Too many thoughts to cram on Facebook, or I was frustrated but felt much better after writing

Ok, so I haven't written on my blog in 18 months.  Honestly, I have not had the time with school and the kids.  Or, really the inclination to write about a difficult year and a half.  I'm still not ready to write about that, so instead I want to write about the things I see going on around me that are driving me nuts.

1) Richard Trumpka is one of my all-time least favorite people in the world.  Maybe next to the former head of the UN, Kofi Annan.  I prefer the new the new head of communist China to these two. Anyways, when it was the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Trumpka released a statement about how 9/11 was a memorial for Labor.  Um.  No.  It's not.  So when a long-time friend posted on fb a political cartoon that commented on all the bad things that happened because of 9/11 (think Abu Ghraib), I commented that maybe they should put a picture of Trumpka holding a picket sign with a closed fist on it since he had inserted Labor into the 9/11 narrative.  Maybe that makes no sense.  Especially if you hadn't read what Trumpka said about turning 9/11 into a story about Labor.  But my friend's response, to the effect of- Be quiet, Sarah, and let the adults have a conversation- was just the beginning (and also end) of some incredibly hurtful and  patronizing remarks that ended a long friendship.  As I was the first girl he ever asked out.  As in we took piano lessons together in 5th grade. I cried for days after this because, without being friends of fb, it is honestly as if this friend has died.  All because of stupid Trumpka.  (Oh, and my friend was apparently having "a Monday" so he couldn't be blamed for making that comment to me.  Incidentally, I kept waiting for Neil's righteous indignation that someone was being mean to me.  Maybe Neil was glad to be rid of my friend because that indignation never came.)

So, fast forward to Trumpka deciding that Mitt Romney and crony capitalism are to blame for the mass extinction of Twinkies.  Hey, four years later, we are still blaming Bush 43 for the economy, so we can blame Romney for pension and health care costs.  Unfortunately, Trumpka failed to mention that when the greedy capitalists at Hostess had to file for bankruptcy twice before, that it was venture capitalists who supplied the funds to keep the company running and the employees in a job.  This time there are no venture capitalists out there to save the day.

It turns out that some of the unionized employees were willing to come back to work, but not enough.  So the ones who hated those greedy capitalists failed all of their colleagues because they wanted more money.  They are the reason the company is closing its doors 50-something days before Christmas.  But Mitt Romney is the greedy and mean one?  The one who doesn't care about poor people?  These people were striking because the company stopped contributing to the pensions.  That stinks, but in this economy, really?   In my opinion, these families can blame Richard Trumpka.  They can blame Obama because he is pro-union and his wife is anti-Twinkie.  And hopefully the next time some union boss tries to get their employees to strike because the greedy man is making money off the backs of Labor, those employees will think twice about being greedy in this economy and will stay at work so they can feed their families.

That is the first thing that bothers me.

2)  The second thing that bothers me is the reaction to Romney's comment about how Obama gave gifts to a section of the population and they voted for him.  GOP all over the country are jumping down Romney's throat because the comment is mean and divisive.  Too bad Romney's statement is true.  I have some educated liberal friends who voted for Obama because they want social issues and the environment addressed and because they want poor people to be given things to help them.  They believe that liberal principles are compassionate and the way to end unfairness and alleviate suffering.  Great.  I have no problem with someone who votes on principle like that.  I much prefer that to the Obamaphone lady; she represents some of the worst excesses in our country and, honestly, she makes me ill.  No one can defend her comments.  

The poor, the youth, and women voted for Obama, and apparently reflect a shift in our country's demographics.  That said, if these groups voted for Obama on liberal principles, one could ask, "which principles are those?"  Larger safety net?  Through bigger government?  Save the environment?  Through bigger government?  Stay financially solvent?  Through higher taxes, meaning bigger government?  Protect states' rights to legalize marijuana (and manufacture it, license it, and sell it)?  Through bigger government?  Give women free birth control and abortions?  Through bigger government?  Health Care?  Student Loans?  The list can go on, but all of these principles boil down to bigger government, or an increased role of government, and increased spending aimed at certain populations.

So, it turns out that Obama is really Obamaclaus, ending unfairness and suffering by throwing money at a problem, and thereby receiving votes either from the people who receive the gift or by those who think it will make a difference.

Samuel Adams once said, "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom — go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!"     

3)   The last thing that bothers me is no one cares that Obama wanted people to vote as the best revenge.  No one is asking, "revenge for what?  revenge against whom?"  I guarantee you it is not 'vote as revenge' against a poor black single mom.   It is revenge against the Man for every injustice ever perpetrated against anyone.  So basically Obama was saying, "Vote for me because I will stick it to the Man for you."  That's not divisive?  Warning: if you even closely resemble the Man, you are screwed.  But we should ignore those comments, as in "Move along.  There is nothing to see here," because Obama ran on hope and change and moving forward.  And kindness and compassion.   And unicorns and rainbows and lollipops.  And Obamanomics, as defined by the idea that 'you didn't build that-the government gave it to you.' Or conversely, according to Obama's logic: 'If you want something built in your life, get in line because the government will give it to you."

To add some balance: the thing outside of my family that I am truly happy about: Johnny Football.  I have said it before, but "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."  That is what I think of when I watch that kid play football.  Even this well-respected Defensive "guy"(for lack of the actual technical term) from LSU commented that while Manziel is a quarterback, he still leads the SEC in rushing yards.  I don't care how the Aggies do the rest of the season; it has been nice to just be part of something exciting in college football for once.  And, you know, the fact that more people in the state of Texas tuned in to watch the A&M v Alabama game than all of the Longhorn network for the entire season combined, that isn't so bad either.  I know, I am such a hater.  I cannot escape it.  Too bad even Mack Brown agrees with me about the Longhorn Network.  According to Brown, it is at the root of all of his problems this year.

And happiness #2: the last Twilight movie was so much better than I expected.  Somehow I hadn't planned on watching Taylor Lautner undress, albeit in a pg-13 way...Anyways, the cinematography was amazing and the opening credits were breathtakingly beautiful.  Neil kept teasing me about seeing a movie for a book I have read a few times. I responded with, "I thought they might change the ending."  I about died when I realized I wasn't far from the truth.  And, honestly, I loved the movie because it boiled down to the hope of millions of people that their families are forever, that true love is real and it endures, that children are a blessing to be cherished and should become their parents' closest friends in the end.  This wish is deeply seated in our hearts. The makers of pop culture do not realize that when they make movies like "Inception" or tv shows like "Lost" that they are echoing this most basic truth.  Even the Ritz Carlton knows this and models its entire business around how strongly people desire an "idealized version of Home."  What is heaven, if not that?

Thursday: Orange Beef

One of the things that I did not consider when I came up with this "eat-at-home" theme for April was that Neil and the kids would be on vacation this week. We have eaten out for lunch and eaten leftovers for dinner a few times this week. Last night, Neil and I went out for a few hours (love the built-in babysitter!). We had Legal Sea Food, which is my favorite restaurant in Boston. After eating salads twice on Monday, twice on Tuesday, and for lunch on Wednesday, I was ready for something delicious. Legal does Fish and Chips like no one else. They also make onion rings like Luther's used to in Houston. These are the only kind of onion rings I will eat: thinly sliced and almost falling apart. I cannot stand thick huge slabs of onion. Anyway, dinner with Neil and a much-needed walk around the outdoor shopping center afterward were wonderful. I was excited to find the next book in one of my favorite series, but also sad at the same time because it is the last book in the series. After ten books, that is the equivalent of the end of Harry Potter to me.

I was ready to cook again tonight! My kids all loved the dinner and wanted their pictures taken. On a side note, it is amazing how the quality of light is different for the same room, but different seats at the table. This is probably my most successful Double Delicious meal to date. Yay! Re-heating the steak from Sunday night's dinner was a great idea. Neil's mad grill skills made for some incredibly tender meat! I will definitely make this again, and next time I will use the ingredients actually called for instead of what I had in my fridge. The one thing I would change was that I used frozen broccoli. I have been spoiled by using the fresh broccoli florets from Cost-co. This broccoli was a little mushy by the time it defrosted and cooked instead of nice and crisp.




Orange Beef, Jessica Seinfeld
Double Delicious, pg 78, with my adaptations

1 1/2 sirloin steak, sliced vertically into thin slices and then sliced horizontally to make it look more like stir-fry beef
1 t cornstarch
1/2 t pepper
2 T grapeseed oil
2 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 small can mandarin oranges, pureed in a small food processor
NOTE: you will only use 1/2 c of this puree that is really more like thick orange juice
1/4 c warm water
1/2 c cauliflower puree
1 T brown sugar
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t chili pepper
1/4 t garlic powder
1 1/2 c baby carrots, sliced length wise a few times
broccoli florets, enough to fill the pan

1. Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over high heat and then carefully add the meat. Cook until done, maybe 7 or 8 minutes. I did not keep the heat on high. I turned it down so that it wouldn't over cook the meat and become tough. Stir frequently. Transfer to paper towel to drain. Our meat was already seasoned, so I did not season it. If it had not been, I would have at least seasoned it in salt, pepper, and garlic.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the soy sauce, oranges, water, cauliflower puree, brown sugar, ginger, chili, garlic, and as much salt and pepper as you would like. (I have decided that one of the problems with this cook book is that they do not add any salt or pepper. I don't usually add very much to my cooking, but everything needs a little flavor...) Add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and whisk until smooth.

3. In the same pan, add a little oil to cover the bottom, and saute the carrots and broccoli, stirring frequently. I think this might be between 1-4 minutes. I wanted the carrots softened, but the broccoli crisper. Push the vegetables out of the middle, add the soy sauce mixture, and bring the sauce to a boil. Then add the beef to the pan and coat with the sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes more, until the sauce thickens. Serve immediately.

4. Meanwhile, bring water to boil in a 2 qt saucepan. When the water boils, add 1 1/2 c orzo pasta. ( I only used 1 cup, and barely had enough to feed everyone.) Stir until the water boils again, and then turn down the heat to 6-7 to keep it from boiling over. Boil for 7 minutes and drain immediately.

5. Layer orzo, vegetables, and beef in each bowl. Spoon a little sauce from the bottom of the pan over the top of each bowl.

The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of 100% orange juice, but I used the mandarin oranges because I didn't have any OJ. Another change would be to use sweet potato puree, which is what the recipe called for, instead of the cauliflower puree. I didn't notice the cauliflower taste, at all, but the color of the sweet potato lends itself to the orange sauce. You could garnish the food with small orange slices, rind on, and thinly sliced green onion. If you like to zest things, you can add the zest of 1 orange to the soy sauce mix. Who has time to zest? Not me. Overall, I cannot wait to make this recipe again! If I were in a hurry, I would definitely just stir fry the meat in the morning, and then reheat it in the evening. This is a much healthier version of Mandarin Beef that Neil likes to order at our new favorite Chinese food restaurant.

Monday and Tuesday: leftovers

I know that I said I never serve leftovers because, with very few exceptions, I do not like eating them. But tonight we had leftover pizza from Ainsley's party and leftover fajitas from lunch. The grilled chicken salad I had for lunch came with so much chicken that I brought it home for another salad tonight. Neil and the kids ate the leftover pizza.

We also have leftover steak and potatoes from last night, but I am not sure what to do with the steak. It is not enough to feed the whole family. I had originally thought that I would slice it thin and put it over a salad. But after two salads with grilled meat, that doesn't sound quite so yummy. As I type, I am reminded that I am supposed to be serving Orange Beef for dinner one night this week. I will make the steak fit that recipe...

Today is Patriots' Day here in the birthplace of the Revolution. It is the anniversary of the "Shot heard 'round the world." We watched the Boston Marathon with a bunch of friends. It was a beautiful day!

Today we met our Texas friends in the North End for some Italian food. Boston's North End is where the Italians settled in Boston so long ago. Again I had a grilled chicken salad, that happened to be very good, and we have leftover pizza and pasta. So, dinner will again be leftovers. Lucky for me!

The Menu, Week III

Sunday, 4/17 Beef-steak on the grill, roast baby new potatoes, Cost-co Grand Parisian salad and vegetable (either green beans or broccoli)

Monday 4/18 Chicken-bbq chicken salad: I do not have a recipe for this, but I am going to cook the chicken on low in the crockpot, all day, covered in bbq sauce. Then I am going to serve it over a classic green salad with carrots, cucumber, and celery. For the kids I will probably put it on a slider bun (a smaller version of a hamburger bun) and serve it with carrots and ranch. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Tuesday 4/19 Fish-grilled, sauteed broccoli, salad and Orzo

Wednesday 4/20 Soup-butternut tomato soup, a Double Delicious recipe, and Rachel Ray breadsticks

Thursday 4/21 Beef-orange beef with stir fry vegetables and rice (another Double Delicious recipe-if I'm still talking to Jessica Seinfeld after Wednesday night. I have to say that I have not been super impressed with her recipes. I love the puree idea, and might consider putting spinach puree in the bbq sauce on Monday, but I'm not in love with her food.)

Friday 4/22 Vegetarian-pumpkin ravioli, roast asparagus, salad, fruit and carrots for the kids (Again, this is conditional on the success of the other Seinfeld recipes this week. I happen to love pumpkin ravioli, so we will see.) Either way, we need to eat a vegetarian meal to add some balance to the force.

Saturday 4/23 Sammy Nite-Pampered Chef wraps. This is my go-to recipe for lunch parties. Pampered Chef recipes are similar to Martha Stewart in that they always work out and taste amazing. While I do not order or make Antipasti platters in any sense of the word, these Antipasti Wraps are amazing. They have a full range of colors and various textures and flavors. They are time intensive to make, as far as sammies go, but well worth it. These are a good thing to have as leftovers or when friends come over, or to take half to a friend who recently had a baby, because you will want to use all of the ingredients up. Or at least I never have use for olives, sun dried tomatoes, etc, after I make these wraps. At this point, I am not sure what I am going to serve these with. A salad with lite-Italian dressing or a balsamic. Chips and fruit? I'll think about it. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

Easter: I am still considering what to serve for Easter dinner. Right now I have fish planned, with Gorgonzola Gnocchi, and some kind of vegetable, but I'm not sold on that. Please make comments here or on my FB page about what you traditionally eat for Easter dinner. I'd love some great ideas!

Ainsley's 10th Birthday: Icecream Sundae Bar tips

I think Ainsley had a fun birthday weekend. We had a wonderful dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, and the girls loved their Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake Cheesecake for dessert. The waiters sang to Ainsley, and this was a new experience for her. They also wrote her name in chocolate around the rim of her plate.

Audrey decided yesterday that she was Ainsley's "best sister" and that Ainsley was her "sweetest sister." When we went shopping for Ainsley's bday present at the American Girl Store, Audrey was very good at keeping the secret from Ainsley. She was so excited about buying Ainsley gifts and told me that she wanted to buy Ainsley a "stuffie." What she really meant was that she wanted to build a Build-a-Bear and give it to Ainsley. We compromised, and Audrey got to pick out a mini-BaB Lamb instead. It was the cheapest stuffed animal I have ever bought, in terms of quality, but Audrey was so happy to give it a "bath" and brush it for Ainsley and then to watch her open it.

It was also nice to watch Audrey and Ainsley strolling around holding hands all evening. Audrey picked out her outfit for Ainsley's birthday dinner, and Ainsley has been planning her outfit for weeks.

The kids and Neil spent this morning cleaning the house for Ainsley's party tonight. Ainsley invited a few friends from church and school over for dinner, a movie, and ice cream sundaes. The girls had a fun time with their friends. Neil and I were thankful for a finished basement with a door on it.

This is why we created "Cuzcotopia." That is the name we have given our finished basement/media room. If you have seen Disney's "The Emperor's New Groove", then you will recognize the reference. We've got the Kinect down there, a 50" flat screen, a 3-ft circumference Fuf beanbag, two ottomans, two gamer chairs that you are like rocking chairs that sit on the floor and balance, and a mini-fridge. We miss Deb's playroom from our house in Fayetteville, but this is still pretty fun. We are trying to find either a Foosball table or an air hockey table on Craigslist to put in the back of the room, too. You'd be surprised how many there are on Craigslist, but they sell pretty fast.

My cooking tip for today is for an ice cream sundae bar. I scooped the ice cream in advance, when it was softened from the car ride home, so that it would be faster when it was time to serve it at the party. I tried two different methods.
1) Place wax paper on a cookie sheet. Scoop the ice cream in rows on the cookie sheet. You have to move fast so it does not melt all over the cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet flat in the freezer until it is time to eat it, a few hours at least.
2) Place the scoops in the individual muffin spots in a muffin tin. Place the muffin tin flat in the freezer.

When it was time to serve it, I took both pans out of the freezer at the same time. When the ice cream was still hard, it was easier to use a spatula to pry the ice cream off the cookie sheet. When I finished that tray, I moved on to the muffin tin. The ice cream was softer, but not softened. It was easy to spoon the scoop out of the muffin tin in one piece. When it was hard, the ice cream in the muffin tins was difficult to scoop out-it was just like trying to scoop ice cream. Have I mentioned that one of my biggest pet peeves in life is scooping ice cream. That is why I tried this trick.

For the toppings, I used cupcake liners and filled them half way with either Plain M&Ms, gummy bears, or gummy worms. I filled it full of Oreos that I had placed in a ziplock and crushed with the end of my rolling pin. I didn't want crumbs, but really chunky pieces of Oreo. Everyone could pick Oreos or M&Ms and gummy bears or worms. Not one of every thing. Ainsley poured the Magic Shell.

For the movie, I took party hats from the store, inverted them in Easter baskets on the kitchen table, and filled them with Trader Joe's White Cheese popcorn. Smartfood Popcorn would work, too. Martha Stewart always suggests making these cute paper cones for holding party treats, but who has time for that? Party hats work just as well. If you are germaphobic, you could put a bright napkin inside and then put the popcorn inside that. For the movie candy, we bought 9 oz clear plastic cups and allowed them to choose some candy.

We spread the food out over the course of the evening, and offered lots of cold water to dilute all of that sugar and salt. I tried to control the portions of the food so that they really were not eating much at one time. For example, I gave everyone one piece of pizza cut in half lengthwise so that it looked like they were having two pieces. Only a few people wanted more, and they only ate another half a slice. I was not being stingy-I had four large pizzas-but I knew how many treats they would be eating later. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, only two girls took me up on the baby carrots that I offered.

My kids are very excited because we have two pizzas left over, a lot of candy and Sprite, plus the cheesecake and leftovers from Friday night. We are going to have to lock the kitchen down so that they don't spoil their dinner tomorrow night. After two days off, and Neil grilling steaks again tomorrow night, I will be ready to cook again Monday night. (And go to the gym twice to make up for all this food and no gym time this weekend.) I was pleasantly surprised when Neil asked me to make those baby new potatoes again for dinner tomorrow night.

Thursday: Meatball Subs

Okay, so this isn't a picture of a meatball sub. But I happen to love this cute pink flowers. I could decorate all my girls' rooms exclusively in these flowers.

Meatball subs are the easiest, yummiest dinner around.

1. Start with a bag of mini-meatballs from anywhere. I used a bag from Trader Joes mixed with one from Target because that's what I had in my freezer. HEB sells them, too.
2. Place enough meatballs to fill your sandwiches in a large saucepan. I used large sub rolls tonight, and I planned on 8 mini-meatballs per sandwich. I don't think we used that many, though.
3. Then pour your favorite pasta sauce or marinara sauce over all the meatballs. You want enough to cover all the meatballs and a little extra to make sure you can spoon some over the top of the meatballs in the sandwich. I added 1/2 cup carrot puree to the pasta sauce. And I usually add Italian seasoning mix to the sauce. I think you could even add some defrosted frozen spinach. Turn the heat up to medium until the pasta sauce starts to bubble. Then turn it down to low.
4. We cut the rolls lengthwise and then in half. Neil scooped out the insides of the rolls to make space for the meatballs. We added reduced-fat mozarella cheese.

There are actual instructions on the bags of mini-meatballs that you should follow if this is too vague for you. I thought all the kids would eat half a sandwich, but they ate more than that. This is difficult with very young kids because they might let the meatballs drop out the bottom.

I served the subs with a salad for Neil and me. For the kids, I sliced a pear. Again, little baskets make it seem like we are at a restaurant. I am sure you are wondering about the kinds of restaurants that we take our kids to if eating out of a basket is such a huge deal. You will understand when you have four kids to feed at a restaurant. Or when you live in Boston. It's one of those things where if you have to ask how expensive a restaurant is, you can't afford to eat there. So we make sure our kids think red plastic baskets are cool.

I am looking forward to eating out tomorrow night! I will have gone two full weeks cooking dinner even though meatball subs are so easy they barely count.

Wednesday: Golden Corn Chowder

I love making corn chowder. We have a "Midwestern Corn Chowder" that contains loads of Cracker Barrel sharp cheddar, shredded. It is perfect for a winter evening. In fact, we make it every year with the McMullin's in the week between Christmas and New Year's. The version I made last night, is much lighter and better for warmer weather. My favorite thing to do when making soup is to buy the little plastic container of pre-diced onions in the refrigerated section. Sometimes if I'm lucky, I'll find it with onions, celery, and carrots layered. That saves so much time! It's worth the extra money.
1 T butter
1/2 c finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1/2 c finely diced celery
1/4 c finely diced carrot
1 T flour
2 15-oz cans corn
1 c potatoes, diced into 1/4" cubes
1 12-oz can evaporated skim milk
1/2 c cauliflower puree
salt
pepper
shredded cheese to garnish

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrot. Stir until veggies are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add flour and continue stirring until well blended. Add 1 can of corn, with its liquid. Add half the liquid from the second can of corn. Put remaining corn and liquid in a food processor. Pulse until crushed. Add to saucepan; stir in potatoes. Add the cauliflower puree. Increase heat to medium high. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Cover and bring soup to a boil, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. I used a hand blender to make it creamier. Another thought is to use 1 can of cream corn and 1 can of whole-kernel corn and forgo the food processor. Stir in evaporated milk and serve. Garnish each bowl with shredded cheese.

The key to the potatoes is to slice the potato, puncture them, and then microwave them for two minutes to soften them. When it is time to cube the potatoes, use this cool hand-powered tool. You can find it here. I use it to chop onions, green peppers, potatoes, and all kinds of vegetables. It works best if you cut the vegetable into manageable slices, take the skins of onions, and then get to it. I do this because I do not like thick chunks of undercooked potato in my soup. You do the potato however you prefer.