Monday, December 13, 2010
What to do, What to do...
Lately I've been thinking, I wanna open my own restaurant, once I'm older of course. I mean what would all this cooking pay of for if I DIDN'T have a restaurant? Then I thought "Oh! I need a name and type of food I'm going to serve" Well, I thought of that and I decided to sell sandwiches. Me and my mom make a butt kikin' big sandwich. So mom and me agreed on naming our restaurant "Whole Lotta BS" I thought it was hilarious and so did my mom aparently. so we had our future planed.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Easter Creations ;D
OMG!!!!!!!!!!
I can't believe it's only 2 weeks till EASTER!!!!!!!like just today I made a Rice Crispy looking egg with a melted marshmallow type of frosting!!!It was SO good!!And before that we made puppy chow! Witch is just peanut butter melted chocolate and melted butter with powdered sugar on top all mixed around in a bowl and it is the best thing you will EVER eat in your whole life!!
Oh and the reason we haven't done anything with our blog is
because we have not cooked ANYTHING for about the last month!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know why either I guess we have just been busy cooking.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Too Much, Too Little, Too Late
Obviously, this isn't as simple as I thought I would be. Cook a few things, write a few words, no big deal. Right.
Time has a funny way of running away. There never seems to be enough of it to go around, and it doesn't come back. We missed a few scheduled dates for cooking, and then had so many to catch up on it became a feast! Egg Salad Sandwiches just didn't happen. Chef Connor didn't think they sounded very good so they were vetoed. This was fine with everyone else. Not many seem to like them. I don't mind them, but seem to only have a taste for them once a year.... Easter. This grew out of a need to diminish the supply of hard-boiled eggs in the house. I didn't want them to go to waste, and no one was eating them otherwise.
Enough said. Pass on that recipe. His choice.
However, the next 3 were excitedly looked forward to. Quesadillas, Fresh Salsa, and the Oodles of Noodles Soup. Of course, I hadn't planned we would be having all of them in one meal. Silly me.
Quesadilla's are pretty simple. Some cheese, a tortilla and a pan. Very tasty, and certainly a quick meal to make.
Salsa proved to be a bit more effort on Connor's part. Lots of chopping. Not an easy task when you're still working on knife skills. He stuck with it, though, and managed to get through it all. The taste and smell was amazing. I may never go back to jar salsa again! (Of course, I haven't cleared that with him, yet.)
The soup was very good, and another simple recipe. Funny enough, this was the one he was most excited about. The recipe was Asian inspired which is his favorite type of food. Not to mention it was full of noodles... his other favorite food.
All three foods were pulled together in to one meal and I was the ONLY person home to eat it!!!
There were leftovers, of course for everyone to have a taste when they got home.
I ate those, too.
Time has a funny way of running away. There never seems to be enough of it to go around, and it doesn't come back. We missed a few scheduled dates for cooking, and then had so many to catch up on it became a feast! Egg Salad Sandwiches just didn't happen. Chef Connor didn't think they sounded very good so they were vetoed. This was fine with everyone else. Not many seem to like them. I don't mind them, but seem to only have a taste for them once a year.... Easter. This grew out of a need to diminish the supply of hard-boiled eggs in the house. I didn't want them to go to waste, and no one was eating them otherwise.
Enough said. Pass on that recipe. His choice.
However, the next 3 were excitedly looked forward to. Quesadillas, Fresh Salsa, and the Oodles of Noodles Soup. Of course, I hadn't planned we would be having all of them in one meal. Silly me.
Quesadilla's are pretty simple. Some cheese, a tortilla and a pan. Very tasty, and certainly a quick meal to make.
Salsa proved to be a bit more effort on Connor's part. Lots of chopping. Not an easy task when you're still working on knife skills. He stuck with it, though, and managed to get through it all. The taste and smell was amazing. I may never go back to jar salsa again! (Of course, I haven't cleared that with him, yet.)
The soup was very good, and another simple recipe. Funny enough, this was the one he was most excited about. The recipe was Asian inspired which is his favorite type of food. Not to mention it was full of noodles... his other favorite food.
All three foods were pulled together in to one meal and I was the ONLY person home to eat it!!!
There were leftovers, of course for everyone to have a taste when they got home.
I ate those, too.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
What Has Happened So Far
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You will never believe what has happened so Far!
You will never believe what has happened so Far!
- Mixing Batter was a total MESS!!!
- Cooking it was awsume
- EVERYTHING!!!
What I liked about it is the experiance of it.What I diden't like about it is
the fact that i got all dirty and stuff like that,
the fact that i got all dirty and stuff like that,
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A Blend Of All Things Good
Nothing is more fun than learning to use a new gadget. Tonight was a night for just that. Since we didn't manage to make the fruit smoothies yesterday as planned, we decided to make them in addition to the planned tomato soup for dinner. It just so happened that both recipes called for the use of the blender. This required a bit of effort on my part since this is probably the least used appliance in my kitchen. I just don't do blending very often, I guess.
We decided on strawberries, raspberries and blackberries for our fruit and Connor went straight to work on cutting the tops of the strawberries and eating the raspberries as he prepped. The best part of cooking is the tasting along the way, I think. Connor seems to have picked up on that as well. The recipe was a simple smoothie with yogurt, fresh fruit and a touch of sugar. Ice was optional. They were very good and such a pretty color on a dull gray day like today. They even smelled like summer! Maybe if we keep making them, it will hurry the warmth along....
Next came the tomato soup. Again we needed to use the blender to blend the tomatoes into a nice smooth texture. He also decided we needed to add some of his favorite herb, basil, to the pot just to "kick it up" a bit. The kitchen smelled amazing as it simmered on the stove. Of course, we had to have the obvious companion to accompany our soup... grilled cheese sandwiches. We had a wonderful loaf of sourdough bread from the bakery ready for grilling.
As the soup simmered, Chef clarified for me just what my place was in his kitchen. "Bus Girl," he says, "make the sandwiches!" Excuse me? Bus Girl?? I'm not even a Sous Chef to him?? Bus Girl. Thats like a level above whale snot, isn't it? I checked over my shoulder to see if someone else had entered the kitchen to start making sandwiches. It was only me. I look back at him and see a smirk on his face and he starts to giggle. What a turd. He knew what he was saying and what I was thinking.
Being in the kitchen with a 9-year-old brings an entirely different atmosphere to a home. At least it does in my home. Connor is very secure in his role as Chef and although he takes his cooking seriously, he never lets the fun disappear from the room. The music is on, we are singing along and stopping to dance and hip-bump each other. He cracks jokes, giggles even when they aren't funny, all the while checking the recipe for the next step and tracking on the progress of things cooking. He even finds it easy to laugh at himself when he makes a mistake or forgets an ingredient. He fixes it and moves along, still singing and enjoying himself. There are signs of his attention to the chefs he learns from on TV when you observe him absorbed in his tasks. A pinch of sea salt is added with flair and dropped from a distance, with a flick of the wrist. All thats missing is the "Bam!" Smelling whats cooking requires using your hands to bring the aromas to your face as they rise from the pan. Eyes closed and all. Its amusing to watch, but I see in him an honest understanding of what he is attempting. For his part, it's not for show. It is just the way it's done. Nothing odd or flashy about it. Its just what a good chef should do. He is a budding "good chef".
By the way, the soup was wonderful. The perfect side to some excellent grilled cheese sandwiches.
What? I'm just saying......
We decided on strawberries, raspberries and blackberries for our fruit and Connor went straight to work on cutting the tops of the strawberries and eating the raspberries as he prepped. The best part of cooking is the tasting along the way, I think. Connor seems to have picked up on that as well. The recipe was a simple smoothie with yogurt, fresh fruit and a touch of sugar. Ice was optional. They were very good and such a pretty color on a dull gray day like today. They even smelled like summer! Maybe if we keep making them, it will hurry the warmth along....
Next came the tomato soup. Again we needed to use the blender to blend the tomatoes into a nice smooth texture. He also decided we needed to add some of his favorite herb, basil, to the pot just to "kick it up" a bit. The kitchen smelled amazing as it simmered on the stove. Of course, we had to have the obvious companion to accompany our soup... grilled cheese sandwiches. We had a wonderful loaf of sourdough bread from the bakery ready for grilling.
As the soup simmered, Chef clarified for me just what my place was in his kitchen. "Bus Girl," he says, "make the sandwiches!" Excuse me? Bus Girl?? I'm not even a Sous Chef to him?? Bus Girl. Thats like a level above whale snot, isn't it? I checked over my shoulder to see if someone else had entered the kitchen to start making sandwiches. It was only me. I look back at him and see a smirk on his face and he starts to giggle. What a turd. He knew what he was saying and what I was thinking.
Being in the kitchen with a 9-year-old brings an entirely different atmosphere to a home. At least it does in my home. Connor is very secure in his role as Chef and although he takes his cooking seriously, he never lets the fun disappear from the room. The music is on, we are singing along and stopping to dance and hip-bump each other. He cracks jokes, giggles even when they aren't funny, all the while checking the recipe for the next step and tracking on the progress of things cooking. He even finds it easy to laugh at himself when he makes a mistake or forgets an ingredient. He fixes it and moves along, still singing and enjoying himself. There are signs of his attention to the chefs he learns from on TV when you observe him absorbed in his tasks. A pinch of sea salt is added with flair and dropped from a distance, with a flick of the wrist. All thats missing is the "Bam!" Smelling whats cooking requires using your hands to bring the aromas to your face as they rise from the pan. Eyes closed and all. Its amusing to watch, but I see in him an honest understanding of what he is attempting. For his part, it's not for show. It is just the way it's done. Nothing odd or flashy about it. Its just what a good chef should do. He is a budding "good chef".
By the way, the soup was wonderful. The perfect side to some excellent grilled cheese sandwiches.
What? I'm just saying......
Monday, January 11, 2010
Muffins and omelets.... breakfast and a blog
The weekend was a busy one in the kitchen. Saturday morning, Blueberry Muffins were the recipe of the day and without hesitation, Connor went straight to work pulling ingredients from fridge and cupboard, and equipment from all places. There comes a point when I have to wonder, what does he need from me? He is so at ease moving about the kitchen, reading the recipes and cruising through the steps without question or concern.
I see now, that its in the little things. HOW do you turn on and preheat an oven to 350? This is the way to turn on the stove so that the pilot lights and you dont blow up the house. Yes, I can reach inside the oven and pull out the muffin pan. Yes, cream cheese is difficult to blend with fresh herbs if its not room temperature. I become a technical consultant to many minor tasks when cooking with my son. Or.... I become the grunt that gets the "boring" or dirty tasks that get left behind.
Chef barks out orders and I hop-to-it. Get a fork, wash a bowl, pick out the egg shell. Whatever it is, its my part and I do it willingly. I dont want to disappoint The Chef.
For their parts, the muffins were great. I must say, I am not a fan of muffins. This comes from 13 years of daycare in my home. Muffins were the breakfast enemy with their crumbly mess and bites of paper in the mouth, not to mention that the tops are the only part eaten and the rest was dog treat or trash. Messy.... Icky. This was not my experience with Connors muffins. They were quite moist and flavorful, bursting with fresh blueberries. Sweet and delicious with the added surprise of a small amout of sugar sprinkled on the tops so it added a fun cruchy top. He has renewed my love of warm muffins.
Sunday's Cheese and Herb Omelet was a fun excursion into the perfect flip. This seems to be the fear of many when making omelets. How to get the egg cooked enough yet remain moist. Then comes the signature flip to create that beautiful half-moon shape. I don't know about you, but I hold my breath every time, afraid I'm going to tear it or turn it into scrambled mess. This is a skill that cant be taught. It can only be learned through practice. DONE. First time, second and third... each one done like a pro and looked even better than the picture in the cookbook. He amazes me. I have to believe its the lack of fear of making a mistake that allows Connor to approach it like he would putting on his shoes. Its something you just DO. No biggie.
Fresh basil and cream cheese were a wonderfully delicious, aromatic and light flavor to start the morning and I was in heaven as we ate as a family a wonderful Sunday breakfast. One thing I can certainly say is happening with this process.... it definitely is bringing us all together. Funny how food does that!
I see now, that its in the little things. HOW do you turn on and preheat an oven to 350? This is the way to turn on the stove so that the pilot lights and you dont blow up the house. Yes, I can reach inside the oven and pull out the muffin pan. Yes, cream cheese is difficult to blend with fresh herbs if its not room temperature. I become a technical consultant to many minor tasks when cooking with my son. Or.... I become the grunt that gets the "boring" or dirty tasks that get left behind.
Chef barks out orders and I hop-to-it. Get a fork, wash a bowl, pick out the egg shell. Whatever it is, its my part and I do it willingly. I dont want to disappoint The Chef.
For their parts, the muffins were great. I must say, I am not a fan of muffins. This comes from 13 years of daycare in my home. Muffins were the breakfast enemy with their crumbly mess and bites of paper in the mouth, not to mention that the tops are the only part eaten and the rest was dog treat or trash. Messy.... Icky. This was not my experience with Connors muffins. They were quite moist and flavorful, bursting with fresh blueberries. Sweet and delicious with the added surprise of a small amout of sugar sprinkled on the tops so it added a fun cruchy top. He has renewed my love of warm muffins.
Sunday's Cheese and Herb Omelet was a fun excursion into the perfect flip. This seems to be the fear of many when making omelets. How to get the egg cooked enough yet remain moist. Then comes the signature flip to create that beautiful half-moon shape. I don't know about you, but I hold my breath every time, afraid I'm going to tear it or turn it into scrambled mess. This is a skill that cant be taught. It can only be learned through practice. DONE. First time, second and third... each one done like a pro and looked even better than the picture in the cookbook. He amazes me. I have to believe its the lack of fear of making a mistake that allows Connor to approach it like he would putting on his shoes. Its something you just DO. No biggie.
Fresh basil and cream cheese were a wonderfully delicious, aromatic and light flavor to start the morning and I was in heaven as we ate as a family a wonderful Sunday breakfast. One thing I can certainly say is happening with this process.... it definitely is bringing us all together. Funny how food does that!
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