Thursday Find

Today, I found this quaint little cherry desk for $80. Yes, it has a few nicks and scratches, but it meets all my requirements: solid wood, small, simple. It may actually inspire me to write a few notes or read a little more, both of which I should do.

Scrumptious Sweet and Sour

Sometimes I like to stroll through grocery stores looking at various items I've never before purchased and imagine what my limited cooking skills could make with such a product. Well, a couple weeks ago as I was leisurely meandering my way through the Asian isle, I noticed bottles of sweet and sour sauce. I started reflecting on all the restaurants that have delicious sweet and sour, and then the discouraging thought occurred to me that my sweet and sour will never taste like theirs. Disappointed, I wandered around a while longer, when a good 20 minutes later I found myself staring at those tempting little sweet and sour sauces again. Staring turned into picking up the bottles and reading the ingredients ( I've never really thought about what's in sweet and sour sauce before), and then I noticed right there on the back of the bottle was a handy sweet and sour recipe. I read the recipe and realized I was capable! I could actually make this recipe. It really wasn't difficult at all. The stroll quickly turned into a brisk paced mission as I hunted down everything else I would need to complete my Sweet and Sour Chicken. I am pleased to announce that tonight I made Sweet and Sour Chicken for the first time ever. I served it with fried rice and a small salad. It successfully met the hunger pangs and taste demands of my husband. One more meal to add the meal menus! It was scrumptious and really quite simple!

Puzzle Pleasure

Last week while I was suffering through that wretched cold I decided I had to do something other than vegetate in bed or watch tv or just sip tea, so I determined to complete my New Years puzzle. I started it the first week of 2010, but for the past couple weeks it has been sitting uncompleted, cluttering up my house and begging for some attention. What a great activity for when I'm afflicted with a bug! I love 1000 piece puzzles. There's something fulfilling about knowing that I have touched and positioned 1000 individual puzzle pieces. The other thing I cherish about this puzzle is the Jonathan Green image. I admit, I'm a little obsessed with Jonathan Green's art. It is bright, colorful, cheerful and oh so Southern! Doesn't it just make you want to break out into Gullah?

Of course you want to break out into Gullah! So here you go:

De Lawd, 'E duh my sheppud. Uh een gwoi' want. 'E meck me fuh lay down een dem green passuh. 'E Khah me deh side dah stagnant wahtuh. 'E sto' muh soul; 'E lead me een de pat' ob right-juss-niss fuh 'E name sake. Aae doh Ie wark shru' de whalley ob dem grayb yaad Ie een gwoi' skayed uh dem dead people, fuh Ie know de Lawd, 'E duh deh wid me; 'E stick wha' 'E khah een 'E han' 'n de staff een de udduh han' gwoi' cumpit me' 'E fix up uh table fuh me fuh grease muh mout' 'n muh enemies een gwoi' git none. 'E 'noint muh head wid uhl. Muh cup obbuh flo.' Sho' nuff all 'E goodnes,' 'n 'E muhcy gwoi' be wid me all de day ob muh life 'n Ie gwoi' lib deh een de house ob de Lawd fuh ebbuh 'n ebbuh. Amen

If that's a little much, you can just listen to some Gullah:

http://www.gullahtours.com/psalm23.mp3

Enjoy!

And the Suds Go Marching On

Perhaps it was socializing over lunch or cleaning the vacuum filter or boasting over germ termination yesterday, but whatever it was, that wicked cold decided to worsen overnight. It's as if the germs knew I declared war on them, and they decided to inhabit every nook of my sinus cavity. I think they are having a Germ Convention this very moment in my head. In an effort to feel better, I have returned to the bleach. I know, I know. Bleach is not supposed to do wonders for sinus problems, but at least it makes the environment around me seem germless. So today starts off with a sink full of soapy bleach water. If the bleach fumes didn't kill off the germs maybe wallowing in it will. Whatever it takes, those little devils are going down! While the bleach goes to work, I plan on sipping tea, reading a book, taking lots of vitamin C, and maybe even blogging.

Culinary Components of a Great Meal

Do you have any idea what remarkable meal these ingredients make? I confess, you do need one more very important item--filet mignon. Tonight, I made Steak Diane. It is one of my husband's favorites. Shallots, dijon mustard, brandy, Worcestershire, fresh lemon juice, and chives along with a little butter make this meal truly delectable. It's actually very easy.

You will need:

2 filets mignons (salt and pepper both sides)

2 tbs butter

1-2 shallots

1/3 c brandy

1 tbs dijon mustard

2 tps Worcestershire

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbs chopped chives

1. Melt 1 tbs of butter in a non-stick skillet (save remaining butter for later)

2. Add filets and cook for approx. 5 minutes on each side

3. Transfer filets to a side dish

4. Add shallots to the pan and cook until softened

5. Stir in remaining ingredients (except chives and remaining butter) and cook for 1 minute

6. Stir in chives and remaining butter until butter is melted

7. Pour over filets and enjoy!

Die Germs, Die!

I have been congested, cranky and cooped up in the house for the past few days battling a cold, but this morning, I finally broke free. My day went something like this:

Clean kitchen

Eat lunch with friend

Purchase toothbrush refills (I have to change out the toothbrush when I've been sick!)

Shop for groceries

Finish Laundry

Vacuum

Cook supper

Enjoy an evening with my husband

It's funny how mundane tasks can become such a pleasure after feeling sick. Being in the company of my husband and/or friends is never a mundane task, but the rest of the list I would hardly categorize as overly exciting during a healthy week. Thankfully, my friend didn't mind going out with someone that sounded as though she might be a walking Petri dish. I truly am on the road to recovery even though I may not sound great. With clean sheets on the bed, vacuumed floors and bleached countertops and doorknobs, I somehow feel like the germs know they are not going to succeed. They will inhale the bleach fumes and die a bitter death! Die germs, die!

Chinese Chicken Salad

This evening my husband and I enjoyed Chinese chicken salads. Earlier today I marinated some chicken in a combination of soy, teriyaki and sesame ginger dressing. The chicken was cooked slowly and then served atop a hearty mixture of cabbage, lettuce, and scallions. A few almond slices, craisins, and chow mien noodles topped it all off. I love Chinese salads because they contain both chewiness from the craisins and crunchiness from cabbage and chow mien noodles. It was simple yet delightful.

Food is a definite passion of mine even if I'm not the best cook in the world. I am quite ashamed to say that, although I was born in a coastal Southern town that takes pride in its shrimp and grits, I don't really like shrimp or oysters or clams. I know, for a coastal girl, that is practically a sin. This past weekend I was at a friend's house where Seafood Gumbo was on the menu. I examined it fearfully, swallowed hard and then served myself a small amount that didn't contain any actual shrimp or oysters. As I started eating I realized that my dislike for most seafood really has nothing to do with the flavor. It's all about the texture! I loved that seafood gumbo! It was absolutely delicious. It was the thought of biting into a shrimp or oyster that was utterly disturbing to me--not the flavor. My husband on the other hand, who generally loves shrimp, has never been thrilled with gumbo. He can't get over the okra.

The Beginning of a Blog

I have officially stepped over the threshold and have entered the world of blogging. I must admit it is a little intimidating. I am not a great writer by any means, and I don't know that I really have much to actually put on a blog. I read blogs about food, politics, religion, and hobbies; however, narrowing my own blog to culinary adventures, painting projects or political views seems so restraining to me. It's not that those topics don't interest me, but I don't have a set goal like cooking through Julia Child's cookbook or making sure a certain politician gets elected. Perhaps as this blog gets going I will develop a goal, but for now, it is just an entertaining experience.