For the Love of Bacon May 12, 2010

MMMM. Bacon.

Any of you out there look longingly at the packages of bacon in the grocery store, and think, “unless I invite people over, I can’t buy this, because I’ll eat the whole darn package and it’s way too much for just me?”

Yeah.  That was me too.

But I was bound and determined to figure a way out of this Bacon Conundrum – I was a single gal, living alone, loving it, and Wanting.  Bacon.  Dammit.

You have the awesome opportunity to learn my tried-and-true trick on how to have your Bacon, and Eat it too (in reasonable serving sizes.)

First: Roll the Bacon into serving-sized bundles. (I roll two slices at a time.)

2. Ready for the next step. Always use a plastic cutting board to work with raw meat. I dedicate one of my cutting boards to raw meats only, to avoid cross-contamination.

3. I put the bacon in two plastic baggies. Air is your enemy in the freezer- squeeze out as much as you can!

4. Freeze and Voila- Two slices of Bacon - perfect for one person!

The bacon thaws very quickly.  I try to use all of the frozen bacon within one month.

Another tip: the way to get into a dude’s heart is through his stomach.  What they forgot to tell you is that the stomach REALLY responds to bacon. 

Isn’t it about time you brought more bacon into your life?  🙂

Serv-Safe, Lunches, Bronze- Another typical Monday May 10, 2010

Good morning and happy Monday to everybody!  Happy belated Mother’s day to you Moms out there. 

For those that missed it, there is a love letter to my mom on the Minneapolis Star Tribune website from Saturday 5/8.  I responded to a tweet from Bill Ward, a reporter who covers local stories and writes a wine blog for the paper.  I figured nothing would come of it, but then he emailed me a couple weeks later to ask if Pam and I could come to the Strib offices to get our photos taken for the story.  The following Friday (4/30) we were lucky to work with Tom Wallace.  What a joy!  He took our pictures and some video.  The result was funny and fantastic.  Thanks Tom!

Pam, Molly, Neighbor Dave and I went down to visit my Grandma and have wonderful Cornish Game Hen at her place.  Cuteness ensued.  Thanks to NDave for being photographer with his iPhone.

I’m getting ready to start this week’s lunches.  I planned the menu just this morning, will be doing my grocery list and game plan next.  Here is the menu:

Monday: Burgers Mexicanos (with deconstructed guacamole and a side salad) on homemade multigrain buns- beef for Sarah, turkey for the rest

Tuesday: Cumin-scented beef Samosas (Indian pastries filled with vegetables and meat), with lettuce cups

Wednesday: Classic Italian Panini with Bacon and Fresh Mozzarella on homemade Ciabatta bread, with salad

I’m going to start my Serv Safe training today, with my goal to get my State of Minnesota catering license by the end of June.  Another step toward getting “official” in the eyes of the state, and in preparation for the happy marriage between my work at Parley Lake Winery as a Wine Tasting Room professional, and my Catalyst Cooks business- I think Food and Wine go well together!

My bookend of the day this evening is heading to bronze at Deb Z’s to continue work on my little man and little lady- it’s fun watching the wax take shape as I blister my thumb pushing parts around.  Can’t wait!

What’s in your Pot? May 5, 2010

Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.

OK, I’ll just show you mine.  You may not have had anything in your pot at 9:04 this morning.

Last night, Dave and I had a dinner party- Johnny Slots was the winner of the “I Know Neighbor Dave” contest from March.  (You can join in on the fun- become a member of the Facebook Group and you too may win a fantabulous dinner, or something like that!)

We had roasted chicken with Hungarian paprika (courtesy of my friends Zoli and Irene, who brought it back from Hungary for me), brown sugar, cayenne pepper and basil rub. 

The best place to put rub is in between the skin and the flesh.  I added some to the skin too, and the roast was a beautiful ruddy color when the bird came out of the oven.

The next day, the leftovers become chicken stock, in the awesomely large and beautiful stock pot (a pot I didn’t know I couldn’t live without- what a great gift from Kevin, Diane, Megan and Matty boy)!  Doesn’t the color of the stock look so pretty and warm and delicious?

I’m also preparing tomorrow’s lunches for the Lunch Bunch.  This mystery under a towel is sitting out on my counter as we speak. 

I uncovered it to show you what’s underneath~

Aspiring Hoagie buns, rising now to bake at lunchtime.

I’m making Sausage Fennel Sandwiches for tomorrow. 

And yes, that’s right, that means there is some sausage involved!

Boiling in Beer in the Dutch Oven– the only way to pre-cook a sausage.

Last, but not least, yes- I also have a small pot of:

COFFEE.

Is this really Minneapolis? May 4, 2010

As promised, photos from the walk Neighbor Dave and I enjoyed on Sunday, which was so beautiful it led me to procrastinate terribly (as seen in yesterday’s post.)

There was pretty blue sky and the PCF was high (PCF= “Puffy Cloud Factor” according to Dave)…

Sky over Lake Harriet Rose Garden, 5/2/10

Although I’ve lived within a mile of this park for the past 12 years, I’ve seen the beauty of this place in a different way than ever before.  

The apple trees are blooming, and the scent is heavenly! 

I noticed how they are layered on the south side of the Lake Harriet Rose Garden- lots of sizes, shapes, colors make an awesome palette. 

Maybe just by looking at these pictures, you’ll be able to imagine the scent and the light and the dimension and the gorgeous colors.

Tulips are in full bloom…

My favorite color!

The Lyndale Peace Garden is in the Japanese style.

While Dave Explored…

Our new Hobby... GeoCaching!

(He was in the Roberts Bird Sanctuary so Cara and I couldn’t join him- dogs not allowed).  We explored some Dr. Seuss flowers in the Peace Garden.

What a beautiful day at Lake Harriet!

I *heart* Jamie Oliver May 1, 2010

Is it the slight underbite?

Is it the adorable way you can see his tongue when he’s being ‘cheeky’?

Is it the irreverent hair, or the irreverent attitude?

Is it the car he drives, or the way he drives it?

Maybe it’s the charm.  Anyway, I’m under his spell.  Yes, that’s right.  Jamie, if it weren’t for Neighbor Dave, you’d be one step closer to number one dude.

Jamie put out the challenge on Twitter, and immediately  I felt called to make an omelette.  Even though I don’t like eggs (unless they’re in the blueberry muffins, which I also made!)  Neighbor Dave is the willing foil for my cooking exploits.  He loves me so much he’ll eat most anything I make.  He even harvested fresh chives for the omelette.

I put a little flame under my Great-grandma’s cast iron skillet, and while it was heating up, I scrambled a couple eggs with a fork. 

I added fresh cracked pepper, a little seasoned salt, and a tad bit of water.  I put a pat of butter on the skillet and after it melted, I added the egg, then used my kitchen scissors to snip bits of chives directly on top.  Sharp white cheddar finished the masterpiece.

Maybe someday I’ll develop a taste for eggs, I wish I liked them, they look delicious!

My favorite is blueberry.  When I was planning my menus for this past week, I was going to include a blueberry lemon poppyseed bundt cake.  The beautiful morning today changed my mind and I decided to make muffins instead. 

I looked up “blueberry lemon poppyseed muffins” in google and found lots of recipes to choose from.  I adapted this one (didn’t have sour cream, so I put 3/4 cup of plain nonfat yogurt on a paper towel on a strainer over a bowl in my fridge for about 30 minutes- to remove extra liquid- and used that instead).  They were delicious, moist, and beautiful.

Yes, I did pick one of my lovely tulips just before a windy night defrocked the rest of them.  Oh joy to savor the beauty for another few days!

Surprise! April 28, 2010

Walked through the neighborhood today- seems the Apple trees and lilacs just blossomed today because it smells so good.

Guess what else?

Walking home….

I looked closer…

Something caught my eye…

SURPRISE!

Customer Appreciation: Going to the Ocean April 26, 2010

Yes my friends, you read this right.  My Lunch Bunch is going to benefit from my lack of personal control: you’re coming to the beach with me to surf.

No, it’s not Hawaii, or Puerto Rico… it’s in your lunch box.  I splurged and went to Coastal Seafoods today.  In fact, I did all my shopping in Seward.  That Cub Foods on East Lake is really interesting- the produce was really beautiful and the selection of Mexican foods was fantastic!  (Note to self: prepare for Cinco de Mayo meal here.)

Lunches for this week (think sand, wind, waves, seagulls, envious hungry people):

Tuesday: Starting you off gently with white Tilapia over couscous and topped with Citrus Fennel Relish (yum, so bright with fresh orange and grapefruit!)

Wednesday: Salmon with Maple Lemon Glaze served with Green Beans and Potato

Thursday: Tuna Scallopini with Onion, Mint, and Almond Topping served over rice

xoxo to Lee, C Thomas, and Sarah for being awesome clients!

Parley Lake Winery: I’m a Fan April 16, 2010

I’m proud that my friends at Parley Lake (Deb Z the talented artiste) wrote a fun blog post documenting our tasting experience last week… I’m really looking forward to managing the tasting room this summer!

We’d love to see you out at the winery- Parley Lake has a Facebook site – please become a fan if you’re a fan!

I Like… What??? March 19, 2010

This week has been the week of Creativity.  Drawing (see yesterday’s post), Sculpting (this afternoon with miss Deb), Cooking, Writing. 

The big news I’m proud to share today is that my first of a weekly Diary series is published on Tripping on the Ladder !  Welcome to new readers who came here from there.  Have fun diving in and catching up!

It’s been a joy, very cathartic, and FUN to write about what’s going on with me during this transition.  Frankly, I am surprised about how much I feel drawn to writing.  I wouldn’t have guessed that writing would be such a major part of my post-corporate life.  I’m following what feels good, so we’ll see if this creative streak is an enduring trend.  It sure does seem like it’s here to stay.

Send me good wishes as I dive back into sculpture.  For those of you that read this post, you know that I have a tendency to forget that it’s all about creating my own variation on a theme – there isn’t a “right” way to do things.  I’m looking forward to sculpting given my new approach and place in life.

Happy Friday to you Corporate Ladderers- I challenge you to exercise your creativity today!  Draw a picture on your whiteboard, write a little something, create a paperclip sculpture.  See if it opens up a new part of your brain.  Let me know about it, I’m looking for new creative outlets to try and would love to hear about yours!

It’s Sunny (in my world anyway) March 11, 2010

I took the day off from writing yesterday so I wouldn’t bore the pants off of you!

Sometimes a thought comes to me on a subject I should write about in the blog.  Then another sometimes, I write it down so I don’t forget it.  I haven’t had one of those thoughts yet this week.

Taking a note from Jason’s Wax Grateful blog, I’m going to share about why it’s nice to be able to program my very own morning schedule. 

I get up at the time I always used to get up, to give Neighbor Dave the gift of a gentle and gradual wake up process.  I packed his lunches and got my boots on.  Cara the dog and I walked Dave to his bus stop.

Lately it’s been icy in the mornings so in order to avoid falling- a gift I have- I go home.  But today the sidewalks were damp but not icy so Cara and I cruised the ‘hood. 

What a gorgeous morning!  It’s foggy, yes… but the cardinals are out playing (or maybe fighting, I don’t know- in any case it’s pretty); the squirrels are stealing birdfood from well-protected (but not well enough) birdfeeders; people’s morning lights shine from the back of the house through the front windows; nobody was out so we had the sidewalks to ourselves.  I discovered that there is a little bit of Garfield on this side of 50th, tucked between Fremont and Lake Harriet on 47th.  I didn’t know that!

It just started pouring rain outside- I missed it by walking early!

I’ve got my hot coffee, my computer, and I’m sitting at my dining room table with a 360 degree view of the out-of-doors.  I love the view from my office.  It’s definitely sunny in my world.