TodsCircus » Food

Happy Hour

Ringmaster — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:46:47 +0000

Every night, almost without fail, I treat myself to Happy Hour.

Not a glass of wine, cold beer or colorful Cosmo shared with friends.

No, I prefer to spend my Happy Hour all by myself. My drink of choice? A hand mixed, chocolate milk shake. Preferably taken while wearing pajamas and lounging in bed.

It is my reward for another good days work.

Cheers!

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Easy Bake Oven

Ringmaster — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:02:15 +0000

Time is the one thing I never seem to have enough of. So naturally, I am always looking for shortcuts that will save me time.

When it comes to cookies, nothing beats homemade, but it’s hard to find the time to bake each week. And, while my family and I love fresh baked cookies, after a few days, we lose interest in them.

And so began my quest for a better way. I started doubling batches and freezing the dough for future use. That led to my baking bonanzas, because if you’re going to make a mess in the kitchen, you should really get good mileage out of it.

Now, once a month, I prepare a double batches of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip, Quaker Oatmeal and snicker doodle cookie dough. Using this approach, a few hours of baking on a single day, buys me twelve days of fresh baked cookies each month.

I form cookies, freeze them on a cookie sheet for about ten minutes, place them in a baggie and then pop them back in the freezer for a day when I forgot that I am on team snack duty, or when my kids have friends over, or for a rainy day like today, when a warm cookie and cup of hot chocolate make me forget the long To Do list sitting next to my computer.

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Again?

Ringmaster — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:07:13 +0000

I don’t care much for leftovers. I’ll tolerate them on occasion, but if I can take something old and tired and turn it into something new and fresh, or, more importantly, into something that I want to eat and not something I have to eat, then that’s a good day in the kitchen.

So yesterday, I took our left over ham and made scalloped potatoes. It had been years since I made this. It tasted so good; we devoured the whole thing that night.

When five out of six of my circus troupe loves something, well that also makes for a good day.

Which is why I decided to make it again tonight. I had all the ingredients and only about 30 minutes to dedicate to cooking a meal. I figured since everyone really loved it last night, they would love it again tonight.

Not so. Every time someone asked, “What’s for dinner?” and I replied, “Scalloped Potatoes” they all had the same, perplexed reaction, “Again?”

I’ve attached the recipe in case you are so inclined, but a word to the wise, don’t make it on consecutive nights (just double the recipe so you have plenty of leftovers).

p.s. Using a mandoline makes prep-time fast and easy.

(Click on the recipe (below) to download and print out)

Digging In

That’s Entertainment

Ringmaster — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:28:32 +0000

As a new bride, I spent days preparing for a dinner party. Sifting through magazines for the perfect recipe, shopping, cleaning, setting the table, and prepping the meal.

Everything was new back then; marriage, entertaining, dishes, even the towels were new. By the time the big day arrived, I was exhausted, cranky and stressed. And, although everyone seemed to have a good time, I always found those evenings a little disappointing. For all the time and effort, there was little time for me to sit and enjoy my company. I was too busy cooking and serving and clearing dishes.

What I failed to recognize in those early days, was the whole point of entertaining; to spend time with people I enjoy. Back then, entertaining was more about me than my guests. It was about me learning to cook and decorate and plan a party. My inspiration came from Martha Stewart Living and Gourmet Magazine, where everything was done to perfection, with intent to impress.

But, I’m not a person of perfection. I am a person of practicality. I am of the mindset that good enough can be really great if it buys you more time and still meets your needs. So it didn’t take long for me to realize that I needed new inspiration, a new mentor, and a new entertaining philosophy that would sustain both my guests and myself.

My first Barefoot Contessa cookbook was the turning point, and a wake-up call for me. I love Ina Garten’s practical approach. Clearly, she wants to enjoy the fabulous people that she invites into her home. Her cooking is spent before her guests arrive, not during their stay. The recipes are easy to follow, predictable and delicious. The environment she creates is warm and inviting, casual and comfortable. I love that she occasionally puts her guests to work, stirring or mixing. I have, and frequently use, every single cookbook of hers. The recipes are so reliable that I am not afraid to try them for the first time on guests. That’s trust!

Inspired by Ina, I adopted this entertaining philosophy as my own. Today, I worry less about the house and how it looks. The people I invite into my home are people I like, and trust and want to hang out with. I don’t need to impress them because that’s not the type of friends I choose. The food I serve is simple, mostly prepared in advance, and hopefully delicious, although I’ve had my share of misses.

During this season of entertaining, here’s to good friends, good food and good times!

Easy Bake Oven

How Sweet It Is

Ringmaster — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:06:14 +0000

I love hot chocolate in the morning. Winter, summer, rain or shine, this is how I start my day. I don’t drink coffee, but I imagine coffee drinkers feel the same way about that first cup of Joe that I do about my hot cocoa.

It has a lovely way of easing me into the day. The warmth. The smell. The richness. Topped with light, fluffy whipping cream. It tastes even better if I get to enjoy it while everyone is still sleeping.

I seemed to have passed on my affection for this morning ritual.

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Soup’s On

Ringmaster — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:19:34 +0000

I had the most delicious soup at one of my favorite local restaurants. Here is my attempt at re-creating the recipe using what was in my pantry. Enjoy!

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Digging In

Ringmaster — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:32:15 +0000

I love the garden at my new house. And, although I have been enjoying a bounty of fruits, vegetables, and herbs throughout the summer, there is always a hint of guilt.

I didn’t plant this garden, or prune these trees or water the plants. I merely reap the fruits of someone else’s labor.

So today, when I stumbled upon potatoes in one of the back garden boxes, I was thrilled at the prospect of getting my hands dirty and participating in the process.

Digging in the dark, gritty soil and pulling out potatoes is oddly rewarding. Taking them from ground to table in less than an hour is just plain inspiring.

It’s my way of paying my dues, and paying respect to the gardener who has provided nourishment to my family and a fresh perspective to me.

It’s a Start

Peace Meal

Ringmaster — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:33:37 +0000

I hate my new kitchen. Or, maybe it’s that my new kitchen hates me. And for the record, my new kitchen is not new at all. In fact, it’s quite old. Not avocado green, 4×4 grout less tile old, but it’s definitely not the shiny new, custom gourmet kitchen that I recently left behind.

It’s just that I am having a hard time dealing with a refrigerator that freezes, a freezer that refuses to freeze, an oven that burns anything brave enough to enter it’s cavernous mouth, a dishwasher that won’t wash dishes, and a solid-surface, electric range that isn’t much better than a dorm room hot plate. I won’t even mention the cabinets!

Truth be told, I probably could overlook a lot about this dysfunctional kitchen if it were more aesthetically pleasing. But it’s not. So I am ruthless with my insults and selfish with my attention. I have neglected spending time in this room for the better part of a month.

This has to stop. The kitchen, even this ugly, pathetic one, is the heart of any home. The kitchen is where we begin and end our day as a family, before heading out into the world or retiring to our respective corners of the house.

I am tired of take-out and eating out and fend-for-yourself night. And really, this kitchen bothers no one else but me. So I will make peace with my new kitchen. I will cook a proper dinner for my family, we will gather together, break bread and give thanks.

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Oktoberfest

Ringmaster — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:06:21 +0000

My kids are too young to partake in the traditional Oktoberfest celebration of bratwurst and beer, so we celebrate the pumpkin. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bars, all beautiful precursors to the ever-fabulous Pumpkin Pie on Thanksgiving Day.

So here is my very favorite, and now somewhat famous Pumpkin Bar recipe.

Enjoy!

(Click on the recipe (below) to download and print out)

Going Bananas

Ringmaster — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:32:25 +0000

I refuse to throw out bananas. Because, despite their dark, shriveled and bruised exterior. I know they have the potential to be more, to do more, to give more. It may be that I relate to something that is slightly past its prime. I’m not too far off from getting a little soft and shriveled myself. So no banana gets left behind. They are transformed into something nutritious, delicious and beautiful, a banana bread of life.

It took many years to find the perfect recipe, cooked in the perfect pan for the perfect amount of time. But once found, this recipe has never failed me. Enjoy!

(Click on the recipe (below) to download and print out)