the first moment when the doctor called and said that I would become one. I loved the smell of newborn babies and the terrible twos were not so terrible. In fact, that was the fun part, watching a child explore, grow, and learn. I used to love bringing the boys to baseball, soccer, football games and all the many, many practices. Some of my fondest memories are about vacations, whether at the shore or in the mountains skiing. My children were great kids and I say that, not as a parent who doesn’t see their own kids’ faults, but as one who totally enjoyed having the kids around. My boys are now living in another part of the country, miles and miles away, but they are still close in my heart and I have always felt like I was appreciated. I now have two adorable grandchildren, Tristan, 4, and Addyson, 1. They also live a great distance away but they too are still with me everywhere I go! I am also grateful that I have a daughter-in-law who is very thoughtful and sensitive.

I am also fortunate to still have my mom living nearby. She is an active mom and is very independent. She visits often and we get to do a lot of mother/daughter things together such as lunch and shopping. She is a great mom as she never told me what to do or criticized me for what I did. If I was upset about something she would always say in her own proper way to get over it, life’s too short to obsess about anything! I am blessed to have so many connections to motherhood! So here’s to all the moms. Happy Mother’s Day!

Dancing Deer’s Crusade for Homelessness-Thank You!

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:06:47 +0000

I received an email today that touched my heart. I don’t usually write about serious affairs but I feel that after the email I must respond. Dancing Deer is a company out of Boston that I already respect. They responded to an email from me a couple months back and after a couple communications it became quite obvious that this company is top notch. Their products are phenomenal. Their character surpasses their products. Here is the email I received and please respond to their wishes. Homelessness is a definite issue in our country. I have taught many children who have been homeless and it is definitely a sad state of affairs when the children of the USA or anywhere have to suffer in this way. Home is what life is about. It is the things that our lifetime memories and reflections are built on. What do these children have to look back on? So please, give this some thought and respond to Dancing Deer. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here is the email:

Since April 22nd, Trish Karter, single mother and CEO of Dancing Deer Baking Co, has been riding her bicycle from Atlanta to Boston to raise awareness on ending family homelessness. She will be arriving back home in Boston on May 6th, in time for Mother’s Day. Along the way, she has been stopping at family homeless shelters in each of the 15 cities she’s visited to decorate gingerbread houses with the families staying in these shelters. Many of these families are headed by single mothers- often women who are fleeing abuse.

Trish has been sharing these women’s stories on Dancing Deer’s blog: http://blog.dancingdeer.com/index.php on Twitter (@chiefdeer), on flickr and with the press in each city.

As a food blogger, I’d like to invite you to participate in the conversation on family homelessness. As a fellow food lover, I can say that food plays into my memories of home. Being away from home, the first thing that I think about is my mother’s home cooking. Eating certain foods away from home, emotionally brings me back home.

What are your thoughts? I’d like to invite you to donate a blog entry about the relationship between food and home in honor of those who don’t have a home.
Its just one of the ways you can help: http://blog.dancingdeer.com/index.php/site/entry_detail/8_ways_you_can_help_end_family_homelessness/

Chocolate Cupcakes for the Professor!

admin — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:36:02 +0000

I was just asked for my opinion on a graduation cupcake. My friends and not friends all know that I love to give my opinion. Who doesn’t? I have opinions about just about everything, though wise enough to know when not to voice them. When it comes to cupcakes though, I always say chocolate is the way to go. For decorations, make some mini flags of the school’s logo, tape them to toothpicks, and stick in the frosting. Make sure the flags are not too big as they’ll topple over. Frosting could always be tinted to show the school’s colors. This chocolate cupcake recipe is heaven. I have used it for years and you will find it posted in many different variations on my website. Can’t live without it!

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 ¾ c. flour                       2 cups sugar
¾ c. baking cocoa            1 ½ tsp. bak. soda
1 ½ tsp. bak. powder        2 eggs
1 tsp. salt                         1 cup milk
½ c. veg. oil                      2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup boiling water

1. Combine dry ingredients
2. Add remaining ingredients except boiling water. Beat 2 minutes.
3. Stir in boiling water.

Bake: 350* for 20-25 minutes in cupcake liners. Makes 24. Make sure to fill cupcake liners only 2/3 full.

Fluffy Frosting

Thicken over low heat and cool:
3 tbsps. flour
¾ c. milk
pinch salt

Cream: ¾ c. sugar
¾ c. shortening
1 tsp. vanilla

Add to flour mixture and beat until fluffy.

Pina Colada Muffins and …

admin — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:49:54 +0000

I recently started thinking of tropical drinks and food items as summer is just around the bend, I am way into spring fever to the point of no return, and I am going to Cabos in a few weeks. I can almost taste the Mexican foods and drinks. I thought of one of my favorite drinks, Pina Coladas, and thought about muffins, which are also high on my list of things I like and really shouldn’t. I then received a Health Alert from a very good friend, Jane, who by the way is quite the expert in the field of self help, and decided to alter it a bit as her alert featured Margaritas. Now, I am not overly fond of margaritas, but they’ll do in a pinch. My daughter in law, Amy, informed me of the impact a couple margaritas can have at the resort in Cabos and I thought, “Hmm, what fun THAT could be!” So I gave this some thought, and although I love the idea of sipping a margarita in Mexico and watching the fun begin, I decided to go with my first idea of a post on Pina Colada muffins, include a recipe for great Pina Coladas, and also include an updated version of the Health Alert! How cool is that? Let me know what you think.

Pina Colada Muffins

2 cups flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 cup choopped pecans
1/3 cup coconut oil

Stir the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and add to dry ones. Stir until just moistened. Fill muffin pans and bake at 400* for about 20 minutes. Makes 18.

The Perfect Pina Colada

3 oz. light rum
3 tbsp. coconut cream
3 tbsp. crushed pineapple
Place ingredients in a blender with 2 cups ice and blend on High for 1 minute.

Important Women’s Health Issue:

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Do you suffer from shyness?
Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Pina Coladas. Pina Coladas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Pina Coladas can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you’re ready and willing to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Pina Coladas almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, with Pina Coladas. Pina Coladas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Pina Coladas. However, women who wouldn’t mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.
Side effects may include:
Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, new tattoos or piercing, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke.

WARNING:
The consumption of Pina Coladas may make you think you are whispering when you are not.
The consumption of Pina Coladas may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
The consumption of Pina Coladas may cause you to think you can sing.
The consumption of Pina Coladas may make you think you can logically converse.

Dancing Deer’s Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:51:37 +0000

It’s one of those nights when I don’t feel like a typical dinner. Sometimes pancakes just taste better at night. It has been a while since I had some so I decided to make Dancing Deer’s Buttermilk Pancakes. A while back I posted a review on this company’s meyer lemon blueberry pancakes. They were incredibly memorable and I cannot stress enough that they were the absolutely best pancakes I ever had. I figured the buttermilk ones would be just as good and I was right. They were everything a pancake should be: light, fluffy, perfect texture, and can be eaten without syrup. I did however include a dab here and there of pure maple syrup as I am from New England and it is the time of year for the sweetest, freshest syrup. If you want a delicious pancake, give these a try. You won’t regret it!!