2009 In Review: The Recipes

(sadly, not my kitchen nor my photo... randomly found on the web; if it's yours, let me know!)

Well, I'm not sure how I want to do this post, but I have a few favorite new recipes I wanted to share, and talk about how my cooking changed this year.

I've always liked to cook, but since Terri got so sick, we pretty much stopped going out, um, ever (that's slowly starting to change, but in the beginning, she could barely leave the house). But I still liked to eat yummy food of all kinds and so decided that I needed to learn how to make whatever I would previously had gone out for (Indian, or Japanese, for instance).

Once we moved from the nightmare mold house, about a year ago, we needed to really watch money so my cooking became even more important. I intended to be as cost-efficient as possible while still serving really delicious food so we wouldn't feel the least bit deprived.

Overall, I've done a pretty good job. Dinner is still a struggle because Terri's tummy has some issues (another CFS side effect) but we've found that if we make a weekly menu, it helps her to anticipate what's coming, and things seem to go better. Also, making a menu means very efficient shopping and cooking. We've fallen out of the practice in the past couple months but we're all geared up for the new year, making a couple two-week menus that will simply rotate. Also, Terri is branching out and will be making dinner once a week, probably in the crock pot. So that's exciting! (I made a simple reference site for her -- feel free to use it, yourself!)

Anyway. So here are a few favorite recipes and dinner ideas from the past year.

We really like thin-crust pizza, but Terri doesn't like very much cheese and we like it very crispy, which is hard to find, especially delivery (and as we know, hello, not cheap). I already had a pizza stone, which makes this really easy to create excellent crispy thin-crust pizza. I use this extremely easy home-made pizza dough recipe from Smitten Kitchen, which only takes a little advance planning and tastes great. I make a quick homemade pizza sauce by lightly simmering a small can of tomato sauce with Italian herbs and extra basil. Then I heat the oven with the stone in it. I roll the dough and then take out the hot stone, sprinkle cornmeal over it, and then lay the dough out on the hot stone. I spread a VERY thin layer of sauce over the dough (lightly painting it, really), and then a very thin sprinkling of cheese (usually a four-cheese blend, preshredded, which, if you make a ton of thin-crust pizzas and use very little cheese, is actually pretty cheap). Our favorite topping is thinly sliced red peppers and chopped Kalamata olives. Into the hot oven (about 450) for 10-15 minutes, until nice and crispy. This makes very yummy next-day snacking.

I've also always wanted to learn how to make good Indian food. I don't have a recipe on-hand, but I do have a book recommendation. 660 Curries was a great book and my best friend just gave it to me for Christmas! This isn't a vegetarian book but there are a TON of vegetarian recipes in here, and the four that I tried turned out great, very tasty and flavorful without being bland or too sharp, as most homemade Indian turns out. The secret is using fresh spices and sometimes grinding your own when it calls for it. If you can buy bulk spices, it's very economical to buy fresh spices since you can just get a little bit. I'm going to continue trying out recipes and figure out what our favorites are.

Although I don't really like fish, I love Japanese food (well, the stuff that doesn't have fish in it). I especially love miso and udon soups. It took me a very long time, but I finally figured out how to make decent miso soup at home. It's very simple, but you really have to have the dashi. It was surprisingly difficult to figure out how to make this at home. All the recipes I saw were like, "Oh, just add miso to hot water -- ta da! Miso soup!" Not so. The simple recipe I figured out makes very yummy, quick, satisfying miso to which you can add very simple garnishes, or more substantial items for a heartier meal.

As for udon, surprisingly, the instant (or near-instant) udon packs from the grocery store work great and are not very expensive (a little over a dollar a bowl, and that's a BIG bowl of soup). I'm still figuring out if there's a non-pain-in-the-rear way to make the broth. But really, the instant packs are pretty delicious so I might not really bother.

If you follow my blog at all, you'll know that we like brownies here at our house. I went through a period of trying to find our perfect brownies. And then finally -- there they were. Our Perfect Brownies (again I refer to Smitten Kitchen, whose recipes I really love). They're adapted from Cook's Illustrated Classic Brownies. I use regular flour with no problem, and I don't add nuts to ours. They are really, really good.

We also like rice pudding and it's a sure-fire winner when tummies are upset, which they frequently are at our house (mine included). Here's the recipe we've been liking a lot lately, which is adapted from a few different recipes, including, of course, Smitten Kitchen's):

1/2 cup short-grain rice (although I made it with jasmine rice too and that was quite good)

4 cups milk (both whole and reduced-fat are fine)

1/4 cup sugar or less (we like less)

3-4 cardamom pods

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

(if you don't have bay leaves and/or cardamom pods, I also like to leave them out and then grate fresh nutmeg on top when it's done cooking)

In a large saucepan, place all the ingredients, except the extracts. Bring it to a gentle boil and then turn it down to a low simmer, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom, for about 30 to 40 minutes. Taste the rice to check for doneness. We like it a bit thicker; you may like yours soupier.

Take the pudding off the heat and stir in the extract(s). Serve and eat!

(word to the wise -- be very careful this doesn't boil over. I actually ended up gluing the lid to the pot and heat-sealing it because I wasn't paying attention. It was quite a comedy of errors trying to get that damn lid off the pot, and it's still warped. So don't do that)

Well, I could go on and on. I also made a lot of cinnamon bread.

The next year is going to bring lots more recipe development and fun with international comfort food. I've got an idea and I think I'm finally going to quit dithering and do something about it. And of course I'll be blogging all about it!

Surrender (you know you want to)

Have I posted about these before? These are the World's Best Home Fries (also called cottage fries, I think).

We don't have these very often but they are so wonderful when you are cold, hungry, grumpy, and need something very, very delicious and comforting.

Many people seem to turn to sugar in times of stress. I prefer my comfort food on the starchy side. Potatoes are perfect. I can also eat a ton of biscuits (if only my pants didn't complain the next day). But potatoes? Potatoes spell happiness for me anytime. I like them boiled, fried, baked, scalloped, gratineed, mashed, or in a salad or just about any other preparation you can think of.

It's freaking *cold* here this week (which is making me so happy, although dang, it's COLD in our house), perfect potato weather. If you're in the need for comfort food, make up a batch of these. You won't be sorry, I promise. We eat them for dinner, but they'd be yummy with eggs on a Sunday morning.

Perfect Home Fries (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

2 1/2 tablespoons oil

1 medium onion , chopped small

1 medium red pepper, chopped small

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (2 medium) or all-purpose potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see below)

1 1/4 teaspoons table salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Ground black pepper

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, 5-7 minutes. Add red pepper, continue stirring another 5 minutes. You can either leave the onions/peppers in the skillet to fry with the potatoes if you like them well-browned, or take them out and add them back in after the potatoes are done. I leave them in.

2. Meanwhile, place diced potatoes in large saucepan, cover with 1/2 inch water, add 1 teaspoon salt, and place over high heat. As soon as water begins to boil, about 6 minutes, drain potatoes thoroughly in colander. (yes, this technique really works well to help potatoes keep their shape and not get mushy!)

3. Heat butter (or Earth Balance) and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in skillet with onions (or not) over medium-high heat until butter foams. Add potatoes and shake skillet to evenly distribute potatoes in single layer; make sure that one side of each piece is touching surface of skillet. Cook without stirring until potatoes are golden brown on bottom, about 4 to 5 minutes, then carefully turn potatoes with wooden spatula. Spread potatoes in single layer in skillet again and repeat process until potatoes are tender and browned on most sides, turning three to four times, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Add onions back if you took them out, paprika and cumin, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; stir to blend and serve immediately.

You will be happy.

Miso Soup-- FINALLY!

Posting has been light (or non-existent) this weekend since my computer is in the shop. I have tons of book reviews to post, but haven't had the computer! Borrowing Terri's today to share my miso soup recipe, which I FINALLY figured out this weeked after like 10 years of trying. It is surprisingly difficult to find a decent recipe online. So. If you like miso soup, here's how you can make your own. I was sooooooooooo happy to finally figure this out.

Homemade Quick and Yummy Miso Soup

You'll need:

• Miso: If you go to a store with a wide selection of miso, it is VERY confusing. Berkeley Bowl had, seriously, like 25 kinds. I stood in front of the miso case for a loooong time. I chose shiro miso (white) and it turned out very well. Many recipes say that you can use red miso in the colder months. I think it probably doesn't matter, just pick one. Shiro seems like it's a good place to start.
• Instant dashi: this is the secret ingredient!! I don't know why more recipes for quick miso don't include this -- it makes all the difference. It is not vegan/vegetarian, but you only use a small amount. You can get this at any Asian market. The brand "Hon-Dashi" seems to be most popular
• Wakame: Dried 'sea vegetable'. Also very important to miso soup, but if you can't find it, you can still make yummy soup. This should also be at the Asian market (or Whole Foods).
• Other add-ins: dried shiitake, green onion, yellow onion, soft tofu, whatever you like in your miso.

Here is how to make a single serving (which is super-yummy for a savory breakfast):

Boil one cup of water.

Add in 1/4 teaspoon dashi (more if you like a stronger flavor)

Add 1/4 teaspoon dried wakame (you might need to snip it into tiny pieces first -- it expands like crazy!!)

Add shiitakes and yellow onions, if using.

Let boil another few seconds (maybe a minute). Then TURN OFF THE STOVE.

Once the boiling has stopped, stir in 1 tbsp. miso. You can also pre-mix this with a little water to make a smooth paste. It's important not to boil the miso once it's been added.

Whisk until everything is combined. Taste. Add more miso or dashi until it tastes right to you (I had to add a tiny pinch more dashi and a little more miso because I like a strong flavor).

Garnish with green onion, tofu, etc.

***

I'm going to experiment using this as a base for udon soup, with I also adore.

I was SO PLEASED to finally figure out how to make miso at home. I don't know why there aren't more simple recipes like this -- most seem to leave out the dashi, which is essential to make it taste right!

Good luck, happy cooking, and book reviews coming soon!

"That was not a pleasant experience"

OK, maybe you've gotten the email. "Amazing Chocolate Cake In Only 5 Minutes!" But nobody ever says whether it's any good or not. Don't you want to know??

Tonight Terri and I were at home watching a movie and I suddenly remembered that recipe. We were going a little stir-crazy so I thought I would try it just for fun.

Well, it certainly was easy. And it puffed up inside the microwave quite impressively.

And after 3 minutes of microwave magic, voila! We have a cup of... well, something. Something brown and vaguely cake-like.

It smelled pretty good. I tried it first. Well, dear readers, it wasn't very good, I'm sorry to report. The texture was thick and rubbery. Almost as if we coated the kitchen sponge in cake batter and baked it. Yes, kitchen-sponge-like would be how I would describe it. But, I tried a couple more bites to see if it got any better. It didn't.

Terri was game and took a bite. Her verdict? "That was not a pleasant experience."

The worst part is now we are left hanging: we almost had cake! And now, no cake! So sad.

If you feel like trying this experiment at home, here's the recipe. I would recommend microwaving it for maybe 2.5 minutes instead of 3. If you're desperate enough to make the cake, that is.

4 Tablespoons flour

4 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa

1 Egg

3 Tablespoons milk

3 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (or 1.5 Tablespoons oil and 1.5 Tablespoons applesauce)

Pinch salt

Cooking spray

1 Mug

Coat inside of mug with cooking spray. Mix flour, sugar, salt and cocoa. Stir in egg. Pour in milk and oil and combine thoroughly.

Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1,000 watts). Let it sit for five or so minutes before spooning the cake onto a plate.

Some Updates, And, A Recipe!

(I haven't posted a picture in awhile... why? Because I am L-A-Z-Y, that's why. Hopefully I'll process some this weekend)

And now... Random Updates!

Hair: It's been... a week and a half? Two weeks? Probably two weeks since I washed my hair with shampoo. It's actually going great! I had one or two days where my hair felt kinda icky, but it wasn't that bad even then. I got some bulk baking soda to wash with, and made a vinegar solution to rinse with. I've noticed that my hair is fuller, curls more easily, and is less fluffy and fly-away. It seems a little dry (I'm assuming that's because the oils haven't worked their way down to the ends yet) so today I used some conditioner and I might do a warm oil-pack deep conditioning treatment this weekend, but I'm pretty happy so far. I think it's still 'transitioning,' whatever that means, but it's certainly not unmanageable and I'm happy so far.

Health: I think I have to go on a no-sugar, whole-foods diet for awhile. My ear (which is easily infected) has been giving me trouble, and last time it was afflicted, it was with a massive yeast-and-staph infection (yuck!!). Given the vertigo I've been experiencing, and the recent heavy dose of antibiotics I took for my leg, and the fact that my tummy has been acting up, I think I need to just bite the bullet and do this thing. No sugar, no processed foods, no 'white' carbs, no caffeine. Sigh. Luckily it's just for a month or two. And luckily my new favorite lunch is steamed cauliflower, broccoli and carrots, with some baked chicken (I'm a mostly-vegetarian, but lately I've been so low-energy I'm reverting back to my old nutrition lessons from growing up and am upping the protein. Just chicken, however). Hopefully this will help that, too. Starting... Monday.

Books: I am almost done with The Wood Wife, and now I see what the big deal is! I am completely enthralled with this book. It's really good, better than I had hoped. I should be posting a review tomorrow, if I keep reading tonight like I have been. And then, even though I should be reading for Once Upon A Time, I have a whole slew of other books to read before getting back into OUAT. They're library books so I'd better hop to it! I also have to post over at Anna; I keep forgetting...

And, the recipe: This is from Orangette, whose book A Homemade Life I really want to read. I read about this last week and wanted to try it... seems like a really good lunch, so inexpensive and delicious, not to mention simple! I made it tonight, and was instantly addicted.

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I am going to try home-cooked next time)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. good olive oil
A pinch of salt
¼ cup loosely packed shredded real Parmigiano Reggiano

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently to mix. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately, or chill, covered, until serving.

PS: This is really filling, too.

That's about it for now. I am feeling very inspired by the book, so hopefully next week the paints will come out again...

Related/Unrelated

I've been feeling a little guilty because I haven't been posting any bookish news lately... I've been kind of busy, and I'm sort of plodding through a Charles de Lint short story collection. I'm not a fan of short stories, but these are all sort of interrelated and I love de Lint, so I'm just reading one or two a night. I'm also halfway reading two or three other things, but I think I'm in a bit of a holding pattern until I start something new (or finish one of these other things).

So, related/unrelated, it's the season of Lent. Related, because we just got some books about Lent, which I am going to read. A couple of them are daily-companion books, and the others are informative or meditative. Disclaimer: I am not Catholic, so I really don't know what I'm talking about. Terri is Catholic, and it meant a lot to her for us to observe Lent this year, so I want to learn all about it. All I knew about Lent was that it came after Mardi Gras (but I don't know much about Mardi Gras either), and you had to give something up during Lent, and then comes Easter. Seriously, that's about it. D'Arcy, stop laughing.

So Terri has been helping me. She said I could either give something up, or "do" something. I decided that rather than giving something up, I'm going to do a daily meditative writing practice. This may or may not take the form of a conversation with Spirit/Divine/God/Whoever/Whatever. I've been reading, and Terri's been telling me, that Lent is about clearing away the barriers that keep you from a close relationship with God. So a writing practice seems like a good way for me to feel closer to my own spirituality.

I mentioned that I'm not Catholic. I'm not a member of any formal religion. I wasn't raised in any kind of formal religion -- sort of a mixture of influences from my mom's vaguely Catholic/Methodist background, my dad's Baptist mother, my friends' Christian religions of various sorts, and my dad's interest in Carlos Castenada's books. So... sort of eclectic. It was all very positive, actually. I've always been intensely interested in all things spiritual, and have been a searcher all my life; but always reluctant to adhere to any particular religion. I would very much like to find a spiritual home.

However, right now, it's more important to me to feel connected to Terri and to have a spiritual practice as a couple. I have some problems with the Catholic Church as an institution, but I am putting those aside to participate with Terri, and to do my own spiritual exploration, and to focus on the beauty of the ritual and the season. I'm looking forward to this very much, actually.

So the books we're reading for Lent include:
* The Essential Lenten Handbook, A Daily Companion
* Lent and Easter, Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen
* A Clearing Season, Reflections For Lent

Also, related/unrelated (related to a post from last week or so): The newest brownie recipe is the Cook's Illustrated Classic Brownies. We really liked Mark Bittman's brownies, but they were a little greasy (although it could be that I overgreased the pan). However, I really wanted to try these. The verdict is in: these are really, really good. The only problem was that I overbaked them ever so slightly so the edges are a bit cakey, but they are pretty amazing. We may have a winner.

(do you see why I chose a daily writing practice rather than giving up, say... chocolate?)

Updated: okay, yes, we have a winner! These are really, really good.

The Great Brownie Showdown

(this is not a brownie)

I've been on a brownie roll lately. I'm on the quest for the Perfect Brownie. Why is this so difficult?

First, I made the Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies. These are kind of over the top. I didn't even add the chocolate chips -- they were extremely dark, rich and heavy. I mean, they were good, but they were a bit much. I also overbaked them slightly, which didn't help. We liked them, but they are not everyday brownies.

Then, I made the Baker's One-Bowl Brownies. These were highly recommended by many people. These did have the perfect texture: fudgy and slightly sticky, with a thin, crispy top and chewy sides. However, the flavor was a bit one-note. So much so, that I'm wondering if I did something stupid like left out the vanilla or salt or something. I didn't love them, but the texture was hard to argue with.

So tonight I made Mark Bittman's Brownies. I have to say, I think this might be the winner. I added vanilla and a tiny bit of almond extract (my secret ingredient). Great texture -- fudgy, dark, with a good chewy edge. I think this is definitely way up there. They're a tiny bit too buttery (is that possible?)

I'd still like to try Cook's Illustrated Classic Brownies, but I'd also be happy just sticking with the Mark Bittman brownie recipe.

One more note about brownies. I do have one special brownie recipe that I only make every once in awhile. This is James Beard's brownie recipe (I'm not certain that this link is the exact recipe that I use, I will have to check). This recipe is tricky -- it's very easy to simultaneously over- and under-bake them. This was the only brownie recipe I had while I lived in Finland, and we made every single permutation of these you can imagine, because we didn't always have the correct ingredients, and it was often so snowy and freezing, or we were so poor, that we couldn't get to the store to get the right ingredients. Also, we had to translate metric to cups and teaspoons, so... sometimes they were, um, interesting. One time, when we were really desperate, I even melted down cheap Easter chocolate candies and tried to make brownies out of them. (don't do that, by the way)

So now I only make these when certain friends come to visit (you know who you are!!). They are best eaten while watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Possibly accompanied by Queen. And maybe some rye crackers and cheese.

**
It's taking me forever to read my current book, but I'm enjoying it so much that I don't mind taking a little extra time. I'm also working on my projects and that's taking up my reading time. But I'll have some new stuff soon!

In the meantime, I suggest you make some brownies.

The Russian Posts: Kasha Varnishkes

As you know, I'm reading Anna Karenina, and I thought that as I read along I would try some Russian recipes just for fun.

Tonight was the first in (hopefully) a long line of delicious experiments: Kasha Varnishkes.

Kasha is buckwheat groats, toasted. I have very little experience with buckwheat, aside from the occasional buckwheat pancake, soba noodles, or this amazing buckwheat shortbread cookie. However, it was cold and dark and what's not to like about toasty groats, caramelized onions, butter and pasta? I mean, seriously.

I have a suspicion that buckwheat kasha *may* be an acquired taste (it's kind of gross plain), but you acquire the taste very quickly when you add in butter and salt and onions. It's got an interesting texture, but it went very nicely with the al dente pasta.

Kasha Varnishkes

3 to 4 cups chopped onions

1 cup kasha

3 TBLS olive oil (or more)

salt and pepper

2-4 TBLS butter

1 pound bowtie pasta (I used pasta mista, see note below)

1. Put onions in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Cover skillet and cook for about 10 minutes, until onion is dry and almost sticking to pan. Add oil, raise heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is nicely browned, at least 10 minutes or so longer.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a separate, medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil, stir in the kasha and about a teaspoon of salt. Cover and simmer until kasha is soft and fluffy, about 15 minutes. Let stand, off heat and covered.

3. Salt the large pot of boiling water and cook noodles until tender but still firm. Drain and combine with the onions and kasha, adding butter if you like. Season with salt and lots of pepper and loosen your belt.

(note: I found this interesting pasta thing from De Cecco: pasta mista. Looks like all kinds of odds and ends of pasta noodles, but it was really tasty and a good size/texture for this dish)

This seems like a very good Russian-winter dish (I read that it's often Russian Jewish comfort food). It's hearty, tasty, fills you up and is super-cheap to make (I think the whole dish, which serves AT LEAST six, cost maybe $3. I have lunch for at least 3 days next week)

Did Anna eat Kasha Varnishkes? We'll have to see.

In the meantime, I'm quite happy to have discovered this recipe and it will definitely be going in the rotation. Yum.

Toasty Goodness (edited to add recipe)

That is what this is. Cinnamon swirl toasty goodness. I made this last weekend. Pretty, no? I think it must be repeated this weekend. It IS Super Bowl weekend, after all. I think we'll have nachos (with the last of the refried beans), spinach dip, and cinnamon bread (to start the day).

Notice that I could not tell you who is playing the Super Bowl, and I probably won't even watch any of it, but I WILL be making yummy treats. Any excuse will do!

Plans for the weekend include:

1. Owl #3
2. Menu-planning and a little shopping
3. Exercise
4. The Grand Plan Of Awesomeness

What's the The Grand Plan Of Awesomeness? I don't even know. I think it's going to be a road map for the next few months, involving art, exercise, and all the creative ways I can think of to use my various random skills. And maybe earn some extra money. But mostly, let's get this ball rolling and have some fun and get productive! (but mostly, let's just have some fun and make some cool stuff.) I'm terrible at making Grand Plans but I feel somewhat inspired. I'm also totally okay with the whole plan changing at a moment's notice, so I think I'm set in either case.

Up next in the book-reading plans: Swish. I'm still plodding away at the spirituality book, and I'm eagerly looking forward to my allotted pages of Anna, but I need something else fun and light to keep me swinging along.

(edited to add: here you go, Kate!)
Rich Cinnamon Swirl Bread
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter (melted)
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tbls white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For swirl:
1/3 cup brown sugar
3-4 teas cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tbls melted butter

Turn on oven to 200 degrees.

Scald the milk to 100 degrees, cool slightly. Put in large heatproof bowl or bowl of standing mixer. Add yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stir, let sit a few minutes. Add eggs and butter, stir well to combine. Add 1 cup flour, sugar and salt. Mix well. Add remaining flour, one cup at a time, until dough is smooth and not sticky. Knead (either in bowl or by hand) until dough is smooth and not at all sticky, adding flour as needed, about 10 minutes.

Put dough back in bowl, cover with clean cloth. TURN OVEN OFF. Put bowl into oven to let rise double, about an hour to hour and a half.

Punch down, and roll out flat into a rectangle. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Pat brown sugar out evenly over rectangle. Roll tightly, tuck ends under if necessary. Put into greased bread pan, cover with cloth, let rise again 1 hour. In the meantime, preheat oven to 375.

When bread is risen (brush with beaten egg first if you like), bake in oven 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Note: there is apparently some kind of magic remedy for making sure you don't get a big hole in the middle of the swirl as it bakes. I have not discovered this trick. However, it's still amazing bread.

Bean Burgers Part Deux

Berries outside our front door... they'd be awfully pretty with a snowdrift, but alas, no snow here in Oakland...

So I've decided to take my friend Nicki's advice and plan the menu in advance for week, on Sundays. We tried it out this week and so far it's working out very well. Here is the menu for the week:

Sunday: lentil stew (this was sooooo yummy) and corn muffins
Monday: leftover lentil stew and muffins
Tuesday: bean burritos with homemade refried pinto beans
Wednesday: veggie burgers made with leftover beans, and baked oven fries
Thursday: leftover burgers, maybe coleslaw or salad
Friday: a big meal-sized salad

We were actually going to have something else on Thursday, but the burgers turned out so amazing tonight (and we had a few left over) that we wanted to have them again tomorrow. What a relief to know in advance what we're having for dinner! I have a terrible time coming up with weekly menus (I'm more of a decide-at-4-pm-what-I-feel-like-making sort of person), but here's what I did to make this a little easier: first, I made a big list of all our favorite meals that I make on a regular basis. I came up with a list of about 22 or 23 different dishes. That's about three weeks of meals. Plenty to mix and match. Then, I chose something to start the week with (this week, lentil stew) and went from there. It was good to be able to see how I could use something from the previous night (like refried beans) and make something different the next night.

Then I wrote the menu on our board on the fridge, and Terri got a kick out of inspecting it, and then OK'ing it with her initials. Hey, it's the little things.

I meant to do some painting tonight but I got too excited about the bean burgers. I'm such a geek about stuff like this. So here's what I did differently this time (these were so much better than the last time I made these burgers).

* I used homemade pinto beans (in refried form, but I'm sure they'd be good plain too) instead of canned garbanzo beans
* I added half a chopped red pepper to the mix
* I also tossed in a couple spoonfuls of falafel mix to add body and flavor

The texture of these were terrific, and the red pepper added such great flavor.

The baked fries were great too. Here's how (for two people):

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Peel (or not) two russet potatoes, slice into steak-frite sized pieces.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle liberally with chili powder, cumin, seasoning salt, etc.
Line a baking pan with foil, arrange potatoes on this.
Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the fries, and bake for 10-15 more minutes.

Watch them carefully because they can burn easily.

Enjoy! Now, I'm off to bed to try and get some reading done.

Veggie Burgers, and, Some Other Stuff

Silly tree, it's not spring yet. But, it was a gorgeous day here in the Bay Area today.

Here is the veggie/bean burger recipe. God, I suck at food photography. Well, what are you going to do with veggie burger mix. It's not very beautiful.

My Version Of Mark Bittman's Veggie/Bean Burgers

* 2 cups well-cooked white, black, or red beans or chickpeas or lentils, or one 14-ounce can, drained
* 1 medium onion, quartered

* 1/2 package defrosted, drained frozen spinach

* 1 TBLS tomato paste

* 1 TBLS soy sauce

* 2 cloves garlic
* 1/2 cup regular rolled oats
* 1 tablespoon chili powder or spice mix of your choice (I used chili powder and curry powder)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 egg

1. Combine everything in a food processor and pulse until chunky but not puréed. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes.

2. With wet hands, shape into whatever size patties you want. Film the bottom of a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet with oil and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the patties. Cook until nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes; turn carefully and cook on the other side until firm and browned.

3. Serve on buns with the usual burger fixings. Or cool and refrigerate or freeze for later use.

These were really good. We put lots of BBQ sauce on them and had garlic fries with them. Garlic fries make everything better.

**

In other news, I had a very good art day yesterday. On the new table. I looooove it.

Here is my new little studio/dining room. It's still a little messy from moving in, haven't found places for everything yet. Please note the 'baroque' tablecloth.

The beginnings of the Red Owl painting. It's a little spooky right now. I hope it stays that way. I haen't put in Mr. Owl yet. He'll come later.

A closeup of the trees. I like this texture thing. I'd like to do a series with this sort of texturizing and color play.

I'll keep you updated on the progress. I always like it when people post progress on creative items because all you ever see is the finished product, and I'm always like, wow. It just came out like that, all perfect. I like to see the steps people take, the mistakes, and how they fix them (or work with them). I hope to start doing more documenting of this on here.

Happy Birthday To Me, Plus Sticky Cinnamon Rolls

Apparently, this is what 34 years looks like. On me, anyway. Not too bad, I guess. I hate photos of myself, so I'm trying to push myself to take more self-portraits. I'm not happy with my hair right now so it's all pinned up until it gets a little longer. Thought I would take a photo for posterity.

In other news, my birthday baking adventures have been a complete failure. My tarte tatin was not only too sweet, but stained our teeth. In the trash it went.

Yesterday I spent all day on my second project, making yeast-raised cinnamon sticky buns, only to find out, after 5 hours, that my yeast was dead. It didn't rise much during the first rise, and then didn't do anything during the second rise -- little sad flaccid rolls of pale dough, sitting hopefully in the pan, trying their best to rise. They couldn't, er, rise to the occasion, so they, too, ended up in the trash.

So then I was frustrated. Terri suggested I make the 'quick' version of the rolls to try and salvage any birthday baking. So I made these, which did turn out well. Not as good as the yeasted buns, and not what I was hoping for in terms of special birthday treats, but still.

They worked in a pinch.

Anyway, apparently birthday baking works best if someone else is doing the baking. Terri is going to make me Lara's famous Black Magic cake, with sour-cream-chocolate frosting. I can't wait. We got some fancy pasta and sauce from a foo-foo grocery in Oakland, and I got a lovely fruit bouquet from Terri's sisters, so I am very, very happy and well-fed. :)

However, if you'd like to give the quick buns a try, they're really quite yummy and perfect for Sunday mornings if you get up a little early and happen to have buttermilk in the house. If not, you can use regular milk with a little lemon juice or vinegar in it to thicken it up. This recipe uses a nice baking-powder biscuit base for the rolls. Quick and easy. And, they worked even in the face of extreme Birthday Baking Bad Luck.

Quick Cinnamon Sticky Buns

1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted, for pan

Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted

Biscuit/Roll Dough

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for work surface

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

Caramel Glaze

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons corn syrup , light or dark

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 pinch table salt

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter in 9-inch nonstick cake pan; brush to coat pan.
2. To make cinnamon-sugar filling: Combine sugars, spices, and salt in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and stir with fork or fingers until mixture resembles wet sand; set filling mixture aside.
3. For the glaze: Combine all ingredients for glaze in small saucepan; cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into prepared cake pan; using rubber spatula, spread mixture to cover surface of pan Set pan aside.
4. To make biscuit dough: Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in measuring cup or small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy.
5. Pat dough with hands into 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread evenly with sugar filling, roll, cut into 8 equal slices, and arrange buns in prepared cake pan. Brush with extra melted melted butter if you have some. Bake until edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before placing a plate over the pan, then quickly flipping to get the buns out.

Sunday Night

Today was just one of those days. Woke up late after a weird night of dreams. Tried to make vegetable juice with beautiful veggies from the farmer's market on Friday, but half the veggies had frozen from a too-cold fridge. Then the juicer broke altogether (there's that mean ghostie again, breaking my stuff). Then my mood took an even further turn southward. Stomping may or may not have happened. You know how it goes.

I tried to paint the little birdhouse I'm playing with, but only made minimal progress. Mope, mope, mope. I was a total Eeyore for a good part of the day. Terri worked very hard to cheer me up and after awhile succeeded. It took some effort, however.

Now I am cuddled on the couch in an early birthday present from Terri: a super-soft faux-fur throw, in a beautiful ocean blue. Tiger Lily cannot keep her paws off it. I can't blame her, it's like being wrapped in bunny fur (in a good way). On the stove is the delicious Gypsy Soup. I'm reading a fabulous book. Terri is playing what I continue to refer to in my white-girl-from-Oregon head as 'rap' (although it is not actually rap, it's actually very interesting, artsy and appealing hip-hop of some sort. There's a difference, right?). Life is good again.

Sometimes Eeyore just sneaks up on you. He enjoys being fed strawberry ice cream. That sends him back to bed for a cozy nap. Or so I've heard.

A Tale Of Two Salads (Or, What a Difference A Fridge Makes)

Tonight was Salad Night... we usually have a big salad for dinner once a week or so. We each like different things on our salads. We start with a base of chopped romaine. For Terri, that's then topped with pickled beets, finely chopped cauliflower, and avocado (and sometimes garbanzo beans, but not tonight). For me, I have cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado (and also sometimes garbanzo beans). This is the fairly standard recipe.

Terri likes hers arranged in piles like a chef salad. I like mine all mixed up.

Then, the dressing. For Terri, this salad is not complete without my homemade blue cheese dressing. I like goddess dressing (I usually buy it, although I could make it, now that I think about it). I'm happy that the goddess dressing contains all things I 'can have' during detox: tahini, garlic, etc. The blue cheese dressing, which is incredibly good, contains everything NOT on the list. So, none for me tonight.

However, if you'd like some, here's the recipe. It's adapted slightly from a Cook's Illustrated recipe, and Terri is completely addicted to it.

Best Blue Cheese Dressing
1/3 to 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (I use Salem or Danish)
3 Tbls. buttermilk
3 Tbls. sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 Tbls. mayonnaise
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. sugar

Whisk together. Will be fairly thick. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, and more salt if needed.

This dressing is possible because we have a new fridge! This is doubly good. First, it's obviously good because the other one stopped working, so we didn't have any fresh dairy for awhile. It's also really good because it's a full-size fridge! Yay!! After over two years of having a fairly small fridge (maybe 3/4 size of a standard?), we finally have a regular grown-up refrigerator!

This may not seem like a big deal, but it has been an issue the whole time we've lived here. The old one was just very cramped. We could barely fit what we needed in there. It was difficult to have a gallon of milk, a pitcher of orange juice and a container of rice milk on the top shelf. It was very frustrating. Not to mention, you had to literally squat down on the floor to get anything out. This was particularly difficult when Terri had back surgery, but it's no fun anytime.

And now: Ta-Da!

Look at all that room. I'm thrilled.

Saw the X-Files movie with Alex today in the new Alameda movie theater. Fun movie... sort of thin plot, but a lovely relationship portrait. I was pleased. I don't think I've actually gone to a movie in probably at least three years, so it was fun to go to a theater again. Park Street was a madhouse, there was a street festival happening and it was just crazy. We had some trouble finding parking but then it all went well.

We're going to see a well-respected psychic/medium on Monday. I'm very excited. I have no idea what to ask. I wonder who will show up?

The Best Coleslaw Recipe Ever

One of my first jobs was working at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I know, yuck, right? Yeah, it was yucky. I applied there because my good friend, who lived next door, worked there, and it seemed like a fun job. No, really, I don't know what I was thinking. Also, my now-best-friend Erin worked there, so all the cool kids were getting jobs there, right? It was kind of a crazy place. I think all fast-food restaurants are like reality TV shows back behind the counter. But anyway.

One of the things I liked about working there was making the coleslaw. We had gigantic garbage-bin-sized drums of cabbage, and we'd mix in vats of dressing by hand. Literally by hand -- we would put on these arm-length plastic gloves and mix it all up with our hands (gloved hands). I don't know why I liked it, something about the massive amounts of salad just pleased me.

(The other thing I liked to make was biscuits. Oh, and I also liked to make gravy although it was pretty gross.)

Anyway, that KFC coleslaw is yummy. All the recipes I'd found since then were not sweet enough, you know? Until I found this one. Actually, it's sort of an amalgamation of a couple recipes that I've tried. It's pretty delicious. It's better than KFC's.

This one is for my brother. Every couple of months he will call me and ask for "that coleslaw dressing recipe" because he loves it but never seems to have the recipe handy. So here it is, online where you can find it whenever you want, Matt.

Daphne's Coleslaw

• 1/8 cup oil
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you like it (I usually do somewhere in the middle)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Best Foods)
• 1 tsp celery seed (this makes it really peppery and good)
• 8 cups shredded cabbage (I usually do mostly green cabbage with a little purple thrown in
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 2 TBLS minced white onion

Mix all ingredients from oil to celery seed, together in a large bowl. Whisk until the dressing is a consistent texture. Add cabbage, carrots, onion (you can also just use bagged coleslaw mix). Stir to mix well. It's best to let this chill in the fridge for at least an hour or two before serving.

Hum-yummus

Food post!

I had heard all about how good homemade hummus is, but I was always pretty happy with Trader Joe's hummus, so I thought, why bother? But then I got a bee in my bonnet to make it, and once I saw how easy it was (thanks to the magic of the food processor), I was sold.

It's very, very important to use fresh lemons -- that's what makes it so good.




Ingredients

2 cups canned chick-pea, drained, liquid reserved

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)

6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (approx 2 lemons)

2 tablespoons water (or liquid from the chickpeas)

8 dashes Tabasco sauce

Directions
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until hummus is coarsely pureed. (come on, how easy is that?) If you don't have a food processor, you might be able to do this in a good blender or with a stick blender.

Serve at room temperature or chilled. This was fantastic the day of, and also good the next day. It's actually still good, a week later (but the flavors have mellowed somewhat).

I also made taboulli, but didn't have bulgur so I used quinoa, and it was quite tasty. Love, love, love the parsley and mint with cucumbers.

Happy Easter! And A Frittata

Told you we had planted pretties for our front porch...

Happy Easter, all. And a beautiful Easter day it is... sunny, bright, and it has to be at least 70-something out there. Lovely.

We went to Good Friday services on Friday night, at the church down the street. It was really beautiful and moving, I'd never been to Good Friday services. The music was melancholy and dark, and as the lights and candles went out one by one, the church moved into a meditative silence. I loved it. I really 'got' what the Easter celebration is all about -- movement from darkness and despair into light and hope. Rebirth, of all kinds. Next year, although I'm not Catholic and not really even Christian (I'm kind of a Jack Of All Faiths), I would like to participate in the entire Holy Week.

To celebrate, because I didn't think about blowing out eggs or hardboiling eggs or even getting any chocolate bunnies (no sugar in our house for awhile), I whipped up a delicious and unusual frittata this morning. No photos, because I ate it too quickly, but it was so yummy you may want to try it yourself. The eggs and cottage cheese turn into a creamy and smooth sauce, and the cabbage is savory and unexpected and tastes amazing with the eggs and cheese.

Cabbage-Cottage Cheese Frittata
(for one, or for two if you're having something else with it)

A good two handfuls of crisp cabbage (I used pale green regular, you could use Napa), shredded or sliced thin
2 eggs
1/3 or so cup cottage cheese
Bragg's Liquid Aminos (probably any light soy sauce would be fine)
Salt and pepper

In a small (8") oven-safe frying pan, coat lightly with oil, add a few tablespoons of water and the cabbage and set over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of the Bragg's. Cover and let steam until the cabbage is soft and vaguely translucent. Meanwhile, beat the eggs together with the cottage cheese until it's mixed well. Season with salt and pepper. Once the cabbage is soft, pour the eggs mixture over and turn the heat down to medium. Cook 4-5 minutes.

Set the oven to broil. Once the eggs have started to set up around the edges, put the entire pan in the oven and broil untli the eggs are puffy and lightly browned. Remove from oven, flip pan over onto plate, and salt/pepper to taste. Enjoy!!

Rainy Day Yumminess

It's been raining and raining the last couple of days. Of course, I kinda like it. It's cozy, and I love the pretty gray light that happens.

Our neighbors across the street have the cutest orange kitty (see above). We call him "Orange Kitty" (of course). He likes to sit on the porch and watch the rain. I like to stand in my kitchen and watch him. We're both happy with this arrangement.

Something else that makes me happy are these coconut noodles.

Oh my goodness, they are sooooo good. I could eat these all night long. Coconut and just a little bit of spice, plus yummy lime and green onion... wow. It's fantastic. And super-easy, no onion-chopping (except for a little green-onion slicing)... it can be ready and delicious in just a few minutes.

SPICY COCONUT NOODLES
Adapted from a Real Simple recipe
(and Tea and Cookies)

8 ounces rice noodles (I used wide Thai noodles)

1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat for best flavor)

3 tablespoons tomato paste (here's where I got to use the fancy tube of tomato paste I've had in my fridge -- so much easier than the can!)

1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste (I ended up adding a little more)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar, to taste
3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup cubed chicken meat or tofu

1 cup basil leaves, whole or torn (I didn't have any, but it sounds good)

juice of one lime

1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted (watch carefully! Burns fast... as I found out...)

Cook the noodles according to the package directions and drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut milk, tomato paste, chili powder, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add the cubed chicken or tofu. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (for tofu just make sure it is warmed through to the center). Add the lime juice. Stir in the drained noodles and toss. Divide the noodles among individual bowls. Top with the scallions, basil (if using), and coconut. Makes enough for two hungry people plus a lunch the next day.

I am telling you, this is good. Not too spicy, very flavorful, and extremely easy.

Blancmange

Ever since the first time I read Little Women, I've wondered what blancmange is. In an early scene in the story, Jo brings Laurie (her neighbor, whom she is curious to meet) a blancmange as an introductory gift (and 'medicine', as he is sick with a cold). I'm trying desperately to keep my thoughts about this book to myself until I finish and can write about it fully, but I do remember wondering very hard what this dish might be. I eventually found out that it's a molded pudding/jelly-type dessert, very simple and lightly sweet. I somehow got it in my head that it was strawberry-flavored although I don't quite know where I got that.

Today I was seized with a need to finally make it for myself. Apparently it is traditionally made with almond milk and gelatin -- I found a few different versions online and went with the simplest, as I didn't have almonds or gelatin or half-and-half or anything fancy in the house. I do want to make a rice-and-coconut-milk version I found, and chocolate blancmange sounds lovely too. But I went ahead with the quick-and-easy version, since this is what I imagined Meg gave Jo to carry over to Laurie's house back in the 1800s. I added a little cardamom, cinnamon, and almond extract.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons granulated sugar or
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla , clear if possible
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (optional)

Directions
Mix the cornstarch, sugar, and salt with 1/4 cup of cold milk. In a small pot, heat the remaining milk over low heat (Do not boil!). While whisking, slowly add the cold milk mixture to the heated milk, stirring constantly, in a heavy bottomed pan or a double boiler. Continue to cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 15 minutes until the raw taste of the cornstarch disappears and it thickens. (Do not boil!). It will thicken all at once at the end of the cooking time. Let cool, then add the vanilla (and various flavorings). Cover and chill.

For Chocolate Blancmange, when you heat the milk, add 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate and stir until smooth.

So, what's it like? It's good. It's like a very light pudding, very simple and easy to eat. I'd like to have some small pretty molds to make it in, just for fun. I kind of love it. It's sort of like rice pudding, but without the rice. It would indeed be good with strawberries. And I think I'll have to make the chocolate version very soon. It would be much more photogenic if it had been molded into some beautiful shape.

As a side note, while researching the type of blancmange mentioned in the book, I came across this old Salon.com article about Little Women. I liked reading someone else's perspective, but I have to disagree with her when she "urges the skeptical new reader to dismiss all its sentimental and foolish moralizing as mere conventions of the time" -- the moralizing and sentimentality is kind of why I'm in love with this book -- it was a guiding light when I was young and I was surprised to realize, reading it now 20 years later, how many of the lessons I've carried with me in some form or another. (and wouldn't I love to see the Alcott house and Concord in general??)

Oh, it is so hard not to go on about this book! I love it so much and I'm racing through it. If I'm good and finish tonight, I'll write about it tomorrow. I stayed up until 2:00 in the morning last night reading it.

Two Recipes, Add Randomness

Madelines I made a week ago... (photo taken when fresh!)

We have a distinct case of the blahs here today. We all woke up on the wrong side of the bed. It's freezing in the house and the heater doesn't seem to be penetrating it. The weather is unsure about which way its headed. We are all a little out of sorts.

So, a couple recipes for you.

Recipe 1: Pumpernickel/Black Bread/Whatever You Want To Call It
If you have a bread machine, this recipe is a must-make if you like rye.

1-2/3 cups milk
2 T butter
2 T honey
2 T molasses
1-3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
1 cup whole wheat flour
2-1/3 cup white flour
1 cup rye flour
2-3 T cocoa powder
2 tsp instant coffee (or 1 tsp espresso)
1 T caraway seeds
1-1/4 tsp bread-machine yeast

Add ingredients as listed. Select Whole Grain setting. Press start. Bingo, delicious rye bread. This tastes amazing with swiss and sauerkraut.

This is the new bedding we got as part of the Bedroom Makeover. The photo is a little yellowy but who cares? Katie is modeling the comfiness of the chenille-corduroy comforter.

Speaking of makeovers, new updates on the Continuing Adventures of Skincare. I finally ran out of the Dr. Hauschka's Normalizing Day Oil, which I'd been using daily since February or March. It's a teeny-tiny bottle, so the fact that it lasted over 9 months means I got my money's worth. However, I had been doing research on different oils for skincare, and most of what I read said that plain jojoba oil was very good for your skin. I'd been using a drop or two at night for the past few months, with very good results (no oiliness, just soft and smooth skin with fewer of those teeny-tiny breakouts I'd been getting). I wondered if it would be just as good during the day as the Normalizing Oil.

So, for the past few weeks I've been using just one or two drops of jojoba oil, plus the Alba Botanicals zinc sunscreen. The results? Even better than the Dr. Hauschka stuff. With the Dr. H, I'd notice that my face would get a little (or a lot) shiny after a few hours. I had a dramatic reduction in the little red bumps, so I hated to complain, but the shine was annoying. I used those linen face-papers to take care of the shine, but still. With the jojoba oil, the shine has been reduced to just a very soft glow -- not exactly shine, just a glow, which is actually a nice effect. It's kind of like what those 'illuminating' moisturizers or foundations are supposed to give you. And the glow doesn't grow to a shine over the day. Not usually, at least. That might change as it gets warmer.

So, thumbs up so far on pure jojoba oil. I just got some essential oils (neroli, orange, and rose) to add to the jojoba so it smells good, too. The key is just to use one or two drops.

My skincare regime now looks like this:

1. Wash face in the morning with creamy cleanser in the shower. Use face scrub (recipe to follow) 2-4 times a week.
2. Apply 1-2 drops jojoba oil.
3. Creamy eye cream/Vitamin E cream under eyes and in 'crows-feet' region.
4. Apply SPF 18 Alba Botanticals zinc sunscreen. Wait a few minutes before next step.
5. Bare Minerals foundation, very lightly over entire face.
6. (now I even skip the cornstarch powder -- no need)
7. In the evening, I use a makeup remover/cleanser -- currently just Neutrogena. I'll probably use the Trader Joe's Thoroughly Clean (with Tea Tree Oil) when I run out of this stuff.
8. 1-2 drops jojoba oil.
9. Eye cream again.
10. Burt's Bees lip balm every night.

This has worked very well for me -- my skin finally looks back to 'normal', meaning I have very few red bumps, the redness around my nose has gone away, and the fine lines are softer.

Homemade Facial Scrub/Exfoliator
I started making this stuff when I realized that so many spa facial treatments are 'sugar scrubs' with some oils added.

1 Tbsp. white or brown sugar (I alternate)
Couple drops jojoba oil or Vitamin E oil
(if you don't have either of those, you could use a couple drops olive oil)
Couple drops cleanser (I sometimes use TJ's peppermint castile soap)

That's the basic recipe. Swirl it all around and use it often in the shower. Your skin will feel amazing afterwards. You can vary the recipe with these additions:

Spoonful of natural unsweetened yogurt
Squeeze of honey
1 egg white
Couple drops favorite essential oils

It's cheap, and it works. The sugar is very gentle and dissolves in the shower, unlike the harsh apricot-seed scrubs.

***
Other random thoughts:

I never knew how much I liked sauerkraut until I made this rye bread.

Loving the 'bad' weather we are having. Now this is more like it!

Am apparently very tired, since at around 9:30 every night I suddenly cannot keep my eyes open one minute longer. I even fell asleep during the Democratic New Hampshire debates last night, which I really wanted to hear. And I usually do not just 'fall asleep' during anything.

Am feeling peacefully uninspired. Needing some time to just do nothing, after the holidays. I might do a little more sorting through books and closets today. Or, I might just read my book and go to the gym. Or take a walk. Or none of the above.

I don't feel like doing much of anything. Which is actually just fine.