In honor of his archery/hunting bent lately, we're doing a "Rabbit" theme for his birthday. I bought a (frozen)rabbit at the Keller's Farm Store (you can't hunt rabbits in the summer because they have parasites that are killed by the frost in the fall-- i didn't know this but Christian did). So, he is having rabbit for dinner. I found a palm-sized decoration for the dessert. I got four Rabbit figures (with real rabbit fur) for the table decoration. And we're having big crunchy carrots with dinner.
The only issue was what sort of cake/dessert. Then i thought of Mary's Pineapple Nut Cake. Yummy. Sweet (but not too sweet). Kinda like carrot cake but not as heavy with the 1 to 1 1/2 cup oil that most carrot cake recipes call for. Good for dessert... after-school snack time...breakfast...mid-morning snack time...
So, Alessandra made the Pineapple Nut Cake yesterday and iced it (cream cheese icing-- is there anything better?!) this morning. I had to hide it in the fridge in the garage to keep us from eating it before dinner tonight. The whole house smells great!
So, although the rest of the family cannot be at Christian's (very small, only the four of us) birthday dinner, you can be there in spirit. Alessandra and Christian are excited that we're having another "family heritage" recipe. They love the Paul's Baked Spinach and the Amy's Cheesy Garlic Grits from elsewhere in the Pathe Family Heritage Cookbook. Next recipe to try? The Amy/Ama/Mom Sour Cream Coffee Cake. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. Alessandra has already copied the cake recipe into her cookbook of favorites to take with her when she moves out (along with three, 3!, recipes for mac and cheese....).
In other news, our kitty is making us crazy. Or maybe it's the opposite way around. He has been losing hair (fur?). At first, we thought that it was a fungal infection and took him to the vet. She "wanded" him with black light but saw nothing. She did some skin scrapings and sent some cultures. In the meantime, we were to bathe the cat twice a week (he loved that) and cover him with a leave-in treatment of sulphur (he really loved that) once a week. A month later, the cultures came back negative and we were to stop the washings. He continued to lose hair. We then went to a different vet (recommended by one of Joe's colleagues) and he also wanded and examined the cat. Stress, he said. He orderred steroids on a wean-on then wean-off regimen. We did that for two weeks and things seemed to have stabilized. Then, we went on vacation, Alessandra went to camp, we went to the family reunion-- and the silly cat started losing hair again. We did another course of steroids and antibiotics but nothing. The vet recommended skin samples/biopsy. We did that (general anesthesia, overnight at the vet's, mucho $$). Everything came back negative. Everything has been a dead-end. So, we are out of options. We'll just have an ugly cat. The vet said that he thinks that we may just have a high-strung kitty who was freaked out when we tried to add a second kitty in the spring and just never got over it. Bueno. I cannot imagine doing this with seven animals like you had. One kitty is enough worry and concern. For a "free, stray kitty", he has gotten to be an expensive and involved venture!
Off to get a branch of mint to place next to the bunny on the cake.
It's true that we don't know what we've got
until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't
know what we've been missing until it arrives.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Cubanisimo!!!
We just got back from a Rossi-Lanni-Gallo family reunion in sunny (read: steamy, humid, buggy) Panther, Pennsylvania. On the way home from PA, we spent the night in NYC. While Joe said that this was because the trip to Panther was equidistance from landing in Newark, NJ or NYC, i know the real reason that we traveled through NYC.
In a word; Victor's.
Yes, we made our travel plans so as to be able to go to a Cuban restaurant, so great is my honey's love for the Cuban cuisine.
We had a great meal with Joe trying everyone's (mine was the bestest!). He and Christian found (again) that they love Ropa Vieja so, upon our return to NM, i had to make it.
See, two years ago for Christmas, Alessandra gave me a cookbook. Not just any cookbook but "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen: More than 200 Classic Recipes". Every tiime that i've made something from this book, it's been a success. Flan. Roasted Steak. Cuban Bread. Beef and Plantain Stew. Fried Plantains. So, i had to think that the Ropa would be yummy too.
I always make recipes exactly as their written the first time and then "improve" them the following times, per the guidance of the diners. Below is the original recipe with my additions in (parenthesis).
ROPA VIEJA
2 1/2# flank steak, cut in half
2-3 bay leaves.
1/4C Spanish olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 large green pepper, sliced thinly
1T chopped garlic
14oz canned tomatoes
1/2C cooking sherry (or not...)
salt/pepper to taste
(1/2C green olives, chopped)
(1/2C liquid from green olives)
1/2C chopped, drained pimientos for garnish (or not)
1/2C drained canned early sweet peas (definitely not!)
place beef and bayleaf in large pot with water to cover, bring to boil and simmer for 60-90 minutes, remove meat from stock (reserve stock for soup later in the week?), allow meat to cool and shred with two forks
saute oil, onion, green bell pepper and garlic in large pot, 6-8 minutes, to tender, add tomatoes, sherry and beef, cook uncovered for 15 minutes
serve with white rice
(i boiled the beef, shredded and dumped all in the crock pot on HIGH for one hour then LOW for 6-8 hours--house smelled great!, served with rice the first night and in a sandwich on hollowed out french bread with roasted red bell pepper-- yummy!!)
I also made sauteed plantains although you could use bananas instead. Just make sure to use the absolutely greenest, firmest bananas possible, saute in butter and salt. They cook to a sweet creaminess that is a good contrast to the sharp earthiness of the shredded beef.
Give it a try and let me know? Always open to changing/improving a recipe!
xoxo-- the Cuban Ropa Vieja cooking vegetarian!
In a word; Victor's.
Yes, we made our travel plans so as to be able to go to a Cuban restaurant, so great is my honey's love for the Cuban cuisine.
We had a great meal with Joe trying everyone's (mine was the bestest!). He and Christian found (again) that they love Ropa Vieja so, upon our return to NM, i had to make it.
See, two years ago for Christmas, Alessandra gave me a cookbook. Not just any cookbook but "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen: More than 200 Classic Recipes". Every tiime that i've made something from this book, it's been a success. Flan. Roasted Steak. Cuban Bread. Beef and Plantain Stew. Fried Plantains. So, i had to think that the Ropa would be yummy too.
I always make recipes exactly as their written the first time and then "improve" them the following times, per the guidance of the diners. Below is the original recipe with my additions in (parenthesis).
ROPA VIEJA
2 1/2# flank steak, cut in half
2-3 bay leaves.
1/4C Spanish olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 large green pepper, sliced thinly
1T chopped garlic
14oz canned tomatoes
1/2C cooking sherry (or not...)
salt/pepper to taste
(1/2C green olives, chopped)
(1/2C liquid from green olives)
1/2C chopped, drained pimientos for garnish (or not)
1/2C drained canned early sweet peas (definitely not!)
place beef and bayleaf in large pot with water to cover, bring to boil and simmer for 60-90 minutes, remove meat from stock (reserve stock for soup later in the week?), allow meat to cool and shred with two forks
saute oil, onion, green bell pepper and garlic in large pot, 6-8 minutes, to tender, add tomatoes, sherry and beef, cook uncovered for 15 minutes
serve with white rice
(i boiled the beef, shredded and dumped all in the crock pot on HIGH for one hour then LOW for 6-8 hours--house smelled great!, served with rice the first night and in a sandwich on hollowed out french bread with roasted red bell pepper-- yummy!!)
I also made sauteed plantains although you could use bananas instead. Just make sure to use the absolutely greenest, firmest bananas possible, saute in butter and salt. They cook to a sweet creaminess that is a good contrast to the sharp earthiness of the shredded beef.
Give it a try and let me know? Always open to changing/improving a recipe!
xoxo-- the Cuban Ropa Vieja cooking vegetarian!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
follow-up to the great save vs share conundrum
I had told you about the issues that i have with "sharing" and "saving". I tend to try to save things for special occasions and then find that i don't get to have them when i want to. Like the "good" peanut butter or the mandarin oranges from the earlier post. And, if you've been reading my listings, you know that i've had a few instances where fate/God has given me signs-- found $$ when walking multiple times, "told" not to have a test then found out that i was pregnant and test would have been harmful to developing peanut (Alessandra). Apparently, i need to update and tie this all together.
I'd complained that i try to save the "good" peanut butter (natural, only peanuts) and the Fluff for when i really need a "fix". Then i've occasionally found that the Fluff has become too solid from storage or one or the other gets eaten by the kids and i'm SOL. My sister fixed this for me.
My sister has the "gift of gift". She can, and does, give the best gifts for Christmas, birthday and "just because" (my Pappagallo purse!!). For my birthday this year, she shipped me (early) four (4!!) jars of Fluff and a jar of only-made-in-Columbus Krema peanut butter. You would think that i would save the Fluff for my birthday and just dole out bits of it for special days to make it last. Hoarding it for mememememe. But no. Fates/God with cooperation of Erica and the postal employees who left my package upside down on top of our mailbox have helped to end this practice. With the altitude difference between here (6000 ft) and Indiana (much less), the jars exploded, leaking some (but not all!) of the contents into the packaging. So....i have four open jars of Fluff. We've all been eating Fluffernut sandwiches, Fluff on banana bread, Fluff on ice cream. It's been like a whole week of birthday celebration for me! So much more fun that keeping all the fun and Fluff for myself! Alessandra and Christian love, love, love Fluffernut and Joe too (although he prefers the Fluff without the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the pb without Fluff on the other, not to be eaten together.....funny guy that he is).
I had Fluff for lunch and at dinner. It's just been a week of Fluffy fun. Sweeter and stickier than a birthday cake, more fun than an ice cream cone. It's just a whole week of sugar-high!! Who knew that postal mishaps could be so fun?!
I'd complained that i try to save the "good" peanut butter (natural, only peanuts) and the Fluff for when i really need a "fix". Then i've occasionally found that the Fluff has become too solid from storage or one or the other gets eaten by the kids and i'm SOL. My sister fixed this for me.
My sister has the "gift of gift". She can, and does, give the best gifts for Christmas, birthday and "just because" (my Pappagallo purse!!). For my birthday this year, she shipped me (early) four (4!!) jars of Fluff and a jar of only-made-in-Columbus Krema peanut butter. You would think that i would save the Fluff for my birthday and just dole out bits of it for special days to make it last. Hoarding it for mememememe. But no. Fates/God with cooperation of Erica and the postal employees who left my package upside down on top of our mailbox have helped to end this practice. With the altitude difference between here (6000 ft) and Indiana (much less), the jars exploded, leaking some (but not all!) of the contents into the packaging. So....i have four open jars of Fluff. We've all been eating Fluffernut sandwiches, Fluff on banana bread, Fluff on ice cream. It's been like a whole week of birthday celebration for me! So much more fun that keeping all the fun and Fluff for myself! Alessandra and Christian love, love, love Fluffernut and Joe too (although he prefers the Fluff without the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the pb without Fluff on the other, not to be eaten together.....funny guy that he is).
I had Fluff for lunch and at dinner. It's just been a week of Fluffy fun. Sweeter and stickier than a birthday cake, more fun than an ice cream cone. It's just a whole week of sugar-high!! Who knew that postal mishaps could be so fun?!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
kid-free
It's sooooo quiet here without the kids. I can't really say "munchkins" as they are both bigger than i am but i guess they'll always be our kids, even when they have them of their own (far, far in the future, one hopes....). Both come back on Saturday and that will be about right. While they were gone for two weeks last summer, we were so busy with Joe's surgery that it didn't seem like any time at all. Now, with just having each other and no distractions (therapy, CPM, post-surgical visits, houseguests, etc), it seems like this week has gone more slowly than the two weeks last summer.
It's been a busy summer and will continue to be so until school starts (five weeks from today). Alessandra still has to finish 25% of her Am History class and do all of her Government/Civics class (on-line). Christian is reading a big book on Ancestral Puebloans (aka Anasazi Indians) and will be discussing that with me and Joe (i'm reading it now too). I"m only working two days a week so as to walk that fine balance line between being here all the time and making them crazy with "playdates" and activities and being gone all the time so that they feel like they have to cope completely on their own. I like to see "big people" and feel like i'm doing something of worth to show the kids that they can be professionals too. I'm still a mommy who does nursing, not a nurse with kids, a fine line to balance sometimes.
Off to do the nursing part of that equation. I work a looooong day today but then have off until next Tuesday. It's a good mix of work and play. :o)
It's been a busy summer and will continue to be so until school starts (five weeks from today). Alessandra still has to finish 25% of her Am History class and do all of her Government/Civics class (on-line). Christian is reading a big book on Ancestral Puebloans (aka Anasazi Indians) and will be discussing that with me and Joe (i'm reading it now too). I"m only working two days a week so as to walk that fine balance line between being here all the time and making them crazy with "playdates" and activities and being gone all the time so that they feel like they have to cope completely on their own. I like to see "big people" and feel like i'm doing something of worth to show the kids that they can be professionals too. I'm still a mommy who does nursing, not a nurse with kids, a fine line to balance sometimes.
Off to do the nursing part of that equation. I work a looooong day today but then have off until next Tuesday. It's a good mix of work and play. :o)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
green bean salad
I saw this recipe and just had to make it. I've been eating it all week and haven't gotten sick of it yet (although it's now all gone). See what you think.
GREEN BEAN SALAD
2# green beans, trimmed but left long
1-2 tomatoes (the "on the vine" kind are the yummmiest)
1/4C red wine vinegar
1/2C olive oil
2T dijon mustard (or spicy hot or stone-ground or whatever you have)
3 stalks green onion, sliced/diced
handful of fresh herbs, chopped fine (basil, oregano, marjoram, parsley)
steam the green beans to firm but cooked (not mushy, not raw and completely crunchy)
puree tomatoes in cuisinart with vinegar, oil and mustard
mix in green onion and herbes and pour over green beans
chill and serve
i've been dumping portions of it on lettuce/salad and using as both veggies and dressing.
yummy and cool and quick!
GREEN BEAN SALAD
2# green beans, trimmed but left long
1-2 tomatoes (the "on the vine" kind are the yummmiest)
1/4C red wine vinegar
1/2C olive oil
2T dijon mustard (or spicy hot or stone-ground or whatever you have)
3 stalks green onion, sliced/diced
handful of fresh herbs, chopped fine (basil, oregano, marjoram, parsley)
steam the green beans to firm but cooked (not mushy, not raw and completely crunchy)
puree tomatoes in cuisinart with vinegar, oil and mustard
mix in green onion and herbes and pour over green beans
chill and serve
i've been dumping portions of it on lettuce/salad and using as both veggies and dressing.
yummy and cool and quick!
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