Who's Been Here
Semi Monthly Dishcloth KAL
Other Stuff
Goal One
In some ways I am an All-Or-Nothing kind of person. "you fer me er agin me" ...you know that kind of thing.
Going from cycling every day to basically never should have changed my eating habits but it didn't. Going from mostly active to licking my MS wounds made it worse. I am not a stress eater, ... << MORE >>
Cheater's Esther Bolick Orange Marmalade Cake
Tomorrow we are invited to a Persian Dinner and I can't think of any better dessert to take than an orange flavored cake. This is my version of the cake with all of the best (in my opinion) features of each version...including the cheater's step of ... << MORE >>
Comfort Soup Weather
If you know me very well you know those words seldom cross my lips...but it is cold...so it will be soup night.
I am going to supplement the one butternut squash that is baking right now with 2 packs of frozen squash. Throw in a Green Bean Casserole and it is comfort food night all the way!
My favorite garnish on this is pistachio and crème fraiche. Cheat and use all frozen ... << MORE >>
Nasty Little Sandwiches (aka Ham Delights)
About 20 years ago (boy am I old!) I was standing behind my neice MJP (aka George) in the ubiquitous family buffet line and heard her tell her friend Zinny "Don't get any of those nasty little sandwiches".
I just stood there, grinned and told her thanks...knowing others loved them and it meant more for me! Needless to say now George loves them too (or at least she says she does).
... << MORE >>
My New Friend
If you would like a friend in Africa too check out H3O.org
!
Josephine is the economic pillar of her family and has a big heart. She is 45 years old, married to Kutai and they have six children who still live in the family
homestead. Josephine and Katau also take care of three children orphaned through HIV/AIDS.
Josephine has ...
Homemade Yogurt
Not many things are better for you than real homemade yogurt. In my humble opinion it goes further in keeping the doctor away the the ubiquitous apple. It regulates digestion, provides calcium and vitamin D for all of us including the lactose intolerant, regulates high blood pressure...
I could go on but I will leave it to the experts at WebMD.
Here is the recipe courtesy of my mother-in-law, Kenar; a good friend, Ziba; and considerable trial and error. I have added the usual link to the pdf file.
Homemade Yogurt
Origin: Kenar B, Ziba K, Me
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 12 hours Servings: 6
Shopping List Orig. Size Prep Directions:
Whole or 2% Milk 1 quart(s)
Plain Yogurt (starter) 2 tbls Must be fresh!
Directions:
1 Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to bubble around the edge of the saucepan and the milk is steaming a bit.
2 Pour the warm milk into a large bowl to cool until you can keep your pinky finger in the milk for 20 seconds (110 to 115 degrees on a candy thermometer)
3 Add the plain yogurt to a small bowl and stir in some of the milk. Stir until it is well blended.
4 Mix the starter very well into the large bowl full of warm milk.
5 Cover with a heavy towel and keep in a warm place 6 to 8 hours or overnight. (I put mine in the attic in the summer or preheat the oven to 200 without the yogurt in the oven then turn the oven off. Place the yogurt in the oven overnight).
6 In the morning cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.
7 I like my yogurt really thick so I place a doubled twice (thickness of 4 layers) cheesecloth in a colander with feet. I pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth, put several paper towels on top and place a plate on top of this. I put the whole conglomeration in a large bowl and allow it to drain all day. The liquid that drains is mostly lactose...this is why folks that are lactose intolerant can enjoy yogurt.
Asian Slaw
This is so simple and convenient. The browning of the nuts and noodles could be done days in advance. You can serve immediately but it is better if it sits in the fridge a while. I’ve let it sit overnight many times and actually like it ...<< MORE >>
A New Southerner
This post is for John of Intercrew Systems. We met John and the Intercrew crew at our first trade show in 2006(?). They were our booth neighbors in Minneapolis and we have made a point of checking in with each other each year. This year John gave us the address for a fabulous Korean restaurant, Shik Do Rak near the show. Due to time constraints I didn't get to go with J but the hubby and I checked it out later that weekend.
John mentioned that he really likes grits...then he mentioned instant. Ohhhh No....these words do NOT belong in the same sentence unless there is a NO or NEVER involved. John also has a new baby girl...so I had to make sure this little one is not corrupted by these fake grits.
I mean look at that face! We cannot risk her ruination!
I like real grits...the kind stone ground at a mill, preferably from popcorn but regular works too. I get them from the Trade Mill in Tennessee. The former family mill no longer grinds grits so I feel no guilt.
Regular grits will work too just NOT the instant. These will be smoother and creamier than stone ground grits but they lack that nutty flavor and texture...and they are missing the nutrients of the whole grain.
This is enough to for a hearty portion for four. I usually transfer to the crock pot after the 'main cooking' is done and let then simmer all day in the cooler weather. We eat as we want some.
And without further ado...the proper way to make grits...
GRITS...the right way
Prep Time: 10 minutes Until ready to Serve: 40 minutes Serves: 4 HUNGRY people
If you plan to use a Crockpot at the end I suggest plugging it in now on high to melt the butter and preheat the crock.
Ingredients:
1 cup grits (NEVER Instant)
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups water
½ cup butter (1 stick)
¼ cup half n half
Salt and pepper to your taste
Various fixin’s as desired: Cheese, bacon, country ham, peppers, shrimp, etc
Directions:
Bring the water and salt to a full boil. Gradually add the grits, stirring constantly. Stir for about 5 minutes for the Quick Cook Grits (NOT INSTANT) or 7 minutes for the stone ground (or for other country cooks… until it seems there is no extra standing water).
Add the half n half and butter (unless the butter is in the crockpot). Stir well.
At this point turn the heat to a simmer or transfer to a preheated Crockpot. Turn the Crockpot down to low. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Crock Pot Notes:
The neat thing about doing it in the crock pot is if you eat some for breakfast and leave the rest until lunch it makes a tadik crust. We say this is Persian meets Southern Cuisine…perfect for us.
This will work well in the 3 Qt (Medium size) Crockpot and you can increase the recipe by 50% (1/1/2 cups grits) and this size will still work. If you want to use the smaller Crockpot that is built for two, cut the recipe in half.
Audiobooks
NetLibrary is one freebie source. Overdrive is the other.
These are both available through the Public Library of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County. All you need is a library card and your PIN (most likely the last four digits of your phone number).
For my friends and family back home Catawba County is a member of North Carolina Digital Library which also uses Overdrive. Same requirements; you need a library card and PIN...I have no idea what your PIN will be though, you will need to check with the library.
Audible is the not free source and I use that for books that I can't find at all or can't find in the unabridged format from the freebie sources.
Whatever I currently have loaded on my MP3 player is listed in the sidebar. Rules for me are no listening unless I am walking or cleaning house or gardening or stuck on an airplane (not so often nowadays).
On a personal vent kind of note (so you may want to stop reading now): Tomorrow may be my last blood test. If I fail it I am out of the Onward Study. This sucks! The Cladribine is doing exactly what it is supposed to...suppressing my lymphocyte count but it's doing it a little too well.
The 'non-toxic' lower limit is 1. They will allow me to continue in the trial if I am a 0.8 by tomorrow. I guess that 'non-toxic' limit isn't too hard and fast huh? As of two weeks ago I was still just a 0.5. Last round I came up 0.1 each week for a total gain in between tests of 0.2. This round seems the same since test before last I was 0.3.
My neighbor, M (a neurological nurse...rather handy to have around, don't you think) found information about what causes HIGH lymphocyte count so I did what I could to send things into overdrive. If I get kicked out then it was what God knew was best.
But I have to wait 2-3 days to know the results!! ...dad-gum-it I am not at all good at giving up control to Him!
