Okay. Now Memorial Day came and went and I was just to darn relaxed to even think about writing. However as we all know, Memorial Day not only honors our veterans, but it is the unofficial first day of summer. Now I don't wait until this holiday to start grilling. Sometimes I grill through the winter, but I do want to post a little call for help about helping our gluten free family enjoy a hot dog.
I don't eat them often to my 10 year old's protest. (They are his favorite food) As much as I do enjoy eating them, I really don't consider them food as much as I do a special treat. We eat them in several different ways and their salty meaty flavor lends a liveliness to many meals.
My husband can cook a mean platter of hot dogs and fried potatoes. I will somtimes chop them up and throw them in corn muffins for a GF corndog. Adding them to beans makes a hearty meal. But sometimes we just want a nice frank nestled in a bun with a myriad of toppings like onions, chili, mustard, relish, and my favorite..Green Chile Peppers.
But while my son and I can have this my husband cannot so we often do not indulge this popular American pastime unless it is bunless or the dog is nestled in between two slices of bread, not an ideal fit. I have no problem making them, but I have yet to find a vessel that would create the perfect hot dot shape and the only thing I can come up with is the top part of a butter dish. Hopefully it does not shatter. I will post my results. Wish me luck.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Letter of Intent to Make Strawberry Shortcake
Ok...I still have not made the ultra rich and buttery shortcake I crave. My husband just had a birthday and I had to make something fast that would feed a small crowd of family. I also had to pick something we don't eat often and that he loves. So I opted for the No-bake strawberry cheesecake. Not my personal favorite. I am not really a cheesecake person. It is rich and lightly sweet, but the thick and tangy cream cheese flavor does not float my boat.
I used to adore this flavor so much that I would often just spread cream cheese on wonder bread when I was a kid. Another special Los Lunas treat. After being pregnant with my first child, I ate a whole Jello no-bake cheesecake and could not really crave any cheesecake ever since. Sorry Jello folks, but pregnancy does weird things to a woman's taste buds. So I put aside the shortcakes for my husband's benefit and made the cheesecake. I ate of it. It was not bad, but I think I can feel the cream cheese curdle on my thighs especially being topped with real whipped cream. There was one special slice left after our party ended and then our dog decided to help himself while we were not looking.
Well with the strawberry days getting ready to end. I will make the shortcakes and unfortunately I don't have a ton of trial and error to perfect my GF shortcake. I sincerely hope I have time to make these buttery little gems because I am currently writing my letter of intent to the graduate program I wish to enter. It is so much easier to focus on writing in this blog that I thought, I can do a switcheroo to writing my intent letter, but the only thing I really intend doing right now is making the perfect strawberry shortcake. Ugh...Writer's block.
My intention this week for the menu is to keep it easy and veggie. My husband and son are going to a boy scout retreat so me and the baby are easily pleased with vegetables.
Saturday, 5/29-Going to a Graduation Party
Sunday, 5/30-Sloppy Joes, GF buns, Steamed peas and carrots
Monday, 5/31-Slow BBQ spare ribs, GF cornbread (I like the sweet variety),Baked beans, Sauteed/Braised Collard Greens
Tuesday, Mushroom Risotto w/green salad
Wednesday, Carrot Ginger Soup w/coconut milk, baby greens salad, w/whole grain bread (not GF)
Thursday, Veggie Spaghetti with lots of parmesan
Friday, out?
I used to adore this flavor so much that I would often just spread cream cheese on wonder bread when I was a kid. Another special Los Lunas treat. After being pregnant with my first child, I ate a whole Jello no-bake cheesecake and could not really crave any cheesecake ever since. Sorry Jello folks, but pregnancy does weird things to a woman's taste buds. So I put aside the shortcakes for my husband's benefit and made the cheesecake. I ate of it. It was not bad, but I think I can feel the cream cheese curdle on my thighs especially being topped with real whipped cream. There was one special slice left after our party ended and then our dog decided to help himself while we were not looking.
Well with the strawberry days getting ready to end. I will make the shortcakes and unfortunately I don't have a ton of trial and error to perfect my GF shortcake. I sincerely hope I have time to make these buttery little gems because I am currently writing my letter of intent to the graduate program I wish to enter. It is so much easier to focus on writing in this blog that I thought, I can do a switcheroo to writing my intent letter, but the only thing I really intend doing right now is making the perfect strawberry shortcake. Ugh...Writer's block.
My intention this week for the menu is to keep it easy and veggie. My husband and son are going to a boy scout retreat so me and the baby are easily pleased with vegetables.
Saturday, 5/29-Going to a Graduation Party
Sunday, 5/30-Sloppy Joes, GF buns, Steamed peas and carrots
Monday, 5/31-Slow BBQ spare ribs, GF cornbread (I like the sweet variety),Baked beans, Sauteed/Braised Collard Greens
Tuesday, Mushroom Risotto w/green salad
Wednesday, Carrot Ginger Soup w/coconut milk, baby greens salad, w/whole grain bread (not GF)
Thursday, Veggie Spaghetti with lots of parmesan
Friday, out?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Almost a Month Later
I have been so busy at work and too pooped to actually write anything and I have a long list of things to write. This should be at the bottom, but I must blurt out something unprofessional and today that unprofessional blurt is going to be about my quest for the perfect strawberry shortcake recipe. Gluten-Free of course.
This used to be one of my favorite desserts as a child because strawberries have always been my favorite fruit. I love the memories of going to the grocery store with my aunt in Los Lunas and she would buy me a pint of strawberries. I could smell the strong scent of ripe strawberries and I would choose the pint with the most strawberries stuffed into the little green basket. I loved them so much, that I wanted to savor them one by one per day. This was not such a great idea being that strawberries don't have the best shelf life. They would often rot before I could eat them all.
When this would happen, my aunt would complain because she hated to waste food. She came up with the solution to buy me those Twinkie like dessert cups and a tub of cool whip along with the strawberries. When she got home, she would slice the strawberries and mix them with sugar. Thus the cheapo strawberry shortcake was born at my aunts. I loved it...but my tastes have changed over the years.
My Grandma, who could not eat a whole lot of processed foods would make the shortcake from scratch. I was overwhelmed with this dessert and couldn't wait until spring so my Grandma could make it again only to find that she would make the shortcake again in the summer when the peaches were ripe. Oh Heaven. I discovered that it was not only the strawberries, but the semi-salty, rich, and buttery shortcake that I was desperately in love with. I would often sneak a pinch of shortcake before dinner. Now, to find a gluten-free version...I will have to post my results.
This used to be one of my favorite desserts as a child because strawberries have always been my favorite fruit. I love the memories of going to the grocery store with my aunt in Los Lunas and she would buy me a pint of strawberries. I could smell the strong scent of ripe strawberries and I would choose the pint with the most strawberries stuffed into the little green basket. I loved them so much, that I wanted to savor them one by one per day. This was not such a great idea being that strawberries don't have the best shelf life. They would often rot before I could eat them all.
When this would happen, my aunt would complain because she hated to waste food. She came up with the solution to buy me those Twinkie like dessert cups and a tub of cool whip along with the strawberries. When she got home, she would slice the strawberries and mix them with sugar. Thus the cheapo strawberry shortcake was born at my aunts. I loved it...but my tastes have changed over the years.
My Grandma, who could not eat a whole lot of processed foods would make the shortcake from scratch. I was overwhelmed with this dessert and couldn't wait until spring so my Grandma could make it again only to find that she would make the shortcake again in the summer when the peaches were ripe. Oh Heaven. I discovered that it was not only the strawberries, but the semi-salty, rich, and buttery shortcake that I was desperately in love with. I would often sneak a pinch of shortcake before dinner. Now, to find a gluten-free version...I will have to post my results.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Back to Baking
I just gave my boss my notice of resignation and it felt like a large weight was just lifted from my shoulders. I have a month left and I am ready for summer. I thought about some of the ventures that I would like to try or I had put aside for a time that I was not so busy. Working full time at a job I cannot stand anymore is no way to live. I can survive just fine, but I need to actually live now. My list of tasks that I want to tackle are to focus on my sons' education, learning to sew, and baking better bread.
My husband and I usually purchase our bread from a bakery that bakes gluten-free bread with a label that states that it was in fact produced in a facility that also makes wheat bread. Is my husband really eating bread that is gluten-free? He is also just limited to brown rice bread. No hamburgers. No Hot Dogs. No Bagels or English muffins. Many of these places have sweets, but they taste, well Gluten-Free.
I usually make our own sweet treats, but I would like to offer him different alternatives for bread that is not only full of grains besides rice, but are also tasty. Now I have that chance at least for the summer. The only thing I cannot figure out is how am I going to make a hot dog bun?
Menu for the Week
Saturday 4/24- Girls Night GF Polenta Pizza, Puff Pastry Pizza, and Italian Nachos (Contains Gluten)
Sunday 4/25 Green Chile Cheese Burgers, with homemade GF buns, oven-fried onion rings
Monday 4/26 Tuna Salad Sandwiches w/sliced Fresh cucumbers and carrots
Tuesday 4/27 Grilled Rosemary/Garlic rubbed pork chops, butternut squash risotto, romaine and arugula salad
Wednesday 4/28 Leftovers, I hope. Plan B Chopped steak w/gravy on toast, Broccolette or another Salad
Thursday 4/29 Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes & Cream Gravy, Steamed Peas and Carrots
Friday 4/30 Dinner Out or Leftovers.
My husband and I usually purchase our bread from a bakery that bakes gluten-free bread with a label that states that it was in fact produced in a facility that also makes wheat bread. Is my husband really eating bread that is gluten-free? He is also just limited to brown rice bread. No hamburgers. No Hot Dogs. No Bagels or English muffins. Many of these places have sweets, but they taste, well Gluten-Free.
I usually make our own sweet treats, but I would like to offer him different alternatives for bread that is not only full of grains besides rice, but are also tasty. Now I have that chance at least for the summer. The only thing I cannot figure out is how am I going to make a hot dog bun?
Menu for the Week
Saturday 4/24- Girls Night GF Polenta Pizza, Puff Pastry Pizza, and Italian Nachos (Contains Gluten)
Sunday 4/25 Green Chile Cheese Burgers, with homemade GF buns, oven-fried onion rings
Monday 4/26 Tuna Salad Sandwiches w/sliced Fresh cucumbers and carrots
Tuesday 4/27 Grilled Rosemary/Garlic rubbed pork chops, butternut squash risotto, romaine and arugula salad
Wednesday 4/28 Leftovers, I hope. Plan B Chopped steak w/gravy on toast, Broccolette or another Salad
Thursday 4/29 Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes & Cream Gravy, Steamed Peas and Carrots
Friday 4/30 Dinner Out or Leftovers.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Torta de Huevo
When I was a child, my mother's side of the family would get together on Good Friday for the Good Friday Dinner. They were all Catholic at one time, but stopped practicing long ago. However, they would still make this elaborate meal on a day that most Catholics are fasting and mourning. The foods showcased in this meal are traditional Lenten food choices in this region. They include Torta de Huevo, Fried Salmon Patties (salmon from a can, fresh fish in New Mexico was not readily available or very expensive), Quelites, and Beans with or without Chicos, and of course a dessert termed as Sopa. I could never figure this one out because sopa means soup in Spanish.
The one food that I want to feature is Torta de Huevo. This dish (at least here in Central NM) is whipped egg whites reconstituted with their yolks and then spoonfulls of it is placed in hot oil to cook. After cooked, we smother them with Chile Colorado (Red Chile from the pods and re-hydrated if not fresh), serve with a ladle of pinto beans and eat.
When I was little, I didn't like eggs at all in any shape or form. My aunt would tell me that she is making Easter Eggs. She would break out her hand mixer beat egg whites until they were stiff add the egg yolks and drop the mixture in hot oil. As I watched the batter puff up in the pan I actually got excited to eat them and promise to try the Easter eggs. After they were cooked, I would try them and spit it back out.
Well a couple of pregnancies later and I really look forward to Lent so that I can eat them. It is funny that I actually look forward to a food during Lent. Torta de Huevo almost defeats the purpose of fasting during the Lenten season.
The one food that I want to feature is Torta de Huevo. This dish (at least here in Central NM) is whipped egg whites reconstituted with their yolks and then spoonfulls of it is placed in hot oil to cook. After cooked, we smother them with Chile Colorado (Red Chile from the pods and re-hydrated if not fresh), serve with a ladle of pinto beans and eat.
When I was little, I didn't like eggs at all in any shape or form. My aunt would tell me that she is making Easter Eggs. She would break out her hand mixer beat egg whites until they were stiff add the egg yolks and drop the mixture in hot oil. As I watched the batter puff up in the pan I actually got excited to eat them and promise to try the Easter eggs. After they were cooked, I would try them and spit it back out.
Well a couple of pregnancies later and I really look forward to Lent so that I can eat them. It is funny that I actually look forward to a food during Lent. Torta de Huevo almost defeats the purpose of fasting during the Lenten season.
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