Christmas Vacation

Sitting on Josie's couch watching the Today show, Noodle sleeping next to me, having coffee and oh, so lovely!

Worked this weekend... nice, easy. Christmas bonus from War Bar so that was nice. Unexpected.
Work tomorrow night... yes! More beans!
I also work Saturday after Christmas, Day on the 30th, New Years Eve, New Years Night and the 2nd Night too. Just FYI.

Went to store...cooked last night with Noodle, fed Josie...
Tonight Quiche and pie... cherry pie.
Making the crusts from scratch...
using some of that expensive Culinary degree stuff.

Got ingredients to make truffles for the Sister in Love.
So yes, Christmas vacation! I am loving it.

Things are just fine. Days going by and I hate that... but loving every single one.

After this... well 12 weeks... 12 more weeks of school Down South and then I can come Big H Home!

Passed GMII... just didn't know how that was going to shake out with the German Chef and all.

Just catching up a bit... I am never here anymore but to lurk and read your blogs.

But I am still here!

Noodle's Poem

She says she wants to be a writer and sent me this poem.
She doesn't know where she got it... meaning the writer thing... she thinks that because I love to read... may be that's where.

Best present I've ever gotten.


my eyes in your eyes
i cant make myself lie
you are my shine star
and life so far
never to low
always talk slow
you make me happy
you alway take your nappies
i love it when yuo smile
then my life innt in a file
just take awhile
relax a mile
dont stand in the air
let loose your hair
you make me feel
so so real
in the sky
i start to sigh
when do i end
but just to mend
a life to start
a long my part
is yours to share
i will always care!

The Garbage Disposal had a nice dinner.

Well... took my first run tonight at cooking Lemon Tofu.
Not successful.
The tofu was crispy like I wanted it but I cooked it too early and was cold by the time I got the rice done.
The rice, brown, short grain expensive is lovely. And turned out just right. Not easy to cook rice that is not in a minute bag. I used Veg stock instead of water... delicious!
The Lemon sauce... I was scratch cooking. Josie and I went to this fab place in Denton called Mr. Chopsticks and I had this exact meal. So I was thinking... I can do this!
Turns out... No, I can't.
I used egg white, lemon juice, lemon zest and a little sugar (Splenda) and salt to taste and thinned it with rice water as I went along. Next time... well, less lemon juice... probably none. Just the zest and a bit more rice water and may be no on the egg white. Although I do like my sauces with a little cling to them.
It was just too thick and too lemony. I probably could have saved it and thinned it out with some Veg broth or something but I tossed it instead.
The tofu wontons were great. Whipped cream cheese and orange and lime zest... fill wrappers seal with egg wash and Ta-duh! flash for a mere second in some peanut oil and perfect.

I'll mount the horse on this dish again and try until I get it perfect.
I'm just starting out with tofu... I eat a ton of it outside the house but don't often cook it.
Its not been on the list of things I've learned to cook at French Culinary School either.... nor have any Veggie dishes for that matter. Boo!

Trial and Error... Win some, lose some.
Enjoying brown rice with a little soy sauce and my wontons! Slurp!
And of course the usual accompaniment of chilled vodka!

2 more night... 1.5 days and I am Home for Christmas!
Come on clock!

I hope you all try the sweet potato nachos... had those for lunch. Um!

Sweet Potato Nachos - Mother of GAWD!

A Life Less Sweet is one of my favorite blogs to read as of late. She has given up HFCS and has a PhD in chemical engineering so I love ready what she shares...
she should so write a book. I can't believe she shares all her wonderful knowledge for free.

Here is one of my favorite recipes from her site:

Beans and Sweet Potato Nachos

1 1/2 lbs sweet potato, peeled and diced
3 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp paprika
14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 14 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups Cheddar cheese
corn tortilla chips

In a large baking dish, mix the sweet potato, 2 TBSP of the oil, and the cumin and coriander. Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 50-60 min or until tender.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and paprika. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, about 10 min, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes with their juices and simmer uncovered for 5 min. Stir in the beans.

Place some corn chips on an oven or microwave-proof plate, and top corn chips with the bean mixture, then the sweet potato, and finish with some cheese. Bake for 10 min until nachos are well heated (or microwave for 30 seconds or so to melt the cheese).

Serve with garnish of choice - cilantro, avocado, sour cream, or jalepenos for example.

Move it Gertrude

Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity.
- Christopher Morley

It is hard sometimes to move... even when you are happy.
My body was heavy today.
My mind cluttered with trash.
And I really just wanted to go Home, Big H and just crawl into Josie's bed and stay there.
Three more days... 2 nights...
Home.

I made the most delicious soup today.
Roasted sweet potatoes, 4 kinds of peppers, carrots, russet potatoes, garlic, yellow onions....
I started with a blonde roux... equal parts butter and flour... added the onions and let them get translucent and then added a couple cups of warm milk and warm veggie stock, salt and white pepper and let it simmer while I was roasting the veggies (olive oil and nutmeg)... added everything... let it cook a bit... flavors marry. Salted a bit more to taste.
Perfect.
Each flavor was present.
The carrots tasted like carrots.
The potatoes like potatoes.
Just a simple potage' really.
Easy.
But warm and delicious.
The nutmeg was sealed the deal.
I really didn't use it much before French Culinary school.... its the basis for bechamel sauce and its so savory and nutty.

I have some left over roasted peppers and garlic... so tomorrow I am going to make a simple humas with dried chickpeas I am soaking tonight.
I read that its delicious on roasted veggies... so I am going to try that too.

I also got some extra firm tofu which I am going to cube and saute' and make a fresh lemon sauce with the very expensive brown rice I bought today. I figure I can afford to spend a little more on my grains since I am a non meat eating person. And tofu won tons are on the menu too. But I will probably pack all that up and save it for a meal on Sunday with Josie.

I am making Holiday plans to spend a whole day with my niece and give her Mother and Daddy a break. And spend time with my Sister... just me and her.

Noodle... woof. She is entering the tween stage of things kids. God give me strength and Mrs. G. She seems to have it down to a fine art... the Mothering a tween thing. I will be searching The Colony for sage advice these next few years. Start saying prayers for us now. We all remember those delicate years... emotions in motion, swinging, tears, laughter... growing... can't imagine how we made it to this age... alive... I really can't. But it is my greatest wish to get Noodle through this with grace.

Two posts! One day!
Big sigh.
Off to watch a bit of TV and chat with Josie.