Come one, come all!! You just march yourself right over to this site , scroll waaaaay down, and enter to win an amazing knife from either the Fusionwood or the Phoenix line from New West Knifeworks! Everybody NEEDS knives like these in their kitchen! They will pick 2 lucky ducks on November 30th, so hurry!!!
Thanks, PW, for sharing this surefire boredom cure... Yep, that's me, in "my" 1960's do! Yes, I have 4 more loads of laundry, papers to sort and organize into filing cabinets, a bedroom to rearrange, more pics to put on the wall before everyone comes for Thanksgiving... so I guess I can't really say I was bored. I just didn't want to do what I know I HAVE and SHOULD be doing. No, this is way more fun. Seriously, you try... go get yourself the 'fro you've always wanted.
My poor husband. A bachelor till 40, with a house full of "he-man" stu
ff bermed up the sides of every wall, now has his stuff relegated to the "Man Cave" and the garage. In its place came all this- What he calls the "Frou-frou, girly, I-talian, gee ga, crap". Every time something goes up, he says "Look, another swirl, yeah". So I looked around a bit... I guess I do have a thing for the swirly, curly, stuff, huh?
Ok, so I maybe have a thing for the iron swirls and metal tins and everything Tuscan and warm. But don't you think all this is nicer than 15 fishing poles in the living room corner and camouflage gear masquerading as carpet..?
Hey, he could have it worse. My Italian Grandma, God rest her sassy soul, had plastic on ALL of her furniture. This sure ain't no Grandmas house...
I love texture, especially in my food. Mashed potatoes are ok... pudding is ok, too. But sometimes I like to bite into things and say, "Whoa, what's going on in here"?! I like flavor contrast, too. Just when you think something is going to be sweet, you get a tad bit of savory thrown in. Next thing you know, you're hanging onto your cheeks, wondering where you're headed next... Oh, I love to play with my food.
Years ago I tried Couscous, and loved it. I'm sure many of you, too, have seen the super easy Near East Brand out there. It's texture is very small, and it cooks in all of 5 minutes. Can't beat that for a quick and easy side dish! But as time went on, I became a little bored with the same old "quickie". That is, until I found this awesome variation. It's like eating pasta pearls!
So over time, and trial and error, I came up with an easy, low fat, recipe that is super on it's own for lunch, or paired with chicken or pork for dinner. Play with it a bit and adjust to suit your taste... you may find you like more of one ingredient than another. This recipe will serve between 4 to 6 people.
Let's see who gets to play together in the mixing bowl:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup Israeli couscous
1 Tbs butter
3/4 cup chopped Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
7 dried apricots, diced
3/4 cup Craisins (soaked in 1 cup hot water)
1 Gala apple, diced
1 Tbs minced Shallot
In a 2 quart sauce pan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then add couscous, butter, and cover. Let simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until broth is absorbed, and the couscous has a creamy consistency. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.
Meanwhile, drain the water soaked Craisin's, and prepare remaining ingredients. Add to cooled couscous. At this point you can taste and decide if you want to add anything else. Yum-O-lish!!
Oh yeah, if you're making this for a special someone... don't forget to check your teeth before flashing that "I want you smile"... gotta love that Italian parsley!
A onesie, Daddy's T-shirt, 2 feather boa's, a spare red curtain, tights, and 2 Playtex gloves, equal one cool chick!
Tayler was such a good sport... I think she only screamed in agony 2 or 3 times. But hey, it's all about getting those pics that last a lifetime... and to show that guy who will come- a- callin' in about 13 years, hehehe... 
I LOVE cookbooks! I have over 80 at last peek. I read them like a suspense novel, anxiously awaiting that incredible moment when, I find THE recipe for that cozy little soiree I can't wait to have. Oh, the ooh's, the aah's... You foodies, you know what I mean... the recipe where you are patting yourself on the back, in advance... These are some of my fav's:
I'd have to say that "We Called It Macaroni, An American Heritage of Southern Italian Cooking" by Nancy Verde Barr is my all time favorite. It's not just a recipe book. It is the history of her family, and their passion for everything in the kitchen. She vividly explains what ingredients were used in each family meal, and how they were grown, who had the best garden, and the gossip that surrounded each and every tomato. I think you may end up getting one for yourself...
On Saturday I took Teddy, Jessica, and a friend of Teddy's, Blake, to the Arizona State Fair as an early birthday "party" for Teddy (Anthony had to work and Tayler stayed home with Daddy). We had a great time! The boy's HAD to play Rockband! They even had a few people coming over to watch them, because The Ted-man is pretty darn good at it! People watching, as always, was pretty entertaining... let's just say that clothing was meant to cover one's body, not to act as a shoelace... The Fair cuisine was delicious, as usual. Nothing like a 2 lb smoked turkey leg, or Indian Fry Bread sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with honey... don't forget the hand dipped corn dogs and fresh squeezed lemonade, Yum-O!! But Teddy's favorite food was the free grilled Spam samples! He even went back for more! It was a super day... till next year!
Just saying the words, "I love you", can't fully express how much I feel for this man. I am so blessed to have him as my husband. A committed bachelor till 40; I can't believe he married ME! He is such an awesome Daddy... My 3 oldest kiddo's say he is a pretty cool step-dad, too! He is a man of Integrity, Honor, and Faith. He has THE goofiest sense of humor! He can dance (I SO can't), and he can make me laugh even when I am trying so hard not to! He thrives on the fact that I am 10 months older than him, and, "Always will be"! Happy birthday, Babe, because for a minute, you have caught up to me... I love you!!
"Cheryl MG said...
Hey Janet, Wow this is a tough one! Since, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love all the yummy food and enjoy getting together with people I love, eating all day and hanging out. A favorite of mine is a pie called Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie. My mom always served it for Thanksgiving when we lived in Indiana. Then when we moved to Arizona in 1979 she could no longer find a store in Arizona that made this same pie. A few years back after she retired and had extra time on her hands, she found the receipe on the internet. It tasted just like I remembered as a child. So, now this is a special treat for me at Thanksgiving and my children are also enjoying the Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie. I know it's not really a side dish, but my moto is: Life's Too Short, Eat Dessert First :)"