Cath, etc.

Summer in One Bite

Image from Mother Earth News

I've been all about the strawberry these past few summery weeks.

Plump and juicy, my favorite thing is to grab a big'n and eat it over the kitchen sink, its toothsome goodness dripping down the palms of my hand, the folds of my fingers, and if I'm really lucky, some of its syrup will even trickle down the insides of my wrists.

When I was a teenager, we had a huge plot of these succulent sweethearts in our backyard. My mom would beg us to wait to pick them until they were large enough for eating, ensuring that the longer we we could stave off temptation, the sweeter the reward.

But it was hard to wait. Because really, there's not a whole lot more fundamentally wonderful than picking a strawberry off the vine and biting into it. Sweet and warm, it is soft--yet substantial. Delicate and complex, it is heavy--yet light.

It is summer in one bite.

These days I do my best to buy organic strawberries. They are one of the "Dirty Dozen"--fruits and vegetables that must be organic because the pesticides seep into the actual fruit and take up residency. No sense biting into a deep red delectable morsel if you know it could give you cancer down the road.

They are more expensive, but I'm finally getting to the point where I don't enjoy eating foods I know are not good for me. Peanut M&Ms being the exception, of course.

So, in honor of this delicious delicacy, I thought I'd offer up my current strawberry recipe obsession. Share it with a strawberry lover near you.

Cath's Super Yummy Strawberry & Spinach Salad

Organic baby spinach (another one of the Dirty Dozen)
Organic strawberries, sliced
Feta cheese, crumbled
Smoked almonds
Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Toss together and enjoy.

And you, how are you feelin' about strawberries these days?

I *Heart* Pumpkin!

It was my turn to host my Short Story Book Club last night. Therefore, it was my turn to make a yummy dessert for my friends, which naturally would include something made from pumpkin.

I'm not sure what it is, but I've been having a fairly intense love affair with pumpkin.

I love the way they look, these orange orbs that are the very definition of cheerful:

I love the way they smell:

We go through about 1.5 of these every year between the end of September and Thanksgiving and will accept no other substitutes. This Pumpkin Spice candle captures the very essence of fall in our home.

And I love, love, love the way they taste. These might last me through the end of the month:

There's a lavish elegance in pumpkin. A smooth richness, a dense intensity, and an honest goodness that lives in its color, its texture, and its buttery flavor.

One look, one whiff, one taste, and it delivers me home.

Ironically, I'm not much of a pumpkin pie fan, never have been. But I could live off of Melissa's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, and this recipe for Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake that I found in a  McCormick recipe insert in some magazine long ago is a must-make at our house at least once every November.

Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake

8 oz. gingersnap cookies, finely crushed
3 T butter, melted
2 T sugar

OR 48 small gingersnap cookies

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese
3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
2 t vanilla
1 T flour
2 t pumpkin pie spice
Whipped cream 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine crumbs, butter and sugar. Press into bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 15 min. Set aside.

OR place 24 muffin cups in muffin tins. Place a gingersnap cookie in the bottom of each.

I like to make mini-cheesecakes because they take less time to make and they are better for everyone's waistlines!

Beat cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Add pumpkin, vanilla, flour, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until smooth.

Pour into prebaked crust OR spoon into muffin cups.

For cheesecake bake 50 minutes or until filling barely moves when gently shaken. For mini-cheesecakes bake 25 minutes.

Garnish with squirty cream and additional ginger snap cookies like so:

These perky pumpkin delights are delish and are just one of the ways that I indulge in my love affair with pumpkin.

From my kitchen to yours--I *heart* pumpkin!

As of Today

 

...I've lost ten pounds in my quest to lose the muffin top.

...I'm basking in the joy of a lovely lunch with my mom at our favorite spot, The Oaks up Ogden Canyon.

...I've read 118 pages of this engaging book.

...I've thought about the fact that I'm getting older, waking up with a start and the dreadful knowledge that it's really much later than I think.

...I've been taken aback by my almost 14-year-old pup, his deafness now so profound that he no longer stirs when we approach him while he's sleeping. A behavior that is the newest symptom in his aging decline and one which is very difficult to bear.

...I made a chocolate chip zucchini cake, the second delicious one of the season.

...we enjoyed an evening with Nicole as she discussed health care reform and her hand-me-down Roomba with equal passion. A delight we will not soon forget.

...we went to a fantastic party in which we met some amazing people, drank the best mojitos we have ever had, and watched the moon rise over the mountain while the lights of the city twinkled brightly below. Thanks Dale and Joy!

...I met Marty, a Paper Crafts fan, at the fantastic party. She recognized me from my column (such a thrill for me!) and we became fast friends.

...I've watched the geese make their sunset flights over the cottonwood tree, their downy underbellies glowing with the golden rays, their wings swishing overhead as they glide west.

What have you been up to as of today?

Easter Brunch

_{Mlle. Violetta Lapin} 

 

The Menu

Baked Ham

Vegetable Strata

Rhodes' Orange Rolls (in my grocer's freezer)

Funeral Potatoes

Steamed Asparagus

Fresh Strawberries

Ina's Coconut Cupcakes (with speckled jelly beans on top)

Mimosas

 

I'm a busy little bunny preparing for this feast for eight at 1:00 PM tomorrow. I hope your Easter Eve is filled, like mine, with childish anticipation of a festive gathering shared with family and friends.

Happy Easter!

I Am the Bringer of Pies

At Thanksgiving, I am the bringer of pies.

I baked my first pie when I was  a sophomore in high school. It was a peach pie with a homemade crust. My dad raved about it, said it was the best peach pie he had ever tasted. 'Course, everything he ate was the best thing he'd ever tasted. He was never frugal with the compliments when it came to good cooking.

I've been the pie maker in the family ever since.

The trick to good homemade pies? Two things: get a good crust recipe and purchase a pastry cutter. I swear by my recipe--have a relationship with it, even. There's just something wonderfully tactile and satisfying about making a good bit of pie dough.

Such a basic endeavor, and as old as the hills.

In fact, I've made so many pies I've got the recipe memorized: 3 cups of flour, 1 1/2 cups of shortening (I recommend Crisco shortening sticks because they cut down so much on the mess), and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Using my pastry cutter, I cut in the shortening until the pie dough comes off it in ribbons. This takes a bit of effort, but I enjoy watching the mixture morph from separate, measured ingredients, to a texture that holds together enough that it can encase something as delicious as spiced apples or as fragile as pumpkin cream.  It is rhythmic, it gets my blood flowing, and in each cut I feel connected to the bakers and farm wives and grandmothers who have been making pie dough on counters in their kitchens for hundreds of years before me.

Mix together one egg, 5 tablespoons of water, and a tablespoon of vinegar. When you stir together the lemon-colored mixture, your nose is assailed with the acridity of the vinegar, but I have come to associate that smell with the goodness, the pure perfection of this pie crust in the many tastings I have enjoyed. And while you can't quite put your finger on it, I believe that it is the vinegar and the salt in this recipe that give this crust its beauty. For a good pie crust is truly a beautiful thing.

Add this to the flour mixture and stir gently until the dough bonds together.

Then comes the rolling out of the dough. It took me years until I understood how blended yet not overworked the flour and shortening had to be to achieve a crust that would not tear when I transferred it to the pie plate. It is, perhaps, the most satisfying aspect of pie making aside from eating it. For when the pie pan recieves the dough as though it had been waiting for it its entire life, there is a certain sense of triumph that passes. But it is momentary, as there is work yet to be done. I press the dough deftly into the edges of the glass, trimming the excess with a butter knife, folding it under, turning the pan as I create a uniform lip at the top from which to pinch the edges, turning it still as my thumb and forefinger on one hand and my forefinger on the other pinch and turn, alternating one after the other, pinch, turn, until gradually, the pie crust takes its scalloped shape, fit for a photo op in a cookbook by Betty Crocker, whoever she is.

It is the most difficult part, and the most tenuous, but it is my favorite part, probably because it is so tactile. It is creating a house for something equally, but yet differently, delicious.

The fillings are many and varied. Today it is French apple and pumpkin. The last was cherry. The next is a mystery. But it will have a good, flaky, satisfying crust that will further solidify my role as the bringer of pies.

What are you the bringer of? Pies or otherwise, we all bring something to the table. Whether it's made from scratch or an absolute essential, if we were to share a Thanksgiving feast (and wouldn't that be a blast?), what would you be happy to bring?

Welcoming Fall

After a rainy day yesterday, today has been crisply chilly, our first real day of fall. The leaves that have turned have been drizzling down as the wind brushes by, scattering on the ground their lives, over now, their stems disconnecting conclusively from the branch that once fed them.

In each step I take outside, whether wandering through the yard to see what needs to be deadheaded in the gardens, bringing the groceries in from the car, or a simple trip for something in the garage, I find myself thinking of spiced apple cider, long walks in the woods, smoke from brick chimneys, soft cozy sweaters, and I remember dreaming in shades of purple and gold.

The pumpkin candle we light keeps us company as we dawdle through our Sunday: Nicole at the kitchen bar preparing for the GRE, Mark upstairs packing for his trip to Florida to attend the funeral of his favorite aunt, and I, I busy myself in the kitchen, preparing the dinner we will share this evening, the dinner in which we will all welcome fall.

A quick call to Beccah, we'd love you to join us, and we are filled with gladness at her availability and acceptance.

As I chop and wash the wavy green leaf lettuce for the salad, pull the freshly baked cornbread from the oven, and as I listen to the chicken chili simmer on the stove, I am filled with gratitude. For I know that we'll eat this most favorite of meals in the dining room, the candles lit, the glow of the dragonfly lamp warm, and we'll toast one another this joy we feel in our togetherness. A simple celebration that is brought on by a most satsifying change in the weather, the simple phone call that made it complete, and the need for sharing a home-cooked meal as a family before Mark leaves for an 11-day trip without us.

These are the days, my friend. These are the days that make me feel the most complete. These are the days that bring me home.

A Satisfying Tuesday

My thoughts are swirling around in here, generally swimming in around and through the knowledge that

• I've had a really good day,
• I exercised like I should, the pounds feelingseeming like they're melting away like ice on a hot summer's day,
• I worked hard like I must, checking off deadlines one by one like filling the rest of Stamp It! Cards including the last page,
• preparing for and contributing to the post mortem of the October issue,
• turning in my updated bio,
• making binders in which the Stamp It! Cards projects can live until they are whisked away by the writers,
• reconnecting with Brenda at lunch,
• wishing Kelly a heartfelt congratulations on her long-deserved promotion,
• and being so happy that Brandy is thriving in her new position as managing editor
• as we all knew she would.

Only to come home to my sweet daughter, Nicole, in which we

• made a delicious Greek salad (no mysteries here it's lettuce, tomato, feta cheese, Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, and some chicken if you're not a vegetarian) and chatted about our days including her co-workers and whether or not I'm going to get any of Andree's chicken's eggs when they start laying because Jason-the-boss says that moms of the team don't get dibs on the eggs so sweet that she would even mention me because we're so far not much more than Facebook friends (when are we going to meet, Andree?)
• after which I took a couple of pictures of the sky

• while noticing the chill in the air with the crickets chirping and the biting smell of the beginnings of decay, the edges of the linden leaves yellow, outlining like a coloring book their shapes too soon they will be falling,
• and upon turning to go back in I see the roses, as full and beautiful now as they were last spring

And I shiver, thinking to myself how lovely it is

• to work a full day with good people,
• to connect with my daughter,
• to notice the changing season,
• to cherish the blessing of leading a productive life,
• feeling so happy to be communicating with you, my blogfriend

when in that instant,

in that very moment I'm not even kidding you

• the dog peed all over the kitchen floor.

Got Peppers?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet.

Crisp.

Delicious.

Principled.

Wholesome.

Bountiful.

If you've got a garden, you've got lots o' these.

I don't have a garden, but I'm loving the price of these babies and their green companions as harvest peaks in our neighborhood.

When the price of peppers plummets, that's when we know it's time to whip up a batch of fajitas. I've got a quick but fresh little marinade that will help you enjoy these most wonderfully healthy veggies that may (or may not) be coming out of your ears!

Enjoy!

_{Photo Credit}

Family Staycation (and 3 Recipes)

Last weekend my family took a staycation.

We pledged to spend time with one another at home for the entire Labor Day weekend. We were to pretend that we were out-of-town, enjoying each other, our surroundings, and the local entertainment all from the comfort of our own home including our comfy beds, our well-equipped kitchen, and our shrinking-from-the-price-of-gas bank account. Most importantly, we were to act as though we were someplace else, not answering the phone (because if we were out-of-town we would not have heard it ring), working in the yard (likewise, we would not have a yard to work in), or doing any of the mundane maintenance that usually fills up our weekends--and then some.

We had a great time, but we encountered a few little snags.

While the notion of a staycation is a sound one--save money, save gas, explore your home base, be together, rest at home, eliminate travel time--we found that it only works if you follow some basic rules:

1. Everyone needs to commit to the staycation. It is not allowed to be tempted by outside friends or other commitments. You pretty much need to pretend like you are out-of-town and stick with it:
   • If friends call to invite you to a movie and a pool party, you need to turn them down.
   • If your boyfriend wants you to watch the entire second season of Heroes with him at his house (a worthy goal), you need to politely ask if you can do it the following weekend instead.
   • If you have laundry, grocery shopping, and yard work to do, either do it before the staycation begins or after the staycation ends.
   • Out of the four of us, Nicole was the only person who fulfilled this requirement, turning down all outside opportunities with friends. I was the one doing the grocery shopping and the laundry. Mark was doing the yardwork. And the Heroes request? Well, Beccah is pretty madly in love.
2. Involve everyone in brainstorming a long list of things to do together. This way everyone has made contributions to the weekend's preferred activities and there is at least the option to do the things that each individual is interested in:
   • Put way more activities on the list than you actually have time to do, that way your choices will seem endless (which is exciting!) and you really will do the things that are the most important to you as a family.
   • It also eliminates the frustration of having to come up with new ideas every two hours. There's nothing worse than feeling like you've spent the entire time together deciding what to do or where to eat.
   • We failed this one on two levels: not only did we not come up with a big long list before the staycation began, we didn't involve Beccah in our planning, so she wasn't as invested in the weekend. Bad Cath! Bad, bad Cath!
3. Allow for some down time and/or alone time. Family time is more fun when you can take a break from one another every now and then.
   • By the same token, also take advantage of the quiet time to chat with individuals and connect to each other in that all-important one-on-one format.
   • We did OK with this one, although we would have liked to have spent more of this kind of time with Beccah, see numbers 1 & 2.

This is not to say that we didn't have a lot of fun. Because we did:

• We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Trio Cafe,
• the girls and I got pedicures at The Cottage Retreat Day Spa,
• we watched The Bucket List,
• we went downtown to the Broadway Center Theater to see a fantastic French suspense movie entitled Ne le dis a personne (Tell No One),
• and we had a great meal at Red Rock Brewing Company, our excellent, local brew pub.
• We also had a great Labor Day party with my mom, my brother, Larry, and Beccah's boyfriend, Barty, on Sunday evening serving
  1. Blue Cheese Crusted Tomatoes,
  2. Maria's Pulled Pork,
  3. Cath's It's All Greek to Me Pasta Salad,
  4. and corn-on-the-cob from our local farm stand.

And while I'm thinking that a Labor Day party in the backyard is also pretty seriously against the rules because there is so much work that goes into it--it was great to connect with our extended family as well.

One of the best parts of the staycation? Getting to spend more time with Barty than we have in a while. It was nice to have the reminder that she's attached at the hip to quite a very nice young man.

All in all, our family staycation was really fun. We did more things than we probably would have on a Labor Day weekend at home, especially together as a family. But there would definitely be some things that I would do differently next time around, and I hope you can benefit from our experiences should you ever decide to give it a try.

Or maybe you already have attempted a staycation? I'd love to hear how it went and any tips you have on what to do or perhaps more importantly what not to do in order to make it a success.

Cheers!

Random Pot Pourri

Looking forward to watching The Closer tonight. Love that thank-you-sayin', candy-eatin', take-no-prisoners, confession-gettin' LA Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson and her hottie fiance FBI  Agent Fritz Howard. Mmm. Mmm. Love that it's on Monday nights--something to look forward to since there's still such a long work week ahead.

But before that, I've got a recipe for you. I left work a tad early today (5:15) to get myself to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for Thai Chicken Wraps--a recipe I concocted a couple of years ago for who knows why now.  It's light, easy, and yummy--perfect for 85-degree summer evenings such as this one.

Mix together:

    4 chicken breasts, cooked & diced

    1 bell pepper, diced

    1 medium carrot, shredded

    1 bunch cilantro, chopped

    1 large can mandarin oranges, drained

    1 c bean sprouts (if desired)

    1 small can water chestnuts (if desired)

    1 c peanuts

    Brianna's Ginger Mandarin Dressing, to taste

 

Place in center of your favorite kind of wrap, roll it up, and enjoy!

 

Here's a picture of the filling (I can never seem to wrap anything gracefully enough that it isn't tearing or spilling or otherwise splooching all over the living place.  If anyone out there has any wrapping tricks, I'd love to be enlightened):

 

 

 

Speaking of Brenda Leigh Johnson, aka Kyra Sedgewick, she's going to be 42 next month (I Wickipedia'd her), and she's got a six-pack on her that could stop a train. Not that I've ever come even close to having a six-pack or a four-pack or even a two-pack at any given time in my life, but I'm going to be 45 years old this coming December and the aging process is starting to freakin' yell at me. Every single thing I put in my mouth seems to go straight to my hips these days and it's getting down right obnoxious. So, I was thinking, maybe if I announce to you, my dear blogfriends, that I'm on the warpath to reduce, right here, right now, in front of my Dell laptop computer and all you lurkers, I mean witnesses, maybe I'll be able to stick to my plan.  But don't worry, I'm not going to turn into one of those born-again health freaks who needs to talk about every single morsel of nourishment that goes into her mouth.  In fact, I won't post about it again until I've lost my first ten pounds--but I will keep a tally of my progress on this page--and if you're interested, you can check in and see how I'm doing.

 

My plan?  Well, I'm not in favor of dieting, because I don't think that dieting changes habits. What I do know works is to eat less and move more. So, today I started by hopping on the elliptical for 44 minutes burning a total of 372 calories and I've eaten healthy meals and snacks all day. Portion control is a big part of my problem, that and Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, so I'll be watching both of those as well. Oh yes, and let's not forget the wine. That's right, friends, I'm giving up wine--on the weekdays. Let's be rational here. It's wine, people.

 

So, big announcement?  Not so much. But I do think that maybe if I know someone else is watching (I am too easily deceived by yours truly), I might lessen my chances for sabotage. And heck, if you'd like to join me, by all means, please feel free, and keep me apprised of your progress.

 

My goal? With a BMI of 30, this website says:

 

You are considered "hefty" and should find ways to lower your weight, through diet and exercise. You are at increased risk for a variety of illnesses at your present weight. You should lose weight by changing your diet and exercising more.

 

Hefty. Hmm. Yeah, that about covers it. To get my BMI down to a healthy level, I need to lose at least 30 pounds. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

On a lighter note, I decided to try something new today and blog outside on the porch, give the ol' computer battery a run for its money.  It's a lovely evening out, and I thought it might be nice to try a different point of view as I usually blog from my living room.  So here are all my current vantage points, I hope your vantage points tonight are pleasant ones, too.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Monday and thaynk eyou!