little lasagna

okay, so i know that everyone has 'their' lasagna. i also know that most people settle for frozen rather than making 'their' lasagna, most of the time. i admit that usually when i make lasagna i over-fill a 9x13 pan with two or three kinds of meat and oh, usually, five kinds of cheese. HOWEVER there are those times when that is just plain uncalled for. times like tonight when all of my brothers in law are otherwise engaged, for instance. in an effort to restrain myself i only bought one little 15 ounce carton of ricotta cheese, usually i get the quart. i just managed to make a lasagna in, oh about 20 minutes. a record for me, to say the least. and just to get this out of the way, yes i used a jar of tomato sauce. i fried one pound of beef with half of a bell pepper and half of an onion, chopped. i seasoned the beef with dried oregano, garlic salt, and black pepper, then added one jar of my favorite sauce, francesco rinaldi, reserving just a little bit in the jar. then in a bowl i mixed two beaten eggs, the ricotta, 1/4 cup grated three cheese blend (parmesan, asiago, romano), three minced garlic cloves, one table spoon dried italian seasoning, and 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. then to assemble i diluted the sauce left in the jar with just a bit of water and poured about half into my 8x8 glass pan, and drizzled a little olive oil on top of that. so, now for noodles. i personally use barilla no-boil noodles, i know they're not the 'best' and if you want to dink around with the other kind, feel free. i always get a good result with these, they never have hard spots, they don't pull appart during baking, and they're pretty thin, which my husband likes. i lay two down then spread one third of the cheese mix evenly on them, then top with two more, running the opposite direction, and scoop some meat sauce on those, and continue till i'm out of cheese in that fashion. i top the last layer of meat sauce with the last of the noodles (actually i had two left over somehow this time) and then pour the last of the sauce from the jar on them, making sure they're completely covered. top with more shredded mozzarella and more grated parm-blend and cover loosely with foil, making sure the foil isn't touching the top of the lasagna. bake at 350 for about an hour, and if you want to brown the cheese take the foil off and bake at 400 for an extra 10 minutes or so. we're having ours with salad and wine. probably zin if we can dig any out of the pantry.

pirate party for thing one

my baby turned 6 the day after Christmas, i still can't believe it! we recently discovered jake and the neverland pirates on disneyjr.com and we've all been on a bit of a pirate kick lately. even i've been shouting "aww coconuts!" on occasion. so i decided to let thing one lead a search for pirate treasure for his birthday party. this marks a mile stone for him, because this is his first party that was really about him and his little friends. past parties have mostly been about getting all the family together and, while fun was had, they weren't really what you'd call 'kid' parties. now, being these kids' mom is my full time job, and i admit that i want to get work awards and promotions just as much as anyone else out there in the work force. my bosses are just a bit shorter than most, no less capricious. to put it simply: i am the primary disciplinarian around here on any average day but i still want to be the cool mom sometimes too. saturday was a win for me. even though we were sick my husband and i (with help) managed to make a treasure map, leave clues, bury a treasure chest full of goodies, and all around have a blast with our boys and their friends. we ate cinnamon sugar popcorn and chicken drumsticks, and drank hot chocolate. i still feel like a hero of legend every time thing one says 'that sure was fun, mama' to me, and it was all pretty easy really. with the possible exception of digging the hole for the chest (a cigar box)which gave my poor husband a sore back. to kick it off, tristin got a chess set, in which was hidden a mysterious clue that led him to a map in a bottle, which led him to an X in the yard. all the kids took turns with the shovel that was handily leaning next to a tree by the X digging the treasure out. at one point we thought one of the guests was going to faint from excitement because the shovel finally hit 'something'. the treasure chest contained some booty, and a lot of craft supplies which they all got to use to decorate their own treasure chests (more, smaller, cigar boxes) to take home. when it was all over my son cried. the poor little guy was just having too much fun. i felt bad for him, of course, but i was also never so proud.

pirate party chicken

okay, i admit.... gha. this font is getting to me. okay, back on track... pirates have nothing to do with the chicken recipe, but i did make this for my son's (thing one) birthday party this weekend, which had a pirate theme. it is so simple, and kids (i've taken a survey) love it. so, to start, i used two big family packs of chicken drum sticks, cheap, tasty and what boy doesn't love eating with his hands? in a big mixing bowl i combined about 1 cup of warm crunchy peanut butter, 1/4 cup tamari, one teaspoon each powdered ginger and white pepper. if it doesn't combine really well, that's okay. dump the chicken in and mix, mix, mix, the marinade will smooth together on the chicken. cover and let marinate in the refrigerator over night. line a baking sheet with foil, lay the chicken out in one layer on it, pouring the last of the marinade over the chicken. sprinkle with sesame seeds (if you want a little more crunch) and bake at 350 for one hour. the other good news is that if you have a wheat allergic guest (i had more than one) they can join in the chicken eating fun with no worries. and yes, i know this is a lot like satay, i never claimed i invented it, i just want to encourage people to try it. also, pony up for the big drum sticks, wings are not as fun as you'd think when you're a hungry, growing boy.

salt crust roast method

so, it's been a while, and i can't find the font button for some reason. hmmm. a somewhat less popular, as compared to an action movie, but equally trying mission impossible: maintain a weekly blog with three children, when one is less that 6 months old. cue the music, cut to the part where i fail. i'd rather see tom cruise too, i admit it. now that i am back in the saddle again i'll tell you a tale of a sirloin tip roast. this is one of those ugly buggars that comes all tied in a net as though it lacks the moral constitution to keep it together in the oven, which may be the case. i wouldn't know, i've never un-netted an uncooked roast to find out. it is, however, tasty and tender, and i advise you to try one out. ours was just under 4 pounds and was just right for 4 adults, two children, and a sandwich the next day. assuming you take my advice (i encourage you again to do so) i further advise you to try salt crusting it. okay, don't panic, it doesn't have to be super salty as an end result. i admit that the one i did last week was a bit on the oceanic side, but that was due to my somewhat free for all method of measuring (meaning i don't measure...) the ingredients for the crust. so, assuming you don't want super salty roast, one heaping table spoon of kosher salt, one teaspoon paprika, one teaspoon dried rosemary, one teaspoon black pepper, two table spoons olive oil (i really don't care what kind), and four cloves of garlic go into a wee food processor. or bullet thingy. or just mince the garlic and combine it and the spices in a bowl, what ever tickles your fancy. mix it up and let it sit out at room temperature for oh, maybe an hour. speaking of room temperature, get your roast that way. or, at least on the road to room temp. bacteria-phobe note: leaving a roast out for about and hour or two so that it doesn't go into the oven at refrigerator temperature will NOT kill you of food poisoning. it helps the meat cook evenly and within a reasonable time frame. so, assuming your roast has been out for one hour, pat it dry and cover with the rub on all sides. this includes the bottom. line a baking dish that leaves generous room on all sides with foil, 9 by 13 should do it, and plunk the roast in the center. make sure all of the rub is on the roast and, if you like pepper, grind a little extra on the top. pre heat the oven to 425 degrees, and put the roast in. leave at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce temp to 350 and bake for about an hour, or a little more depending on how done you want it. really, medium rare is great or straight up medium. personally i use a meat thermometer for beef, it's the only way i don't come out with purple meat jello, or sawdust with gravy. provided you don't throw it right from the fridge to the oven, and you have the high temp to start with, it should be right around an hour, maybe an extra 15 minutes to medium rare. for the last 20 minutes of baking put one package of sliced baby bellas all around the roast. when you hit your goal for doneness set the meat aside to rest, and mix one table spoon butter with one table spoon flour in a pan to make a roux, when it's cooked on a medium high heat for a minute or two pour the juices from the roast, along with the mushrooms into the skillet and stir thouroghly let simmer to thicken while you slice the roast and viola! dinner is served.

the rising cost of getting by.....

in the first exciting days of our marriage we cheerfully went forth to the grocery store, frivolously tossing into our cart whatever tickled our fancy. it was common place for us to grab a wedge of brie and some smoked gouda for a snack with a baguette. without a second thought organic yogurt was nestled into the cart next to harris ranch beef, and we never lacked for exotic spices. we are now approaching our third year of wedded bliss and i can't remember the last time i bought brie. i'm spending more now than i ever have before and getting less and less. we're scrambling around for places to cut our spending and the grocery store tends to come to the top of the list, but i wonder why? when a movie lasts two hours but you're stuck in this body for the entirety of your time on earth, why should your diet (and therefor health) take the hit? there has to be a better way! my husband, in what i can only think of as a sick joke, often tells me to quit wal-mart, as if i only go there for kicks. oh, but honey, i just love being judged by strangers and waited on my morons, don't take my wal-mart away! if i could get what i need for a reasonable price anywhere else on earth, i would. but i'm sorry to say that i can't. these days i can barely afford to get what i need even when i compare down to the tenth of a penny per ounce on every item. i need to go where the prices are best. so not only is the variety and quality of our diet taking a down turn, our shopping is taking the same slope. things are just too darn expensive. it used to be that because i cook mostly from scratch, and we love our veggies i could get out of the store for 80-100 dollars a week. and we were living pretty well on that. now i'm good to get out for less than 150 and our situation hasn't changed much. in fact with the beef in the freezer and staying home full time i buy less meat and less convenience foods than ever, yet i still spend more! and i feel terrible about it! why oh why should i regret doing the best i can to take care of my family's health? what is happening in the USA that an average person in our society feels no problem forsaking good quality nutrition for the sake of toys, falling back on fast food? why should i be feeling guilty for not buying my kids a Wii when every day they eat a healthy balanced diet? in short, what the heck is wrong with us? good nutrition is not an unattainable goal. kids that eat veggies, and like them, are not out riding unicorns, they do exist. there is the feeling in the air that a balanced diet is a herculean task and that even if you did manage it, your kids would never go for it. not so. if only the proper priorities are set, it can be done. you just have to put your thumb firmly to your nose in the face of mainstream media to get off to a good start.

potato salad, the method, the way of life

am i silly? surely. but consider this: what better way to show your affection and love for friends and family as a cook than to prepare dishes that take a day, two, or even three to be at their peak flavor? that shows deliberate care, a plan a head of time to make someone happy. even with such a basic thing as potato salad. this culture, in my humble opinion, is too much enamored of the quick fix. food is love, and fast food is a bad relationship. 30 minute meals? sure, a nice date, but no one to take home to mom. a brisket that takes 9 hours in the oven? true love. stew meticulously layered with flavor on flavor and gently simmered to perfection? well. potato salad not thrown together in a steamy hour of haphazard culinocity, but thoughtfully constructed with enough time to develop personality? the one you want your best friend to meet. so. what is the method? and how can it truly be as easy as i claim i insist my cooking to be? simple. take your average russet potato, cut it into thirds. give 5 or so of it's friends similar treatment, boil them until just tender, drain and refrigerate over night. the next day, peel with a small paring knife the majority of the skin from all the potatoes, cut into smaller pieces, season with garlic salt, black pepper, and a bit of celery seed or celery salt. in a separate bowl combine chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper according to taste. now for the dressing, i like to experiment depending on what i'm serving and what kind of mood i'm in. last night we had a bit of mayo, sour cream, dijon mustard, capers, and fresh chopped basil. usually it's mayo, mustard, dill pickle relish and olives. the basic idea is to mix it up until it's not glopy but not dry, gently folding in your potatoes so they don't completely fall apart. put in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight in the fridge for the best flavor. don't go crazy with the salt the first day, because it will all come out of hiding the second day, believe me. and so, a simple easy side dish, prepared with care, becomes a monumental demonstration of love.

i can throw no stones

in answer to the question, 'do bad cooking days happen at roundtree cottage?' i give a most emphatic yes. today was just such a day, the rest of it happened to be pretty well a pooper too, so this was just icing on the cake. the meal i planned: grilled lamb ribs, grilled butternut squash, and grilled ears of sweet white corn on the cob. the meal i got: flaming lamb ribs, squash hockey pucks, greasy smoked corn. it was going to be a beautiful treat for my husband (the lamb lover) for whom every menu item is a favorite. plus no pots or pans for me! the simple prep: mix marinade as follows in a food processor juice of one lime, 1/4 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 table spoon dried crushed mint, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, olive oil. put ribs and marinade in plastic bag, go to church. here's the first hiccough, we couldn't find the church we were aiming at going to for the first time with high hopes today. by the time we walked in on a funeral and circled Folsom for an hour we missed services at every other church we could think of. so, strike one. we go to visit the newest little roundtree, my nephew, and in all the fluster i don't ask to hold him, again. bringing me to the stunning total of NEVER. strike two. we come home via the grocery store where i'm to aim for under 100, i spend 120, strike three. we get home with the intention of a nap, the babies successfully resist arrest and no naps are had. strike four. i take a bath and drink a beer, forgetting my book out in the living room. strike five. i dry off and go to walmart to make two measly purchases and get accosted by a weirdo demanding to know why there are no address books that will fit in her purse. strike six. we make a stab at helping my brother in law with his move, only to discover that we have no key to the new house. strike seven i come home and ask my husband to light the grill, he agrees to do such and disappears into the garage, the grill remains cold. strike eight. i light the grill, let it heat put on the squash (slightly precooked in the microwave and slathered with olive oil) and ribs. tantalizing aromas fill the air. i argue with husband about how long to cook the ribs, due to the fact that they have bones in them and i think (correctly) that this means they should cook for just a titch longer. i flip the ribs and squash, put the corn on the top rack (we like it lightly cooked, just warmed really) and go back to the husband eating garage. the neighbors start blasting pink and other club music. strike nine. i get distracted by husband and bad music and suddenly look up and see a column of smoke from the back yard. skip cursing, blowing out ribs, and washing greasy black stuff of corn. serve my husband the rack that wasn't too bad and take my fussy (all day strike ten) baby to my room to nurse and blog. urgh. if the ribs had gone maybe ten minutes bones down and five meat down, with out lighting up, this would have been a whole different story.