A FRIDGE FULL OF FOOD...

Caprese Salad with Pickled Green Tomatoes

 

Auntie Miranda went with friends to The Keeter Center in Branson for dinner the night before last night.  The Keeter Center is the small hotel and dining room run by the Hospitality Dept of School of the Ozarks.  And run very well.  We have a respiratory conference down there that's dynamite as a conference and The Keeter Center as a venue is superb.

In the dining room, Auntie chose this Caprese salad with fresh red and pickled green tomatoes.  She said she took one bite, rolled her eyes in delight, and said to the waiter "Can I get one of these to go?"  I went to bed early that night but it was waiting for me in the fridge when i got up the next day. 

Wow. I don't know how much better it could have been fresh because it was still incredibly fresh, crispy, and wonderful the next day.  This is definitely a do at home thing too. I know you can buy green tomato pickles, or even better would be to can them from the garden.  I'm thinking even fresh green tomatoes mixed with red tomatoes and fresh mozzarella would be wonderful fresh out of the garden....maybe drizzle a little honey across the top with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar to add that sweetness from the pickling syrup.

Thanks Aunti Miranda! What a lovely and healthy lunch. We'll definitely be working on a home recipe for this one!

Cake Boss: The Bridezilla

 

Has anyone else watched this show? And specifically the Bridezilla episode?

I can't get the actual video to embed but here's the link to view the entire episode:

 

http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/cake-boss-bi-plane-bridezilla-busting-buddy.html

I was shocked by that young lady's behavior.  Seriously in shock. And you know what?  Even after reading other people's reactions and speculation that she had been encouraged by the producers to act out to create buzz about the show...I'm still shocked.  It wasn't just her destroying that cake and saying deadpan "Well maybe now you have a better idea of what I want." 

It was also the way she and the mother disrespected each other all during the meeting about the cake design. I don't believe for second they were good enough actresses to fake that dysfunctional relationship.  If I were the bride I would have been upset, too, by my mother's complete dismissal of my desires.  The mother even admitted "I was married at city hall so this is going to be nice."  Okay, so basically, the mom is reliving HER wedding, not trying to please her daughter.

On the other hand, when your parents are paying for a function for you, I think it's at least appropriate for you to show a little gratitude and flexibility, or at least graciousness.

During the meeting, Bridezilla did express that she didn't want traditional but she also said "Yeah, that looks good" when Buddy did the drawing and she did leave him with the impression that she was fine.  It's not his fault she and the mother have relationship problems.

I couldn't believe it when he said he'd do another cake EXCEPT the mother did say she'd pay for another cake.  So at least he was paid for it.  But I was still shocked that the parents would even ask him to rebake the cake the day before the wedding and even more shocked that the mom didn't seem upset with the daughter about her behavior. How can you be surprised that a young woman is a selfish, disrespectful brat when you've let her get away with it her whole life?  So I'm not just appalled by the bride's behavior but by how the mom was just like "Oh honey, come look at the new cake..." and when the little witch wouldn't, she just laughed it off to Buddy.  I'd be so embarrassed to have people see what a horrible person I raised I wouldn't have let them show us in that episode.  If that would have been my kid, for one I wouldn't have totally ignored her wishes, but also I would never have rewarded that kind of behavior.  I would have said "Fine. We'll have no cake or serve the cake you "redecorated"."  And if Buddy had volunteered to remake it I would have paid him extra and said to the surly piece of shit I raised "Get you butt in here and thank this man for being nice to you when you don't deserve it."

Loved the line from Buddy about "I only have one thing to say to the groom:  Good luck, brother."

No kidding.

Knitting for the NICU: June '09

It's nearing the end of June and we all know what that means:  4th of July is just around the corner!  It wouldn't be fair of us to celebrate the holiday without including our little NICU bubbas, now would it?

This is "Hat Baby" proudly displaying the two dozen hats that I'll turn in to the NICU Friday night before work, which has a happy coincidence that I'll finish my training that night in Pediatrics. So it will be a celebration in a couple of ways.

 

We have traditional flags...

 

We have non-traditional stripes...

 

And now for something completely different....

I like the red hat with the posey. I think that could be cute adapted with other colors.

As usual, all the designs are my own and we send all the hats home with parents to keep as souvenirs to remember the holiday.

Breakfast Starts the Day off Right. Right? Right! Cornbread Frittata

 

One of the things I've been changing about the way I eat since I've been following the Mediterranean Diet path is the way I approach breakfast.  Like a lot of people I either tend to skip breakfast or eat all the wrong things.  For example, I work the night shift so when I get off shift in the morning I'm starving and ready to eat pretty much anything and everything. Technically, for nightshifters, the a.m. is our dinner time.  We eat breakfast when we get up around 4pm, lunch at 1am, and dinner for breakfast, but I've really been trying to get back into a more traditionally routine eating pattern even when I work, especially since working 12 hour shifts, we don't work a five day work week.

What I've found through experimentation is that when I choose wholesome whole grained foods for breakfast that also contain a serving of fruit and/or veggies I have a much better day over all whether I'm up or sleeping for the day.  We all know basic nutrition.  Whole grains and fresh produce last longer in our systems because they're nutritionally dense and take longer to break down, creating a more even supply of glucose instead of the normal sugar/caffeine high and low of Krispie Kremes, Cocoa Puffs, and Caramel Mocha Coffee.  Weight Watchers call these nutritionally dense foods simply "filling" foods.  I'm experimenting with a lot of different things but I'm finding, so far, that egg dishes with fresh veggies and cereals like Irish oatmeal or Grapenuts with a side of fruit hit the spot and last all morning.

Oh Come On! Ya Gotta Be Kiddin' Me!

What do these four things have in common?

 

 

I realize that part of the "celebrity" in celebrity chefs is all about moving merchandise.  I don't mind pans from Rachel Ray and muffin mixes from Ina Garten and seasonings from Paula Deen. It's cute, it's quaint, it's fun, and a lot of times those products can be useful too.  I also have nothing against anyone making a buck off their name in this world (except Paris Hilton and that's because I resent that with that name and all that money she's the most proudly ignorant whore on the planet...but that's another post).

So if you're really into celebrity chef stuff, go over to Williams-Sonoma where, for $250.00 you can buy these four items to make:

 

Thomas Keller Fried Chicken !!!!

For an extra $35.00 dollars you can order the potato salad and cole slaw seasonings to go with it.

Thanks Chef Keller and Williams-Sonoma for the opportunity to spend gourmet money for downhome food!  (I think I'll stick with my own all purpose flour, the paprika from my cabinet, Glad bags, regular ole' cereal bowls to dredge in, and Granny's cast iron skillet, all for about $ .50 above the price of the chicken.)

This Will Make You Slightly Queasy

From the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Xtreme Eating 2009 dishes:

• Chili’s Big Mouth Bites with French fries (four mini bacon cheeseburgers with fried onion strings): 2,350 calories, 38 grams saturated fat, 3,940 milligrams sodium.
• Olive Garden Tour of Italy, with lasagna, chicken parmigiana, and fettuccine alfredo: 1,450 calories, 33 grams saturated fat, 3,830 milligrams sodium.
• The Cheesecake Factory Fried Macaroni and Cheese: 1,570 calories, 69 grams saturated fat, 1,860 milligrams sodium.
• Chili’s Original Half Rack of Baby Back Ribs: An add-on for entrees, with 490 calories, 12 grams saturated fat, and 2,050 milligrams sodium.
• Red Lobster Ultimate Fondue shrimp and crabmeat in a lobster cheese sauce served in a sourdough bread bowl: 1,490 calories, 40 grams saturated fat, 3,580 milligrams sodium.
• Uno Chicago Grill’s Mega-Sized Deep Dish Sundae: 2,800 calories, 72 grams saturated fat.
• The Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken and Biscuits: 2,500 calories.
• Applebee’s Quesadilla Burgerwith fries: 1,820 calories, 46 grams saturated fat, 4,410 milligrams sodium.
• The Cheesecake Factory Philly Style Flat Iron Steak with fries: 2,320 calories, 47 grams saturated fat, 5,340 milligrams sodium.

  Gene loves Applebee's Quesadilla Burger with Fries.  I admit I was thinking "tortilla instead of bread" and "pico de gallo"...how bad can it be?  Bad, apparently.  I'm surprised Olive Garden's Tour of Italy almost looks calorie-deprived compared to the rest of them.

Knitting for the NICU: May '09

 

It doesn't seem like much this month but there's a surprise in a couple of weeks. I've been working on 4th of July hats for the last several weeks and I've been aiming to have one for each of the 30ish babies we have.  I love the country red, cream, and blue. So pretty to work with!

We're Home! Maui Food Travelogue

 

The Bridal Table.  Keep reading...I can explain....

The Big Pink Congratulations Cake was what I took in to work the last night we all worked together before leaving for Maui and the wedding.  Believe me, time was short so I ran by the grocery store, picked up the best of what they had and called it a celebration.  Chris, smartass that he is (and I'm so proud!) said "Wow, Glenna.  You must have worked really hard to make that look just like a Wal-mart cake."  Hehe.  Yeah, amazing.  But it really wasn't too bad. The cake was moist and the frosting was that fluffy stuff that's not too horrible.  What the hell. It's the idea of the celebration that's important and, let me tell you, when it's bad on nightshift, anything with sugar and/or caffeine is a good thing!

 

First Class American Airlines Food--I actually have only good things to say about the airline food and service.  At the last minute Gene had said "Screw the money! We're going First Class so we can be comfortable!" and it was so much more comfortable than being squeezed into coach.  Sigh.  What fun!

We started off the last leg of the journey with Mimosas.

 

Last Day of Laying on the Beach. :-(

The wedding went off beautifully.  Chris and Kendall both looked radiant.  Yes, I know, Chris probably would probably cringe at being called radiant but he was and she was too.  Gorgeous wedding.  I can't even describe it. I'll let the pics do it for me when I get them posted.  It was everything I wanted it to be for them; I'm sure they felt t'he same!

Had dinner last night at The Melting Pot, recommended by my friend Cindy.  That was sort of funny.  They asked "have you ever been to the Melting Pot before?" and we had to say "Well, no.  Our friend frm Rhode Island said this is her favorite chain restaurant and if we ever got the chance to come here...so now we're in Maui...and we're coming here".  Rhode Island...Missouri...Maui...that's a bit of a distance but we went and it was wonderful.  We had a lot of fun.  Like a Japanese steak house/hibachi, it's an adventue to kids or big kids like us.  We made tons of jokes about paying to cook our own food.  The great part was the waitress was so nice we were discussing fondue recipes and how to do it at home with a cheap hot plate instead of buying an expensive fondu set...unless you wanted the set for the "look".

So maybe in October, Cindy, we'll do fondue at home from cheese to cooking to chocolate...we'll have Lynn and Diane over and have a girl party! 

Gene was fascinated by the heating elements in the center of the table.  They were some kind of magnetic something...I'll have to get him to explain. He said it was something originally created for home use but since the cooking ware was too expensive to do feasibly at home it never really got off the ground.

Another Day in Paradise

Had a wonderful day yesterday hanging out with the hubby and our friends:  great seaside lunch, incredibly scenic drive along the coastline, and mucho fun at the resort's luau.  One word to dispel the myth: the pig in the pit is fake which Gene and Dirk went to great lengths to prove (haha) but the food and show and were very fun nonetheless. 

Lots of pics when we get home!