Revisiting Recipes

It is a known fact that I am obsessed with cookbooks. And cooking blogs. And just plain ole recipes.

In fact, I just skimmed through all of the posts I have ever written and I have seriously posted about food or my obsession of food no less than eleventy trillion times - give or take eleven million.

And for that I apologize profusely.

Unless you enjoy cooking and have gotten a good recipe or two off of this blog, or the blogs on the right hand side of my blog. Or even straight out of my mouth.

I have been known to purchase a cooking magazine just about every single time that I have gone to the grocery store. And I have quite the obnoxious collection. A collection so big that I was going to take a picture of it - but then realized I have created quite a mess on my cookbook shelf. And throughout my house for that matter. During this week long quest to revisit some good recipes.

So, you will just have to close your eyes and imagine it. It is just about a full shelf. Like 8 feet long - give or take a couple of feet depending on how you measure.

I use a fairy wand.

And it is FULL of cookbooks and magazines. And my own personal journal books of every thing else I have collected. Whether it be online or word of mouth or someone just emails me a good one.

And unfortunately, I have no rhyme or reason to the journal books. I just write recipes in order that I receive them. So, I have to depend on my trusty brain to know what is inside.

Also, unfortunately, I have STOPPED buying cooking magazines. I had to put myself on restriction once I began the mad world of couponing. There is NO room in my budget for words printed on paper. Therefore, in my mad frenzy that I have begun - the one where I'm so ready for Fall and cooking - I have decided to revisit EVERY.SINGLE.BOOK that I have collected over the years. And make every recipe inside that falls in to to the following categories:

1. Every thing unless it has heavy cream.

That's it. I'm easy going that way. Heavy cream seems to be the only thing that I can't "healthify" ( not sure if that is a word - don't judge me). I am also skipping desserts - but making a list of ones that look amazing and I will make them for upcoming events.

And speaking of upcoming events, I have a journal that lists each one and what recipes I would like to make for them. And which books/mags/journals they are located in. Isn't that smart? That way, when Columbus Day rolls around and I want to make Pilgrim food ( or whatever it is that Columbus ate) I can turn to the appropriate page. Then turn to the appropriate book. And then cook away.

I amaze myself sometimes with my organization.

Kev will tell you that I amaze him with my lack of it.

And then I will respond to that with "I'm organized when it's important"

Which is why my sock drawer is just a bucket of mismatched socks. That is why I only try on shoes behind closed doors.

So, each night this week as Kev is auditioning new tv shows to our Fall viewing schedule, I am busy turning pages and making lists and making meal plans.

( My down time is WAY too precious to waste on a show that we may or may not watch - once he gives it the green light, THEN I will get involved. But don't worry. I've got a post planned to discuss our tv watching habits.)

( You are welcome)

I just re-read this post and have decided that the point of it is to let you know how many amazing recipes are out there. There are so many wonderful cooks, chefs, blogs, and books. So, if you are having trouble coming up with what you are making for supper. Get creative. Try something new. Get online. Cooking expresses my love for the person I am making it for. ( Unless I have to cook for the devil - then I would probably put poison in it. Or rat poop.). Food brings people together. It's the main part of every celebration. And it is just something I REALLY enjoy doing.

( Am I still making any sense or have I gone over the edge?)

Hopefully, you will get some great ideas from this site. Or atleast enjoy reading about them.

And now I think I need to go take an Advil ( or three) and chill out a little. Kev is "googling" rehabs for recipe addicts.

Goodbye for now.

I've Got The Cooking Bug Again

It's back.

The illness of mine that involves an obsession with food.

And it's not really like it was ever cured and then returned. It never left. It was just on summer vacation. I mean, I still cooked all summer. How else would we have survived. And we still tried new things and new flavors.

But my full on, recipe hoarding, month at a time menu planning, making googly eyes at the produce section of Publix, dreaming of sugar plums dancing in my head .... IS BACK.

And it is back with a VENGEANCE!

Except it will be a little different this time. Because I'm cooking for health. And in moderation. But don't let that deter you from my kitchen... because I never said it would be without flavor. In fact, I am hoping to produce some incredibly flavorful meals.

Starting NOW.

Because last night doesn't count. The meal was flavorful all right. But a little too much. It seems my unorthodox love for chipotle peppers made a disruption in my peaceful little supper when I used THREE whole peppers instead of the 1/2 of one that was in the recipe. I mean, let's face it.. when making a Mexican recipe - 1/2 of a pepper doesn't seem like much. But if you have ever tried one of these peppers then you know it is more than enough. So, one bite in to my healthy shrimp quesadillas and little tiny beads of sweat popped up on the top of Kev's head. And we LOVE spicy food. So the sweat beads meant that I went a little over board which resulted in him drinking an entire gallon of tea.

Let's just say that I went back and re-opened each quesadilla and removed the seeds and peppers so he could eat them as leftovers.

And now for the point of this post...

My new purpose for this blog is to document the meals. The good, the bad, and the ugly. But, no worries. It won't all be about food. I will do this in addition to the crazy shenanigans that we seem to get involved in each week. I'm thinking a weekly food post.


( And for those of you saying "yeah, right... she can't even manage posting once a week - not even once a month"... then I say "fair enough. I've been so slack and so busy and I will do my best to keep up with my plans") Trust me. ( That was actually fun. Having a conversation with my readers in parenthesis)

Anyway,

I will base my post on my menu board... Remember this?
Yes. I still use it. EVERY week. Even though Kev informed me last night that he never looks at it. WHAT? After the entire one minute a week of work that it takes me to keep up with it - and he never looks at it. Well, that's ok. Because I do. And I still love it. And it keeps me organized. And it apparently needs to be cleaned. And I realize the picture looks off center but it is IMPOSSIBLE to take a picture of this straight on because of all the lighting ( I'm not complaining) in my kitchen.

So, off center it is.

I will just feature the highlights. And hopefully share some amazing recipes that you can share with your family.

It's just a way I can give back. Especially since Goodwill won't take all my old 80's clothes. Or mustache trimmer. Or collection of trolls.

And now I'm off to do some food research. Which may or may not involve me putting some thing in to my mouth.

Sweat

I hope you didn't mis-read the title and think that this was a sugary SWEET post about desserts, or babies, or squirrels jumping on trampolines.



Because it's not. It is about SWEAT. The disgusting ( but satisfying) liquid that pours out of my body every time that I go to the gym.



It is not to be confused with what happens when you are all dressed up for work and you have to get in to a hot car in the middle of summer. That is UN-satisfying. And ruins my whole day and my silk blouses.



( Do I even own any silk blouses? That sounds too lady-like for me)



Anyway...



I wanted to write about my gym experiences. And I don't really have a decent picture to post. So, I googled "pictures of people sweating". It was very interesting and gross. And it seems that women don't sweat so much because most of the pics were of men. Which is why I chose this one.... the closest resemblance...

Except it looks more like Kev. But only because if you have ever seen me at the gym then you know that I wear WAY more clothes than this. Like long pants. And long tees. And shoes. And a hat or two - depending on how unruly my hair is that day.

You would never recognize me. It is funny how many double takes I get because the ladies are trying so hard to figure out why I look vaguely familiar. ( I'm THE.LOFT.GIRL) And that only happens if I smile. My huge teeth are a dead giveaway. A Switzer family trait. If I keep my mouth closed - I'm usually safe to sweat profusely, act clumsy, and grumble under my breath.

As far as the guys at the gym are concerned. I look like one of them. They don't pay me a bit of attention. One time I went in to Kev's shop after a workout. And he said " What can I do for you today, Sir". True Story.

I could easily rob a bank with my gym disguise.

Ultimately, I have been SOOO happy being back at the gym. I mean... it's super tough to get up early in the mornings. And I have more sore muscles and aches and pains than ever before. And then there is the whole sweat issue multiple times a week. But I feel SO much better. And the classes that I take are amazing and fun. And I just missed being in that type of environment.

And I definitely still have some ( A LOT) of work to do. I'm still struggling with how much to eat and when. And which classes to take back to back and which ones not to. ( When you are on your second class and your teacher starts to look blurry and you feel nauseous. It is probably time to call it a day)

And then there is my ultimate goal of running races again. I enjoyed it so much before and have really missed being a part of raising money for good causes and crossing a finish line. I had set a personal goal to run my first race on New Year's Eve. It was the first race I ever ran over four years ago. However, when I went to register online today - they have changed the date to the day after Christmas. And guess where I will be? WORK. So, now I'm on to the Race for Hunger in February. It is a 10K in Lexington ( the second race I ran over four years ago). And it was very empowering - except for when I was running next to traffic and I could feel the eyeballs on me as I was jogging by. They were probably trying to decide my gender.

Then there is the Marine Mud Run. It is held in October. I heard about it from a friend of mine, Kelly. And then from another friend, Sarah - who in amazing detail told me every single thing I would encounter in this great challenge. Down to the last drop of mud. And now I'm hooked and a little obsessed. And can't wait to compete. In fact, I'm having Kev build every obstacle in my back yard so I can practice weekly.

He is so thrilled.

So, not only will I be supporting Marine's families. But I will have the luxury of getting as muddy as a pig. And swinging over a creek on a rope. And climbing a wall. And did I mention getting muddy. I can't wait to see the look on Kev's face when he sees the mess he has to clean up when I come running in the house to give him a big hug.

He will be so thrilled about that, too.

And last but not least, there is a Half-Marathon in Epcot in October. It is for the Food and Wine Festival. And starts at 10PM. AT NIGHT!! ( In case you didn't know what PM means) I think it would be incredible to run at night. Being that I'm so obsessed with vampires ( Tru Blood not

Twilight) Just think, if I get bitten I will forever be in a runner's body.

After the Half-Marathon, Disney has a celebration for the runners and their families at the FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL!! Does it get any better than that?

And I haven't even mentioned the other "small" races I would like to do next year. These were just the big ones.

That is if my knees hold out.

Happy Fall

Lucky for you and for my household... the pool is officially closed until next Spring.

The pool is like a child to me. I feel very guilty when I don't spend enough time with it. But then my "Aunt" status kicks in. And I give it back when I've had enough. And when I am sitting in the pool, curled up in a ball, shivering until my lips turn blue... then I have had enough.

The good news is that my weeks won't be so hectic. I will be spending more time on the inside getting things done. Like watching tv. And avoiding the laundry.

But most importantly - The pool closing means IT IS FALL. I love this time of year. And yes, I do say that about every season. I think it is the change of scenery that I love because we all know my attention span lasts about 3 1/2 minutes.

I love the weather. I love the clothes ( wearing boots is my favorite hobby). I love the flavor of pumpkin. And I LOVE the amount of cooking I get to do. It is so much more fun to cook in the Fall and Winter than in the Spring and Summer. You can actually enjoy a hot meal without sweating.

And my Dutch Oven sure has missed me.




I decided to kick off October 1st with a couple of things. First of all, I put a Fall wreath on the front door and a pumpkin candle in the Lodge room.

I had to take a nap in between the two because decorating is exhausting.

Second of all, I decided to make a yummy chili/stew. My Dutch Oven has been begging for me to use it. It calls to me every time I walk through the kitchen. All shiny and red. It is one of my prized possessions. I found this recipe in an old Rachel Ray magazine. It was called "the end of summer stew".

Perfect!

Now, we have been eating pretty darn healthy lately. I pride myself on being able to turn just about any meal in to a healthy version.

I also pride myself on my grocery shopping planning and purchasing. And how much food I have been able to fit inside my pantry, fridge, and freezer. It's obnoxious, folks. Let's just say that if we were ever to be invaded by Aliens and we had to hide in our homes for safety.... we would be set food-wise for YEARS.

That is if they let us keep our electricity on. My survival is based on my freezer's survival.

Anyhoo, all that just to say that I had most of the ingredients in my house already. I had tons of vegetables I needed to use. Ground turkey. And Beer.

This soup had the most delicious and most random ingredients. Lime zest? check! Fire roasted tomatoes? check! A can of Bud Light? check!

Kev commented that my cutting board looked like a taste explosion when he saw how many yummy things were going in the pot.

And the stew/chili did not disappoint....

I'm sure it will be even better today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Because I made enough to feed an army.

And then I spent the evening looking through old cooking magazines and cookbooks - making a list of all the recipes I want to try this Fall. Things that I had passed on before due to difficulty and flavors.

I'm looking forward to a yummy season. In moderation, of course.

And now I'm off to put up one more decoration. A hay bale on the front porch. The perfect placement will be so intense that I may have to sleep for the next two days straight.

But that is the price I will have to pay for a decorative home.

How To Catch A Kev

He is strong. He is spry. He is fast.



But that doesn't prevent his niece and nephews from trying to capture him...

Every chance they get...

All four at once...

They are no match for this freakishly strong human...

He looks captured. But he's not. He will stand up in a minute and throw every one of them off. Just like a super hero.

This wrestling match was intense. And so fun to watch. And went on for about thirty minutes.

And the ultimate champion shows off his battle scars with glee.

The super hero uncle prevails. At least until all the kids are full grown.

Remembering Summer

Autumn is 10 days away.

Which means that it is almost time to change my Febreze scents.

So, there is no better day than today to catch you up on our summer extravaganzas. And then I desperately need to clean my house.

Now don't get too excited over what I'm about to tell you. Because as much as I planned for a party-filled summer. The parties mainly consisted of me. Sitting in the pool - ALL DAY LONG-and drinking something tropical with a tiny umbrella sticking out of the glass. Except for, we don't have any tiny umbrellas - so, it was usually ( and unfortunately) a gnat.

Kev actually acquired a GINORMOUS hinged umbrella with a granite base on wheels - to prevent me from getting any more sun damage than I already have. I had the best seat in the house. And I cherished it.

But suddenly, the seasons have changed ( in my mind - not with the weather) and I feel like I can no longer sit in the pool all day when I have changed my closet to boots, scarves, and jackets. Not to mention that I need to catch up on life. And stop using the dryer as my underwear drawer.

But enough about that....

We hosted our 2nd annual Fourth of July party back in July. On the Fourth. ( Interesting how that worked out) And, unfortunately, the pictures I took only show a SMIDGE of who was there and what we did.

I would never be successful at filming a documentary.

But luckily the weather was fantastic. As well as the food and company. It was a great day for celebration...

My hired help for making the burgers.... ( I have learned to wear gloves when handling meat because #1 it is disgusting to touch and #2 I never feel like I can get my hands clean enough and #3 the people who eat my food probably appreciate it and #4 it is fun to put on gloves.)

The infamous Pioneer Woman stuffed jalapenos.... I put two on my burger and proceded to hear angels singing in my head. Probably because the cholesterol, cheese, and bacon were about to clog my arteries for good.

Look at this cool, refreshing, blue water. I should be out there right now sitting in it. But due to the fact that we have a "no technology on the pool deck" rule. I have to sit inside until I finish this post.

My neice with my neice ( Kiara) and sister (Princess). I guess you would call Princess my half sister though - being that she is a dog and all.

I LOVE this picture of Kev's parents.....

Yep. And that is it for pictures. But as I said before - there were TONS of people ( at least 23) at the celebration. And it went in to all hours of the night ( 9pm). And ended with an amazing fireworks display put on by Mike and Ashlyn ( yes, they are kids - but Kev says you've got to learn some time) and funded by Kev " I spent $10.00 on fireworks - well, at least one of the (very small) packs was $10.00" - when asked how much all the fireworks cost.

It was worth it, though.

We've also enjoyed having people over throughout the summer. Usually one or two at a time. And we've decided that setting out a bunch of food and drinks and getting in the pool is the best way to host a party. I think I will make a sign - for next year- to hang on the front door. It will say " We are in the pool - help yourself".

There is nothing like good, Southern hospitality.

A Taste Explosion With Cheese

I'm sitting here on a Tuesday night ready to blog. Sitting here in spaghetti splattered shorts. Ready to blog about things that happened this summer.

Spaghetti splattered shorts? Yes. Unfortunately, it is a result of my cooking tonight. Cooking and watching The Real Housewives of New Jersey. It was the reunion show, you see, and that means it was intense. Not that every show isn't intense. Intense with fighting and yelling and drama.

Why must I be so addicted to this nonsense? Kevin asks that question to his Magic 8 Ball every day.

So, I was mixing noodles in to the spaghetti sauce and my eyes are glued to the tv and a HUGE spoonful lands on the floor. But manages to slide all the way down my (new) shorts and legs.

Thank goodness my shorts only cost $2.50. Because it is a known fact that my laundry skills will do nothing for the stain.

And the reason I'm still sitting in them - and not frantically trying to "Shout it out" is because I don't have the energy. Or the time. My new time management skills have my day scheduled out to the minute. And I have one hour to blog in between practicing my dance routine to Bon Jovi's " Livin On A Prayer" and picking my toes.

I lead a very busy life. And there is nothing I can do about it.

So, speaking of blogging, how about I start doing it and stop rambling about nonsense.

I actually have a couple of posts started. I gave them titles. I downloaded the pictures. And then I hid them away in my archives and forgot to tell the story.

Like this one....


This post was set up to tell you about an amazing recipe that I tried. But it also had a picture of my back yard in the pouring rain. I wonder why. I have no recollection of what the two have to do with each other - maybe it was raining while I was cooking? Maybe I thought you had never seen rain before and I wanted to show you what it looked like? Maybe I thought the pic would cool you off in this unbearable heat we have been having. Regardless, I left the picture in. Because that is how I wanted it to be when I downloaded it a month ago.


But the real reason for this story is me wanting to share a delicious meal that I made. And have made several times since then.

It is from Pioneer Woman's cookbook. Potato Leek Pizza.

It sounds ridiculous. And unnecessary. But I am here to tell you that it was a taste explosion and party in our mouths.

I trust every thing that she makes. Because she knows good cooking. And we have very similar tastes. Cheese, butter, cream, sour cream, and butter. The five basic food groups.

I actually started by making (from scratch) the pizza crust. Super easy and so yummy. Except for my pizza dough throwing/rolling/stretching skills are NOT envied by Italians. The crust may taste great but it looked like a three year old's craft project ( no offense to three year olds)

Then I cut up the leeks. I had no idea what a leek was or what it looked like. And to be honest, it didn't sound to appetizing. But after some research I learned what to look for, how to clean it, and how to prepare it. And it is pretty much my new favorite vegetable. It is similar to an onion - just not as strong.

You saute the leeks in the bacon grease. Which, by the way, means that there is bacon on this pizza. You probably thought it was pretty healthy until I told you that.

And then for the potatoes. The slicing of the potatoes resulted in the greatest discovery in my kitchen of 2010. My food processor slices potatoes perfectly. And boy howdy, is it fun to do.



Basically, you roll out the crust. Lay the sliced potatoes in a single layer. Put on the leeks. Cover in thin slices of FRESH mozzarella. And then sprinkle the bacon on top of that. Then bake.

It is piled high. It it very filling. It is delightful. And even better the next day.

The healthy version: Remove every thing but the leeks. And make sure they are raw.

As you can see, healthy does not always equal fun to eat.

If you haven't bought Pioneer Woman's cookbook yet.. what are you waiting for? It will enrich your life. And your waistline.

Speaking of which... I've got a couple of crunches to do. Or maybe I will go to bed.

I better check my schedule.