Kristie thank you so much for the apron! I love it! It goes perfectly with my style and my kitchen. This picture is not very good of me... can you tell I love to cook?!? Thanks so much for all the little goodies, too. I was so surprised. The glass measuring spoons are so cool! Thanks so much for all the thought and time you put into making this quite a special package. I can hardly wait to dig into those brownies!

Megan, this was a really great idea! Thanks so much for putting this together and for enabling to send each other a blessing. Have a great time in Florida.

I LOVE my apron! Thanks Megan . . . it is absolutely perfect and so "me". Sorry girls, but I really think I got the best one. :) The colors are great and the pattern is so fun. (you might not be able to tell what it looks like, cuz I just discovered my husband isn't the greatest photogrpher!) I just love it! Oh Megan, you have got to tell me where you got those family cards --- I want some too! Collin, my 2 yr. old, insisted on being in the pics with me. :)
I'm trying to show the full skirt on the bottom of the apron. It's so cute. There also is a ribbon/trim of white around the bottom of the skirt. Can you tell from these pics that we're in the tropics? Chiang Mai, Thailand --- and we're now in the HOT HOT season.

MY ADORABLE APRON

Ok, I hadn't done my hair or my make up so it is a "from the waist down" photo (ha!)
Mindi did an amazing job crocheting this fun apron. I totally love the black and white!! Thanks Mindi!!

Portobello Mushroom Burgers
4 servings
www.Allrecipes.com

Oh my gosh, hubby and I inhaled these! Kind of an elegant twist on a burger or steak. AND OH SO YUMMY! I served mine up like a steak (minus all the fixings and cheese) and with a side of my new creation: Festive Spinach Salad (see below for recipe), and sliced tomatoes.

4 portobello mushroom caps
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
4 (1 ounce) slices provolone cheese

Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, turning twice.
Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
Brush grate with oil. Place mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently. Top with cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

Festive Spinach Salad
4 servings

2 red bell peppers sliced thick
2 yellow bell peppers sliced thick
4 green onion stalks chopped
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. Flaxseed oil (or olive oil)
1-1/2 large bunches of spinach, rinsed & drained with stems removed

Place all the above ingredients (except for the spinach) in a wok on medium-high heat. Saute' no more than 4 minutes. (Note: do not add water. Veggies should be somewhat dry). Throw spinach in on top, stirring to coat with oils, till wilted. Remove from heat. Serve immediately.

Hello ladies.

Well, I am happy to announce that I am the proud new owner of an adorable apron. Sondra, thank you SO much. I really do love it. It's bright and cheerful, and as you can see, it totally matches my kitchen. It was just what i was hoping for. She even added my name for an extra special touch!

Megan, thanks for gettin this going. I had fun getting mine together and out the door as well. I can't wait to see the rest of these apron creations, so make sure you post pictures once you get yours in the mail!

Tomato-Potato-Leek Soup

Yesterday I opened the fridge and thought - what to do, what to do with leftover canned tomato, two potato's and two leeks that all need to be eaten asap. With little effort and no recipe I made a fantastic soup. Here's how I did it.

Cut the leeks and brown them in the pot that your going to use. Add a clove of crushed garlic. After the aromas have warmed and blended nicely, add the canned tomato. Let that simmer with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, adding a couple of cups of water along the way. Prepare and add a spice ball with 10+ whole black pepper, a sprinkle of star anise and a bay leaf. Cube the 2 potato's and add them as well. Let it simmer together for awhile (over an hour probably). Salt and pepper to taste.

I thought it looked very appetizing as well, although I'm not sure that came across in my photo!

Cheers,
Lisa

Apple Custard Tart


I also made this apple tart. Email me for the recipe.

Chocolate Nut Tart


This weekend I pulled out one of my favorite cookbooks. It is a book called "Once Upon a Tart". I don't remember how I ran across it but I really enjoy this cookbook. It is written by 2 guys that have a shop in NYC called "Once Upon a Tart." Anyhow, of course it has tarts but it also has wonderful salads and sandwiches and scones that they make in the shop. I highly recommend this one for your cookbook collection!
The crust for this tart is so perfect. It turns out wonderfully each and every time.

( As I began typing out the recipe, I realized its pretty long. So if you want it, email me and I'll send it along to you)

Okay, so I can't eat any of this, but my kids still have to eat. So, today for lunch I got creative and made them a sure fire meal. Since my trip to Trinidad, the kids have fallen in love with Curry. They constantly beg me to make them "green eggs" and Roti (Trini flat bread). So today, being that it was a bone chilling 35 degrees out, when yesterday was 75 degrees!, I decided to make thier favorite soup... only with yet another twist... curry! Man, I wish I could eat this soup!!! Please note, I use all organic ingredients below.

Mindi's Curried Chicken & Noodle Soup

1 box of tri color rotini
1 chicken breast
6 large (huge) carrots, sliced
4 stalks of celery, sliced
1/2 half large onion, chopped
2 Tbs. dried rosemary
2 Tbs. Curry powder
8 cups water

In a sauce pan filled with about 2 cups water, cook chicken breast with a a sprinkling of curry powder until done. When cooled, chop the chicken into bits. Pour stock and chicken into a large soup pot. Add carrots, celery, onion, rosemary, curry powder, and water. Bring to a boil and let cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Add rotini, turn off heat, cover pan, and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes. Soup will cool while rotini cooks... perfect for serving to kids! Enjoy with homemade Indian Squaw bread (recipe coming soon) and butter! Mmm Mmm Good!

My husband and I are doing a detox that strictly limits the foods we can eat. For dinner tonight we decided to get creative with our fruits and veggies-- the only foods permitted to eat for the next 3 weeks. The following recipe is really yummy, filling, and satisfying too. Enjoy!

Organic Spring Green Salad with a Twist

2 large platefuls of organic spring greens mixed with 1 cup of chopped white cabbage
8 - 10 organic strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 package of organic portabello mushrooms, sliced-- about 14 slices
2 tablespoons organic balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons organic flax seed oil

Sprinkle the sliced strawberries over each salad plate.
In a skillet on a gas stove, saute the mushroom slices, sprinkled with vinegar and oil, for no more than 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let mushrooms steam for a few more minutes. Remove from burner if using an electric stove.
Remove from pan and slice mushrooms into large chunks and sprinkle over salad.
Pour juices from mushrooms evenly over salads. Toss and enjoy!

mushroom cheese stromboli

1/4 - 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 T. butter
1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
3 oz. pepperoni, sliced
6 oz. mozzarella, sliced thin
4 oz. provolone, sliced
1 c. parmesan, grated
1/3 c. spaghetti sauce
1 T. parsley, dried
1/2 t. oregano, dried
1 egg yolk
1/2 t. water
extra parmesan

saute mushrooms in butter. roll out dough into 2 pieces (8"x16" rectangles). layer meat, cheeses, mushrooms, & herbs on the long side of each piece. fold over dough & pinch to seal. combine egg yolk & water and brush on. cut in 5 steam vents. place on greased cooking sheets or pans. sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on top. bake at 350 for 27-30 min. slice & serve warm. enough for 4 peeps.

*sorry, no pix. i got this from my mom who got it from cooking light or something. the beauty of this delish meal is that you can add whatever you have on hand. i used bacon instead of pepperoni, pizza/marinara sauce, and basil instead of the above herbs. i used all the cheeses they specified. it was amazing. i think i finally got my cooking mojo back with this recipe! it's a fun-friday-night-family meal.

A different kind of meal

okay, seeing as my spare time the past few days has been spent making food for my 6 month old...i thought i'd post some pictures of his first batch of food...as well as a pic to show his sheer LOVE of real food finally. His favorites are the pees, along with butternut squash, sweet potato, green beans, and applesauce. i steamed most of the food and then pureed it in my food processor. i got the little glad containers from walmart and they are the perfect size for one feeding!

Simple Gourmet

It seems I've said 'yes' to everything that's come my way in the last few months. As a result, I've been relying on some very simple recipes to enjoy yummy dinners without a lot of work in the kitchen. By far my greatest culinary discovery in the past year has been these handy Thai curry pastes. I bought them at a Chinese grocery store for less than $5 each. Cheap and they will probably last for the next 3 years. On the container is an easy recipe calling for coconut milk, eggplant, a teaspoon of paste, meat of your choice, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass (these last 2 can also be found at a Chinese grocer). With a little experimentation (aka - we don't have any coconut milk, what to do?!?!) we have discovered different variations that have all tasted good. Coconut milk can be substituted with a tin of tomatoes (which makes the curry way less spicy). Go veggie with Tofu. Add more liquid and you have soup. Mix and match your favorite vegetables. And then there is the lentil version.

A nice dish to serve with this would be a mango salad. To make it slice veggies (mango, celery, carrots, red onions) into long thin pieces. Mix with bamboo shoots, cilantro, crushed peanuts. Squeeze lemon over top.

And of course some lovely basmati rice on the side!

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

Last night we came home from church. It was late and we were hungry. So we whipped up a batch of IHOP buttermilk pancakes. They are quick and easy and taste oh so yummy! I like to double the recipe and freeze the extras. Then we can take them out of the freezer in the morning and pop them in the microwave or in a skillet to heat. Make sure your baking powder is fresh too! It helps with the flufiness of the pancakes!
Here's the recipe

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/2 c buttermilk ( or use regular milk )
1/4 c sugar
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat sillet over medium heat. Use a pan with a nonstick surface or apply a little non stick spray. ( I use a cast iron griddle pan)
2. In a blender or with a mixer, combine allof the remaining ingredients until smooth.
3. Pour the batter by spoonfuls into the hot pan, forming 5" circles.
4. When the edges appear to harden, flip the pancakes. They should be light brown.
5. Cook on the other side for same amt. of time.
Makes 8-10 pancakes.

HUMMUS

Try this hummus. It is super easy and really yummy. I have adapted this from an epicurious recipe. It always gets lots of compliments and Canaan can eat a whole batch! I serve it with chips and carrots.

4 garlic cloves (or minced garlic)
1 teaspoon salt
two 1-pound 3-ounce cans chick-peas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil, or to taste


On a cutting board mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. In a food processor or blender (I like to use a blender for extra creaminess) purée the chick-peas with the garlic paste, the yogurt, the lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of oil, scraping down the sides, until the hummus is smooth and add salt to taste. Add water, if necessary, to thin the hummus to the desired consistency and transfer the hummus to a bowl. The hummus may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Makes about 4 cups.

Here are the quiz results for the Apron Swap....( I am still waiting on a few more)

Marisa Foltz

What are your favorite colors? I'm really into brown these days, and that brown and light blue combination. Also love pink and red.

How have you decorated your kitchen? lots of red, and some tan. Right now we're in a temporary (5 months only) apartment . . . so its not how I would normally like to have my kitchen.

If you are at the airport waiting for the plane, which two magazines would you buy to read? (types or names) "Real Simple" and "People" or "In Syle"

What are your 2 favorite stores to shop at and why? Target (you can get everything there . . . love it!) and I love "Anthropology", but can't afford it! :)

Favorite meal? Anything Italian!


Mindi Jentes

What are your favorite colors? Bright Tropicals (any) and of course, black (it’s slimming!!!)

How have you decorated your kitchen? Italian Renaissance (mottled, antiquated tans & greens, stainless steel appliances, natural cabinets with black pulls, rustic floor tiles with tans, rusts, and greens)

If you are at the airport waiting for the plane, which two magazines would you buy to read? (types or names) People Magazine & Decorating Magazines

What are your 2 favorite stores to shop at and why? Banana Republic (love to buy their clothes for my honey) and Barnes & Noble (love to grab some coffee from SBUX and check out new reads)

Favorite meal? Almond crusted Mahi Mahi with a blueberry glaze, garlic mashed potatoes, wilted spinach w/ bournaise sauce served with a fantastic imported Italian Pino Grigio!


Hannah Johnson

> What are your favorite colors? Browns, creams, pinks, and reds
>
> How have you decorated your kitchen? the walls are "mudslide" chocolate brown with a "coffee" theme
>
> If you are at the airport waiting for the plane, which two magazines would you buy to read? Health & Fitness and some type of home decorating

> What are your 2 favorite stores to shop at and why? I love a store called "Home Goods" because they have a little bit of everything for the home, from bathroom towels to kitchen utensils. My other favorite is "Henry's" which is a whole foods grocery store, they have cheap produce, organic meats, essential oils, and homeopathic meds.
>
> Favorite meal? It's a close tie between anything Mexican, bbq pulled pork sandwiches and bbq ribs.


Megan Smith

> What are your favorite colors? Can I say, "all colors" :) I love black and white, shabby chic colors, browns, blues,...I'm useless at these things!
>
> How have you decorated your kitchen? We re renting so it isn't my "ideal" kitchen. Nonetheless, I like an eclectic look. Some antique, some new. I love white ironstone dishes.
>
> If you are at the airport waiting for the plane, which two magazines would you buy to read? People Magazine and Country Home (I also LOVE Domino magazine and Cookie)

> What are your 2 favorite stores to shop at and why? Anthropologie b/c of the funky housewares and great ideas for home decor. IKEA--because, who doesn't love IKEA :) These are 2 stores that Mike and I love to shop at together. He's a great shopper!

> Favorite meal? Boy this is hard....why did I come up with these!! I guess it would be a really simple pasta dish with a glass of red wine. Also a great lobster bisque is yummy!

Kristie Harris

What are your favorite colors? Coral/burnt orange, brown, greens, blues

How have you decorated your kitchen? I would say, “fresh.” Kind of on the bright side. I have orange and green in it.

If you are at the airport waiting for the plane, which two magazines would you buy to read? (types or names)
Any parenting magazine—since that’s my life these days, and I need all the help I can get, and after that I’d pick up a home decorating or creative/crafty ideas or organization magazine.

What are your 2 favorite stores to shop at and why? For practicality, it’s Target. I can find just about anything there. It’s clean, nicely laid out, Sydney loves it—and I can splurge once in a while and drink a peppermint mocha from Starbucks while I shop. I love Anthropologie too—but I’m not quite cool enough to shop there or pull it off. J

Favorite meal? Oh my goodness… I love everything, but my all time favorite is TACOS.

Sondra Clark

* My favorite colors are red and yellow
* Haven't really decorated but the walls are squash and when the counter tops are refinished they will have browns, creams, coppers and yellows. I have a few funky little clay veggies with faces that Mike hates because he thinks they are evil or something, and a few copper pots.
* In the airport, I would read Southern Accents and Traditional Home to dream about the house that I would have to win the lottery to have, Travel for the same reason on vacations and Gourmet to get some new ideas.
* For home, I like to window shop at For Friends because I really can't afford real shopping there, and at My Favorite Things I love to by presents and pottery. For clothing I like AJ's Casuals (but only during a sale) and Peppermint Palm because I like the nice beachy colors and styles since I spend a lot of time at the pool and at swim meets all summer.
* My favorite meal is a hard one.......I like so many, so much... lets see...summertime on the berry farm: a picnic of baked chicken on bread with brie and some of the warm farm berries; dinner on the patio: calamari slaw and a glass of Riesling; summer Sunday dinner: fries chicken breast, farm fresh corn, garden tomatoes that are still hot from the sun, with sweet tea and peach cobbler for dessert (can't tell I'm from the south, Ha); Fall: baked turkey and dressing and stack cake for dessert....I could go on and on but I will spare you.

I don't remember where I found this recipe online, but I've also had it at our local Ohio's best seafood restaurant: R.J. Snappers. This is my very favorite dish on the planet!!!

Macademia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi with Blueberry Glaze
1.5 lbs. Mahi Mahi fillets, cut into 4-8 servings
1.5 cups diced Macadamia Nuts (you can use pecans or almonds too)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. fine sea salt

Mix macadamia nuts with ginger in small flat bowl. Pat fish dry. Coat each piece of fish completely in remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll fish in nut mixture coating entire piece of fish. Place fish fillets on sheet pan and bake at 380 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until nuts are golden brown and fish is flaky. Drizzle blueberry glaze (below) over each filet, when serving.

Blueberry Glaze:
Leave plenty of time to make this glaze!

1 pint (2 cups) blueberries
1 cup red wine
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup Dijon mustard

Bring ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Reduce heat and simmer for up to 1.5 hours.

APRON SWAP

A couple months ago I mentioned doing an apron swap. Because of the hectic schedules of the holidays, most of you couldn't participate.
Since then some of you have mentioned that you'd still like to do one...so we'll give it another try!
Here's the idea.... you'll either make or buy an apron to send to another GG member. Along with the apron you could send a couple of your favorite recipes and anything else you may like. In return you will receive an apron and recipes as well!
Lets try to have the packages mailed out by the first week of March. This gives everyone a month to assemble a package and get it shipped off.
Please let me know by THIS WEEKEND who is interested in doing the swap. I will get you a name and address of someone by next week.
I think this will be so much fun. I love giving and receiving fun things in the mail.

CARROT CAKE MUFFINS

I made a batch of carrot cake muffins to send to our friend Peter Brunton for his birthday this Friday. I made muffins as opposed to a cake since they will be traveling to Orlando in the mail. I think I may try to freeze them this afternoon and then transfer them to a tupperware box to ship them. Hopefully they will be tasty when they arrive.
I started munching on one of them this morning. They are super moist and yummy! The only change I made was I used about 1 1/2 cup of sugar as opposed to 2 cups. And half of that was brown sugar. Not the most healthy recipe but yummy, nonetheless!


The recipe is :

Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger

For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and ginger. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)

Makes 12 servings.

Bon Appétit
September 1999

All Day Chicken Stock

Do you ever buy those rotisserie chickens from the store? Or roast your own? We find that we do this quite often. I love to use the chicken for panini sandwiches or we take one on an impromptu picnic with cheese and french bread. At any rate, after we've eaten them I save the bones, etc... and freeze them until a day like yesterday.
Yesterday was a COOOOOLLLLLDDDD and nasty day out. We came home from church and ate a pot of beef stew and just settled in for a cozy day indoors. Perfect time to make some stock! I pulled out the bones I had been saving, along with some celery, carrots, onion, black peppercorns, and bay leaves, and filled it to cover with water. Then I just let it simmer.....all day long..... By the end of the day I had a rich, gorgeous stock that I will now divide into freezer bags in 2 cup batches and freeze for the times that I need chicken stock or broth (which is quite often). It is way cheaper and is so easy. Plus it makes the house smell yummy.