Real Simple = Real Bad?

I have a problem with Real Simple. For one thing, they've gotten way to woman's magaziney with their content. I don't need "morning make-up solutions" or "6 great new ways to do your hair." I don't care what the folks at Real Simple think I should be wearing this fall. There are far more fashionable magazines to get fashion and beauty tips, and I don't need Real Simple to tell me how to do crunches (um, hello? That's why I get Shape.)

But the biggest problem is that the quality of the recipes varies so widely. Last night, I made a recipe from Nov. '09's Real Simple that turned out perfectly. It's listed in their section, "Weeknight Meals," under the subsection "One Pot." Aptly named Roasted Chicken and Carrots with Olives and Lemons, this recipe is truly wonderful! See the end of the article for the recipe reprinted. I highly suggest you try it if you like chicken. It was an easy, no-brainer recipe that even novice cooks could get right. Plus, if you and your spouse don't like the same parts of chicken (for instance, I like white and Alex likes dark), since you're cooking a whole bird, you're both happy.

Heartened by my recent success, I cooked another Real Simple recipe tonight. This was only two pages away from the Roasted Chicken that was so fabulous. But unfortunately, "Steak with Crispy Potatoes and Pistachio Pesto" was not a winner. The steak was good, but I'd be surprised if all of a sudden I couldn't cook a sirloin steak and make it amazing. The crispy potatoes were good. But the two items that were the most work, namely the pistachio pesto and the broccoli rabe, disappointed greatly. The pesto required me to shell a number of pistachios, and while the pesto tasted nice, it was completely overpowered by the steak. This would be much better on a delicate fish, such as halibut. The broccoli rabe required a special trip to Metropolitan Market, where I learned it is pronounced "Rah-Bay. And, it was inedible. I cooked it EXACTLY like the recipe suggested and it came out nothing like it. Maybe broccoli rabe is just no good? Seems strange, considering I like leafy green vegetables like Swiss chard, bok choy, chinese broccoli, and kale. But it wasn't just me. My husband looked incredibly relieved when I declared the broccoli rabe disgusting and threw it in the trash. So, Real Simple approved this recipe that contained two good elements but added one element that was unnecessary and another that was inedible.

That's why I subscribe to Good Housekeeping, despite the fact that the magazine is very dorky and is overly geared towards moms. (By the way, don't moms have their own mom-related magazines? Why does the fact that I want to excel at "housekeeping," including cooking, mean I need to learn about how to resolve fights between kindergartners?) GH has this excellent policy of testing out all their recipes in their test kitchen three times before they'll publish them (oh how I'd love that job!) And so, only one time out of probably 50 or so recipes from GH I've tried has the recipe gone wrong.

Real Simple has great fonts, photography, and some interesting ideas about stain removal and alternative uses for everyday objects. Just don't count 100% on loving dinner if you use their recipes.

Recipe I LOVE (+ my notes):
Roasted chicken and carrots with olives and lemons
1 3 1/2 to 4 lb chicken, cut into pieces (can get them pre-pieced at grocery)
2 lbs carrots, cut into 2 in. pieces (halved lengthwise if thick)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
4 bay leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tsp paprika

Heat oven to 425. On a large rimmed baking sheet (such as a jelly roll pan), toss chicken, carrots, olives, bay leaves, lemon, oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle the chicken with the paprika.

Roast, tossing the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender, about 45 min.

Serve with crispy Caesar salad, if desired.

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins!

I have a new motto for fall decorating: you can never have too many pumpkins. I thought before that you should only get as many pumpkins as you can carve for Halloween, so probably one, unless you're a staffer for Martha Stewart or something. Now it seems like the more the merrier. And there are so many cute pumpkins you can get -- the white ghost pumpkins, the tiny mini pumpkins, adorable and ugly squashes (which aren't even really pumpkins), and these perfectly sized sugar pumpkins.

Yesterday, I was in a hurry to get the place finished being decorated for Halloween before the kids came by trick-or-treating, and none of my several pumpkins were carved. I had bought all these pumpkins because I had a housewarming party a couple of weeks before Halloween. I've discovered something: uncarved pumkins = fall/harvest. Carved pumpkins= Halloween. Uncarved pumpkins, outside, will last for weeks in the cool fall air. But as soon as you carve them, they quickly begin to fade. That's why I waited until the day Halloween to carve the pumpkins.

Since I was in a hurry, I thought we should do the smaller sugar pumpkins to save time. Boy was I in for a surprise. Apparently the sugar pumpkins are designed for making pies and have much thicker shells -- making them harder to cut than the larger, normal pumpkins. Who knew? So we saved no time there. But we did make a really cute kitty cat and a "Boo!" pumpkin. Note: you must make enough airholes to feed a candle if you're using a real candle, otherwise it will extingish! Learned this the hard way with the "Boo!" pumpkin.

What to do with those seeds? Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and meanwhile clean the seeds using a round sieve and running water. The pumpkin bits go to the bottom. Then dry the seeds with paper towels, and put in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp olive oil (per about two pumpkins worth of seeds), 1 heaping tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp truffle salt. Stir with whisk until all seeds are coated. Pour the seeds on a cookie sheet -- you can use the whisk to spread them around. Roast seeds for about 27 minutes. Voila - spicy, delicious pumpkin seeds!

A Wild and Wonderful Day!

What an amazing day yesterday was! Just closing on our house was a huge accomplishment. Our lender was keeping us in great suspense by not turning in the paperwork until the final hour, but the title company really came through and did everything completely on the fly for us. But when we went over the papers, we realized that our lender had structured the deal in a way that left about $2800 of our money sitting on the table. Drat! So we got lender on the phone and worked out a way to make the deal happen so that we got all of our money, and we also got an even lower interest rate than we had originally bargained for! Our title agent was "double-fisting" it with phones on both ears, talking to people at the national HQ for her company and our lender down in Texas. It was pretty crazy, but for some reason I never got stressed out about it, at all. I think I knew it would all be o.k. A closing can be difficult, but I imagine it's rarely fatal, so I didn't get too worked up.

Nevertheless, afterwards I still needed to decompress, so I stopped for a mani/pedi and that really helped (even if the guy who gave it to me was highly unlikely to've been legally licensed... oh well).

Shortly thereafter, it was time to check out the exhibit. Here I have to stop and thank my friends for being open-minded to learn about the history of Tacoma's architecture. Just because I moved here in September and became fascinated with Tacoma's history, doesn't mean my friends did. But they still came and supported and that means the world to me. I also have to thank the director of Tacoma Historical Society, Mary Bowlby, for believing in me and my vision. It was amazing to see it played out in an exhibit, even in the cramped THS space. Many thanks also to Jeff Cunningham and his family for bringing treats to the reception, and Sanford & Sons antique shop, who let us use their space for the reception (very cool shop btw. I'll be there for an auction on July 20 if anyone cares to join me).

We all started to get hungry, so went down the recently-repaired Spanish Steps by the Elks (soon to be McMinemins!) to get to the Matador. It was a beautiful night, and the walk felt good. Matador was bustling with hip couples and groups of friends, and my Seattle friends seemed surprised that Tacoma is indeed fun and lively. Get used to it! We admired the wrought iron and wood decor, and crammed about 12 of us into a giant booth that still didn't feel big enough. My friends who arrived later were relegated to another large booth right next to us. Let me tell you, for me to butterfly between these two tables and still manage to get some dinner was no small feat, but I think I managed quite well. The mood was very festive and I had a fabulous time. Also, I am very blessed because I have not one but two friends who are jewelry-makers with great taste. So I got some pretties (thanks!). I also appreciated getting a book by Victoria Beckham called "That Extra Half an Inch" -- I'm told it refers to fashion, not to her hubby. Hee hee.

As we unfolded ourselves from our booths, the plan began to form of going to The Tempest for karaoke night. We said our goodbyes to those who had to go, and then several intrepid souls joined me at this fabulous joint on Hilltop. The Tempest is like a wonderfully shady living room, with funky secondhand furniture and plenty of atmosphere, and a bartender and karaoke host that almost immediately felt like family. While performing, I lost an earring (due to my insistence on wearing a platinum blonde prop wig and then flinging it away from me), and the bartender assured me in serious tones, “We will find that earring. Don’t you worry,” – and she did, minutes later. Many of us sang, and all of us seemed to have a great time. I did a reasonable job on “Hard to Handle” by The Black Crowes – you know what? That song is hard to handle! I realized while singing it that I’d never understood about 95% of the lyrics (who knew it says “Boys’ll come along a dime by the dozen/that ain’t nothin’ but dime-store lovin’”?) My friends said that my enunciation shed a whole new light on the song. Anyway, I never respected Chris Robinson, the singer of that band, the way I do now. Think rock stars don’t make enough money? Try belting that bad boy out at a stadium! That’s twice as hard (hee).
Anyway, we had a great time, and many great songs were sung, and I loved every one, even the country songs.

After we left the karaoke behind, Alex and I couldn’t resist a quick peek at our new abode. We went on in and practical me, I had to close the blinds in all the rooms to make sure no one can look in (at what? Beats me.) I took off my grey t-straps with their little maroon platforms and let my feet glide on newly-refinished hardwood floors that are mine-all-mine. Alex and I walked into the kitchen and my feet loved feeling my tile floors. We marveled at our bread box, our dishwasher, our butcher block island, our very own wonderful kitchen! We stepped out into the backyard around midnight, and the air still felt warm as I walked on the smooth wood of our deck, the cool concrete patio, the damp grass of our backyard. I hear the soft sounds of our new neighborhood, and I loved my life so much that my little heart nearly burst.

Sometimes life can be so hard, so terrible, and I don’t lose sight of that. It just makes me cherish days like this even more. Today I thank you, my friends, my family, the universe, and above all, God, for giving me such a day as this.

And now on to less lofty thoughts, such as packing my breakables and making a trip to Goodwill.

My Latest, Greatest Discoveries

I got a wonderful early birthday present from my husband: a bike! It's a little Trek commuter bike, very light, indigo blue, and I love it! I love biking right now the way I loved it as a kid, riding down dusty red roads in southern Maryland, loving the sun on my face and the breeze you get only riding a bike. So fabulous. So that's my first discovery, that apparently I love to ride my bicycle.

Today we rode over to my friend Lara's place in Hilltop; she and her husband are apparently moving to Kirkland. That's too bad, but I cannot imagine leaving the cool stuff I'm finding here! After we saw her baby and chatted a bit we caught this bike path to the Narrow's Bridge. Along the way, we stopped and saw the War Memorial. A little late for Memorial Day, but still meaningful. This park smelled so good; I kept thinking, I hope those POWs and MIAs who are remembered at the park get to smell beautiful flowers like this in heaven. I hope souls can still enjoy beautiful fragrances in the world after this one; hopefully it can make up for the terrible things these brave men had to endure during this life.

Anyways, back to my trek. We went over the Narrows Bridge! It is so incredibly beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking, the blue waters and Olympics to the west and on the way back over, Mount Ranier. Wow.

We were starving, and we just happened upon this place called Papa Eddie's Corner Cafe & BBQ. We got the barbequed chicken breast plus collard greens, cornbread, and yams. Just one dish was enough to feed us both! So delicious.

I also recently discovered this amazing Filipino restaurant in Lakewood, WA, called the Polynesian Grill. If you're ever in Lakewood, check it out. Actually, might even be worth a trek down there. It's at 10518 S Tacoma Way #G.

The last discovery of today was Don's Market. Yummy milkshakes. Not as good as Frisco Freeze (delicious Dick's-like burger joint) but still quite good.

Life is good! Today is Pentacost, so this could just be the Holy Spirit talking, but thank God for all this. I am so grateful to be alive and well today. Praise God for all this good stuff! Whoo-hoo!

This Just In: Sexy Hair Possible in Tacoma!

I finally did it. I had to lay off my Seattle hairdresser (thanks for all the good hair-dos, Sierra) and find a new stylist in Tacoma. A new business owner has to be as frugal as possible in all things, but she also has to look sharp. So this means finding ways to save, like driving less, and seeing if I can get less expensive haircuts. I had heard about Embellish, a salon in downtown Tacoma, and decided to give it a shot. I went on a "hair model day" which means, "we let the new girl practice on your head" day. It also means, hairdo is half-price!

My stylist, Eleanor, had a reddish pixie-cut 'do and big hazel eyes. I respected how she had come to styling hair a little later in life (she's in her late 30s), and just finished up at Gene Juarez. We had fun talking, but when I sat there with sopping wet hair, I was freaked out. What would this woman do to me? Was I going to look like some freakshow stereotype of Tacoma white trash? I imagined that I would look like a meth addict with slightly better teeth than average. "Do you think it's going to look o.k.?" I asked nervously. "I hope so!" said Eleanor, sounding a little worried. She blowdried me and a beautiful head of hair revealed itself. Then she asked the owner, Trish, to do that "thing she did" with my bangs and the fringey, piecy bits along the sides. Snip-snip, snip-snip, and voila! Perfect! I love it.

I feel more like I'm at home now. This is my place, now that I have a salon in town. In fact, Eleanor gave me a wig brush (of all things) and showed me how to backcomb the crown, for those days when I need some big, extra-sexy hair. Good stuff. Tacoma offers a more luxe lifestyle on my budget, without foregoing sexy hair. This means I can stay.

"Feels Right" Oatmeal Cookies

Baking is something that I'm good at usually because I'm very precise about following directions. However, I've baked so many cookies now that I wondered what would happen if I made cookies based on what "felt right." My husband loves oatmeal raisin cookies, so I decided to try those. I've only ever made oatmeal cookies once, and they were "Oatmeal Scotchies," which have these delicious butterscotch chips. So, I only had a vague idea of how much of each thing to put in, but I just did what felt right. I'm happy to report that Alex thinks they're some of the best he's ever had.

"Feels Right" Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/2 sticks very soft unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups oatmeal (quick or old fashioned -- I used old fashioned)
2 cups flour
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/2 level tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped into small bits (optional - for if you or friends don't like raisins)

Put racks in upper third of oven (I was able to cook with both racks for once). In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until fully blended in. Add baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, oats, and flour and mix. Add nuts if you like and beat gently, then, if you want, divide the dough in 1/2, and add raisins to the one half and apricots to the other half. Mix until blended.

Drop rounded tbsps dough on cookie sheets covered by parchment paper. Ensure at least 1 1/2 inch space between cookies to avoid cookie joinage. Bake about 12-14 min, until golden-brown. Cookies will look soft but will firm as they cool. Leave on baking sheet about 2 min, then put on cooling racks.

Makes about 30something awesome cookies.

Media Overload + Reviews

I am completely overwhelmed. I know that sounds silly. I'm not working (well, I'm volunteering a lot. I'm just not getting paid). What could I possibly have to overwhelm me?

Right now, it's media. There are several things I "should" watch, Letters to Iwo Jima, Into the Wild, Man on Wire, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Season 2.5 of "Battlestar Gallactica" topping the list. This brings me to a weird thought: these things are designed to be entertainment. Why do I feel I NEED to watch this stuff as if it was part of my duty? I have lists of movies that I NEED to watch, or else I'm going to feel like a lesser human being.

So, let's start shifting through the detritus. I love your opinions on this and if it helps me prioritize, so much the better, so please share what you think. I've never done mid-read reviews before. I think it's a good idea.

BOOKS
Black Hole by Charles Burns. I started reading this right after my surgery, thinking that a graphic novel would be a good light choice. Uh... WRONG! Heavy and weird, man. There is some seriously messed up sh&t going on in this book. But I love it so far. Wow. 1/2 way through. Book so far: A

Anna Karenina by Tolstoy (Pevear & Volokhonsky richer, meatier translation) Really good, but I'm having a hard time getting myself to actually read it. It just doesn't go with Percoset, and right now, I do. Anyway, I've heard it has a really sad ending and I am not looking forward to that. I'm trying to read it with Woody Allen's Love and Death in the back of my mind; that helps make it more amusing. Through Book 2. So far: A

Wonderful Tonight by Patty Boyd. Autobio of George Harrison and Eric Clapton's old lady. Began reading just before surgery because I thought it would be a light fun read. Didn't consider Boyd's unbelievably boring description of her childhood when I had that idea. It's starting to get better, though, because she finally met George. Through p. 69. So far: C+... actually, given that I keep reading it, it must be at least a B-

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. I wanted to read this before I see the movie, and boy, oh, boy, is it a heavy, depressing ride into the depths of suburban hell. So far, I like Bret Easton Ellis's Lunar Park much better, when it comes to novels that tell us why suburbia is horrifying. p. 118 out of 463. So far B+

Courtesans & Fishcakes: the Consuming Passions of Classical Athens by James Davidson. Surprisingly accessible book about the ancient Greeks. Just started; can't grade yet.

The Algebraist by Iain Banks. I've been reluctant to read Banks due to an ex's great love for him. However, my neighbor talked me into it. So far, seems very good. Great quote: "Dear Reason, maybe none of us are safe anywhere." Another great quote: "It could choose to go with some elegance, or not, but it could not choose not to go. No-unchoosing death." Just started; can't grade yet.

Why Marriages Succeed or Fail... and how you can make yours last by John Gottman, Ph.D. Really great relationship book. Maybe the attempts to quantify love are offensive to some, but I need all the help I can get. Very helpful insights, and plus, lots of fun quizzes. 1/3 of way through. So far: A-

Magazines
Some of these are guilty pleasures. Ok, they're all guilty pleasures.

Bust I've been a reader and a subscriber for years. This magazine is like the grown-up version of Sassy. Feminist in a fun way, this rag never fails to lift my spirits and teach me something useless, like how to make a belt out of beer bottle caps or a kitschy pouch for my sanitary napkins out of vintage reproduction fabrics. Then it'll have Lily Allen as the cover girl and I'm really head-over-heels.

Good Housekeeping Yes, you read that right. This magazine has such good recipes, which also tell you calorie counts and how much the meal will cost approximately. I take out all the recipes and put them in a three-ring binder. This month, GH will teach me how to make a delicious healthy version of eggs Benedict, how to store asparagus, how to make leg of lamb with oregano & lemon, and Roman-Style Artichokes. Doncha wish your girlfriend - could - cook - like - me? Doncha? A wifely must. Is it terribly un-PC of me to say that. Does reading Bust cancel this last one out at all?

Real Simple - kinda like the previous entry, but a little more modern, and doesn't necessarily assume I have kids like GH does (which gets old). Great organizing and money tips in this good little magazine.

Fitness & Shape - I like to tear out the recipes and workouts from these and try the new workouts at the gym. What's fun is when my trainer comes up and yells "What in tarnation are you DOING??" in my face while I'm trying to do something called "good morning raise" or "pistol squat."

Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine- the magazine for pop surrealist art. This is great for releasing your brain from its logical left-side bondage and experiencing visual bliss.

Washington State Bar News - Let me be real here. The only things I read in this mag are Bob Cumbow's amusing reflections upon the misuse of grammar, and the disbarment notifications. Unfortunately I've seen a couple of names I know, but (fingers crossed!) not mine!

VFW Magazine - not just for old farts! I love this magazine's tales of wars, heroes, and veterans working to get the recognition and benefits they deserve. I've actually considered being a Ladies Auxiliary Member because I love this magazine so dearly.

Vanity Fair - this is where I get a lot of my information about current affairs, which is why I can talk to you about Anne Hathaway's failed romance at length, but don't completely understand what the "Dow Jones Industrial" whatever-it's-called is.

Assorted others, from time to time:
GX: the Guard Experience - the National Guard's magazine has great pieces about health and kickass pictures of our soldiers um, kicking ass.

Giant Robot - from time to time, I need a Japanese culture/art fix. This is it.

Newsweek - Alex subscribes to this and I read it from time to time so I learn about "news." I always wind up reading the articles about things like Barbie's 50th Birthday and Afghanistan. The economy, sadly, I still find boring, despite the fact that we are in desperate times. (It's bad. OK. I get it!)

The Believer - I like McSweeney's (collections of short fiction) a LOT more than The Believer. But Nick Hornby writes book reviews in it which are good, and my good friend, writer and games expert Brian Schneider, gave this subscription for me as a gift, which was really nice. (Sorry for the name dropping. But it's true, that's who gave it to me).

Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes & Gardens - These are basically more housewife porn. MS Living has lovely pictures and descriptions, but honestly, the recipes call for very expensive and ridiculous food and equipment, and aren't always "all that" when it comes down to it. BH & G is like GH but has fabulous pics of gardens, and homes, which are all much better than mine. (Couldn't resist).

National G, Conde Nast, Adventure - I don't buy travel magazines, but when they're around I love to read them and make collages of the pictures in them.

So that's most of it. What's shocking it's not all of it. I'm not bragging here. I think it's an illness. Hopefully all the stuff that I read and the bits of information I collect reach a critical mass and foment an amazing novel. I'm just going to keep reading and watching and listening and learning and writing and synthesizing and making it happen every single day until one day, it all makes sense and turns into something beautiful.

Finding a Reason Where Reason Fears to Tread

Warning: TMI very possible here. If you're not really a friend or interested --don't bother to read.

I finally have a little bit of closure from the great ordeal that was 2008. I have never publicly blogged about this because I felt so sad, but also, because there was a little bit of shame, like this was somehow my fault. But here goes. I miscarried twice in 2008. The first was only after a few weeks of being pregnant, so while it was tragic and very difficult for me, it was easier to simply say it wasn't meant to be. The second one was in October after 12 wonderful weeks of pregnancy. I made it through the first trimester, thought I was clear, and told practically everyone that I was pregnant. And then the unthinkable: I miscarried. Again.

After the second one, I vowed to my poor lost baby that I would do everything in my power to get to the bottom of the problem and prevent this from happening again. I went to my ob/gyn at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma. She said that m/cs are common and "we don't really do much about them until you're had three or more... but we can run these tests for you if you really want." I began the testing procedure there, and she discovered that I have a gene mutation which can sometimes cause blood clotting, which has been linked to a greater number of miscarriages. She glommed onto this information as if it solved everything. Luckily, I had done some research on my own, and the experts in m/c agree that often there is more than one cause, and the biggest mistake doctors make is in assuming that if they find one cause, it is "the" cause. Furthermore, the causal connection between my partiular gene mutation and miscarriage is tenuous at best. I talked to the doc at St. Joe's and she was unwilling to do further tests. I promptly got myself into Madigan Army Hospital, where they take a very proactive stance towards reproductive problems. Happy families mean happier soldiers, I suppose.

My doc at MAMC ordered additional blood work and genetic testing for Alex and me, and when those showed no definite problems other than my gene mutation, she recommended an additional test. This unpleasant procedure, the "HSG," is where they take x-Ray pics of dye as it flows into your uterus (which the doc at St. Joseph's assured me was not worthwhile to do in my case). They discovered a problem with my uterus where I have this septum, present from birth, which is low in blood vessels and does not provide a healthy environment for a fetus. The fetus basically starves (THIS [and many other reasons] is why you don't tell someone who just miscarried that it's "nature's way of taking out the garbage" -- there was probably nothing wrong with either baby. They just starved to death in my inhospitable womb. And don't tell me my effing baby is GARBAGE! How obvious is that?)

Anyway, the HSG results led them to do the laparoscopy/hysteroscopy, which they did Friday, and it turns out there was indeed a septum, which they removed. I need to rest for a few days, and let myself heal up. Hopefully, after taking estrogen to help the lining of my uterus, in a couple months maybe I can get pregnant again, and we'll hope for the best.

So, new mommies-to-be whose biggest worry is that they're being overly materialistic by purchasing Seven maternity jeans (and you are, by the way!) -- I can't relate to you at all. People who tell me "just don't worry about it -- let nature happen!" == shut the F*CK up. You Do Not Know What You Are Talking About! And to those friends, the majority of my friends, who supported me and helped me through all this -- I love you. You are amazing. I wish you every blessing in this world and if you ever do decide to have kids, may your journey be easy and simple and free of the pain of loss.

Now you know the full story. If you ever have a friend lose a baby, give them a huge hug and tell them how sorry you are for their loss. Make them something to eat. Show them you love them. That's all you can really do.

Nouveau Comfort Food for Depressing Times

I am depressed. I just found out that an old friend died last week. I'm seriously depressed. And I also noticed it's been a month and a half since I last blogged! Wow. So, here's a new blog for your mid-winter blues. Eat your heart out on some nouveau comfort food.

Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Mashed Potatoes and Swiss Chard (The steaks and chard recipes are adapted from Jan. '09 Better Homes and Gardens).
4 6oz beef tenderloin steaks
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
4 shallots, halved
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tbsp butter, softened
Snipped flat leaf Italian parsley
Peppercorns (optional)

Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tbsp butter and the oil over high heat. Brown steak bottoms (1-2). Turn and cook 6 min or more until desired doneness. Remove steaks and keep warm.
Add shallots to skillet. Cook about 5 min, then add beef broth. Scrape skillet to remove browned yummy bits. Whip in that last tbsp of softened butter. Then put the steaks in and dollop the liquid over the top. Throw some snipped Italian parsley on there, and a few peppercorns, if you like. Voila! Bon appetit.

Momma's Mashed Potatoes
While the steaks are cooking, throw about 3 pounds of peeled Yukon gold potatoes (yes, it makes a difference in the taste!), cut into 1" cubes, in a big pot of boiling water. When the potatoes are almost soft, take a stick of butter and 3/4 cup whole milk, and saute over low heat, taking care not to scorch. When the potatoes are fork tender (10-15 mins), drain them in a colander and then put them in a mixing bowl. Use electric beater to smoosh them up, and add generous dashes of salt and pepper. Also dash in some heavy whipping cream until your potatoes are the desired consistency. Delish-eee-ous, I gawrawntee.

While all this is going on, boil up another big ol' pot of water. Take some nice Swiss chard (don't be afraid!) and chop the red stems off. Throw them in the water as soon as it's boiling and let them boil about 4-5 min. Then throw in the leaves and let it all boil about 2 more mins. When chard is tender, strain it in a colander, and drizzle a bit of good olive oil over it, dash with salt and pepper, and also drizzle some yummy vinegar on top. So good that you won't believe you never (or rarely) eat chard!

And what about dessert? What comfort dinner is without dessert? Well, let me introduce you to some cookies I'm really proud of. These are all my own invention.

Heather's Chocolate Caramel Monsters (aka amazingly good everything-but-the kitchen sink cookies)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1-12 oz package white chocolate chips
1-12 oz package small round caramel bits
1 1/2 (ish) cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in very large bowl, until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips, bits, and nuts. Drop by large rounded tsp on cookie sheets covered in parchment paper.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until set. Cool on sheets for 2-4 min, then move to wire racks. Enjoy, and don't forget to brush your teeth after these. (Your dentist would not be pleased with me if I didn't say that.)

Cook, eat, feel better, repeat as desired.

Ch-ch-ch-cherry Cobbler

This is a mixture of two cobbler recipes, "cobbled" together. Hee. The crust is superb... try it with different fruits. I bet it's amazing with blueberries.

Ingredients:
2 cans Oregon tart pie cherries
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup sugar, or to taste
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsps (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut in small bits
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For cherries: drain one can of juice, and put the all the cherries with one can still having juice over low heat. Using a small bit of cold water, dissolve a tbsp of cornstarch separately. Once fully dissolved, add to cherries, stirring gently but constantly with a wooden spoon. Add 1/4 tsp almond extract and 1/2 cup sugar and stir until thick.

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease a 8"x8"x3" glass or earthenware casserole with butter; put cherries at the bottom and set aside.

For dough: whisk dry ingredients including the remaining 1/2 cup of the sugar. Add the 8 tbsp of butter in small bits. Cut the butter in until it's party mixed. Get out your electric mixer and mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until it's all damp. Don't worry about it being all smooth and perfect. That's really against the whole spirit of a cobbler.

Spoon the dough by tablespoonfuls; leave little bits of cherry peeking through. Bake about 35 min until golden yellow and just starting to get brown.

Soooo good. Serve it up hot with vanilla ice cream.