This is what eating out alone looks like:

Consider me Melted.

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

BEFORE:



AFTER:

Junior Ambassador's at PICA's TBA:10

So Jamie, Brooke, and I were checking out the totally amazing Time-Based Arts Festival (TBA:10) hosted by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA). Here's how it went down: we were in line for ice cream samples for a long time. The whole time we were debating which flavor each to get, then share, so we could taste the best three possible flavors. When we got to the front, we still couldn't decide, we (ahem) may have started to hold up the line, and the guy said, "What to try them all?" Well, heck yeah, we want to try them all. That's how we ended up eating salmon and cream cheese, coconut curry, corn, ginger basil, and "the whole world" (chocolate mixed with vanilla). Yes, those are ice cream flavors, and yes, they were delicious. Especially corn.


some silly girl who couldn't figure out my iPhone took this picture

Junior Ambassador's is currently looking for a new cart location. I said they could set up in my back yard, but no one seemed to think that was a viable option.


I took this photo, which is sad, because you can't see my smile of delight

Family Dinner!

I told Leah to be coy with the kale..

and Katie to be intense with the garlic





My roommate interns at a farm in Washington, and surprised the house with a whole passel of fresh, organic vegetables! So what did we do? we geared up and made a vegan stir fry complete with blue agave, rice noodles, and gluten-free soy sauce. It was delicious. There was one tiny mistake when a cucumber was mistaken for a zucchini, but it was quickly corrected by garnishing the dish, (and the zucchini was discovered and added to the fry).

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

For some reason, last night I got the urge to make something that I would have to wait for it to cook. I got out trusty ol' test kitchen and I had most of the ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas. Except the sauce. Luckily, ATK had included the recipe for a homemade version. Fast, easy, delicious.Sidenote: I think taste for taste is being neglected! I want to know what is being eaten out there. AND if you go to any great restaurants too!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Here is mom's delicious sweet and sour chicken recipe. After I fed it to Matt this weekend and he told me to post it. This is SO easy to make and if you have frozen chicken, a can of pineapple and some rice, you can make it with stuff from your pantry! I don't have a picture of the chicken handy, so here's a cute one of Harrison and his cousins. We can just pretend they are anxiously awaiting a dinner of delicious chicken!

Mix together the juice from 1 can of pineapple, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 2 Tbsp cornstarch (or even a little less, depending on how thick you prefer it), 1/2 c brown sugar and 2 Tbsp soy sauce.

Cut the chicken into cubes (I usually do about a pound or a little less) salt and pepper and flour the chicken. Brown the chicken and when you think it has about five minutes left, add in cut up red peppers and red onions. When the veggies are soft enough and the chicken is cooked, add the sauce and pineapple. Continue to cook until the sauce is as thick as you would like it. Eat over rice, enjoy!!

Yummy salsa

So, my passion for food has had to take a nosedive recently. I'm having some problem with my digestive track, probably the gallbladder, but we're having a tough time assessing exactly what the problem is. In the meantime, I can't eat any food that is fatty, acidic, or spicy. Sigh. BUT... I have a salsa recipe that is neither too acidic or too spicy for me right now, and even if you don't have the problems I have, it is downright delicious and E-A-S-Y to make.

You'll need:

1/4 of a medium-sized sweet onion

1 garlic clove

1 can diced tomatoes, with their juice

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 limes, juiced

1/4 t. salt

10-12 sprigs of fresh cilantro

In a blender, chop the onion and garlic clove. Add the tomatoes and blend on low until all remaining pieces of onion and garlic are chopped. Add the beans, lime juice, salt and cilantro and pulse a couple of times. (You can take all the leaves off the cilantro sprigs, or I just pinch off the sprig below the lowest leaves and throw the top in.) Chill for 2-3 hours and Voila! A delectable snack that is easily digestible. :-)

Hope you enjoy it!

Three Zucchinis in three days.

I found a recipe for spring risotto with zucchini and peas that looked pretty fast and easy, so I went to the store and bought the stuff. It wasn't as fast as I thought, since you have to be doing things including stirring for an hour, but the zucchini was so delicious I went back the next day and bought two more.


I made some rice and cooked the zucchini the same way- sauteed it in butter for about five minutes after cutting it into 1/2 inch squares- and added some blanched asparagus. Really very simlple and delicious. But the zucchini was still the most delicious part.


The day after that, I took out my zucchini and cooked it the same day- with the idea of just eating it plain (I use coarse salt after I saute it in butter- I'm not going to pretend its the healthiest way, but its the most delicious way to get a serving of vegetables) Instead after the zucchini was done I fried a tortilla in the remaining better- it takes 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons for a smaller zucchini- and while it was browning on the second side, put a little parmesan on the top- removed it, and put the cooked zucchini's on it. This was the simplest and most delicious of them all.

I might have to head over to safeway tonight for round two. Or should I say four?

Spicy Pepper Jack Mac

This was so delicious.

Any kind of pasta
White sauce
Italian sausage
Red pepper flakes
Tillamok Pepper Jack
Love

Voila

Po' Boys

Just leafing through my Test Kitchen cook book and came upon these sandwiches. (Thanks again, Tanya!!!) Tangy and crunchy but certainly NOT on anyone's diet plan. (Kelly says I must admit the kitchen smelled of fried shrimp for two days afterward... Thank heavens for Scentsy.)

Heavenly Orange Rolls

Well, after Kim responded so enthusiastically to my last post, I had to share another great recipe. I admit, I have a thing for orange rolls, but even if you don't, these are fabulous. I've actually made them twice in less than a week. (Don't laugh. It's my comfort food while Kelly is gone. Less than two weeks to go...) Anyway, check them out on the blog "My Kitchen Cafe," here.

I've tried several of her recipes over the last few weeks. Her desserts and rolls are great. I've liked her main courses mostly, but my kids haven't been too thrilled--they appeal to more developed palates, I've decided.

Try them and let me know what you think!

Thanks, Aunt Melody!

I made Melody's Potato Asparagus Soup and it was AMAZING!! I'm so glad Melody is posting and I'm SO glad she put the recipe up. I want to make the things you guys are cooking, so post your recipes!!! Also, Melody, I loved that you put up a recipe that was in season. I already had asparagus on hand, because it was such a good price.

The soup was so fast and so delicious! I put PLENTY of cheese in mine, so it was a cheesy, potato-ey, asparagus-y delight. The only thing I might change in the future is to add my asparagus a little later, because mine was a little softer than I like it. But Byron loved the texture, so to each his own!!

One other note - "two cups of potatoes" is actually only about one large potato. I was completely over-ambitious in my potato peeling before I started to measure - oops! All those years of peeling potatoes for family dinner has really skewed my perception of potato measurements, I guess!

Is there such a thing as too much food?

I have been eating out lately. A lot. There are too many good places to eat in Portland. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Columbian Cafe is a little place in Astoria, Or near the coast. There are three booths and nine chairs at the bar which is really the kitchen where you can see the stove and the chef at work. He is a funny guy whom we overheard telling bar jokes about tequila.

We were lucky enough to come in right after a couple had left so we got one of the coveted booths, and people after us were turned away or asked to wait. They brought us some bread and oil and vinegar which was so delicious. The bread was dense, sweet, and moist. Different from what you would normally soak in oil and vinegar, but very tasty. We ordered and they brought us our drinks. I had honey milk, which is warm, and I have since made myself many times.
Next, the waitress brought us some texas toast style bread with an assortment of homemade jellies. Garlic, habenjero, jalapeno.There was also a very spicy pico de gio. I tried and loved them all but the garlic was so sweet and garlicy that it was the best.
When our food came they placed the dungeness crab, with lemon zest over fetticini in front of my friend Jared, and the portabella mushroom plate in front of me. With salmon. I do not like salmon and I did not order it. Almost immediately (probably at the sight of my surprised face) the waitress asked if that was wrong, and whisked it back to the kitchen, which is righ behind the bar, not four feet from us. She gave it to the chef who mumbled something about making a mistake, and set the plate on the stove. hard. it broke. I felt so bad, but his mood didn't last long, and the apologetic waitress soon brought me a brand new dish. Portabello mushrooms and garlic over hand rolled fetticini noodles. Now, I am a little newer to liking mushrooms, so I am very picky. These were the BEST I have ever had. they had been marinated and were think meaty slices. so robust! ha ha. They were excellent. I even tried the dungeness crab, which I don't like, and I loved every lemony bite! We should all head to Astoria this summer to check out the breakfast, which is supposed to be even better.

Asparagus Potato Soup

With asparagus at good prices these days, it is time for my favorite asparagus potato soup. I got this recipe from Quick Cooking magazine and it is definitely worth your time. I forgot to take a pic last time I made it, so you'll just have to take this one on faith. :-) Here goes:

Asparagus Potato Soup

2 c. diced peeled potatoes

1/2 lb. asparagus, chopped

1/2 c. chopped onion

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 T. chicken boullion granules

4 c. water

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. flour

1 c. whipping cream

1/2 c. milk

1/2 t. salt

Dash of pepper

3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In large sauce pan or soup kettle, combine the potatoes, asparagus, onion, celery, boullion and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in butter.

In a bowl, combine the flour, cream, milk, salt and pepper until smooth; add to the veggie mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Garnish with cheese.

Cooking dinner

I've noticed that the number of compliments I receive from my children about the dinner I make is inversely proportional to the amount of time I spend making it.

For example:

Costco ravioli's with bottled spaghetti sauce--prep time 20 minutes--compliments: loads

Homemade chicken and corn chowder --prep time 1 1/2 hours--compliments: zip. zilch. nada.

I think I give up (especially because Kelly is gone for the next month).