Archive for September, 2005

Sadness

Posted on September 27, 2005

I just wanted to let everyone know that I may not be blogging for a bit. Our computer died yesterday, and we haven’t been able to get it fixed yet. I’m hoping it will be fixed in a day or two, because life without itunes and blogs and email and general surfing is pretty boring. At the moment, I’m using my friend Leti’s laptop to post this (thanks Leti). So hopefully I’ll be back soon with recipes (I made 3 new recipes today!) and news on the Pantry Project. See you on the flip side.

Categories: Random Thoughts

The Pantry Project

Posted on September 26, 2005

I love to start projects. And though I’m not that great at finishing them, starting them is always a blast. My latest project involves my favorite things: food, lists, and grocery stores. Usually, I make a weekly menu for all our meals and go to the supermarket once a week. I buy all the produce, pastas, and breads that I will need for the coming week. Sometimes this works out well, but most of the time, we stray from the menu, either by eating at a restaurant or by deciding late in the week that we really don’t feel like having that meal after all. This results in another trip to the supermarket, an expensive trip to a restaurant, and/or wilted produce and unused…

Categories: Edibles, Random Thoughts

Tofa

Posted on September 24, 2005

At one of my old jobs, I used to have monthly interns who were learning about becoming dietitians. One intern told me a story about her husband’s aversion to trying new foods. He went to an Asian restaurant with some friends and was exposed to tofu. He tried it, and actually liked it…when he called her with the news, he said, “I ate some of that tofa.” Justin and I often refer to it as tofa now (prounounced “toe-fuh”). Anyway, I adapted this dish from a Cooking Light recipe that originally used chicken. It was perfect for these sweltering September days in Austin, since nothing had to be cooked (except for heating the tortillas). The wraps were cool, delicious, and easy. I served them…

Categories: Recipes

Peanut Butter Goodness

Posted on September 22, 2005

I make these cookies a lot at the bed and breakfast, and everyone always loves them…especially Chris, one of the owners. If I’m baking these cookies, I can usually be guaranteed that he’ll swipe one for his breakfast. I like making them because they’re really easy…you don’t have to measure out flour or haul out the mixer. They’re super-peanut-buttery, and the addition of salted peanuts makes for a really interesting crunch. The dough can be refrigerated for later, and I think we’ve even frozen it before. It’s amazing how sometimes the simplest recipes turn out to be the best. Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies 2 cups creamy peanut butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1…

Categories: Recipes

Breakfast at the Star of Texas Inn

Posted on September 20, 2005

This morning I served a tomato-pepper quiche and raspberry crescent rolls at the bed and breakfast. The guests loved the raspberry rolls, and asked how I made them…I was almost embarrassed at how easy the recipe was. I had been leafing through some cookbooks that my boss had lying around, and put together this recipe this morning. Decadent? Yes. Delicious? Yes. Easy? Oh, yes. Raspberry Crescent Rolls 1 can (8) crescent rolls 1/2 cup frozen raspberries 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup orange juice Cooking spray Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll the crescent dough and separate into triangles. Place 4 or 5 raspberries in a row along the wide end, and roll…

Categories: Recipes

The Scoop

Posted on September 19, 2005

Or…why Mexicans don’t need utensils. I guess every Mexican-American learns the Scoop Technique at some point during childhood. It works for any food, whether it’s beans or a ground beef mixture or fideo or eggs. Who needs forks? We have tortillas! Tonight we had breakfast for dinner, primarily because we haven’t gone grocery shopping this week and we’re out of meals. I decided on over-easy eggs with black beans and potatoes, and Justin had a variation of this with potato-egg-and-cheese tacos and black beans on the side. He always prefers scrambled eggs; I always prefer over-easy. Anyway, a down-home meal like this has to be served with tortillas (whole wheat for me, flour for Justin) for scooping. I have to share this link with…

Categories: Edibles, Random Thoughts