I miss when we posted on this.
I demand posts!
I know you all cook.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The North Kitchen, Or Cutting Pie with Your Trowel
In the far away county of Orange, Virginia is the estate of the father of our Constitution. And to the South of his great mansion of Montpelier, work a rag tag team of eternally dirt covered archaeologists, slaving away in the heat and humidity, chipping away at the Piedmont Clay (Munsell color Reddish Brown, 5YR 4/6, most likely) to find evidence of former residents. They eat with dirty hands, disregarding health standards in favor of convenience.
To the north of the Mansion lies the North Kitchen, and every Thursday and Friday, one of the archaeologists sweet talks the staff at the demonstration kitchen into saving some of their delicious Madison-era style culinary treats, and bringing them to the hungry archaeologists in the field.
They bring us vegetable pie, we cut it with our trowels to share, and then put it in our dust pans to bring it around the site to the other hungry archaeologists. They also bring us strawberry tartlets, sweet breads, and so many delicious treats. God bless the North Kitchen demonstration staff. I love them with all my heart and soul, even when they give me funny looks for cutting the veggie pot pie with my trowel.
You all may scoff at my new habits, but there is nothing better than fresh bread after a day of shoveling fill from a previously excavated unit. You may never understand the joys of eating with your trowel, or out of a dust pan, or even with clay stained hands, but trust me, it is glorious. And if Mike Rowe has never done Dirty Jobs: Archaeology edition, he needs to get on that shit ASAP.
Love and miss you all!
To the north of the Mansion lies the North Kitchen, and every Thursday and Friday, one of the archaeologists sweet talks the staff at the demonstration kitchen into saving some of their delicious Madison-era style culinary treats, and bringing them to the hungry archaeologists in the field.
They bring us vegetable pie, we cut it with our trowels to share, and then put it in our dust pans to bring it around the site to the other hungry archaeologists. They also bring us strawberry tartlets, sweet breads, and so many delicious treats. God bless the North Kitchen demonstration staff. I love them with all my heart and soul, even when they give me funny looks for cutting the veggie pot pie with my trowel.
You all may scoff at my new habits, but there is nothing better than fresh bread after a day of shoveling fill from a previously excavated unit. You may never understand the joys of eating with your trowel, or out of a dust pan, or even with clay stained hands, but trust me, it is glorious. And if Mike Rowe has never done Dirty Jobs: Archaeology edition, he needs to get on that shit ASAP.
Love and miss you all!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Cupcake Gourmet
Disclaimer: this post is to appease Heather.
Once upon a time I wrote on this blog. Go figure.
I bought a book called Hello, Cupcake, and because I'm a crazy person, I became obsessed. Therefore, I HAD to make cupcakes for something. The choices were between my boss's birthday and Amy's graduation party, and seeing as my boss wasn't going to be here on her birthday, Amy happily won. And because I'm crazy, I couldn't just make regular cupcakes.
These were all of the cupcakes (and yes, some people had snuck a couple by the time I took this!)
This is a homemade chocolate cupcake with salted caramel frosting and a hard caramel candy swirl on top. The caramel took a little doctoring, but that just makes me feel like it's my own. And the candy took two tries, but it was yummy!
This is a strawberry cupcake with a vanilla buttercream frosting and a GRADUATION CAP on top! It's just a Reese's miniature upside-down, an After-Eight mint, and a Twizzler pull-n-peel. Everyone super loved them, including Jay's adorable son Aiden, who tried to shove some in my mouth.
Amy was the cupcake server, and as you can see, they went super fast! I ate a strawberry one, but I think the chocolate ones were popular too.
So when my friend Amanda had a grad party, I made some for her too! These are brownies with caramel frosting and the graduation caps with "SBU" on top (Stony Brook University!). Caramel + chocolate = Delicious!
Get ready for me to make you some DELICIOUS cupcake creations when I get back! Miss you all, and happy to bring you your sweet tooth confection of the day!
-Courtney
Once upon a time I wrote on this blog. Go figure.
I bought a book called Hello, Cupcake, and because I'm a crazy person, I became obsessed. Therefore, I HAD to make cupcakes for something. The choices were between my boss's birthday and Amy's graduation party, and seeing as my boss wasn't going to be here on her birthday, Amy happily won. And because I'm crazy, I couldn't just make regular cupcakes.
Get ready for me to make you some DELICIOUS cupcake creations when I get back! Miss you all, and happy to bring you your sweet tooth confection of the day!
-Courtney
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Lobster Fun!
Hey Everyone!
Sorry for not posting in forever, but I've been lazy/busy. This past weekend I was in Boston visiting Mike. He has been on this quest to make me do New Englandey things like going to Fenway, picking cranberries, speaking in an obnoxious accent, etc.
Last night we were trying to decide what to do for dinner and he insisted that we boil our own lobsters. I was thrilled, because I've only had the opportunity to eat lobster once before, and he was paying for it!
Sorry for not posting in forever, but I've been lazy/busy. This past weekend I was in Boston visiting Mike. He has been on this quest to make me do New Englandey things like going to Fenway, picking cranberries, speaking in an obnoxious accent, etc.
Last night we were trying to decide what to do for dinner and he insisted that we boil our own lobsters. I was thrilled, because I've only had the opportunity to eat lobster once before, and he was paying for it!
In case you were wondering, the lobster with the white rubber bands is Bob and the one with red bands is Horjay :-)
Making the lobster was really easy; all we did was bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil (large enough so that each lobster could be completely submerged)and cook the lobsters for about 12 minutes! We dipped ours in melted garlic butter but the lobster was so sweet it really didn't need a dressing.
The lobster dinner was a huge success and really fun to make together; absolutely a splurge and absolutely worth it!
Much Love,
Di
PS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA!! WOOHOO Miss you, can't wait to see you and celebrate...live it up :-)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Chili Suggestion
I don't make homemade chili. I mean, I make chili at home, but all the spices come in a packet and I just follow the directions on the back. So this isn't a recipe, it's just a deviation from the packet instructions.
Instead of using kidney beans, use Original Flavor Bush's Baked Beans. Drain the excess liquid before adding the baked beans, but not all of it. This switch makes the chili a little sweeter than normal. It's not much, but it's a nice change from the normal flavor. The boys who ate it seemed to like it.
Also, someone else needs to get on top of this blog. Seriously.
Instead of using kidney beans, use Original Flavor Bush's Baked Beans. Drain the excess liquid before adding the baked beans, but not all of it. This switch makes the chili a little sweeter than normal. It's not much, but it's a nice change from the normal flavor. The boys who ate it seemed to like it.
Also, someone else needs to get on top of this blog. Seriously.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Stuffed Peppers
Okay, so I'm sorry that I haven't been a very good poster, but I don't make very interesting dishes, and when I do they rarely involve measurments. For example, I made chicken the other day and the only way I could describe it would be to use a shit ton of chili powder and then add ground mustard, salt, and pepper to your liking. Anyways, I made stuffed peppers last night, and have a decent idea of the amounts you will need to here it goes. Heads up it's a very simple recipe but trust me they're good.
Here's what you will need:
4 Large Green Bell Peppers (the bigger the better, and if you can't find big ones get 5 average sized ones)
1 lb ground beef
12 oz Tomato sauce
1 cup white rice
1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup
A lot of shredded cheddar cheese
First things first, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Then, start cooking the rice because it always seems to take forever. I know you can all manage cooking rice without my instruction so I'll spare you the steps.
Next, brown the ground beef. Once it's all cooked, you're going to want to drain the excess fat. Seriously, don't leave it, it will mess up the consistency.
While you're waiting for your rice and meat to cook, you can clean the peppers. You want to cut of the top of the pepper and remove all the seeds and whatnot from the inside. Try not to cut too much of the top, because you're going to need a lot of room for the stuffing part. My family doesn't eat the pepper part, but if you want to, you're going to need to steam the peppers prior to stuffing them. I believe you can steam them in the microwave.
Heat up the tomato sauce and then mix the tomato sauce, the ground beef, the rice, and the lipton onion soup mix all together. They don't need to be heated while mixing, since they're all already hot and you're also going to bake them. For the rest of this post, this mixture will be referred to as the stuffing.
Once all this is prepared you're going to start the layering process. Put a layer of cheese on the bottom of every pepper. The amount of cheese you use is really at your own discretion. Next, fill the pepper halfway with the stuffing. Make sure you pack the stuffing in, so you can get the most for your space. Next, another layer of cheese. I love cheese. Then fill the rest of your pepper with stuffing. Once you've filled the pepper, add a generous layer of cheese on top.
Finally, bake the peppers in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is not only melted but the cheese is starting to brown slightly. Remove, and enjoy!!
If you have left over mix, you can either freeze it, or you can always bake it in an oven safe bowl, but it won't have the pepper flavor then. I didn't have leftover mix because whatever didn't fit in the pepper was eaten by an impatient and hungry boy.
Alright, there is my post. Also, I miss and love you all :)
Here's what you will need:
4 Large Green Bell Peppers (the bigger the better, and if you can't find big ones get 5 average sized ones)
1 lb ground beef
12 oz Tomato sauce
1 cup white rice
1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup
A lot of shredded cheddar cheese
First things first, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Then, start cooking the rice because it always seems to take forever. I know you can all manage cooking rice without my instruction so I'll spare you the steps.
Next, brown the ground beef. Once it's all cooked, you're going to want to drain the excess fat. Seriously, don't leave it, it will mess up the consistency.
While you're waiting for your rice and meat to cook, you can clean the peppers. You want to cut of the top of the pepper and remove all the seeds and whatnot from the inside. Try not to cut too much of the top, because you're going to need a lot of room for the stuffing part. My family doesn't eat the pepper part, but if you want to, you're going to need to steam the peppers prior to stuffing them. I believe you can steam them in the microwave.
Heat up the tomato sauce and then mix the tomato sauce, the ground beef, the rice, and the lipton onion soup mix all together. They don't need to be heated while mixing, since they're all already hot and you're also going to bake them. For the rest of this post, this mixture will be referred to as the stuffing.
Once all this is prepared you're going to start the layering process. Put a layer of cheese on the bottom of every pepper. The amount of cheese you use is really at your own discretion. Next, fill the pepper halfway with the stuffing. Make sure you pack the stuffing in, so you can get the most for your space. Next, another layer of cheese. I love cheese. Then fill the rest of your pepper with stuffing. Once you've filled the pepper, add a generous layer of cheese on top.
Finally, bake the peppers in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is not only melted but the cheese is starting to brown slightly. Remove, and enjoy!!
If you have left over mix, you can either freeze it, or you can always bake it in an oven safe bowl, but it won't have the pepper flavor then. I didn't have leftover mix because whatever didn't fit in the pepper was eaten by an impatient and hungry boy.
Alright, there is my post. Also, I miss and love you all :)
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Duty Sucks
Hi girls,
Sorry I have been M.I.A. I would leave a recipe I made recently, but I have been on duty all weekend (ICK!) and therefore my meals have consisted of PB&Js and Macaroni & Cheese.
Yes, I am in the fourth grade.
And honestly, trying to remember what I ate last week is more difficult than it should be. Taylor was in charge of dinner one night and made penne with vodka sauce and chicken. It was very good. He and Chris are all about their George Foreman and will use any excuse to whip it out. The George Foreman. Get your heads out of the gutter :-)
Their apartment is almost complete. They both have beds. They have cable. Chris is bringing a book case. So they just need rugs and a couch, and then it will begin to look like a home. But not really until everyone is here. Then it will be a home.
Oh okay, here's one. I made some roasted vegetables the other night to serve as a side. They turned out a lot better than I thought they would. On my way home from Sesame Workshop (sidebar Andrea - it's going really well so far. Thanks again for helping me get it. They all loved you! I'm the girl that knows Andrea Cody. You're a celebrity! It's pretty funny), I stopped at a fruit/vegetable street cart and bought some asparagus. I thought I would steam it, but then realized that the boys don't have the right equipment for that. So, I improvised.
- 1 bunch of Asparagus
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper (You can use whatever color peppers you want. I'm all about pepper equality.)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. basil
- 2 tsp. garlic powder (you can use fresh garlic too, but I was too lazy to chop it)
- 1 tsp. rosemary (or fresh rosemary, if you have it)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Chop up the vegetables (each asparagus stem made about three pieces). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place vegetables on top. Pour melted butter evenly over vegetables. Sprinkle seasonings over vegetables and place on top oven rack for 15-20 minutes.
Anyway, I miss you all. Heather, hope Vegas is fun. Diana, hope your trip to the BX was fun. Andrea, hope your enjoying the hot and steamy weather in Oklahoma. Courtney, have fun in Europe!
Cheers,
Jen
Sorry I have been M.I.A. I would leave a recipe I made recently, but I have been on duty all weekend (ICK!) and therefore my meals have consisted of PB&Js and Macaroni & Cheese.
Yes, I am in the fourth grade.
And honestly, trying to remember what I ate last week is more difficult than it should be. Taylor was in charge of dinner one night and made penne with vodka sauce and chicken. It was very good. He and Chris are all about their George Foreman and will use any excuse to whip it out. The George Foreman. Get your heads out of the gutter :-)
Their apartment is almost complete. They both have beds. They have cable. Chris is bringing a book case. So they just need rugs and a couch, and then it will begin to look like a home. But not really until everyone is here. Then it will be a home.
Oh okay, here's one. I made some roasted vegetables the other night to serve as a side. They turned out a lot better than I thought they would. On my way home from Sesame Workshop (sidebar Andrea - it's going really well so far. Thanks again for helping me get it. They all loved you! I'm the girl that knows Andrea Cody. You're a celebrity! It's pretty funny), I stopped at a fruit/vegetable street cart and bought some asparagus. I thought I would steam it, but then realized that the boys don't have the right equipment for that. So, I improvised.
- 1 bunch of Asparagus
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper (You can use whatever color peppers you want. I'm all about pepper equality.)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. basil
- 2 tsp. garlic powder (you can use fresh garlic too, but I was too lazy to chop it)
- 1 tsp. rosemary (or fresh rosemary, if you have it)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Chop up the vegetables (each asparagus stem made about three pieces). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place vegetables on top. Pour melted butter evenly over vegetables. Sprinkle seasonings over vegetables and place on top oven rack for 15-20 minutes.
Anyway, I miss you all. Heather, hope Vegas is fun. Diana, hope your trip to the BX was fun. Andrea, hope your enjoying the hot and steamy weather in Oklahoma. Courtney, have fun in Europe!
Cheers,
Jen
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