What Keeps us Going

Sometimes I feel like I've spent the past two years in a constant state of "stressed out" with living in the real world.  But it's always nice when something happens to remind me that for now, I'm in the right place.

Ask anyone who works at a summer camp and you will be told that we "don't have favorites" when it comes to campers.  But it's all a load of crap.  We all have our favorite kids over the years.  Some are lifers at camp, and others only come once but manage to leave a strong enough impression that they make the list.  One of my favorites is here at New Year's Camp this week.  

Tonight, at the big NYE bash, he was sipping sparkling grape juice from a plastic champagne flute with his pinky finger extended.  I told him that I liked how he was holding his cup like that, to which he responded, "I don't know why I do that I just have this problem with my hands."  I told him that in fact, he did not have a problem, that it was the classy way to hold a fancy drinking glass, and that his hands were perfectly normal.

He then proceeded to thank me...for calling him normal.  

It kind of broke my heart that being called normal seemed to make his day better.  It's really ironic, though, because around here, nobody is normal, and that's what makes us all our very own kind of normal.  

An Ode to Fungus

It's the holidays.  I would like to spend my money on holiday-like things.  So in an effort to be more financially conscious, I am making it a point to make more meals at home.  On tonight's menu is Kung-Pao Crab Stir-Fry.  Super easy and SUPER delicious.  (fry up a pack of Uncle Ben's instant Jasmine rice, 2 eggs, peanuts, shredded carrots, cabbage, soybeans, mushrooms, bean sprouts, chopped red onion, whatever meat you've got, and whatever else you like with a little olive oil and the stir fry sauce of your choosing...tonight I used Panda Express's Kung Pao sauce).

Anyway, as I was standing over the wok, tossing in obscene amounts of mushrooms, I thought to myself, "Is this too many mushrooms?"  To which I quickly responded, "No such thing."  But it got me thinking about shrooms and just how incredibly delicious they actually are. I realize and appreciate that not everyone loves to eat fungus, but I was so into thinking about how much I liked them, I did a little research and learned that they're actually delicious AND interesting!!

The average American eats four pounds of mushrooms per year (good to know I'm well above average) while the average Japanese person consumes 26 pounds per year.

Ancient Egyptians called mushrooms the "plant of immortality" and commoners were prohibited from even handling them.

Mushrooms, unlike most plants, consume oxygen during digestion and metabolization and produce carbon dioxide waste (like humans!!!)

There is an estimated 1.5-2 million species of fungus on the planet, but only approximately 80,000 are properly identified.

Some South American Amazon tribes use the same word for mushrooms as they do for meat, as they believe they have the same nutritional value.

All of this mushroom talk reminded me of a great book by Elinor Lipman called The Inn at Lake Devine.  I think I may  have actually blogged about the book before.  But mushrooms play a surprisingly big role in the book...which only makes me want to eat them more!!!

What's the Secret?

I like to think that I'm pretty decent in the kitchen.  I cook and bake and nobody ever complains.  I try fun new recipes, I make the classics.  And I get the feeling that people genuinely enjoy the food I make for them.

So why is it that when I go to recreate my favorite dishes from home, that they just aren't quite as good?

Today was a perfect example.  My sister came to my house this weekend to help me get it all organized before we have the big family Christmas here.  I keep telling her she should go into business as a personal organizer.  In a matter of about four hours, the kitchen, dining room, living room, and pantry were perfect.  The Christmas trees I bought last weekend were set up, plugged in, and decorated.  Furniture was moved and I had started on the colossal task of sorting out my own room.  In the process of sorting and organizing the pantry, Emily proclaimed that I wasn't allowed to go grocery shopping again until I needed perishable items.  Apparently I have to many jars of red plum jam in there.  

So this afternoon when I started to get hungry, I looked at what I had and thought about what I could make.  I realized that I had all the ingredients for Chuck Wagon Round-Up, one of my all time favorite dishes from when I was a kid.  It's basically a beenie-weenie pie with a sort of cornbread-ish crust.  I know, it sounds kind of awful.  But it's beans and hot dogs and cheese and sour cream: what else could you possibly want?!  It was so delicious tonight, but not as good as I remember.

Another recipe that does this to me is Creamed Beef Cheesy...probably my all-time favorite dish.  It's a cheese sauce with chipped beef served over hot biscuits. Amazing.  But every time I try to make it, I somehow ruin the sauce and end up eating biscuits with butter and jelly.

And then I realized why.  It's because no matter how I try, I will never be able to make anything that will taste as good as when Mom makes it.  

Time Flies

I just realized that exactly two years ago today I started my job here.  MY HOW TIME FLIES.

Barefoot Bolognese

Dad and I were watching Barefoot Contessa yesterday while waiting for Mom and Em to get ready to head to the Harvest Festival out at Coyote Moon Vineyards.  Long story short, we decided to try stealing one of Ina's recipes and making it for dinner tonight.  Even though Em didn't think she'd like it because of the tomatoes in it, we went ahead with our plan.  

It actually turned out to be absolutely fantastic, so I thought I'd share with all two of you who read this, in case you're looking for something new to spice up your recipe arsenal.  We made three small changes to the original recipe and managed not to ruin it.  It was quick and easy to prepare, taking only about 30 minutes from start to finish.  Hope you enjoy:

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons of good olive oil (plus another splash to cook the pasta)

-1 pound lean ground sirloin (we used regular ground beef)

-4 teaspoons minced garlic (or 4 fresh minced cloves)

-1 tablespoon dried oregano (I substituted a couple shakes of ground cumin)

-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I added more to make it a bit spicier)

-1 1/4 cups dry red wine (we used Chianti)

-1 can crushed tomatoes (we used a jar of diced tomatoes, canned by a friend)

-2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste

-salt & pepper

-1 box pasta (we used bowties, the recipe called for orecchiette)

-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

-1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus some for serving

What to do:

Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the beef, crumbling it well.  Once most of the pink is gone, add garlic, oregano (or cumin), and red pepper flakes.  Add one cup of wine and stir well.  Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, one tablespoon of salt, and 1-2 teaspoons of pepper (depending on taste).  Stir until all is combined then bring to a boil.  Let it simmer for 6-8 minutes, add nutmeg, cream, 1/4 cup wine (more or less....), and basil.  Keep it at a bubbling simmer for another 5 minutes, then stir in grated Parmesan, pour over the pasta and stir.

Then devour!  :)

Texting at Random

The other night I got a text from a number I didn't recognize or have stored.  Whenever this happens and the text gives me no clues as to who is on the other end, I like to play games.  This is how it went down:

Random 270#: This is your sister my new number what you doin drive Dowo here if nothing
Me: Where are you?
Random 270#: The brown house
Me: Since when do you live in a brown house?
Random 270#: This is where s i an at
Me: Are you sure you're MY sister?
Random 270#:
Me: I think you typed that in invisible ink.
Random 270#: Lol yes my Birthday card had two girls but the hair was switched up
Me: It's your birthday? Mom didn't tell me!
Random 270#: Huh now your confusing me
Random 270#: Huh
Me: This is my confession: I think you have the wrong number.

I won't quit my day job.....

...but I just want to say that the acoustics in my dining room make it sound like I actually have a decent singing voice.  I am never leaving this room.  I'm just going to stay here and sing to my heart's content.  Which is okay since there are no neighbors for me to offend.