Grill-tastic!

I have been having way too much fun wih my new infrared grill! Plus today was CSA day, so I got a ton of new fruits and veggies. Yay!!! A feast of fresh grilltastic summer foods!

Of course there were burgers. Nothing fancy. Just salt and pepper. Not even any bread or condiments, but they were nice and juicy, so they didn't need any. Because the infrared is much higher heat, yet food isn't touched by flames, they didn't shrink as much as usual. (These were not made with lean ground beef either.) They also were less char-colored. I'd say the jury's still out on whether that's a plus or minus for me.


I love certain veggies on the grill. Fennel is one of my very favorite vegetables to eat raw (sliced really thin), roasted, or sauted, which is weird because everyone says it tastes like licorice, but I don't like licorice.So I guess I don't agree with everyone.  No matter, tonight I tried it on the grill and loved it! Here, I cut the stems, cut off the frilly fronds, and quartered the bulb portion. I also sliced a small zuchini the long way, and one cipiciolli onion in quarters and added them to the bowl. Then I drizzled the veggies liberally with olive oil and sprinkled them with kosher salt. Everything but the stems and fronds went into my veggie grill basket, which is handy because the smaller pieces don't fall through the grill and yet the small open squares allow contact with the grill surface, so they get nice grill marks and carmelize well. Be sure to add the stems after a couple minutes. Then add the fronds right before you're ready to pull it all off the grill.

Dessert was the simplest plan of them all, and one of the best! The hardest part is slicing the fresh pinneaple. I had Amanda pull up a video on youtube for me, because I so rarely think to buy fresh pineapple and had forgotten how to do it. If you use a sharp knife its easy. After you get the outside layer and the 'eyes' removed, instead of slicing horizontally in rings, stand it on end, and slice downward in long slices. To prepare the grill, spray a quick shot of vegetable oil on the grate before it is heated. When the grill is heated, lay the slices on the grill in the opposite direction of the grates. Keep a close eye on the fruit, and flip the slices just after grill marks appear. Cook both sides and pull off the grill. Slice into bite sized chunks when ready to eat. Delicious as is, or served over ice cream.

The kinds of things you can eat for dinner when it's just you

So, I bought an infrared gas grill today and am super excited to try it out. But I didn't get home and get it all set up until about 8 PM, so I decided to forego breaking it in until tomorrow.

And since Amanda was not feeling so great, she just wanted rice, so that meant I could make myself whatever I wanted for dinner. There is great freedom in this; I recommend doing this from time to time. It frees you from the constraints of letting others dictate what you get to call "dinner".

For example, I've been craving fresh guacamole, so I bought Rick Bayless's Frontera mix (lime, tomatillo, and cilantro based) because I love it. And it is easy. Just mash a ripe avocado in a bowl, and pour in half the packet and stir. Serve with a nice thick corn chip. (My favorite is Garden of Eatin' organic blue corn chips, but any sturdy chip that can hold up to chunky guacamole will do.) I add in fresh chopped cilantro and some white onion, chopped small, and rinsed, if I have it on hand.  Tonight I did not. I did however, already have kohlrabi cut into sticks in my fridge, so I tried dunking some of them into the guacamole in place of some of the chips. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was pretty tasty. And that was dinner tonight. Don't judge.

Here are other things I've called "dinner" when no one was around to make a fuss:

• Radishes, salt, and butter, on gluten free crackers.
• A variety of olives from the olive bar of Byerly's or Kowalskis; most typically with other deli finds such as a nice salami or some rotiserri chicken.
• Hommus and raw veggies.
• Cheese and crackers, with wine.
• Eggs
• Potato pancakes. I consider them a dinner pancake. I actually don't ever make them for breakfast.

May we all have the courage to try weird food for dinner, and the wisdom to know which ideas are worth sharing.

Un petit experiment

Disclaimer: if you are really into wine and feel very strongly that people MUST know what they're talking about when they talk about wine, this post is not for you. Unless, you are drunk on wine at this very moment, and then you will either be cursing at the screen, or laughing. Let's hope its the latter. Meet my Vintura. I call him Vinny.

I met his twin brother at a party and thought he was the coolest thing evah! You are supposed to pour red wine in the top, through the filter (see close-up), and it is supposed to make your wine taste better. In particular, it is supposed to make inexpensive wine taste like expensive wine. That's nice, if it's true, but it's not the reason I wanted him, The real reason was for the cool gurgly noises it makes when you pour wine through it. Combined with the slick appearance, it's a real conversation piece.

 The deal is though, they are pricey. So while I was an admirer, I didn't exactly run right out and buy one. You can imagine how excited I was when a good friend got me one of my very own for Christmas. "Oooooh!" I squealed, then jumped up and down hugging the box.

 I have used mine quite a bit since Christmas, and am still enamoured. I've even run some test experiments on friends to see if they could tell a difference, and have gotten responses ranging from "I'm not sure. I think so. I mean, they SMELL different" to "Yep. I can definitely tell the difference".

But these were not double blinded tests. I always knew which glass I was handing them. Maybe I smiled more when I gave them the aerated sample. As a clinician, I knew I could improve the study design.

I needed a volunteer test subject. As I was the only one home, I consented. To ensure the study was double blind I selected two identical wine glasses, and put a tiny piece of clear tape on the indent on the bottom of one glass, and I carefully poured that glass half  full with the $9.99 test wine, a petit syrah by Cupcake. Next, I put the other glass under the filter, and slowly poured the same amount of the same wine through the funnel contraption into the second glass until it was half full. Then I rotated the glasses around each other and back the other direction for a couple minutes, like I was playing a game of Pin the tail on the donkey, except no one gets dizzy. And there is no donkey. Or tail. The purpose of the spinning randomizes the choices so I wouldn't know what I was getting.  And I truly didn't know, so I took one of the glasses, and sniffed. Hmm. Didn't really smell like anything- faint fruit maybe. Then I tasted some.

This face says, "I'm not sure what to think of you.






After cleansing my palate, I picked up the other glass and lifted it to my nose. Hmmm. "Smells like blackberry, and something else, maybe a hint of dark chocolate? Though honestly I could've just read that on the bottle. It seems like all dry red wines claim to taste like chocolate.  So I tasted test sample #2.

This face says, "I think we can be friends."

It was now time for the unblinding. The second glass was tapeless. hah! Vinnie, you are worth more than your just good looks and funky noises!

Adventure Pack Day

I took the day of rest seriously today. So much so that I did not change out of my lobster jammies until after noon today. And I did not really cook either. Unless you call this cooking: slicing one pink lady apple, two small Murcott tangerines, and what was left of the Perlette grapes, and mixing them together in a bowl. I call it fruit salad. I don't blame you if you find this culinarily boring.

What I DID do, was go on a small adventure with my daughter. Per Amanda, this apparently requires an Adventure Pack. (See picture)The contents may vary, but these were are some items carried with us today: 1) a notebook and something to write with. 2) a jar with a lid, with small holes drilled in the top 3) a camera 4) an empty envelope 5) sunscreen 6) water bottle and 7) an adventure book by Keri Smith- filled with ideas for items to collect or observe and note your findings.

Next, select a locale to conduct the observation. We chose Coon Rapids dam, a few miles down river. The picture below is from the middle of the dam on the Mississippi River, looking toward my home.  Can you see it? (It's just around the bend to the right, and up the hill.) Probably not, unless you have super powers. Though if you had super powers you would probably be too busy trying to fix the world to read this blog.

We both observed a rainbow, visible just above the only smooth part of the water beneath the dam, next to the rapids.




















Amanda also picked up about a dozen rocks on the path back toward the parking lot. She put them in a jar to observe later, and plans to bring them back when she's done.

But then it was time to go back home because we were having the Gries family over for game night. Which usually means Killer Bunnies! And laughing so loud that the vibrations set off the doorbell.

All in all a successful experimenty relaxing day.

Breakfast surprise

Woke up late this morning, in a bit of a panic, as it was overcast and I was afraid it might rain. Our lawn hadn't been mowed in well over a week due to bad timing of the rains lately, and thus was beginning to resemble a jungle.

I threw on my lawn mowing shorts and a t-shirt, then brushed my teeth and woke up my daughter. "Good morning. You know how you said you would mow yesterday and you didn't? Well, it looks like it might rain. I'm heading out to get started. As soon as you're awake, please come take over."

"Mmmph." (I think that meant OK)

When she appeared outside  a few minutes later, I let her take the reigns, and ran ahead picking up sticks. It was then that I noticed the raspberries growing in the "wild" section of my backyard; behind the rhubarb and next to some tall blue flowers. I mean, I knew they were there; I had picked some last fall and scratched up my arms cutting out dead branches earlier in the spring. I just didn't expect any to be ripe this early.

Naturally, I ran inside the house and grabbed a plastic container to fill with berries.

Approaching the perimeter of the "wilds", I carefully plucked a couple vivid red raspberries within my reach. I saw that there were more ripe berries, deeper in, so  I pushed my way through, one bush at a time. At some point it occurred to me I was wearing shorts. "Ouch. What the? Oh yah..." But I was halfway in already, so didn't see the point of turning back. When I got to the end, I peered into my knock-off Tupperware to survey my harvest. It was a two cup container, about half-full.  Not enough to make much of anything.

Oh well. I waved at Amanda to indicate I was heading back inside. "Will you please make pancakes?!" she yelled at me over the lawn mower. I nodded.

Step one: make coffee. This is to help the cook wake up and be alert when she is trying to follow a recipe.

Pancakes are one of the few things I make where I actually use the measuring cups in the back of my cupboard. I use a mix (Pamela's gluten free), because I can't eat wheat flour, and because I am not about to make my own mix- the best ones use a variety of flours, and we've already established that I would not enjoying measuring four flours, plus leavening & so forth.

Step two: In a nice heavy mixing bowl, whisk one egg with a fork. Add one cup of pancake mix and one tablespoon of canola or other vegetable oil. OK, you got me already. I did not measure the oil. I just eyeballed it. Add 3/4 cup water, and whisk it together until it is evenly wet with no big dry chunks. I added a little more water because it was hard to stir (too thick). I use a three-tined fork instead of a whisk or a blender, because it seems easier to feel the resistance and know the consistency.

Step three: Let the batter sit while you heat your non-stick pan to medium heat. When the pan is hot, add a bit of butter, and ladle scoops of batter on top of the butter right away. Cook one side till it starts to form small bubbles and the edges are firm, then flip it and cook till done. Serve with fresh picked raspberries and a drizzle of real Minnesota maple syrup.

Step four: Enjoy!

Lazy cooking done right

Hey- I'm not advocating a lazy life here. But the occasional lazy evening- yes! Go ahead, you earned it! That was pretty much the speech I gave myself on the way home from work tonight. Followed by, "Hey girl, you KNOW you want to stop at the bookstore to pick up a book on learning Italian and raising chickens. I should clarify- these were two separate books. Though how great would it be to speak Italian to my chickens- Hillary & Hailey, and Mario? "Salve, pollo.  E una bellisissima giorno, no?" Not that I have chickens yet. That is why I needed a book.

By the time I got home, I wanted something quick. But still good. So, I perused my pantry, then did a survey of the contents of my refrigerator.  I would just be cooking for myself tonight, and I've been known to have some pretty odd dinners when I'm the only one being experimented on. My own private research study. Funded by me. After signing a mental consent form; I pulled out the selected ingredients: 1) Harmony Valley organic salad mix (prewashed, for extra lazy days) 2) Hellman's mayonnaise 3) leftover slice of fritatta with garlic & greens 4) two slices gluten free whole grain bread and 5) one Amy's brand Sonoma veggie burger (made with quinoa, mushrooms, walnuts, and veggies). Weird, right?!

As a backup plan, I also grabbed a glass of white wine, and the bar of Godiva gelato hazelnut chocolate that I bought at the bookstore. That way, I could comfort myself if it was a total disaster.

My thought process developed from all those hours of watching the Food Channel when I was away from home, travelling for work. I don't get cable tv at home, so I watch like two hours of cooking shows and HGTV every night I'm away, just before I fall asleep. Anyhoo- I've noticed a trend to add all kinds of crazy stuff to the top of burgers, including fried eggs. Honestly, that didn't sound too appealing to me- mostly because a greasy burger, buttered bun, bacon, and fried eggs all together in one hand-held meal exceeds my grease quotient for the week. And yet, as I reviewed the contents spread before me, I saw possibilities in my cobbled-together version.

After all, the burger was made of veggies, nuts, and grains (even better- can be cooked in a cast iron pan with some olive oil in about three minutes per side.) The salad mix was fresh and light and pretty. The mayo was only to be a thin layer on the toasted bread- just to keep it from being too dry. So the eggs, in the form of a leftover fritatta (vs. a runny fried egg) would be the only real gamble. From start to finish, it took about ten minutes to make.

All in all- it turned out to be a good meal (especially when accompanied by the wine and followed by chocolate). I just might make it again someday. Maybe with a fried egg, instead of frittata, and some thick sliced pepper bacon. Without the mayo, of course.  I wouldn't want to overdo it or anything.

My delicious leftovers life

I will take my leftovers over McDonald's food any day. Sorry Big Mac, but on a perfect Minnesota evening, how can you compete with a patio view overlooking a wooded and slightly overgrown yard? It's just so GREEN. And the soundtrack of chirping birds? And the flowers and faint smell of herbs growing in pots on the deck? Don't worry- I won't judge you if you prefer autombile exhaust and greasy burgers with a coke, to leftover pasta and crisp white wine. We've all got our issues.  Believe me. Right now, I'm feeling way too peaceful to share mine.

I'm not gonna lie. There have been times when I've been tempted to compare my life to the jet-setters and foodies; as well as the cattle ranchers and live-off-the-landers. Both lives seem so different from mine- perhaps that's why I follow several blogs from either end of the spectrum. There is something so intriguing about it. Reading is a little like living vicariously; so long as it doesn't infect you with jealousy and hold you back from the full-tilt living of your own life, it can be fun to visit. I raise my glass to those people with the chutzpah to dare to do something different than most of us.

Still, it is so very important to appreciate all we have. What's in front of us, right now. Like our jobs; especially if you're lucky like me and get paid to do work you find meaningful. And our families and friends. Life is so very short. I know this. I've had far too many loved ones pass on before their time. It sucked that my dad died when I was only 24, before I got my sh@* together. My daughter will never know him, except through the stories I pass on.And it's an unfortunate lesson to learn- but I guess you can say I had the benefit of having MY mid-life crisis almost 2 decades before my peers. So I got the 'wild' out early.

My life is unsophisticated. My house is not fancy. And yes, there's been awkwardness and lost love and pain. But none of that matters. Not really. Because I've so been blessed, with my simple, hard-working, fun, goofy, full, creative, one-of-a-kind life. And, I wish the same and more for you.

Making memories

I read recently about the phenomemon where it seems like time passes so much more quickly as we age. You know, when you were a kid, summer seemed to stretch out like its own entity. I have summer memories and images that are still so vivid, decades later. 

We would draw roads and businesses and houses on Grenadier Avenue, using soap bits.  We'd make our own all-kids' city. Bikes were cars. The garden hose was a gas pump. Maple tree whirlygigs were money. Leaves were food.

We made our own summer school, made up of 60% reccess, 15% gym, 10% art, 10% reading, and 5% math. At night, we'd play ditch, and flashlight tag and kick the can. Having fun became our full-time jobs, and we excelled.

As I sit here and type this, I can barely remember what I did last summer, besides work. Or even what I did two weeks ago. (Seems like just yesterday, Amanda was graduating from high school, and yet that was over a year ago.)

According to this book- the name of which ironically escapes me- its not that time really does speed up, or even that our memories get that much worse, it's that new experiences are more visually interesting to us and thus"stickier", meaning those experiences are like video tapes that are more likely to stay with us. And when you're young, more of the things you do are new, simply because you haven't gotten around to doing them yet. As adults, our lives often center around routine and thus become more efficient, but less memorable. We set our alarms the same time every day, get ready for work, drive the same route we always drive, etc.

I think its important to take the time to take a new road every now and again, figuratively and literally. Maybe that's one of the reasons I enjoy cooking; I rarely follow a recipe, so each time it's a new result and new experience.

Travelling and camping- two types of experiences that are dissimilar- also seem to have a way of slowing time down for me and staying with me.

I can remember details of camping at El Rancho Manana in detail; the sound of Heidi's margaritaville blender, all the kids coming back from the lake and the  dance with stories, sitting around the campfire until late at night,  and how great the turkey tasted. And I remember every camping trip; not just the annual college friends trek, but every year at the cabin, and every State Park I ever stayed at.

Travel does the same for me; I know the green patchwork hills of Ireland, the way the colors of the Experience Music Project buiding change as the clouds move across the sky, the reflective feeling of  the Jefferson Memorial in DC at night, the small of the salt air in Northeast Harbor, and the jewel-like sand of the La Jolla beach. These experiences lasted a few hours or a few days at most, and yet those moments where I was truly present, lingered longer and have stayed.



So here's to us. May we rememeber to try new paths and to savor new experiences, and truly appreciate those gifted moments we have in our short time on earth. Spend your time wisely and well, and as much as possible, surrounded by those you love, and with those whom you are meant to serve.

Grilled cheese, with a side of laughter

When I don't get home from work until after 7 PM, it's tempting to wave the white flag, and order pizza, or head to Serum's Good Time Emporium- after all, they have the BEST Garlicilada spicy boneless wings.

But then I'm thinking, sure I want a little comfort food, but I have all these awesome veggies in my fridge calling my name. "Hi Susan, it's  your salad mix. Remember when you used to think I was so goodlooking?"   And that's when I remember one of my favorite quick meals: grilled veggie cheese. So easy, and so good. Just grill or saute some veggies in a little butter or olive oil until almost cooked through, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and remove from the heat. Almost any veggies will do- tonight it is yukina savoy and onion. At other times I've used almost any greens, summer squash, peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Slice some of your favorite cheese & keep it handy. Butter the outsides of your 2 bread slices (I used whole grain gluten free) and proceed to make a grilled cheese sandwhich, only with a layer of cooked greens added in between the cheese and the bread. Flip it when one side is brown. When the second side is almost done, carefully peel back the bread, and stuff in fresh salad mix. (Sometimes I also add some cooked bacon or sliced turkey, if I have it handy.)

Flip it again, and pull it off the heat right away. Cut in half, on the diagonal. (It tastes better that way). Serve with fresh radishes, or apples slices, or Norwegian hot dills (my favorite Minnesota pickle), and enjoy with a glass of red wine.

Even better, watch the latest episode of the Bachelorette with your daughter, while you're cooking, and then watch the spoof episode with Shaun and Ben (<name that show). Casue nothing goes better with grilled cheese than a side dish of laughter.

Spring CSA veggies, two ways

Some of my favorites arrived in the CSA box: garlic scapes, new onions, yukina savoy (the green leafy one that looks like a spinach), and amaranth (purple on one side, green on the other). So naturally, I began Meal #1 by chopping them. See above.   

Next, saute the onions, garlic scapes, and stems in a heated cast iron pan (or other oven-safe pan) in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. After the veggies start to change color, add the chopped leafy greens and some salt and pepper. If, like me, you can't leave well enough alone, grab some fresh herbs growing in pots on your deck, and tear and add them. Parlsey, thyme and oregano went into the pan here. 

Because my vegetarian daughter is wary of new vegetables (don't ask), after the greens were wilted, I pushed them to one side of the pan. Next add four eggs, whisked briefly with a fork. See below. When the egg starts to appear cooked around the edges, add shredded cheese on top (I added about 3 oz. monterey jack) and tput the pan in the broiler on low.

Watch it carefully, with the oven light on. When the cheese gets bubbly and just starts to brown, pull it out. See below.

Slice in wedges and serve with a side of fresh fruit. Yum!

Meal #2 starting with the same base. Follow the directions above, but before adding the leafy greens, add a can of white beans, drained (I used cannelini).

Now add the greens. See below. Because this was going to be a pasta dish, I added several chopped leaves of fresh basil (5 or 6- I was going for a pesto-like flavor), and a shake of crushed red peppers.

Serve over cooked pasta, which has been salted and tossed in olive oil. I used gluten free rotelli. You could use any type of pasta with a firm structure.

Viola! Hearty and delicious. 

I heart my CSA

Three years ago I purchased an annual CSA membership from Harmony Valley Farms and it has changed my life. Well, maybe not changed, so much as enhanced. I already was a huge fan of farmer's markets, organic food, fair trade practices, free range meats, and buying local. What I didn't expect is that it would forever change the way I think about food and community.

I used to do 95% of my food shopping at mega stores of convenience and affordability- such as Cub and SuperTarget. The rest I would get from rare, fun, trips to farmers' markets and maybe Whole Foods or various Co-Ops. Today,  I get @80% of my veggies for the year from the CSA (one full box every other week from May to December), and about 10% from farmers markets and the local Anoka Co-Op, where I now have a lifetime membership, and the remaining 10% from Cub and SuperTarget. As a result, much of the food I prepare and eat is healthier, pesticide free, supports small to mid-size  local farmers, and most importantly, tastes better. I also bought an organic fruit share this year, so from June to September, this will provide most of my fruit and dessert needs.

I used to hate grocery shopping (still do, when it involves limited time and crowded megastores), but now I plan most of my meals around what's in season and what shows up in my box, so it's become more enjoyable. There is a farmers' market in Maple Grove on Thursday evenings that I like to stop at during ths summer to buy meats and cheeses and gluten-free bakery goods at. It is very family friendly, and there is always something to buy, like wild-rice sausage or thick cut black pepper bacon, that I am excited about making into a meal.

I love to grab a couple of bags and walk the 8 or 9 blocks along the river from my house to the Anoka Co-Op. The people who work at the Co-Op seem to know everyone in the community. It feels very small-town. It smells like food, and lavender and fresh herbs. Sometimes on warm days I stop at Two Scoops ice cream shop across the street. They change the flavors all the time; it's fun to try the new ones. The ice cream is made in Wisconsin, and it is definitely not low-fat, but it is sooo good. My favorite so far is the coconut ice cream.

In life, it is natural for one experience to lead to another. I believe good choices lead to positive experiences, which lead to more positive experiences, which hopefully spread beyond us to touch others' lives in a positive way. For me, buying a CSA share has led to more family meals, better tasting and healthier food, greater creativity and enjoyment of cooking, and feeling more connected to my community.

Outright activism can frankly come off like judgemental condemnation which gets old and annoying, and  can become far from a loving gesture.  This applies to more than just food. People on high horses have further to fall. Yes, McDonalds may be the opposite of good food, but sometimes you just want french fries and you want to enjoy them without a lecture. And don't even get me started about bacon. (I'm sorry, but I believe God invented pigs to be eaten. Ideally, in moderation, and after being raised by kind farmers on a smallish farm in the countryside with rolling hills.)

So cheers to you, and to choices! May we make more good than bad, more happy than sad, and may one good choice lead to another.