On wine and waffles...

So we are credit-card-free, thanks to a blessing that came our way. It's not like we had that much credit card debt (or, at least, not in comparison to so many I know), but it was enough for us; and debt is debt. We cut up our cards, and toasted to our new lives over a bottle of moscato, and aged gouda cheese. Moscato is our favorite wine (in fact, the only wine I will drink at all) because it is sweet and bubbly.

Moscato is a good dessert wine. And on that note, a new dessert I like is...waffles. Big, fluffy waffles with syrup, and maybe some various chopped fruit on top, and definitely, positively, some whipped cream. You see, before closing one of the credit card accounts, we redeemed some reward points, and chose to get a waffle iron.

Up until recently, my interest in waffles was less than mediocre, until I visited Aunt Amber, who made really nice, fluffy, golden brown waffles one morning for breakfast-the sort you can really eat with appreciation, unlike the really thin, frozen ones at the grocery store (please don't do that to yourself). So, sad to say but it's true, upon this inspiration, I made my first homemade waffles just the other day. I thought they were so good, I had another after lunch, for my dessert.

Now, I've only tried one recipe. My readers are welcome to comment and include their recipes if they'd like.

Beat 2 eggs until foamy. Beat in, using a hand beater: 2 c flour, 1 3/4 C milk, 1/2 C Veggie oil, 1 TBS sugar, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla. Pour just a little less than 1 cup of batter on waffle iron, and cook for 3 1/2 minutes.

Chicken Noodles, just the way mommy makes them.

I think the best chicken & noodles are usually your mommy's, even if they aren't so spectacular. It's just one of those comfort foods that most of us have grown up with and love. My mom would make delicious chicken and noodles, with a big side of mashed potatoes. It was one of my favorite meals. I have a memory of sitting in the dining room, eating a big helping of chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes, reading a book from the Babysitters' Club series, and listening to a thunderstorm roll its way in. It is like the harsh food critic tasting Remy's ratatouille: it doesn't have to be the best food on the planet; it just has to remind you of the comfort of home.

So I boil a small chicken in a big pot of water. Boil it until the meat starts to fall off the bones. Once that happens, I call my big manly husband, and ask him (like a baby) to take the chicken out of the pot, because it's too hot for me. My mom probably never had to do that. Keep the liquid (broth) in the pan. If your husband one day throws the broth out because he "is just trying to help," and clean up your dishes, go easy on him, he has no clue. Let the chicken cool for a bit, then begin to shred it. The key here is to use your fingers. Throw the chicken meat right back in the pot of broth. Throw in a bag of wide, egg noodles (don't get extra-wide, I think they are too thin and flimsy). I think I usually use an Amish-style noodle. Go heavy on the salt and pepper. Next up, you can add some store-bought chicken broth or stock to the pot. I add a few cups. If you just put in water, or use a low-sodium chicken broth, talk about bland. Simmer it until the noodles are tender. Boil and mash some yukon gold potatoes, then there you go. Mommy's chicken and noodles.

Breakfast

Menolikebreakfasttime.

My ideal breakfast starts at 10am, and includes pop tarts, pepsi, and doughnut holes. Brought to me on a tray. In bed. The kids are at Grandma's and Nana's.

But breakfast is supposedly the most important meal of the day (prove it), so I usually (grudgingly) make up some french toast, eggs & bacon, etc. with a few days of oatmeal or cereal thrown in.

A co-worker of mine long ago said to me, "I have never eaten a poptart," upon watching our class of preschoolers eat poptarts for snacks. I stared at her quite speechless until she explained that her mother always made her family very big, home-cooked meals in the morning. "Still, a poptart, "says I, "is, like, a food group for college students." Crazy mothers sheltering their kids. ;)

Make up breakfast the day before (ie breakfast casserole), or make a big batch of things one morning and freeze a lot. Freeze french toast (scroll down for a recipe), waffles, etc. I don't like cooking in the mornings, so this frees up a lot of time for me.

We really like frittatas here! I have no idea how I learned how to make these, but here's my own recipe:

1. Beat several eggs in a bowl and let them sit out in room temperature until you are ready to use them. Season them.

2. Dice 2 potatoes, and cook them in a little olive oil in a cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.

3. Fry 4 slices of bacon. When the bacon is cooked, chop into small pieces.

4. Turn your broiler on to the low setting.

5. When potatoes are done, add in the bacon, some cheese of your choice, and pour the eggs over all. You want enough eggs that the other items are submerged in the eggs. Add in some garlic salt!!

6. Let the frittata cook for a few minutes on the burner, until you see small bubbles begin to appear.

7. When that happens, place it under the broiler for a few minutes, add a little more cheese to the top, and cook a few more minutes. It won't take long.

8. When it browns a little on top, take it out, cut it like pie, and enjoy! You can also add any vegetables (I would just add them to the same skillet at the potatoes while they are cooking). Like broccoli or peppers.

My breakfast this morning: Fennel tea w/ orange rind, poppyseed muffin (or 4), and egg whites.

Beef Stew

When I was little, one of my favorite meals was beef stew. I would smell the aromas all through the house, and say, "Mmm, I LOVE beef stew!" Then my sister Jill would say, "Then why don't you go marry it? Haha!" And for some reason, that would make me upset. :D

I use about 1.5-2lbs of beef stew meat from the store. I chop the pieces up smaller than they are in the package because this is SOUP. So you need bite size pieces, obviously.

I went to my mom and asked her how to make beef stew, and she shrugged and said, "I just do what it says on the back of the seasoning packet!" SO, following the instructions on the back of beef stew seasoning packet, coat the meat, then cook it til brown on all sides, add the water and seasoning, and let it simmer for an hour. Then you can add whatever chopped veggies you like, but for me, I only do potatoes, carrots, and celery. If you decide to add other gross things, I simply cannot vouch for the taste of your beef stew. :D

But once I add the veggies, I throw away the instructions. I always add more water. If the vegetables are submerged, you've added too much. For each cup of water I put in, I add a beef bouillon cube. And lots of salt, if you like flavor. If you don't like flavor in your food, then I suppose you could skip the salt. I simmer the stew for awhile, about 1 1/2 hours. So, altogether, after you've simmered just the meat, and cut up your vegetables during that time, the stew will take about 2 hours and 45 minutes to cook.

I made this last night, along with some honey wheat bread. Us girls went outside to play in the evening, and when we came back in, our noses red and runny, and our fingers numb, it was so nice to come into a warm house with delicious smells of food around.

Lara: Sniff. Sniff. Mmm, mommy, I smell something really yummy. Sniff. Sniff. Sniff.

Mommy: I LOVE beef stew!