Y'all Just Can't Get Enough

In the past few days I've received two requests from two separate people to do a new blog entry. They even gave me ideas. The first person encouraged me to make cookies so I could blog about it. I did make the cookies, and have decided I do not love the classic Joy of Cooking peanut butter cookie recipe. Not moist enough for me. The second suggested I blog about the experience of being featured on a News 13 story. Ok.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving Phil and I went to Mass Ave Toys. We didn't need any toys, but it's a neat store, and we'd seen a spot on channel 13 about Local Merchant Saturday or something. You know, you've got Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and now Local Merchant Saturday. It's a stupid gimmick of a day, but I do really like the shops on Mass Ave, and wanted to take Phil into some of my favorites. When we got to Mass Ave Toys the news gal and cameraman were headed back into the store. We held the door for them, told them we'd seen them on the morning news, which prompted them to ask us for an interview. Uhhhhh. I shoulda known not to be friendly to TV people... many years ago I saw some TV people I knew at the Festival of Trees. I said 'hi' and they said 'let us interview you!' Don't say hi to TV people. So, they miked Phil, and used a clip of him saying, 'this smells kinda good.' It also happened to be the day winter arrived in Indianapolis, so Phil, having left his winter hat in Illinois, had to use a stupid old baseball cap from my trunk. Before we left the house I told him he looked a little cancer patient-ish. Then he was interviewed on TV. All in all it was super funny and fun and goofy. We got a lot of laughs, watching the video clip about 11 times on my aunt's DVR.

Now I'm sitting here in my cold cold house in this cold cold city, listening to Christmas music. Elvis is singing 'Here Comes Santa Claus.' A few songs ago they played Frank Sinatra. I love Christmas music, and have been listening to it at home and in the car for about two weeks. One of the worst songs is on now... the one that goes, 'HERE come the bells, blah-blah the bells,' etc. That song sounds more like a war chant than a Christmas carol. Oh, and while I was washing dishes tonight they played my all-time favorite (well, one of them)-- that Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet of Little Drummer Boy.

And in closing, I killed one of the worst spiders ever today. I was almost out the door to go to work and saw just a totally disgusting spider, the likes of which I've never seen before, hanging out there on the wall. Grabbed the most substantial shoe I could find, and shuddered as I felt it squoosh (what? I think I'm trying to use a word that doesn't exist). Ugh. I thought about it all the way to work. So horrible. Why are people so afraid of spiders? And mice, and all that stuff? I am really afraid of all of it. I almost called Henry over to eat the spider, but I am proud to say I just sucked it up and handled it like the adult I am.

Delicious Dish

I don't like alfredo sauce very much by itself, but I like it mixed with marinara. Tonight's bold experiment: alfredo mixed with pesto. I'd bought the alfredo earlier this week with the plan of mixing it with marinara, but plans change, I guess. This was the best dinner this week since the Persian salad! So, pesto-alfredo, especially atop spinach pasta and sprinkled with crushed red pepper, is a winner!

Like Tehran Up In Here

After rallying to restore sanity to America last week we stopped at a suburban strip mall to carry out semi-fast food. We'd thought about sitting down in a restaurant to eat, but sometimes you just don't want to pay 2.5 times the retail value for a bottle of wine, you know? And you know when you're traveling with Steve there's always wine in the trunk. Anyway, Mom and Steve got Chipotle, and Phil and I got Moby Dick. You know, Moby Dick-- that Persian carry out chain.

What?!

I know!

Maybe it was 'cause I hadn't had anything but fruit leather for like 13 hours, but I really liked the Moby Dick. They had this wonderful little cup of dressing or something that was limey and minty and delicious. I put some of that on my lamb kabob with lettuce, onion, cuke, feta, and olives, and I was in heaven (I gave the tomato to Phil, natch).

Anyway, being the great human he is, Phil just found me a couple of online recipes for Iranian salad dressing, so I just had a mock Moby Dick dinner. I'd got a lamb kebob at Fresh Market today, and put that atop the old lettuce-onion-feta-olive-cuke salad, and topped it with the Iranian dressing. Sooo good.

Persian Dressing

4 T lime juice

4 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T water

2 T finely chopped fresh mint

dash of salt and pepper

Combine all and serve over salad or use as a marinade. Love it!!

Murphy Pride

It's no secret I really like the area of southern Illinois where Phil lives. Everywhere you look it's rolling hills and wineries that use locally grown grapes and fruits. It's pretty and it's laid-back and I appreciate the opportunity I've had to get to know a part of the country I didn't even know existed.

Last weekend Crystal and I drove the doggies down to Murphysboro. Chad arrived the next afternoon on his motorbike, and when Phil returned from a computer think in Kansas City a bit later in the afternoon, we all enjoyed all that Murphsyboro has to offer. Seriously, the town has like 3 cool things.
Of course we visited several wineries. I took this picture from the deck/porch/pavilion thing at Hedeman Winery, where we had coffee and pie.

Look out for the big bug in the tree! This is from the tiny town of Makanda, where hippie artisans half-assed a secret garden.

One of the bestest things about Murphysboro is the Apple Fest. Crystal and I went to the parade. It was like 2 hours long-- now THAT'S a parade! More pics from Apple Fest to come, if I can find them....

Food I Cooked For Other People

On our dinner night on vacation, I made my mom's lasagna. Being German and all, you know she can make a great pan of lasagna! It's really good-- seriously.

Lasagna

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce

12 lasagna noodles

16 oz cottage cheese

1/2 c. parmesan cheese

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

1 T dried oregano

8 oz. shredded mozzarella

Cook beef and onion until beef is browned, drain off grease. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for a few minutes.

Heat oven to 350. Cook noodles if using the type that need to be pre-cooked (I use the type that don't need to be pre-cooked and there's no taste difference).

Mix together cottage cheese, 1/4 c. parmesan, parsley and oregano.

Spread 1 c. sauce mixture in ungreased 13x9 glass baking dish.

Top with 4 noodles.

Spread 1 c. of the cheese mixture over the noodles.

Spread with 1 c. sauce mixture.

Sprinkle with 2/3 c. mozzarella.

Repeat with 4 noodles, remaining cheese mixture, 1 c. sauce and 2/3 c. mozzarella.

Top with remaining noodles and sauce mixture.

Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and 1/4 c. parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake 30 min. Uncover and bake 20 minutes more until bubbly and browning. Let stand about 20 minutes before cutting.

Food Other People Cooked

I like cooking, especially for other people, but it's pretty nice to have someone cook for me once and awhile. Vacation week was filled with delicious food prepared by some of my lovely and talented friends.

The Laheys rocked the house with their veggie-fied chicken and noodles. I especially liked the addition of diced red peppers.

Laheys also provided a quick breakfast for Phil and me when they accidentally made too many microeggs. I believe each coffee cup contained two beaten eggs, cheese, green onions and lunch meat. Microwave for two minutes and here's breakfast! I had a piece of toast too. I think Laheys made like an egg mcmuffin-type thing. And if you use just one egg you just have to microwave for one minute.

Hartmans made a delish shredded chicken for burrito night. I think they put peppers, onions, and Mexican spices in a crockpot with several chicken breasts and let it simmer all day. I mean, I know they used the crockpot and the chicken, and I think I saw some pepper cutting early in the day, and I think I recall John talking about cumin. Roy's legendary guacamole is not shown, but was wonderful.

We were served a surprise meal in Raleigh before we headed back home. Annie got up early enough to home-make hashbrowns, poach eggs, and cook or re-heat and thinly slice whatever kind of beef that is for her upscale steak and eggs. Don't forget the basil garnish! This was a killah breakfast.

Wondering why the first and third photos look so good in this post? They were professionally photographed by Mark Lahey, of Mark Lahey Images. If you need a photographer for an upcoming event, find him on facebook. Or ask me for his number.

Old Blog

Just in case your bookmark menu is too long to be able to find my old blog url, here it is:

http://imafoodblogger.blogspot.com/

You remember those posts, when I was unemployed and cooked all the time? Ahhh, those were the days. Now that I'm employed most of my meals are microwaved, and I don't think you'd be interested in seeing a steaming bowl of frozen Indian food, so I don't photograph that stuff.

Also, lots of great stuff happened on vacation last week, so I'll post copious amounts of pics and tales soon!