Category Archives: Eating

Chomp it up.

Eating

Put up or … buy it from the grocery store

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My grandmother always had a big garden when I was growing up. In addition to wishing I’d spent some time with her out there — where I could have learned something about growing food — I wish I’d spent some time with her in the kitchen after the harvest. In recent years she’s had a small garden and put away some food, but her health and her memories have been steadily declining. I hate that I missed the opportunity to learn that stuff from her.

(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, young folk.)

I’ve been reading Food in Jars recently, and it’s made me feel that even more. We won’t have room for a garden next summer, but we do have a great farmer’s market nearby. I’d like to try my hand at putting up some food next year. So I’m making a list of books and resources to come back to when the time comes:

  • “So Easy to Preserve“
  • “Putting Up: A Seasonal Guide to Canning in the Southern Tradition“
  • “Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods
  • Canning set

    I know some of you are Ace Preservationists. Do you have any tips or resources to share?

    • Eating, National Blog Posting Month

    Everybody’s talking ’bout mmmm popsicles

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    NaBloPoMo!There are many, many things that I’d love to have but would never buy for myself. Today, I added a new gadget to that list: Williams-Sonoma’s Zoku Quick-Pop Maker.

    Now you can create your own customized frozen pops, including cream-filled varieties, in as few as seven minutes. The nonstick cast-aluminum molds have a proprietary solution sealed inside their bases to enable rapid, uniform freezing – no electricity required. To enjoy homemade ice pops at a moment’s notice, simply store the compact base in your freezer. After being prechilled, the Zoku can make up to nine 2 1/4″ x 3 1/2″ pops before you need to refreeze it. Durable, reusable plastic pop sticks have unique ridged designs that allow pops to adhere securely, with special drip guards for tidy eating.

    Forgive me for saying so, but that’s just too cool.

    menu plan Monday, National Blog Posting Month

    Turkey lurkey doo and a turkey lurkey dap

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    NaBloPoMo!This Thursday is what has become my very favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. My brand-new sister-in-law and my brother are hosting this year, which means I don’t have to touch the turkey until it’s ready to be eaten. That automatically makes it an awesome Thanksgiving.

    This will be the first holiday in something like 26 years that I’ve spent with my mom and my dad. I’m 98% certain it’ll be fine. We shall see. Whatever happens, you can be certain that I’ll dedicate my first bite of turkey to Chris.

    menubuttonMonday: Spaghetti
    Tuesday: Butternut squash ravioli, probably
    Wednesday: Not sure
    Thursday: Turkey! Mashed Potatoes! Sweet Potatoes! Etc!
    Friday: Pizza.

    This was Amy’s week to pick our Recipe Roulette meal. She chose this dish from Real Simple:

    Cuban Braised Beef and Peppers
    1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
    2 red bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
    1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
    2 teaspoons dried oregano
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    Kosher salt and black pepper
    1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut crosswise into thirds
    1 cup long-grain white rice
    1 avocado, sliced
    1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

    In a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, oregano, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Nestle the steak among the vegetables. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours.

    Twenty-five minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.

    Using two forks, shred the beef and mix it into the cooking liquid.

    Serve with the rice and top with the avacado and cilantro.

    It was a very simple meal to make, but it left me wanting some flavor. Rockford called it “food-brand food,” and that’s pretty much what it was. It tasted mainly of the canned tomato. And guess who doesn’t care for tomatoes? Me. So this one won’t be making a return appearance at our table.