Carlin's Home Cooking

Normal? Not really!

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:09:00 -0700

I was having a normal week. Cooked for my customer Wednesday and we talked about how long I've been cooking for them. Going back in time, I've been with them 10 years!

I cooked for my Thursday customer and that went well. I got dog hugs and kisses from Charlie Brown and Beckie Sue and had a great cook day.

Friday I did a small dinner party for 4. I was a gift to a newly married couple, they had the parents of the groom over and got to use their new dishes, serving pieces, crystal and have a nice meal in their new home. I got home about 9:30 and was pretty tired, but I checked email, mainly to delete the tons of spam that I get. I had a Google alert and when I went to it, it links to a TV broadcast with me as the story!

Not normal. The footage is from the class for 3 to 5 year olds and it was on the ABC channel in Fresno. Here it is, hope this works. I had a library program this afternoon and when I came back from cooking All American Brunch, I had a wall message from a friend in Dallas that saw me on her news! How exciting and new for me.

I love cooking with the kids and they look very small in the film. I am pretty tired now, a very full week, but very fun and new. And tonight I am meeting my friend Tim from Pennsylvania for dinner. He is in Atlanta at the Mart with his wonderful soap. And I don't have to cook!

Somewhat normal week

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:47:00 -0700

I am having a pretty normal week as a personal chef. At least for me. Monday was my office day. This is the first time in many weeks that I had my office day on my regular office day.

Tuesday I had a library program that was a pretty long drive but I had such a good time at the library it didn't matter. I drove to Eatonton, I had never heard of Eatonton, but it is the birthplace of Joel Chandler Harris and you can tour the Uncle Remus Museum.

It is also the birthplace of authors Alice Walker and Flannery O'Connor. The houses in town looked pretty and several attractions nearby. I may need to take another trip to see more than the library. There were about 15 kids there for the program, we had a great time and the librarian put together packages with recipe ingredients that the kids took home. Very nice idea. The kids were excited that I drove so far "just to see them".

Today I cooked for a client. It's been a while since I've had a normal cookday and this one went fine. I was greeted with great enthusiam by Lucky the dog and had a good cookday. They were under a boil water advisory which I thought I had heard on the radio and I had purchased water to make life easier!

Tomorrow I have another personal chef day with my dog greeters Beckie Sue and Charlie Brown. Friday I have a dinner party, Saturday another library program and then I think a true day of rest on Sunday.

There is a very nice story written by Leslie Wade of CNN. She is the producer who came to the last cooking class for the 3 to 5 year olds. If you would like to read the story check here Little Chefs .

Now I'm sure I need to do something in the house. No dinner tonight, the plan is "forage for yourself".

Summer is Flying!

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:30:00 -0700

I was very busy in June and didn't notice that the month just flew by. Here we are in July and the summer is going by quickly. I've had some time off lately and that's been nice. I made another batch of preserves, this time the mixed berry. They are pretty and delicious. Luckily I had time on Saturday morning to make a nice breakfast and had to make biscuits for the preserves. So good.

I also had time on Thursday to make a giant batch of spaghetti sauce. The last time I ordered beef, I ordered extra ground beef and Bill asked if I could take the extra in a 10 pound package. I decided I could and used that for the sauce. I made 11 containers of sauce and it is now resting in the freezer.

Sunday we went out to get more jars for canning and preserving. I bought my last jars at the WalMart in Alpharetta but decided to try Big Lots and then if none there I could hit the WalMart in Dunwoody. The associates at the Dunwoody WalMart were very helpful, good customer service, but told me that they don't carry canning supplies since they are in a metropolitan area. The closest store with canning supplies would be Alpharetta since that is a rural area. Pretty funny since the Alpharetta rural area is near North Point Mall, tons of car dealerships, strip malls, gas stations, etc. Nary a farm, cows or chickens to be seen.

I do have my jars though and am ready today to make Ginger Peach Butter from the new Cuisine at Home magazine.

I've been cooking and using recipes more since I have more time. Last night we had Catfish with Tomatillo Salsa and Grits with Goat Cheese and Herbs. Both were delicious.

Catfish with Tomatillo Salsa in Packets from Eating Well July/August 2009

1-1 1/4 pounds catfish, cut into 4 portions, or 4 tilapia fillets (4-5 ounces each)
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (or see Grill Variation, below).
2. To prepare packets, start with four 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of parchment paper or foil. Fold in half crosswise. With the parchment or foil folded, draw half a heart shape on one side as you would if you were making a Valentine. Use scissors to cut out the heart shape. Open up the heart.
3. Season fish with cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Combine tomatillos, onion, chile pepper, garlic and cilantro in a large bowl; stir in lime juice, oil, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cayenne to taste (if using).
4. Place one portion of fish on one side of each open heart fairly close to the crease and leaving at least a 1-inch boarder around the edges for folding. Place one-fourth of the salsa (about 1 cup) on top of each fish portion.
5. Close the packet to cover the ingredients. Starting at the top, seal the packet by folding the edges together in a series of small, tight folds. Twist the tip of the packet and tuck it underneath to help keep the packet closed. Place the packets on a large rimmed baking sheet (packets may overlap slightly). Bake until the fish is opaque in the center, about 20 minutes. (Carefully open one package to check for doneness—be cautious of the steam.) Let packets rest unopened for 5 minutes before serving.

I did make the packets in the oven since we have no deck at the moment and the grill is not easily accessible. I had extra salsa since I made two portions of fish, so I microwaved it for 4 minutes on high and have that in the refrigerator to use later. I used a large jalapeno and I used the cayenne. This was delicious.

Goat Cheese Grits from Cooking Light April 2009

4 cups water

1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (4 ounces) goat cheese

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gradually add grits and salt to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and remaining ingredients.

I used more basil and parsley than called for, very good. I was surprised at how tasty the quick grits were. I don't use them normally but this is a quick side dish.

I've been busy cooking and getting food ready for when cooking camp starts again. This week I have a pretty normal work week. I have a library program tomorrow, personal chef customers on Wednesday and Thursday and a dinner party on Friday night.

I need to do some paperwork and get ready for the week. And then I can play and make peach buttter!

My First Preserves!

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:31:00 -0700

Yesterday I finally was able to get my car in for it's first major scheduled maintenance. The reminder came at the end of May, but June was very busy and I needed the car. My service manager told me that the service would take 4 to 5 hours so my husband and I dropped the car off at 7 am and he brought me back home. I don't mind waiting a little while, but that's too long.

Since I was trapped at home I thought it would be the perfect day to practice my canning. I had class last week, it seemed easy, I made sure I purchased my cans while I was out and about on Tuesday. I decided on the peach preserves from the book Putting Up: A Seasonal Guide to Canning in the Southern Tradition by Steve Dowdney.

I got things sterilized, cleaned off the counter and went to work. They worked! And look beautiful. I made 12 half pints and have some extra in the fridge. I am going to have some on toast this morning.

I can't wait to do more. I looked through the book and I think my next batch will be mixed berry. I did learn a few things that I didn't get from class.

Use a bigger pot than you think you need since once the peaches turn into peach lava, it pops all over the stove.
Use oven mitts on your hands so they won't get multiple burns from stirring the molten peaches. My hands hurt today.
It's much more peaceful to make preserves in your own kitchen than with the 20 other people, no matter that they were very nice, that were in the class.

Today I have plans to go get ingredients to make spaghetti sauce. I have none in the freezer and I'll be somewhat trapped today by the workers installing new windows. I also need to get berries!

So far July is "recover from June" month and re-stock the house.

Bogart, Georgia

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:18:00 -0700

I got to go to a new place in Georgia yesterday. I have been doing library programs and yesterday was the Bogart Library. My menu was A Different Burger and 17 teens showed up for the program. We had a great time, everyone helped and thanks to a teen volunteer, I have pictures!

I don't have cooking camp this week, two more weeks in July, so I tried a new recipe last night and we really enjoyed it. It used ground turkey breast which I usually avoid. I did not use the raw onion. I have leftovers for tonight!

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese Sauce from Cooking Light April 2009

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 large egg white
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
6 (2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
6 green leaf lettuce leaves
6 (1/8-inch-thick) slices red onion

Preparation

1. Combine first 6 ingredients and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, mixing gently. Divide turkey mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 8 minutes on each side or until done.

2. Combine remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, yogurt, and next 4 ingredients (through mint) in a bowl, stirring well. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons yogurt mixture on the bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 onion slice, and 1 patty. Place top half of bun on each serving.

I need to go meet at the church to discuss the next set of classes for Bless Your Family. They will start at the end of July. And then I'm meeting a friend for lunch. It's like vacation week!

Two Sessions Done

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:10:00 -0700

I just finished up the second session of cooking camp. The kids were 12 and 13 this week and I know you might get tired of me saying this but it's true - they did a great job!

We had the competition yesterday and The Pepper Shakers beat The Beaters by .25 of a point. Much closer than first session when the decision was based on a difference of 1 point. Here are the winners with our wonderful judges, Mary Moore owner of The Cook's Warehouse and Patty Catalano who is the research coordinator for the show Good Eats. Thanks to both of them.

Today we made a fantastic lunch for 28 including ourselves and guests. The menu (we had a couple ties) consisted of:

Tomato Leek Tart
The Pepper Shaker's Italian Eggrolls with Marinara
Margarita Salmon
The Pepper Shaker's Pasta Salad
The Beater's Fresh Strawberry Tart
Profiteroles

I'm not very hungry now, not sure what's happening for dinner but since the only meal I cooked here was Monday night, not a big cooking week. We still have turkey and cheese for sandwiches.

I attended a class Wednesday evening as a student and had a great time. I can't wait to have some time to practice my new skills. This was a canning class and while there we made Dilly Green Beans, Strawberry Jam, Peach Chutney and Tomato Basil Soup. The teacher Steve Dowdney was very nice and signed my book and took a picture with me Thursday morning. I had to leave Wednesday at 10:00 to get ready for my class.

No cooking camp next week but I do have some library programs so still cooking and having fun. I think I'm going to relax now, hold the cats, or at least Cody who is fearless, not Sophie who is still shy. She does love treats though so I'm working on bribing her.

Back to the older kids

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:06:00 -0700

I'm with the kids again this week, the over 10 crowd and all is going well. So far we've had Asian influenced food, Spanish yesterday and today is French. I think Spanish is my favorite this year. This week there are 4 boys and 2 girls in the class, probably all around age 12 or 13. I'm not good at guessing ages.

Since I've been teaching so many classes this month, I decided I needed to take a class so I'm going to The Cook's Warehouse in Decatur this evening for Putting Up the Season's Bounty. I have been wanting to can and preserve foods and this will be the start. Very exciting.

My menu planning sessions at church went well. The last session was last night and for each of the 3 weeks we had about 25 people. My next mission is to design an organization class that will start at the end of July for 3 sessions also. I need to get organized and start on that!

This is the tart that we made yesterday and it is very good. Lots of cheese, but small wedges (or large) make great appetizers.

Tomato Leek Tart from Taste of Home magazine 2004

1 package refrigerated pie crust
4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded
1 pound leeks, sliced
6 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Place both sheets of pastry on greased baking sheets.
Sprinkle each with provolone leaving 1 inch around edges.
Arrange leeks and tomatoes over provolone.
Sprinkle with parmesan, garlic powder and pepper.
Top with mozzarella and fold edges over filling. Center will be open.
Bake at 425 degrees until lightly browned.
Cut into wedges and serve warm.

We used Pillsbury pie crusts that unroll. I like the sharp provolone cheese that I found at Publix. We did cover the baking sheets with foil and sprayed the foil for easier cleanup. The tarts take at least 25 minutes to bake in the ovens at Cook's Warehouse, we just set the timer for 15 minutes and watch them.

I need to go look at the recipes and come up with a game plan. We need to know the flow of the work so everthing is done when we're ready to eat about 1:00.

It's Officially Summer!

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:56:00 -0700

It's summer and it is hot. It has been hot the past couple of days. Very hot, no rain, very humid.

I continue to cook with the kids. Last week was fun with the younger kids. We did not have a judging session for that age group but they did invite guests and they cooked for 20 people on Friday. We chose the menu by process of majority voting and had a slight problem with a tie on dessert. The kids assured me that they could handle making 2 desserts for lots of people so we went for it.

The menu for Guest Day:

Bruschetta Chicken
Mashed Potato Cakes with Green Onions
Caramel Marshmallow Treats
Apricot Rice Custard

I assigned a job to each student chef which meant that each student had responsibilty for one part of the meal.

Sebastian had chicken, lots of chicken, to pound, dip, bread and bake.

Isabelle with potato cakes

Brooke with rice custard

Josh with marshmallow treats

Zola with tomato topping

The group when done cooking

Happy Guests

Next week it's back to Midtown and the over 10 year old student chefs. So much fun and I get great lunches!

Cooking Camp Rules!

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:16:00 -0700

That's the word from the group this week. The first day of cooking was yesterday for ages 6 to 9. I have 6 children this week and they are either going into first grade or going into second grade. Yesterday everyone was a little quiet and reserved, but today everyone was much more comfortable!

The menu yesterday was:

Bruschetta Chicken
Baked Polenta with Two Cheeses
Biscotti with Chocolate and Cherries

Today's menu:

Creamy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
Corn Pilaf
Caramel Marshmallow Treats

We are learning about food safety, hand washing, cleaning as you cook, how to saute, how to use fresh herbs, how to use knives and keep fingers, and how delicious our food is.

Caramel Marshmallow Treats

5 cups crisp rice cereal, coarsely crushed
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
14 ounce package caramels, uwrapped
1 cup butter, cubed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 ounce package large marshmallows

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper ir waxed paper;set aside.
Place cereal in a shallow bowl.
In a large saucepan, cook and stir the milk, caramels, and butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat;stir in the cinnamon and vanilla.
With a toothpick, dip each marshmallow into warm caramel mixture;turn to coat. Press marshmallow bottoms in cereal;place on prepared pans. Let stand until set.

And in case you were wondering, the treats were rated "awesome" by the student chefs and yes, even the adult helpers!

One Week Down

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:14:00 -0700

I had so much fun this week. I laughed so hard with the kids yesterday I almost cried. Laughing is very good for me.

Thursday was the day the teams adapted existing recipes to create their own. Thanks to Gena Berry and Lauren Carey of Culinary Works for taking time out of their busy day to come and judge. They took their time, tasted, wrote comments and spent time with the kids explaining their likes and dislikes. Gena and Lauren gave the teams tips, explained what might help the recipes, but overall liked the food and were glad to have been invited.

The Judges:

Everyone worked hard, there was a lot to do. Eggrolls to fill, roll, fry, pasta to cook, salmon to roast, fruit tarts with crust, filling, baking, plating to consider and all this with a clean kitchen for good presentation. An excellent job.

After all the cooking, all the judging and all the tasting, it came down to a one point difference between the teams of The Iron Chefs and MCM Productions. The winners were The Iron Chefs:

We went out for dinner last night as a treat to myself for the end of the week. No classes today. I went to Jazzercise at 7:15, the bank, bought new shoes for Jazzercise and need to go pick up my meat order from Bill Hodge. After that a little rest and then I have some KitchenAid fun at Macy's tonight. I have NOTHING planned for tomorrow!

A Busy Week of Cooking Classes

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:05:00 -0700

It has been a pretty full week so far. The first week of the kid's cooking series started Monday and it has been fantastic! We're doing areas of the world this year, Monday was Asia, Tuesday was Spain and today was France. Tomorrow the kids use recipes they've created from the basic recipes.

On Monday after cooking with the kids, I had an evening cooking class at the YMCA in the senior center. My friend Scott has been teaching the class for a long time, but he is relocating this year with his wife so I decided to take over for him. I was pretty terrifed since the class knows and loves Scott. I attended last month and some of the regulars met me, but I was afraid no one would come this month.

Once I talked with the director of the program on Monday afternoon I was even more afraid because 11 people had signed up. I knew that some of them might be expecting Scott who was on a house hunting trip. Once there I had 14 people in the class and they were very nice. We all know we will miss Scott when he moves but they agreed that I could come back.

On Tuesday after cooking with the kids, I went to Jazzercise and then to church where I was teaching a new class on menu planning. Again the fear that no on would come, or that all my friends would come to support me, but be bored. We ended up with over 20 people and everyone seemed pretty happy even with home work for the next session next week.

Today I just cooked with the kids. I have nothing on the schedule for tonight other than to get the recipes organized for the kids tomorrow. I just finished that and the grocery list and hopefully I understood the kid's visions. They will be cooking for the judges tomorrow.

I took no pictures Monday but managed to get a few yesterday and today. As you can see, the food is beautiful and delicious.

We've had tarts, pasta salad, eggrolls, profiteroles, salmon, chicken cordon bleu, asian slaw, and much more!

Kid's Cooking Week Eve

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:07:00 -0700

Yes, it's that time again. Week 1 of the summer series for kids starts tomorrow. I have recipes, a plan, assistants and kids. What more could I ask for? This year we're following a cuisines of various countries theme with the kids changing the country for the judging on Thursday. It should be fun as always and I'll try to get pictures.

I went to the Lovejoy Library on Saturday and had fun cooking with the kids there. The library theme for the summer is creativity and cooking is creative. Our menu was "Breakfast for Dinner" and I thought we were gearing to younger kids. I confirmed with the librarian on Friday and she told me the class was full with a waiting list! How wonderful to get kids excited about the library and about cooking.

We had a wide range of ages and mostly the kids were older than I expected. People were waiting in the hall to see if there were any no-shows and open seats. Some people got lucky.

We had Stuffed French Toast with maple syrup or powdered sugar and fresh strawberries and Sweet Breakfast Sausage made with either pork or turkey. All went well, everyone helped and everyone enjoyed the meal.

Sweet Breakfast Sausage

1 pound lean ground pork or turkey
1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
2 teaspoons fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Read the recipe.
With the help of an adult, chop the parsley into fine pieces.
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl using your fingers to mix well.
Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions.
Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Moisten your hands with water and gently pat each portion into a patty about 1/2 inch thick.
Wash your hands with soap and water!
Place the patties into the pan using a turner and fry, turning once, until golden brown and no longer pink, about 5 minutes on each side.
Work in batches if all patties will not fit in the skillet. Remove from pan and keep warm until all are done.

Be creative, change the recipe. Perhaps you'd like some Southwest flavors so you might want to use cilantro, lime zest, cumin and maybe even some cayenne. Think of some other cusines, what could you do?

Today I had an information table after church again. If you are interested in learning about menu planning, I am giving a three week class that starts June 9th. There is no charge for the class, it's at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, on the South Campus in room A022, it starts at 7 pm, it ends at 8:30 pm.

We'll cover some tips that should help save money, time and reduce some stress. There is no need to pre-register, just come on Tuesday night.

I'm going to read for a while now. We had a good dinner, I went to Jazzercise this afternoon and I'm ready to relax.

Dunwoody Library Class

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:53:00 -0700

Last night I had a cooking class for teens at the Dunwoody Library. Since all cooking is done at the library, I need to make sure that I have everything I need so in addition to recipes I create an equipment list, a grocery list and scale the recipes to serve more than 4 or 6 people. I got a lot of the paperwork done on Monday.

Check out your library for free, fun, varied programs that they have available.

Yesterday I packed my equipment using the list, made sure I had aprons for the kids, just generally got organized. After that I relaxed some. The class was supposed to start at 6, but when I confirmed with the librarian yesterday morning, she asked if we could start about 6:15. Not a problem I assured her. I got to the library to set up about 5:15.

I wanted to get my large pot of water on since I needed it to be boiling for pasta cooking so I plugged in the induction burner, filled the pot, turned on the burner and moved on to the next step. The burner beeped and turned off. Who would ever suspect that the expensive, stainless steel pot I had would not be induction compatible? Not me!

No problem I told myself, I also had two butane burners since I had a large griddle I planned to put over 2 burners. I could use one for water. I got it out, turned it on, put the water on. Yay!

I set up the other burner, made sure the griddle would work, did a turning on test and it didn't turn on! It always had, nothing happened to it, it lived in a nice plastic case on a shelf where no harm could occur. Now I had one burner. The library thankfully had a small break kitchen with a stove and it worked. The pasta water went to that room that was close to the room we were meeting in.

Back to get ready for the class. It's about 5:55 now and some people were coming based on the flyer that stated the class started at 6, others were following the flyer stating 6:30, we were splitting the difference. I did not creat the flyer.

I started to prep each cooking station. The herbs for the ground beef, the cucumbers and tomatoes for sandwiches, the zucchini for the pasta. Great. Except that I didn't have that bag of stuff. Yes, it was home in the refrigerator. I had a big moment of panic. I explained to the librarian that normally I was not empty headed.

What could I do? My friend Rosemary said she might come, maybe she could zip over to my house. Or I could zip over and the librarian could do something with the teens. Oh, did I mention the library is closed and in process of renovation this month and many things were packed?

This all took about 3 seconds running through my brain, and I decided to call home and see if wonderful husband was there. He was! And he claimed he'd be delighted to deliver the bag that was now in his hand! Luckily we're about 15 minutes away from the library. As I finished the call and went to continue organizing I saw my friend Rosemary and had a small melt down with her. She also is a personal chef and teaches cooking classes so she could empathize. She also said she'd be happy to cook pasta in the other room!

Now it was 6:15 and the group was seated. The librarian, Nancy, introduced me and I started to go over the recipes and explain what I did for a living. Keeping an eye out for the husband and bag of stuff. I explained that recipes are a beginning point and to go along with the summer library theme of creativity, that they should change the recipes, experiment and have fun. I saw my husband!

After the rough start the class went very well. The teens were very excited to help and Nancy said that she's had programs for teens where no teens even came. She was happy to see such a large group. Since my husband was already there, he chatted with Rosemary and Nancy and took some pictures.

Now I need to make alternate plans for today. No pool. It's already raining and supposed to thunderstorm.

Another New Experience

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:19:00 -0700

I did not get anymore knitting done yesterday afternoon. I had a little lunch and got ready to go to "my" library because I was invited to be a guest judge for the First Annual Teen Bakeoff! I have a very good job!

I was one of three judges on the panel. We viewed all of the entered baked goods and then started tasting. Very small bites since 17 teens brought goodies!

The panel consisting of me, Lynne Ware (a personal Chef) and Marjan Yavari (owner of Tasty Pastry).

It was a tough decision, there were three categories for entry - cakes, cookies, pies. It took about an hour to view all entries and taste everything.

Once the three of us finished our comment cards with the ratings, the votes had to be tabulated and the crowd was very quiet.

There were gift certificates to the top 3 winners in each categories and tshirts and tote bags for everyone. Such a fun afternoon!

Winning cookies:

Winning Cake (I missed getting the baker with it)

Winning Pie:

All winners, judges and librarian:

Now I am going to Jazzercise! Not only did I miss last night but was tasting 17 baked goods instead. After Jazzercise I'll get ready for my class this evening at the Dunwoody Library. We're having Quick, Healthy Eats for Teens!

Maybe Calm Isn't Good For Me

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:56:00 -0700

So this morning after I did some work to get ready for the library class tomorrow evening, and I got the laundry in and emptied the dishwasher I thought "maybe I could start some knitting."

I haven't done anything for a while with knitting or quilting, it's been busy, but I thought I could start something this week and then just pick it up whenever. I knew I had yarn and patterns for several projects. I started with the sweater, looked at the pattern and it was for advanced knitters. Hm, maybe not that. I moved onto the the shawl lace patterns, they are worse. I've never done lace, what was I thinking when I bought them.

Back to the sweater. Cast on 132 stitches. Okay, good. Ribbing in groups of 45, 42, 45. Almost had it. Ripped it out 3 times and checked the message that was left on the phone while I was trying the third time. By the way kittens love to knit. Maybe not knit, but the yarn is fun to grab, Cody snatched the pattern in his front teeth and dragged it away from me, he can also do that with the needles that are waiting to be used.

Phone message - my personal chef friend Rosemary wonders if I could meet her for coffee. Yes! Away from the knitting. It's only 10:30 so we can meet for tea. Back home and back to knitting since I am now refreshed.

So far I have one row on. That's the most progress since starting at 8:30 this morning. Maybe this won't be relaxing for the summer. I left victorious and came up to check email and print a recipe that we had last night for dinner. Very good recipe.

Pork Fajita Casserole from Clean Eating Magazine May/June 2009

1 large red onion, halved, sliced lengthwise
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into 1 1/2 inch strips
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into 1 1/2 inch strips
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound lean pork cutlet, sliced into 2 inch strips
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons chile powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 medium low-fat whole wheat tortillas, divided
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
2 tomatoes, chopped, divided
1/2 cup baby spinach, divided
1/4 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 avocado, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, saute onion and bell peppers in oil for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add pork, garlic, and seasonings. Cook for 8 minutes.
Prepare casserole: In an 8x8 inch clear glass dish, begin to layer ingredients. PLace 1 tortilla on bottom and add 1/4 of pork-vegetable mixture, 5 ounce black beans, 1/4 cup tomatoes and 1/4 cup spinach. Continue with the second tortilla, following the same order of ingredients and amounts. Sprinkle cheese over top layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until top is bubbly. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. When serving, top each piece with 2 teaspoons avocado. Best enjoyed within 4 to 5 days;store in fridge in an airtight container.

I made a few changes. I used the whole red and the whole green pepper. I also used more spinach although not the whole package. Since I was using more vegetables, I used an 11x7 casserole dish. I put 3 half tortillas on the bottom, topped with half the pork mix, a layer of spinach, half the tomatoes, then used 3 more half tortillas and the rest of the ingredients. I topped with cheese and put it in the oven.

Since I have a class at the Dunwoody library tomorrow night my husband has leftovers. Unless I get them first tonight!

The cats are sleeping now so I think I will attempt another row. Maybe after I have lunch. This relaxing is hard!