Showing posts with label Other. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other. Show all posts
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Flood from Ike
This post is mainly for our family members. At this point we feel very lucky. Our house is apparently on some kind of slight hill because so far we have only minor seeping in the basement. The street behind us is under water and the people are being evacuated right now. I've posted pictures on our flickr (see link to the right). We went driving around this morning and within that hour or so, the water has crept about 4-5 more feet into our next door neighbors back yard.
Monday, September 8, 2008
New color
We are testing out some new blog colors. I never really cared for the pink. I mentioned this to Kay just now and she said she doesn't like it either. She was the one that picked it!! So you might see some different colors over the next few days until we decide.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Vegetarian Hundred
I'm interrupting our Labor Day recap because I just can't resist this list. Barbara at Tigers & Strawberries came up with a list of 100 items that vegetarians should try at least once. Her post is here. (She also did an omnivore one here). I'm (Dana) going to respond to each of these but I'll add comments here and there about Kay. Mostly though, if I haven't tried it then she obviously hasn't either!
The Vegetarian Hundred
1. Real macaroni and cheese, made from scratch and baked - I have many many MANY recipes for mac and cheese!! Kay has never had the kind from a box.
2. Tabbouleh - tried several recipes and now have developed my own favorite version of it.
3. Freshly baked bread, straight from the oven (preferably with homemade strawberry jam) - I've made both and posted the jam on our blog.
4. Fresh figs - blecht, nope haven't tried them, don't plan to. I realize fresh figs are probably completely different than fig newtons but in my mind they are the same and fig newtons are so disgusting it is a crime to call them cookies!
5. Fresh pomegranate - Would like to try it.
6. Indian dal of any sort - Tried it, liked it
7. Imam bayildi - Don't know what this is. Need to research
8. Pressed spiced Chinese tofu - I've had lots of tofu but I don't think I've had this particular kind. I don't usually like flavored tofu but I'd try it.
9. Freshly made hummus - Make it on a regular basis.
10. Tahini - Eat it often
11. Kimchi - Eat it almost daily
12. Miso - Eat it somewhat often
13. Falafel - Love it!
14. Potato and pea filled samosas - Don't like peas but I'd try it.
15. Homemade yogurt - I had planned to make homemade yogurt before discovering dairy was causing all my problems. Still considering making it for Kay.
16. Muhammara - never had it, would try it.
17. Brie en croute - never had it, never will due to dairy issue
18. Spanikopita - I've never had it but I have a lot of recipes for it. This is one of those things I always plan to make but never get around to.
19. Fresh, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes - Just had them last week!
20. Insalata caprese - I've had it before and now make a version without any cheese.
21. Stir-fried greens (gai lan, bok choi, pea shoots, kale, chard or collards) - I've had lots of these!
22. Freshly made salsa - Yep, posted on blog a couple days ago!
23. Freshly made guacamole - Eat it almost every day
24. Creme brulee - Never had it, now never will due to dairy and egg issue
25. Fava beans - I haven't had fava beans but I sure have tried. I have tons of recipes listing fava beans but I can't find them to save my life.
26. Chinese cold sesame peanut noodles - Had it, liked it.
27. Fattoush - Had it. Not too thrilled but it was fine.
28. New potatoes - Had them, like them.
29. Coleslaw - Had many versions, don't like any of them.
30. Ratatouille - Posted my version on blog
31. Baba ganoush - Had it, wanted to like it, didn't!
32. Winter squash - Eat it often.
33. Roasted beets - Had it, liked it. Beets are so messy though.
34. Baked sweet potatoes - Had it. Prefer sweet potato baked fries.
35. Plantains - Never had them but would try them.
36. Chocolate truffles - Yum!!! I made these one year for Christmas and they went over so well, Kay named her hamster after them!!
37. Garlic mashed potatoes - Bill and I always put garlic in our mashed potatoes.
38. Fresh water chestnuts - Never had fresh ones that I know of. Maybe in a restaurant stir fry.
39. Steel cut oats - Had them. Overrated. Won't spend the money again.
40. Quinoa - Eat it often. One of Kay's favorites.
41. Grilled portabello mushrooms - Used to eat them a lot. Now we can't afford them.
42. Chipotle en adobo - Always in my fridge. I throw them into anything I can!
43. Stone ground whole grain cornmeal - Another thing I won't waste my money on again.
44. Freshly made corn or wheat tortillas - In a restaurant. I've never made my own but I have thought about it.
45. Frittata - I made an awesome frittata a couple years ago from Just Hungry with tofu, cheddar and spinach. I don't have the exact link but it is worth looking for. Another thing that I can't have anymore due to eggs and dairy.
46. Basil pesto - Make my own at the end of every summer.
47. Roasted garlic - Love it!! This is something that I always thought was too much of a bother until I tried it. Totally worth the effort.
48. Raita of any type - Never had it.
49. Mango lassi - Never had it. Love mangoes though.
50. Jasmine rice (white or brown) - Cook it almost every day.
51. Thai vegetarian coconut milk curry - Yum. Love it.
52. Pumpkin in any form other than pie - Not a big fan of pumpkin but I've made pumpkin pancakes before.
53. Fresh apple pear or plum gallette - Had apple gallette. I don't like pears and plums.
54. Quince in any form - Never had it. I'd probably try it (but I don't think I'd like it!)
55. Escarole, endive or arugula - I've had endive and arugula for sure. Not sure about escarole.
56. Sprouts other than mung bean - I used to eat tons of sprouts.
57. Naturally brewed soy sauce - Never had it. Sounds expensive!
58. Dried shiitake mushrooms - Shockingly I've never had these. I keep meaning to get some though.
59. Unusually colored vegetables (purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, chocolate bell peppers…) - Chocolate bell peppers!?!!! I've had blue potatoes and that green cauliflower which I think is mixed with broccoli. I've had purple peppers before.
60. Fresh peach ice cream - Maybe?? Not sure but I'd eat it if it wasn't dairy.
61. Chevre - Nope. Cheese problem again.
62. Medjool dates - Yes. I got these for some kind of dessert. It was good.
63. Kheer - I don't know what this is. More research.
64. Flourless chocolate cake - Yes. Never as good as I think it will be though.
65. Grilled corn on the cob - Of course - we live in Indiana!! I still prefer it boiled though.
66. Black bean (or any other bean) vegetarian chili - I have almost as many chili recipes as I do mac and cheese!! Kay hates chili.
67. Tempeh - Have some in my fridge now. Kay and I prefer tofu but I thought we should give it another chance. Now I can't find the recipe I had in mind!
68. Seitan or wheat gluten - Nope. Can't find it in the stores and I haven't been interested enough to make my own yet.
69. Gorgonzola or any other blue veined cheese - I tried blue cheese once. Yuck! Kay would probably like it though. She likes really stinky cheeses.
70. Sweet potato fries - Love them. See above comment under baked sweet potatoes.
71. Homemade au gratin potatoes - Kay loves these. I can't have them due to the cheese (again!) but I still make them for her and Bill.
72. Cream of asparagus soup - Yum. I haven't had this in a long time.
73. Artichoke-Parmesan dip - I have a fantastic recipe for this. I've tried to veganize it but it just isn't the same.
74. Mushroom risotto - I don't like risotto so I probably wouldn't even try this.
75. Fermented black beans - I don't think I've had them.
76. Garlic scapes - Never had them.
77. Fresh new baby peas - I've had them but I don't like peas.
78. Kalamata olives - I've had them. I love olives.
79. Preserved lemons - Never had them. I'd try them though.
80. Fried green tomatoes - Never had them. Not big on fried foods.
81. Chinese scallion pancakes - Never had them but would try them.
82. Cheese souffle - One of Kay's favorites. Pain to make though.
83. Fried apples - Had them. Not my favorite way to have apples but ok.
84. Homemade frijoles refritos - I've made them. In a can is much easier!
85. Pasta fagiole - Isn't this one of the first vegetarian meals people have?! Maybe just me. I've had this a million times.
86. Macadamia nuts in any form - I just made macadamia bars for Labor Day. They were delicious.
87. Paw paw in any form - Never had it but would try it.
88. Grilled cheese sandwich of any kind - Of course!! Kay could make these on her own since she was about 6. (Yes I let her use the stove at 6 - not when I wasn't in the house though). They are really good if you melt the butter with some garlic before spreading it on the bread.
89. Paneer cheese - Never had it.
90. Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian style–no pork!) - I don't think I've had it. I'm really bad at remembering the Asian name of foods I've eaten though. I usually call them names like "that noodle thing with the green things", etc!!
91. Fresh pasta in any form - Probably in a restaurant. I have a pasta maker that I've never used.
92. Grilled leeks, scallions or ramps - I've had grilled leeks.
93. Green papaya salad - Kay and I tried papaya last year. We didn't like it at all so we tried to get the hamster to eat it. It was deemed disgusting by all!
94. Baked grain and vegetable stuffed tomatoes - I don't like stuffed tomatoes but we do baked grain and vegetable stuffed peppers.
95. Pickled ginger - I love ginger but I've never had it pickled.
96. Methi greens - Never had it.
97. Aloo paratha - Don't know what this is.
98. Kedgeree - Never had it.
99. Okra - Had it often. Kay's first favorite vegetable.
100. Roasted brussels sprouts - Love roasted brussel sprouts.
Overall, I'm shocked at how many of these I've had!
The Vegetarian Hundred
1. Real macaroni and cheese, made from scratch and baked - I have many many MANY recipes for mac and cheese!! Kay has never had the kind from a box.
2. Tabbouleh - tried several recipes and now have developed my own favorite version of it.
3. Freshly baked bread, straight from the oven (preferably with homemade strawberry jam) - I've made both and posted the jam on our blog.
4. Fresh figs - blecht, nope haven't tried them, don't plan to. I realize fresh figs are probably completely different than fig newtons but in my mind they are the same and fig newtons are so disgusting it is a crime to call them cookies!
5. Fresh pomegranate - Would like to try it.
6. Indian dal of any sort - Tried it, liked it
7. Imam bayildi - Don't know what this is. Need to research
8. Pressed spiced Chinese tofu - I've had lots of tofu but I don't think I've had this particular kind. I don't usually like flavored tofu but I'd try it.
9. Freshly made hummus - Make it on a regular basis.
10. Tahini - Eat it often
11. Kimchi - Eat it almost daily
12. Miso - Eat it somewhat often
13. Falafel - Love it!
14. Potato and pea filled samosas - Don't like peas but I'd try it.
15. Homemade yogurt - I had planned to make homemade yogurt before discovering dairy was causing all my problems. Still considering making it for Kay.
16. Muhammara - never had it, would try it.
17. Brie en croute - never had it, never will due to dairy issue
18. Spanikopita - I've never had it but I have a lot of recipes for it. This is one of those things I always plan to make but never get around to.
19. Fresh, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes - Just had them last week!
20. Insalata caprese - I've had it before and now make a version without any cheese.
21. Stir-fried greens (gai lan, bok choi, pea shoots, kale, chard or collards) - I've had lots of these!
22. Freshly made salsa - Yep, posted on blog a couple days ago!
23. Freshly made guacamole - Eat it almost every day
24. Creme brulee - Never had it, now never will due to dairy and egg issue
25. Fava beans - I haven't had fava beans but I sure have tried. I have tons of recipes listing fava beans but I can't find them to save my life.
26. Chinese cold sesame peanut noodles - Had it, liked it.
27. Fattoush - Had it. Not too thrilled but it was fine.
28. New potatoes - Had them, like them.
29. Coleslaw - Had many versions, don't like any of them.
30. Ratatouille - Posted my version on blog
31. Baba ganoush - Had it, wanted to like it, didn't!
32. Winter squash - Eat it often.
33. Roasted beets - Had it, liked it. Beets are so messy though.
34. Baked sweet potatoes - Had it. Prefer sweet potato baked fries.
35. Plantains - Never had them but would try them.
36. Chocolate truffles - Yum!!! I made these one year for Christmas and they went over so well, Kay named her hamster after them!!
37. Garlic mashed potatoes - Bill and I always put garlic in our mashed potatoes.
38. Fresh water chestnuts - Never had fresh ones that I know of. Maybe in a restaurant stir fry.
39. Steel cut oats - Had them. Overrated. Won't spend the money again.
40. Quinoa - Eat it often. One of Kay's favorites.
41. Grilled portabello mushrooms - Used to eat them a lot. Now we can't afford them.
42. Chipotle en adobo - Always in my fridge. I throw them into anything I can!
43. Stone ground whole grain cornmeal - Another thing I won't waste my money on again.
44. Freshly made corn or wheat tortillas - In a restaurant. I've never made my own but I have thought about it.
45. Frittata - I made an awesome frittata a couple years ago from Just Hungry with tofu, cheddar and spinach. I don't have the exact link but it is worth looking for. Another thing that I can't have anymore due to eggs and dairy.
46. Basil pesto - Make my own at the end of every summer.
47. Roasted garlic - Love it!! This is something that I always thought was too much of a bother until I tried it. Totally worth the effort.
48. Raita of any type - Never had it.
49. Mango lassi - Never had it. Love mangoes though.
50. Jasmine rice (white or brown) - Cook it almost every day.
51. Thai vegetarian coconut milk curry - Yum. Love it.
52. Pumpkin in any form other than pie - Not a big fan of pumpkin but I've made pumpkin pancakes before.
53. Fresh apple pear or plum gallette - Had apple gallette. I don't like pears and plums.
54. Quince in any form - Never had it. I'd probably try it (but I don't think I'd like it!)
55. Escarole, endive or arugula - I've had endive and arugula for sure. Not sure about escarole.
56. Sprouts other than mung bean - I used to eat tons of sprouts.
57. Naturally brewed soy sauce - Never had it. Sounds expensive!
58. Dried shiitake mushrooms - Shockingly I've never had these. I keep meaning to get some though.
59. Unusually colored vegetables (purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, chocolate bell peppers…) - Chocolate bell peppers!?!!! I've had blue potatoes and that green cauliflower which I think is mixed with broccoli. I've had purple peppers before.
60. Fresh peach ice cream - Maybe?? Not sure but I'd eat it if it wasn't dairy.
61. Chevre - Nope. Cheese problem again.
62. Medjool dates - Yes. I got these for some kind of dessert. It was good.
63. Kheer - I don't know what this is. More research.
64. Flourless chocolate cake - Yes. Never as good as I think it will be though.
65. Grilled corn on the cob - Of course - we live in Indiana!! I still prefer it boiled though.
66. Black bean (or any other bean) vegetarian chili - I have almost as many chili recipes as I do mac and cheese!! Kay hates chili.
67. Tempeh - Have some in my fridge now. Kay and I prefer tofu but I thought we should give it another chance. Now I can't find the recipe I had in mind!
68. Seitan or wheat gluten - Nope. Can't find it in the stores and I haven't been interested enough to make my own yet.
69. Gorgonzola or any other blue veined cheese - I tried blue cheese once. Yuck! Kay would probably like it though. She likes really stinky cheeses.
70. Sweet potato fries - Love them. See above comment under baked sweet potatoes.
71. Homemade au gratin potatoes - Kay loves these. I can't have them due to the cheese (again!) but I still make them for her and Bill.
72. Cream of asparagus soup - Yum. I haven't had this in a long time.
73. Artichoke-Parmesan dip - I have a fantastic recipe for this. I've tried to veganize it but it just isn't the same.
74. Mushroom risotto - I don't like risotto so I probably wouldn't even try this.
75. Fermented black beans - I don't think I've had them.
76. Garlic scapes - Never had them.
77. Fresh new baby peas - I've had them but I don't like peas.
78. Kalamata olives - I've had them. I love olives.
79. Preserved lemons - Never had them. I'd try them though.
80. Fried green tomatoes - Never had them. Not big on fried foods.
81. Chinese scallion pancakes - Never had them but would try them.
82. Cheese souffle - One of Kay's favorites. Pain to make though.
83. Fried apples - Had them. Not my favorite way to have apples but ok.
84. Homemade frijoles refritos - I've made them. In a can is much easier!
85. Pasta fagiole - Isn't this one of the first vegetarian meals people have?! Maybe just me. I've had this a million times.
86. Macadamia nuts in any form - I just made macadamia bars for Labor Day. They were delicious.
87. Paw paw in any form - Never had it but would try it.
88. Grilled cheese sandwich of any kind - Of course!! Kay could make these on her own since she was about 6. (Yes I let her use the stove at 6 - not when I wasn't in the house though). They are really good if you melt the butter with some garlic before spreading it on the bread.
89. Paneer cheese - Never had it.
90. Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian style–no pork!) - I don't think I've had it. I'm really bad at remembering the Asian name of foods I've eaten though. I usually call them names like "that noodle thing with the green things", etc!!
91. Fresh pasta in any form - Probably in a restaurant. I have a pasta maker that I've never used.
92. Grilled leeks, scallions or ramps - I've had grilled leeks.
93. Green papaya salad - Kay and I tried papaya last year. We didn't like it at all so we tried to get the hamster to eat it. It was deemed disgusting by all!
94. Baked grain and vegetable stuffed tomatoes - I don't like stuffed tomatoes but we do baked grain and vegetable stuffed peppers.
95. Pickled ginger - I love ginger but I've never had it pickled.
96. Methi greens - Never had it.
97. Aloo paratha - Don't know what this is.
98. Kedgeree - Never had it.
99. Okra - Had it often. Kay's first favorite vegetable.
100. Roasted brussels sprouts - Love roasted brussel sprouts.
Overall, I'm shocked at how many of these I've had!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
4th of July
No food this time. I woke up with a terrible cold, Bill's kicked in around lunchtime and Kay's half way through fireworks. Plus it was really cold and the mosquitos were terrible. But we did get some videos to show how noisy it is around here.
In this one you can see some of our pathetic fireworks but you can also hear all our neighbors. They obviously spent much more money than we did!
This one is the town's fireworks show that we can see from our driveway. If you listen closely, in the middle you can hear Bill's beautiful cough!
Today Bill and I are feeling better but Kay is miserable. At least we all got it at the same time so it won't drag out over a week or two.
Hope everyone had a nice holiday!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Psst...
Did anyone notice that my 10 year old daughter is now my 11 year old daughter?!! Her birthday was yesterday.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Bunch of excuses and Paper Chef
We've been cooking like crazy lately, really! The problem has been that:
1. Everything has been from the same few books, from which I've already posted several fantastic dishes,
2. It has been so good that we devoured it all before even thinking to take a picture, or
3. While I thought it was delicious, Kay didn't so it therefore didn't fit into the blog.
I think those are very good excuses!
The one item that we ate too fast to take a picture of was truly fantastic and I promise to make it again very soon and take a picture.
Our biggest disaster in a long time though, was for the Paper Chef challenge this month. The ingredients were pistachios, green chilies, and polenta. I love love love pistachios and chilies but the sight of polenta made me groan. Yuck - I hate it. When I told Kay the ingredients, I received a huge "eww" when I got to the polenta. From Bill, same reaction. From my mom, same. You get the picture. We don't like polenta! Still I wanted to try to make something so I went and bought some polenta. Big mistake. It was disgusting! Bill and I managed to eat a little bit of it. Kay wouldn't even try it and we certainly weren't going to make her. So if you like polenta, then I strongly urge you to keep and eye on http://lucullian.blogspot.com/ for the round up because I'm sure everyone is coming up with great dishes.
So we are still alive and cooking and plan to have something to post very soon!
1. Everything has been from the same few books, from which I've already posted several fantastic dishes,
2. It has been so good that we devoured it all before even thinking to take a picture, or
3. While I thought it was delicious, Kay didn't so it therefore didn't fit into the blog.
I think those are very good excuses!
The one item that we ate too fast to take a picture of was truly fantastic and I promise to make it again very soon and take a picture.
Our biggest disaster in a long time though, was for the Paper Chef challenge this month. The ingredients were pistachios, green chilies, and polenta. I love love love pistachios and chilies but the sight of polenta made me groan. Yuck - I hate it. When I told Kay the ingredients, I received a huge "eww" when I got to the polenta. From Bill, same reaction. From my mom, same. You get the picture. We don't like polenta! Still I wanted to try to make something so I went and bought some polenta. Big mistake. It was disgusting! Bill and I managed to eat a little bit of it. Kay wouldn't even try it and we certainly weren't going to make her. So if you like polenta, then I strongly urge you to keep and eye on http://lucullian.blogspot.com/ for the round up because I'm sure everyone is coming up with great dishes.
So we are still alive and cooking and plan to have something to post very soon!
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