tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70774890188163660332024-02-20T10:59:51.053-08:00Michele in the WorldIn which I think about books, information issues, and possibly even document some adventures.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-16037416179368012032012-12-12T17:10:00.000-08:002012-12-12T17:10:36.016-08:00My Blog is MovingThis is just a quick post to say that my blog is moving to: <a href="http://michelejames.wordpress.com/">http://michelejames.wordpress.com</a><br />
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<br />Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-2762935508980954262012-01-06T15:10:00.000-08:002012-01-06T15:31:41.861-08:00State Parks: Los Encinos SHP<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3g4sOvoulqtG-WS7wV4Aj2-XnvqG8Se_m73ZUnQ_K0CBKrj_rvORqrwupmca0bXp4E6B4J6g3klgKXPPVq9FW1qenZfHlAKDDTovo32xKehav1YAGNC-u0rpuIyA5aVjmLES2QPggLc/s1600/100_3515.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3g4sOvoulqtG-WS7wV4Aj2-XnvqG8Se_m73ZUnQ_K0CBKrj_rvORqrwupmca0bXp4E6B4J6g3klgKXPPVq9FW1qenZfHlAKDDTovo32xKehav1YAGNC-u0rpuIyA5aVjmLES2QPggLc/s320/100_3515.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694662133457483410" border="0" /></a><br />Los Encinos State Historic Park is located in Encino, CA. It really is just right in the middle of the city, taking up a couple of city blocks. On one side, through the orange trees, it runs into a grocery store parking lot. Yet, the park still manages to be a lovely, quiet, refuge from any city noise or bustle. We visited on a weekend day, and there were several families out letting their kids run around, feeding the ducks, and picnicking.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTnWrt1WeVp_YGP1iG6zg3Sc3fLZryDrJUXcgWzueCE9xir13tLka0UFRfZrOpCTmM6VWXBmiKAyGJm1VwJ2bwvsJWZaAMTOLgFCi4w6a63-KqNCML3WytgUp95T2ir6Y1_1GlZIeSug/s1600/100_3519.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTnWrt1WeVp_YGP1iG6zg3Sc3fLZryDrJUXcgWzueCE9xir13tLka0UFRfZrOpCTmM6VWXBmiKAyGJm1VwJ2bwvsJWZaAMTOLgFCi4w6a63-KqNCML3WytgUp95T2ir6Y1_1GlZIeSug/s320/100_3519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694662149644818418" border="0" /></a><br />The adobe is open for free guided tours, but I think at this point they are by appointment only. However, the visitor center (in another of the buildings) is unlocked during regular park hours so that visitors can go look around.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hj22-2IWaCOYicgEsWviCSY3q06YASg1WLfNNqquVKnv0LmYMoXJbkAYy4Qo87bHiub2mLsG6IcXSqdia9q7mVuMolqcQohZQ7qqQFZOxYxWuvPvAUt1wxmxAizPPGif6fMwBGg9Gqg/s1600/100_3517.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hj22-2IWaCOYicgEsWviCSY3q06YASg1WLfNNqquVKnv0LmYMoXJbkAYy4Qo87bHiub2mLsG6IcXSqdia9q7mVuMolqcQohZQ7qqQFZOxYxWuvPvAUt1wxmxAizPPGif6fMwBGg9Gqg/s320/100_3517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694662143689868434" border="0" /></a><br />There are a lot of orange trees and other plants on the property.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AnPQrQ1sPRWrbnSrsqh-JeUJHCJxzMbUGCZuKFknB-Jsp6D-0A5jDp6P_PqP5SV3o-c7CTHFuEL9HYHemeHxJfByQMDU8PLqnnSs36W8yvXVMR0dXsuDnifyhAZgLDXeCR_m0vt3obM/s1600/100_3522.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AnPQrQ1sPRWrbnSrsqh-JeUJHCJxzMbUGCZuKFknB-Jsp6D-0A5jDp6P_PqP5SV3o-c7CTHFuEL9HYHemeHxJfByQMDU8PLqnnSs36W8yvXVMR0dXsuDnifyhAZgLDXeCR_m0vt3obM/s320/100_3522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694662161025275378" border="0" /></a><br />There's also a pond with lots of ducks in it. You can buy little bags of birdseed and feed them. The ducks get really excited about this.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0NHMR-06jqkLkUqWdYx-2BDcfSThVPGMtj8uU7FY8II9at3scLK49VEfKRfebsW41a2SditR1Q8n857AJ9tLaN7OSkk-Yjz9at9lxWr8ynJaGb2VKv87uwY9Yc1iRGicpLMirmtvv70/s1600/100_3527.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0NHMR-06jqkLkUqWdYx-2BDcfSThVPGMtj8uU7FY8II9at3scLK49VEfKRfebsW41a2SditR1Q8n857AJ9tLaN7OSkk-Yjz9at9lxWr8ynJaGb2VKv87uwY9Yc1iRGicpLMirmtvv70/s320/100_3527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694662134263519970" border="0" /></a>Its just a nice park, a great place to go walk around on the weekend, and an interesting museum/visitor center. Currently its open Wednesday - Sunday from 10-5, but it would probably be best to check the <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=619">website</a> before you go.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-50113567513242223262012-01-05T11:44:00.000-08:002012-01-05T12:09:34.557-08:00State Parks: San Pasqual Battlefield SHPFirst of all, I am really quite embarrassed by my lack of state park posts. We did visit quite a few parks last summer, but once I started graduate school in the fall we were no longer able to see as many. I neglected to really post any blogs at all, but hopefully I'll get a few done here in the next few weeks.<br /><br />Most of the 70 state parks scheduled to close will be still be closing by this summer. A handful have been saved, either through private partnerships or being taken over by another park system (national, county, or city). Hopefully more parks will be able to stay open at least on a limited basis in this way. I would highly encourage you to support the <a href="http://www.calparks.org">California State Parks Foundation</a>, or at least to go to their site if you're interested in finding out more.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdgxMyThRX8SjfPe8mXemuzqs01FkCZ24dfn4NeklPpDWBIilyGHsos34fdrGpyvmwrVyiOwDyJixLIxwcvjqmmbFTnSyBGTCaaE6CMqpbhbNwZrUn902cYXNG4zlCwaJmVGHsjfS5O0/s1600/100_3469.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdgxMyThRX8SjfPe8mXemuzqs01FkCZ24dfn4NeklPpDWBIilyGHsos34fdrGpyvmwrVyiOwDyJixLIxwcvjqmmbFTnSyBGTCaaE6CMqpbhbNwZrUn902cYXNG4zlCwaJmVGHsjfS5O0/s320/100_3469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694237121958427314" border="0" /></a><br />Over Memorial Day weekend last year, we went down to Escondido to see San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park. For such a small park, this one is really great. The visitor center has excellent exhibits, beautiful views, and a short yet very informative video about the Mexican-American War. Travis and I felt much better about ourselves as California citizens after watching this; we realized as we went in the visitor center that we really knew nothing about that war. The person staffing the visitor center was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxF9m9OQV8HjWZEnjRJBREZkh9XZN7LFg7CWKFxwE3iZYPiy7JhG0GozUCaV2SILT_mrMR_Sc6VN6RVYeZyxHr193ScT1_aK-9JU_iEOuLhPxIIInvve86vF0RHUT1OONhqXO-ANTXuo/s1600/100_3473.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxF9m9OQV8HjWZEnjRJBREZkh9XZN7LFg7CWKFxwE3iZYPiy7JhG0GozUCaV2SILT_mrMR_Sc6VN6RVYeZyxHr193ScT1_aK-9JU_iEOuLhPxIIInvve86vF0RHUT1OONhqXO-ANTXuo/s320/100_3473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694237123903311778" border="0" /></a><br />The park has a nice quarter mile nature trail as well as a longer (one mile I believe) trail. However, when we visited, the longer trail had not been maintained in a while, and we were advised not to try it. I don't know whether or not this is still true, but I would assume that it is, due to the ongoing budget issues.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY36TREMFa8b2wlgVLJeWHkpg6STWEX__vP8FbuyfSTbzUnrqkiml8PZeCCvY_Enc_kgkNQ5GpGUbxLEwJkhNl2KbLv5bpgajMxiPOZTmhutXBTTHoRTN8H1qv-TOKR73-3atflduXfrI/s1600/100_3475.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY36TREMFa8b2wlgVLJeWHkpg6STWEX__vP8FbuyfSTbzUnrqkiml8PZeCCvY_Enc_kgkNQ5GpGUbxLEwJkhNl2KbLv5bpgajMxiPOZTmhutXBTTHoRTN8H1qv-TOKR73-3atflduXfrI/s320/100_3475.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694237135035173490" border="0" /></a><br />The view out to the valley from the visitor center and from the nature trail is really lovely. The valley is where the majority of the battle was fought.<br /><br />At any rate, I highly recommend this park. It is basically next door to the San Diego Wild Animal Park in Escondido and is currently still open on Saturdays and Sundays.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-26490560012948591522012-01-02T19:10:00.000-08:002012-01-02T19:18:27.316-08:00New Year's Dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHMD7MihEqfGPImjI2i8TJxyvLJKbTGWS6WkiSS_NxgTnpkEgeC0zPs-iwSwDIaLe7qWgwacZ_i_Yio_mDKTJCIwRrXnX7tEjzOy-7VDpebzdGch6G5mHM3veuGpR1_2nFBp9aLtHqH4/s1600/100_4238.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHMD7MihEqfGPImjI2i8TJxyvLJKbTGWS6WkiSS_NxgTnpkEgeC0zPs-iwSwDIaLe7qWgwacZ_i_Yio_mDKTJCIwRrXnX7tEjzOy-7VDpebzdGch6G5mHM3veuGpR1_2nFBp9aLtHqH4/s320/100_4238.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693238023042361266" border="0" /></a>Cooked dinner for the first time in our new house today! I made a pot of <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/collard-greens-recipe/index.html">collard greens</a> and some cheesy grits, then just included fried chicken from Albertson's (best grocery store fried chicken ever). It was pretty good, although the grits weren't the best I've ever made.<br /><br />I also tried to think about New Year's resolutions. I made a resolution that I would try to do meatless Mondays. Then (as shown above), I promptly forgot that it was Monday. Next week! My other resolutions are:<br /><br />1. Take my multivitamin.<br />2. Don't get so stressed out all the time.<br /><br />We'll see how it all goes. Happy New Year!Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-32179600659267998352011-10-02T16:41:00.000-07:002011-10-02T17:02:45.876-07:00Almond Cheesecake and BrowniesIn all fairness, this should be called Almond Cheesecake Filling. It was a bit awkward how it all turned out.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiYlYzLaOdVDty1TZoyrF4SjE2jNgGp6_qnIamz7RpgBnofXurpDeEbaqj8FAtj1rfnTXMUFSI2nN4JyunwMBph-UFTPt_-J1CVSmxZhOC2mn8PA8X-01G2coZDouFiQABIvVphxUV9U/s1600/100_4118.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiYlYzLaOdVDty1TZoyrF4SjE2jNgGp6_qnIamz7RpgBnofXurpDeEbaqj8FAtj1rfnTXMUFSI2nN4JyunwMBph-UFTPt_-J1CVSmxZhOC2mn8PA8X-01G2coZDouFiQABIvVphxUV9U/s320/100_4118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659044729532212370" border="0" /></a><br />A while back, I saw this recipe called <a href="http://www.pauladeenmagazine.com/recipe_results.php?id=1198">Decadent Chocolate Layer Cake</a> in Cooking with Paula Deen. It's two layers of chocolate cake with a layer of almond cheesecake in between, with chocolate frosting. You'll notice that it looks AMAZING. However I've been trying to eat better, and although I don't deny myself dessert if I want it, I was still fairly sure I should never make that. It sounds like it could kill you after a few bites. So I had another thought. What if I saved the filling recipe and the cake recipe separately and just made them as separate cakes?<br /><br />As you will undoubtedly have noticed, what happens to the cheesecake part is that it has no crust. It's not a cheesecake, it's a molded cheesecake filling. Tasty, but a bit odd and definitely too rich to eat on its own. So, what's a girl to do in this situation? Why, make a batch of brownies and smear small amounts of the cheesecake on top of them. Voila:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k2grYEnJQu48vwIF8mGrfoG5ibohulCAmdFjUm3IaVfLOKOur72cMgoCA35W9qe7kClJuZ81rdqmZKvYOPy65ZhtMdYR4e6PCdHoWEK3U0ofHbohdVPJrukqhowiCIBMpkxrla5FUFs/s1600/100_4133.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k2grYEnJQu48vwIF8mGrfoG5ibohulCAmdFjUm3IaVfLOKOur72cMgoCA35W9qe7kClJuZ81rdqmZKvYOPy65ZhtMdYR4e6PCdHoWEK3U0ofHbohdVPJrukqhowiCIBMpkxrla5FUFs/s320/100_4133.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659044732845281730" border="0" /></a><br />The verdict? They were okay. I think the biggest problem is that I don't like cheesecake, but I do like cheesecake brownies. So, I definitely believe that if you swirled this batter into brownie batter before baking it, fantastic things could happen. Maybe someday I'll try it, because this recipe is actually really easy to make.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Almond Cheesecake Filling</span><br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />3 large eggs<br />1/2 cup sour cream<br />2 tablespoons almond- flavored liqueur (or almond extract)<br /><br />Instructions:<br /><br />Preheat oven to 300°. Line a 9-inch round baking pan with aluminum foil, letting edges of foil extend over sides of pan. Lightly grease foil.<br /><br />In a large bowl, beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar, beating until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in sour cream and liqueur. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 45 minutes. Turn oven off; leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 1 hour.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-38549789504516396282011-10-01T17:11:00.000-07:002011-10-01T17:21:34.168-07:00Pork Burgers: A Public Service Announcement<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVO_L7HIkrKvvlPvcQ631gdEPTS9a3WntdCuKXthXe-vKCxHqjKzMPLUuFTcOfmxi5w3C7gPRpaSy1tARGNxy09ONFRqBrE5-LKiijAzlQKFoTVoE3khGpDzDGDhxukAAVf7O8JRi4E4/s1600/100_4126.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVO_L7HIkrKvvlPvcQ631gdEPTS9a3WntdCuKXthXe-vKCxHqjKzMPLUuFTcOfmxi5w3C7gPRpaSy1tARGNxy09ONFRqBrE5-LKiijAzlQKFoTVoE3khGpDzDGDhxukAAVf7O8JRi4E4/s320/100_4126.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658681534994049090" border="0" /></a>This is just a quick PSA about potentially one of the tastiest things I've ever cooked. Pork burgers. Travis was skeptical at first, but in the end he was a believer. The recipe (Perfect Pork Burgers) came out of Food Network Magazine but can apparently also be found on their <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/perfect-pork-burgers-recipe/index.html">website</a>.<br /><br />It's really easy. Basically you just grind some bacon and garlic in a food processor, mix it with ground pork, season, make into patties, grill (or broil), and serve on some toasted potato buns (brushed with a little butter, of course). Amazing. The key, of course, is the bacon. Just try it. And now, back to my regularly scheduled massive amount of schoolwork that needs to be done.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Perfect Pork Burgers</span> (from Food Network Magazine)<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />5 slices bacon<br />1 clove garlic, minced<br />1 pound ground pork<br />kosher salt and freshly ground pepper<br />1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage<br />freshly ground pepper<br />4 potato buns, split<br />unsalted butter, softened, for spreading<br /><br />Instructions:<br /><br />1. Pulse the bacon and garlic in a food processor until coarsely ground.<br /><br />2. Combine the ground pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the sage in a large bowl. Add the bacon mixture and gently mix with your hands. Gently form the meat into 4 balls, then lightly press into 4-inch-wide 1-inch-thick patties. Make a 2-inch wide indentation in the center of each with your thumb to prevent the burgers from bulging when grilled.<br /><br />3. Preheat a grill to medium high. Season the patties with pepper. Grill, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 5-6 minutes. Turn and grill until the other side is marked and the patties feel firm, 4-6 more minutes. Meanwhile, spread the cut sides of the buns with butter and toast on the grill.<br /><br />4. Serve the patties on the buns.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-2380305386216438652011-09-09T15:21:00.001-07:002011-09-09T15:42:59.118-07:00Great White SharkYeah, I know... I talk about sharks a lot. But this is it for a while, I swear. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the only facilities to have successfully kept a great white shark in captivity. They keep them only for a few months at a time before releasing them back into the wild. I've never actually seen a white shark in person, so when I heard that the aquarium had one on display, Travis and I decided to drive up to Monterey for Labor Day weekend.<br /><br />The shark was amazing. He's only a few months old, less than 5 feet long and weighing about 43 pounds. But, it was still one of the most remarkable animals I've ever seen. I took this super short video when we first got there after the aquarium opened on Saturday. It was taken on my camera, so the quality isn't amazing. At any rate, I hope you enjoy it.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dylZ8flKjJd7909vdILDq38Nk-wOam4VVEMEn3akVRXjytyiU4O8HFog_A4h5r63clw8YGEAnjZ94xb-_01jA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-57160072504693303922011-06-27T19:09:00.000-07:002011-06-27T19:38:22.025-07:00State Parks: Palomar MountainThe first park we went to was Palomar Mountain State Park, over Memorial Day weekend. Palomar Mountain is in San Diego County, northeast of Escondido. When you read about Palomar, most people say variations of "it feels like the Sierra Nevada". I haven't spent time in the Sierra Nevada yet, so I can't verify this. However, if you have; perhaps it will give you an idea of the atmosphere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhHYIldkntkxGSf67f8W5NgA46T54Lgsl_BLSfs7xglAKpAXMYmvW3xDMgxNelUeinJiL9ysJFJg2V22-Z73w0grjjoJD3si1GOK66tNjc4pVV7p39NM0k4wboS5J4nMi1vF6aQyqCTc/s1600/100_3468.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhHYIldkntkxGSf67f8W5NgA46T54Lgsl_BLSfs7xglAKpAXMYmvW3xDMgxNelUeinJiL9ysJFJg2V22-Z73w0grjjoJD3si1GOK66tNjc4pVV7p39NM0k4wboS5J4nMi1vF6aQyqCTc/s320/100_3468.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622686681153680466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's obviously very pine-y and woodsy in a way that LA isn't. Our nearby mountains have a lot more chaparral than giant pine trees. I had also read in my state parks book about some ancient live oaks. However, there is really only one book published that I have found that includes information about all of the state parks, and it was published in 2001. Since none of the other material I found mentioned oaks, I was afraid they had met an untimely demise in a fire or something. Luckily, I spoke to a kindly park ranger at the entrance who helped me map out a trail that would show us all of the features in the park that I wanted to see, including the pond, meadow, nature trail, and oaks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrdmUqvmUAj7S-RLNMq3bjhID4UEhHuGNdTzJAcBJG3Z17YFJQCjVjOtEVKeqE1HDsjTYHKbwoLJmplqes0VxSVwmMA0bFyxHHm9ih3kMmW0cGPqbX8lKa6k17Sy9wkaEH4TQDqhv0M0/s1600/100_3438.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrdmUqvmUAj7S-RLNMq3bjhID4UEhHuGNdTzJAcBJG3Z17YFJQCjVjOtEVKeqE1HDsjTYHKbwoLJmplqes0VxSVwmMA0bFyxHHm9ih3kMmW0cGPqbX8lKa6k17Sy9wkaEH4TQDqhv0M0/s320/100_3438.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622686672882320178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The nature trail starts through a lot of lovely wooded area and basically follows a creek, which you can always sort of hear off to the side. You actually have to cross the creek to get onto the nature trail, and although its not a big deal at all, of course I managed to fall. I was convinced there were gold flecks in the mud on my jeans, but Travis just scoffed.<br /><br />There are also an amazing amount of birds, although I missed out on seeing a mountain bluebird. Apparently one flew right in front of us as I bent down to pick up my binoculars - the binoculars I was carrying as part of my current attempt to be an amateur birdwatcher. (I want to go on a birdwatching hike in the Santa Monica Mountains, but I'm afraid the real birdwatchers will sneer at me. But, I digress.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPiTTfzUa964UZhcu5jj6_TVT05UadxoSdwEowRboYgbRF_FeGlYOWDitJnoz5WM6LfE3dCg6oNL3am6DaZWrjNqUPVOyuxTQgaBHo6zdQHApLqOrLyjsmMeAe3FsC_oIUY8gqPqXG9M/s1600/100_3451.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPiTTfzUa964UZhcu5jj6_TVT05UadxoSdwEowRboYgbRF_FeGlYOWDitJnoz5WM6LfE3dCg6oNL3am6DaZWrjNqUPVOyuxTQgaBHo6zdQHApLqOrLyjsmMeAe3FsC_oIUY8gqPqXG9M/s320/100_3451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622686148584132146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Once we'd hiked the nature trail for a bit and gone up to the Weir Historic site (which seems to be a chimney - none of my research attempts have informed me as to why it is historic), we switched over to a different trail. This trail basically cut straight across a meadow. The trail here definitely got a bit patchy and wound around a lot. Some of the time, I was not at all sure we were going the correct way. But, eventually we ended up back in the woods and happened acros the definitely ancient live oaks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQO62tcKtlCebuyNEyRNLIdX4fUZNCaaHtkS_gof5V4k_tWBbW8ZlSZQcvX8hr1OU2_M3xQ9A0Kxh25jz-Cx83iqcfaxK3g5JDVrOVGTE-mtMduZ3g5lgSV1nDCe84dw9S0yOuNf85KzA/s1600/100_3459.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQO62tcKtlCebuyNEyRNLIdX4fUZNCaaHtkS_gof5V4k_tWBbW8ZlSZQcvX8hr1OU2_M3xQ9A0Kxh25jz-Cx83iqcfaxK3g5JDVrOVGTE-mtMduZ3g5lgSV1nDCe84dw9S0yOuNf85KzA/s320/100_3459.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622686138505876898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The park ranger had told me that the oaks had to be a couple of hundred years old. And they were definitely quite large. One of the most amazing things about them is that they have grown around and on top of these huge boulders. In the picture above, you can see Travis standing on top of a boulder and next to an oak, for scale.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzV4W41b8O12U0TeT5U_BFzaMMf7V5LJFSgosMu9FH7-4mUc3GQvAXjkbq5jwgD4BeIp2oJmSyVUOovXWQQVjoq1qcgHNFREFBKKQBYv1QwNhurTs7Gpz6DdhhRu-p3wssofQvasNT2Q/s1600/100_3463.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzV4W41b8O12U0TeT5U_BFzaMMf7V5LJFSgosMu9FH7-4mUc3GQvAXjkbq5jwgD4BeIp2oJmSyVUOovXWQQVjoq1qcgHNFREFBKKQBYv1QwNhurTs7Gpz6DdhhRu-p3wssofQvasNT2Q/s320/100_3463.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622686132971542306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And then we came across possibly my favorite part - a particular oak that had fallen down across the trail several years before. They just left it there, because it's so big that you can actually walk underneath it. It looks so menacing, but also beautiful.<br /><br />That's pretty much it for our adventure. After this point, we had originally intended to loop back and finish the part of the nature trail that we had missed. However, after already hiking about 5 miles, we were exhausted and opted to cut through a campsite and head back to the car. It was an excellent day and a fantastic park, and I don't even have pictures of Doane Pond or the incredibly foggy Boucher Lookout. If you've never been, definitely check this one out quickly before it closes.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-56650293537184200152011-06-26T17:37:00.000-07:002011-06-26T18:26:29.627-07:00California State ParksI know I usually only blog about food, but if there is one thing I love more than food, it might be parks. It doesn't hurt that hiking increases my appetite, and there is usually some sort of delicious food to be discovered while out adventuring.<br /><br />Recently, the California state government announced that 70 state parks would be closed by July 1, 2012 as part of a <a href="http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/05/13/brown-says-hes-closing-70-state-parks/">$33 million dollar budget cut</a> to the state park system. While closures have been threatened in the past (I think at least twice in the past five years), this time it seems to be actually happening.<br /><br />Some argue that the state budget has long been bloated or simply sigh and say, "Everything has to be cut. Money has to be saved, no matter what the cost." I maintain that the cost here is simply too high. There is evidence that closing parks won't save money at all; in fact, it could cost far more than it will save.<br /><br />Visitors to state parks tend to spend money in the nearby areas, which helps local economies. Closed parks will become havens for criminal activity. The risk of wildfires (already a huge issue for Californians) will only increase. Federal funding will be lost, and the state could still be liable for people injured while trespassing in the closed parks.<br /><br />But, I digress. My main point here is just to say that I love state parks. To that end, Travis and I have decided that we will try to visit as many of the closing parks as possible over the next year. This is complicated by the fact that we live in Southern California, and the majority of the park closures are further north. But, we'll still give it our best shot. We've been to a couple so far, and it occurred to me in the last couple of weeks that perhaps I should blog about our progress.<br /><br />During the time that I've been thinking about this, I've actually stumbled across another blog called <a href="http://www.70in70.com/">70 in 70</a>, which is much more adventurous - they're attempting to visit all 70 parks in 70 days. I highly recommend it. The photography is absolutely stunning, and I cannot wait to see the parks in Northern California.<br /><br />So that's it. We've been to three parks so far, which I will hopefully post about soon. This coming weekend, we'll be attempting to see 5 of the closing parks (plus 1 non-closing park) in 3 days. Whew. Wish me luck!Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-80645370749476605612011-06-12T17:21:00.000-07:002011-06-12T18:27:52.029-07:00Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chip Cookies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYUIY0kvRk0AIqJo2GfknAp4TOKay5H5QbkHJGV-BwCjLt30kzxM0cb4KKZ5ypRQvP00fmR3YjSxQrjLNdKTywA1FhWAetcpErUoHvPbsTnxTn2lFitadlSj8wX7h47eBFmrm5c7hcQM/s1600/100_3513.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYUIY0kvRk0AIqJo2GfknAp4TOKay5H5QbkHJGV-BwCjLt30kzxM0cb4KKZ5ypRQvP00fmR3YjSxQrjLNdKTywA1FhWAetcpErUoHvPbsTnxTn2lFitadlSj8wX7h47eBFmrm5c7hcQM/s320/100_3513.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617506569706467426" /></a><br /><br />I haven't blogged in ages, but I was so pleased with these cookies yesterday I thought that I should just go ahead. I was definitely craving cookies last night, and I'd been wanting to do something to use up some peanut butter and some oats that I had. <br /><br />I got this recipe from a blog called <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/">Brown Eyed Baker</a>, and I only made one rather minor change and one specification to it. <br /><br />A while back, I bought this Jif "Natural" peanut butter with 1/3 less sodium and low sugar. I thought it would be an easy way to have Travis eat something semi-healthy. About two days later, he declared that it tasted "like the void" and he needed new peanut butter. It's been sitting around ever since. I used it in this recipe for two reasons. 1 - it doesn't actually taste like the void and 2 - it has a really really peanutty taste, which I thought would do well in a cookie. I mean, you're adding more sugar and salt anyway. <br /><br />Secondly, the recipe called for semisweet chocolate chips. I happened to have a bag of mixed semisweet chocolate and peanut butter chips, so I used those instead. And, they are delicious. Gooey and really really peanut buttery. I highly recommend it.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies</span><br /><br /> Makes about 16 cookies<br /><br /> 1 cup all-purpose flour<br /> 1 teaspoon baking soda<br /> ¼ teaspoon salt<br /> 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br /> ½ cup creamy peanut butter<br /> ½ cup granulated sugar<br /> 1/3 cup light brown sugar<br /> ½ teaspoon vanilla extract<br /> 1 egg<br /> ½ cup rolled oats<br /> 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and/or peanut butter chips<br /><br /> 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.<br /><br /> 2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.<br /><br /> 3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.<br /><br /> 4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-7689552930931711052011-04-03T19:34:00.000-07:002011-04-03T19:38:05.114-07:00Cornbread Fail!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u2_Hne0Yg9QfpV-FfjHDLurKWj5ZZJVqEYhKQbdlQ3xrWeldFKwCja1UAqDFcr4H0oGvVpvjcPdkzdRljVOByUOl90N3wkieSdZEOgnWdF_pPAVYq_dmTIoal_QZ3c9N-V1Czbzd1jk/s1600/100_3156.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u2_Hne0Yg9QfpV-FfjHDLurKWj5ZZJVqEYhKQbdlQ3xrWeldFKwCja1UAqDFcr4H0oGvVpvjcPdkzdRljVOByUOl90N3wkieSdZEOgnWdF_pPAVYq_dmTIoal_QZ3c9N-V1Czbzd1jk/s320/100_3156.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591551590245788642" /></a><br /><br />This is just a quick note because I thought it was funny. Yesterday, Travis went to see a movie with a friend, and I decided to bake while he was gone. <br /><br />One would think that I would learn from my prior cooking failures, but unfortunately that is not the case. This is the second time in the last few months that I have cooked something in this loaf pan that overflowed into the oven. Sigh. <br /><br />At least this time I had a cookie sheet under it to keep it from making such a big mess. In retrospect, I don't know if it's better or worse that I suspected it might happen again but did it anyway...Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-6869123190561258932011-04-02T16:35:00.000-07:002011-04-02T20:01:43.840-07:00Spaghetti Alla Carbonara<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-qfsyToSt8G9IrGObYhr_SviihhxtUgP9DQonSCWK6aCy2qYQWbvxJTYEaEnXGqxxejr-dMlVqkNDhGKjqgAx6he1ucIoEjghYTujOCe5btsx1CGZhLh11cFTEvuDJMd2-nZFoKtflA/s1600/100_3101.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-qfsyToSt8G9IrGObYhr_SviihhxtUgP9DQonSCWK6aCy2qYQWbvxJTYEaEnXGqxxejr-dMlVqkNDhGKjqgAx6he1ucIoEjghYTujOCe5btsx1CGZhLh11cFTEvuDJMd2-nZFoKtflA/s320/100_3101.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591134347801780338" /></a><br /><br />I made this pasta recently, and it was so simple and so delicious. It's rich but not too heavy, and the leftovers were tasty as well. Most carbonara recipes use heavy cream, but this one does not. I suppose that's probably why it feels a bit less dense. <br /><br />I think this is a good dish to make on the weekend in that it looks really impressive, but it still leaves you with plenty of time to enjoy your weekend too. This is not the first time a pasta dish has surprised me - the recipes always seem so easy, but the end result is so elegant and so tasty. Sometimes I can hardly believe that I made it myself!<br /><br />The recipe is from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, which Travis's parents got me for Christmas and is quickly becoming one of my favorite cooking resources.<br /><br />Spaghetti Alla Carbonara<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />3 large eggs<br />1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (3/4 cup)<br />1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese<br />3 garlic cloves, minced<br />8 ounces bacon (8 slices) chopped fine<br />1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil<br />1/2 cup dry white wine<br />salt<br />1 pound spaghetti<br />pepper<br /><br />Directions:<br /><br />1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a large serving bowl on the rack, and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot for the spaghetti. <br /><br />2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, cheeses, and garlic together and set aside. <br /><br />3. Cook the bacon and olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until the bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.<br /><br />4. When the water is boiling, stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the spaghetti. Cook, stirring often, until the spaghetti is almost tender but still a little firm to the bite.<br /><br />5. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the spaghetti, leaving it slightly wet. Remove the warm bowl from the oven and add the spaghetti. Immediately pour the egg and bacon mixtures over the spaghetti and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce before serving.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-13963242807372160602011-03-27T13:25:00.000-07:002011-03-27T13:40:34.793-07:00Dekopon (Sumo Tangerine)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVxJMZzGkpRTgDC6J9Lpu_KE8f2TlBfpcinF77K3v57GZDM3dQykj5_A8yw7Z6AwB8eS8Oc4mZOh7_C6sAudZlxi1X0-l1ifDzgP_UEFf5Ey4Dtp_0Enrwf9NrgWkcXsU995ijwfUBL8/s1600/100_3093.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVxJMZzGkpRTgDC6J9Lpu_KE8f2TlBfpcinF77K3v57GZDM3dQykj5_A8yw7Z6AwB8eS8Oc4mZOh7_C6sAudZlxi1X0-l1ifDzgP_UEFf5Ey4Dtp_0Enrwf9NrgWkcXsU995ijwfUBL8/s320/100_3093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588858709734526610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I heard about this fruit on a Good Food podcast recently, and then I happened to stumble across one at Whole Foods after work the other day (I was actually only looking for pie, so it was a pleasant surprise). </span><br><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">There is a really fascinating article </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.hgofarms.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=116:the-dekopon-arrives-in-california&catid=40:organic-industry-news&Itemid=79">here</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> about the fruit, but here's a quick summary: Dekopon is a tangerine variety from Japan that has been incredibly popular there since the early 90s I think. It was so popular it could cost up to $10 per fruit. However, it was illegal to import because of possible exotic diseases, etc. But, someone did managed to smuggle in some branches to graft new trees from. </span><br><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">After that, there's a lot of secret groves and corporate espionage sounding stuff. The article I linked to even contains the quote </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" > "I'm not happy that you found out about the Dekopon ... Some heavy hitters I work with are interested in it". And, if that doesn't sound like Chinatown but with fruit instead of water to you, you're totally nuts.</span> <br><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Finally, the fruit is available here in California this year (sold under the name Sumo Tangerine rather than Dekopon). So, after hearing all that craziness on the radio, I really had no choice but to buy one when I happened across it. And, it was delicious. It tastes like one of the best mandarin oranges you've ever had, but it's the size of a navel orange. It's seedless, really sweet, and really juicy. I have to say though that I also bought some Murcott tangerines that I might have even liked a little bit more. All in all, the citrus varieties available this time of year in Southern California are amazing, and you should definitely look into it.</span>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-4068728417602951142011-03-06T19:08:00.000-08:002011-03-06T19:14:12.658-08:00Favorite Corn Muffins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6coctU4CnM2OAcXP8vfroPCjTOwmXwke9Le_i54rfFD3xi3FUxaRsKRoegfT4z9c6PEmeS_nK6rVGAS-gaOyS4JFIUnNurDBQGoM6T86ppVoMUl5jEDPxKRR5yHBUjNjC8AoN2qBQCM/s1600/100_2957.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6coctU4CnM2OAcXP8vfroPCjTOwmXwke9Le_i54rfFD3xi3FUxaRsKRoegfT4z9c6PEmeS_nK6rVGAS-gaOyS4JFIUnNurDBQGoM6T86ppVoMUl5jEDPxKRR5yHBUjNjC8AoN2qBQCM/s320/100_2957.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581170141747855250" border="0" /></a><br />I made this recipe over a month ago.. needless to say, I've gotten a bit behind on blogging. I also either haven't been doing much really interesting cooking or I've just forgotten to take photos of it. But, these corn muffins are amazing. It's definitely the best cornbread recipe I've ever used, and I highly recommend it. The name of the recipe (Peerless Corn Muffins) seems a little sure of itself, but it turns out to be accurate.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Peerless Corn Muffins</span><br />from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Breakfast Book</span>, by Marion Cunningham<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 egg, room temperature<br />1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted<br />1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />1 cup milk, warmed<br />1 cup cake flour<br />2/3 cup yellow cornmeal<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 tablespoon baking powder<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br /><br />Instructions:<br />Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin tins.<br /><br />Beat or whisk egg, melted butter, and oil in a mixing bowl until well blended. Stir in warm milk. Combine cake flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar in another bowl and stir with a fork until well mixed. Add dry ingredients and stir until blended. This is a light, medium-thick batter.<br /><br />Spoon batter into muffin tins so each cup is three-quarters full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the muffins are slightly golden and a straw comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove from tins and cool a little on racks, or simply serve in a basket, hot from the oven.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-46723948021363086782011-02-09T18:21:00.000-08:002011-02-09T18:26:13.889-08:00Cranberry Oat Delights<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUU0DR4YgXapbaahOPEAkcTzW_UaO4RvdPgBFpFWtqqFN6eM8KFtctPivNhd-sEeFfNtBAyCDn3Ocqhr2gamU0tmHNJUsM2atWHgByidlVpFCFj9dYX4ht_ODk8SE0IRmwPSMst_aOrjY/s1600/100_2790.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUU0DR4YgXapbaahOPEAkcTzW_UaO4RvdPgBFpFWtqqFN6eM8KFtctPivNhd-sEeFfNtBAyCDn3Ocqhr2gamU0tmHNJUsM2atWHgByidlVpFCFj9dYX4ht_ODk8SE0IRmwPSMst_aOrjY/s320/100_2790.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571880500166331506" border="0" /></a><br />During my quest to use a 5-pound of whole wheat flour, I made these cranberry oat delights. I have to say, this is the only recipe I made that used entirely whole wheat flour rather than a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour that I liked.<br /><br />The recipe calls for dried cranberries, and I used craisins although I'm not sure I was supposed to. Also, I used some slivered almonds that I had in the fridge rather than walnuts or pecans. All in all, I liked these a lot. It just made a TON of cookies, and after two weeks I just couldn't eat any more and had to get rid of the last few. The cinnamon was also a little strong; I'm not sure it needed two whole teaspoons.<br /><br />Cranberry Oat Delights<br />(recipe from King Arthur Flour)<br /><p id="blockRow" class="ontop"> <span id="block">3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounce</span><span id="block">s) unsalted butter<br />1 1/2 cups brown sugar<br />2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />1/4 teaspoon ginger<br />1/4 teaspoon nutmeg<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 tablespoon vanilla<br />1 large egg<br />1 1/3 cups (4 5/8 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats<br />1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour<br />2 cups dried fruit: cranberries, diced apples, chopped dates, raisins, chopped apricots, or the dried fruits of your choice<br />1 cup (3 3/4 ounces) diced pecans or walnuts </span> </p><p id="blockRow" class="ontop"> <span id="block">Cream together the butter, sugar, spices, leaveners, salt, and vanilla. Beat in the egg. Add the oats, flour, fruit, and nuts, and stir to combine.<br /><br />Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 7 minutes; reverse the pans on the racks, and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, until cookies are beginning to brown around the edges, but are still soft in the center. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack. <i>Yield: about 4 dozen cookies.</i> </span> </p>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-16449159041567435522011-02-06T16:28:00.000-08:002011-02-08T17:15:33.470-08:00Amazing Salad Dressing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4ICfDKZ6Snuwpy3KugDVE0BaVrnHhpDLZOCODr2cnUwPFqyQvPUahf-J1ta7M2Wsp3hHPaZ8wADinIridDFZmT-OrfWn8jmsgIBBTqxjyWYL47DoYYdyvLAb6IHvLIgAuU1Yvg0Pxww/s1600/100_2786.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4ICfDKZ6Snuwpy3KugDVE0BaVrnHhpDLZOCODr2cnUwPFqyQvPUahf-J1ta7M2Wsp3hHPaZ8wADinIridDFZmT-OrfWn8jmsgIBBTqxjyWYL47DoYYdyvLAb6IHvLIgAuU1Yvg0Pxww/s320/100_2786.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570738405791834546" border="0" /></a>If you have never tried making your own salad dressing, I definitely recommend it. It's about 18 times easier than you think it's going to be and so delicious. Just look at those instructions! It's two lines!<br /><br />This is a sesame vinaigrette I made recently, I've been eating a ton of salad lately just to get to use it. I couldn't find chili garlic paste and didn't have time to venture over to the Asian grocery, so I used chili garlic sauce instead.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sweet Sesame Soy Vinaigrette </span><br />from Cook's Illustrated Magazine<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1/3 Cup rice vinegar<br />2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce<br />1/4 Cup packed light brown sugar<br />1/2 Teaspoon grated fresh ginger<br />2 Teaspoons Asian chili garlic paste<br />1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil<br />1/2 Cup vegetable oil<br />2 Teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted<br /><br />Instructions:<br /><br />Whisk vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and chili paste in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk in oils, whisk in sesame seeds. can be refrigerated up to 3 weeks.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-29867095814054767502011-02-05T16:43:00.000-08:002011-02-05T17:00:11.785-08:00Cooking Romanesco<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqL4YkIKZ14yhV-Z0y3-2TRA-UA5OYxPnf49dcbfK0K4W4Oyj1ZYwiEhvEChF0bCphyQ3J8BNlTuOrEGqcLzhtpaiL4TztqAIQ6pCxh9eYy2OdP_tRIyTkZ_zWI_Z5veo0dtyXXtT_c4/s1600/100_2785.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqL4YkIKZ14yhV-Z0y3-2TRA-UA5OYxPnf49dcbfK0K4W4Oyj1ZYwiEhvEChF0bCphyQ3J8BNlTuOrEGqcLzhtpaiL4TztqAIQ6pCxh9eYy2OdP_tRIyTkZ_zWI_Z5veo0dtyXXtT_c4/s320/100_2785.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570372413801781394" border="0" /></a><br />Romanesco is a variety of cauliflower that is just gorgeous. It is actually a natural fractal, which is "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole" (thanks wikipedia!) In this case, it is a logarithmic spiral, and each bud consists of a series of smaller buds that are also logarithmic spirals. As soon as I saw it at the farmers market, I of course thought: Awesome. But what does it taste like?<br /><br />I took it home and considered what to do with it. Here's another view, of me contemplating this strange vegetable:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEI5GXyFSLghiGXignFExoWazG62NyKQeBAzrOI1JXiMqXabyezJLGjDyJtH0SelhPY1M6B_2oXwau-vNh7dgZb60D2cD7vPGPUFkX4F-8T7xu9pbc44GCURz9aaWf2queH50MD7lPzIM/s1600/100_2799.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEI5GXyFSLghiGXignFExoWazG62NyKQeBAzrOI1JXiMqXabyezJLGjDyJtH0SelhPY1M6B_2oXwau-vNh7dgZb60D2cD7vPGPUFkX4F-8T7xu9pbc44GCURz9aaWf2queH50MD7lPzIM/s320/100_2799.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570372405010123506" border="0" /></a><br />Ultimately, I decided on cooking it the same way I do cauliflower. So I chopped it up. At this point, it looks like a tiny felled evergreen forest!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmvX5fqpmTyx3Ly9qNDYKFLzlJEf9UnCle5f1zK5X91fOZjRqbe4XbKyT_DD-NmWwqZnG6zOWcNVu1XEJU2EW_nmE3R7rxL7uePwdbYBXwBdn1jqaQFRrD5H1qut3cY37OGjYg4taH0s/s1600/100_2800.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmvX5fqpmTyx3Ly9qNDYKFLzlJEf9UnCle5f1zK5X91fOZjRqbe4XbKyT_DD-NmWwqZnG6zOWcNVu1XEJU2EW_nmE3R7rxL7uePwdbYBXwBdn1jqaQFRrD5H1qut3cY37OGjYg4taH0s/s320/100_2800.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570372400666206018" border="0" /></a><br />I roasted it on 450, tossed with olive oil and salt. I used a grey sea salt that I had instead of regular kosher salt. Then, when it came out, I grated fresh parmesan over it. I understand that it looks a bit burned. That is called caramelization, and it tastes delicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZuhXAu-iJCJhTt-376khyRAueFgxy2BW0Qg-coZuxxeEosp9PZzzokfeAvIs35_Xs4g88_SJK_TjoEk3JOV_BOCv6VUPZn1qm7ZwJjv1bT6bDQciMZeSwNdzST6eDsyrC9UFUOi5cx0/s1600/100_2804.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZuhXAu-iJCJhTt-376khyRAueFgxy2BW0Qg-coZuxxeEosp9PZzzokfeAvIs35_Xs4g88_SJK_TjoEk3JOV_BOCv6VUPZn1qm7ZwJjv1bT6bDQciMZeSwNdzST6eDsyrC9UFUOi5cx0/s320/100_2804.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570372393367781266" border="0" /></a><br />Sidebar: ignore that fish. It tasted like the void, as Travis says. It's as if the fish had negative flavor, so that it not only was bland, but it pulled the flavor out of the bacon and sent it off into some abyss. I ate a lot of romanesco.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-50390285870837699142011-01-30T14:18:00.000-08:002011-01-30T14:32:23.002-08:00Red Lobster Biscuits?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wxLueBGdZpY4fujr1yOVVjr9MbnOy6VHE5ianvqc-mudSw3SQqtqrWo7SJMfAFvhnhF_MserPMmLGWWQcZIV-rs0-OMmwEhmvV-SRM786tcgQ50aXBYXhFHUStJj76Tv5fzIgoSnf6w/s1600/100_2678.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wxLueBGdZpY4fujr1yOVVjr9MbnOy6VHE5ianvqc-mudSw3SQqtqrWo7SJMfAFvhnhF_MserPMmLGWWQcZIV-rs0-OMmwEhmvV-SRM786tcgQ50aXBYXhFHUStJj76Tv5fzIgoSnf6w/s320/100_2678.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568107058683296722" border="0" /></a><br />Every month, Food Network magazine does a feature on recreating a restaurant menu item that they cannot get the recipe for. I usually don't pay much attention, until one time, it was Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits. These are traditionally one of Travis's favorite things ever, so I thought I'd give it a shot.<br /><br />They actually came out amazingly, which is sort of miraculous since I'm not generally good at breads and such (other than cornbread I suppose). The only thing I would change if I made them again would be to add a little bit of salt to the garlic butter mixture. I really didn't think that cooking a smashed clove of garlic in some butter for 60 seconds would do anything, but I was shocked. I should do that more often and brush it on rolls or something. Amazing.<br /><br />I was also really surprised at how easy they were. This recipe taught me a nifty trick that I've used a few times now - use a food processor to cut in the butter! It's so much easier, I can't believe I ever tried to cut butter into flour in other ways. It also keeps the butter cold, because you aren't touching it, which is important in biscuits. So, here you go.<br /><br />Almost Famous Cheddar Biscuits<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 3/4 cups all-Purpose flour<br />1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder<br />2 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar<br />1/4 Teaspoon Salt<br />3 Tablespoon vegetable shortening at room temperature<br />4 Tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces<br />6 Ounce grated yellow cheddar cheese (about 1 1/4 cups)<br />3/4 Cup whole milk<br /> FOR GARLIC BUTTER<br />3 Tablespoon unsalted butter<br />1 Clove garlic, smashed<br />1 Teaspoon fresh chopped parsley<br /><br />Instructions: Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray.<br /><br />Make the biscuits: pulse the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse until combined. Add the butter, pulse 4 or 5 times, until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Add the cheese and pulse 2 or 3 times. Pour in the milk and pulse just until the mixture is moistened and forms a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a clean surface and gently knead until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.<br /><br />Drop the dough onto the baking sheet in scant 1/4 cup portions, 2 inches apart, and bake until golden, 15 or 20 minutes.<br /><br />Meanwhile, make the garlic butter. Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat, cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in parsley. Brush the biscuits with garlic butter and serve warm.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-37577090443585761092011-01-18T20:48:00.000-08:002011-01-18T20:59:32.172-08:00Waffles for ChristmasFor Christmas, I got a waffle iron! So, New Year's weekend, I decided to tackle the waffle iron and my ongoing whole wheat flour experimentation in one fell swoop. I settled on a recipe for Nutty Whole Wheat Waffles that was in the Cuisinart instruction booklet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1r3A-DEkL5Rqph_7BlTwoRZF4DHntxibOmBpZD4xkPtxdJ58x0QoxvMSttutbvDai0VguBUv4N5URPrnpb_0ESlyj2yOx6LD9n7ZiSxdNcr11-HFjIZQA4W3jIxMP9iq6wTpKEhH2eKs/s1600/100_2657.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1r3A-DEkL5Rqph_7BlTwoRZF4DHntxibOmBpZD4xkPtxdJ58x0QoxvMSttutbvDai0VguBUv4N5URPrnpb_0ESlyj2yOx6LD9n7ZiSxdNcr11-HFjIZQA4W3jIxMP9iq6wTpKEhH2eKs/s320/100_2657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563754762708678898" border="0" /></a><br />It was so much fun! I've never made waffles before, unless you count in the cafeteria at UT in college (where the waffle irons imprint a UT logo on your waffles). I thought it might get sort of boring, like the time I made pancakes, but it was really fun. It took some experimentation to get the batter amount right, as you can see below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip1CuBi66z-tyFQ8b9DElr4NkzECtEG0nUtnFDE-t-tVI6x_AIc7is1uPiDhjrW9yvplaAMn4Y-SabErAnI44RSYQpgJfaSapY-d4_lplU7_2VpmuzfyQiwJpaBPGfpbIU-7lK04Tl5I/s1600/100_2655.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip1CuBi66z-tyFQ8b9DElr4NkzECtEG0nUtnFDE-t-tVI6x_AIc7is1uPiDhjrW9yvplaAMn4Y-SabErAnI44RSYQpgJfaSapY-d4_lplU7_2VpmuzfyQiwJpaBPGfpbIU-7lK04Tl5I/s320/100_2655.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563754758062741874" border="0" /></a><br />But, overall, they turned out amazingly. I didn't bother trying to keep them warm in the oven while I went, because I was just planning to eat the last one and freeze the rest. I loved how the nuts made the waffles sort of crunchy. You can use several different types of nuts, but I love almonds and already had some on hand. I honestly couldn't tell that there was whole wheat flour in them, but it did make me feel sort of superior for eating it, and isn't that the point? I felt like this was a success all around.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nutty Whole Wheat Waffles</span><br />makes eight 6 1/2 inch round waffles<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />2 tablespoons sugar<br />1 tablespoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 cups reduced fat milk<br />6 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />2 large eggs<br />1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts<br /><br />Place ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine until well blended and smooth. Let batter sit 5 minutes before using. Preheat your waffle maker.<br /><br />Pour 1/2 cup batter (in my case less, unless you love cleaning waffle batter off the counter) onto the center of the lower grid; spread evenly using a heat proof spatula. Close cover. (My waffle iron has an indicator light to let me know when they're through. If yours doesn't, just play with it, but don't leave it more than a few minutes at first I'd say.)<br /><br />Open cover and carefully remove baked waffle. I used a spatula for this, but it did split a couple of the waffles through the middle, so emphasis on "carefully" I think. Repeat with remaining batter.<br /><br />Serve immediately or keep waffles warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-60689475428901563722011-01-12T18:11:00.001-08:002011-01-12T18:14:54.717-08:00Random Blog ThoughtsI've decided that part of the problem with my food blog is that the photos are awful. I blame this mostly on the lighting in my kitchen. But, I don't quite know what to do about it.<br /><br />How do other people with food blogs take such fantastic photos? Maybe their kitchens just aren't as poorly lit as mine. Perhaps I need some sort of secondary light source. Thoughts would be appreciated.<br /><br />Now, I have to go fix some dinner. I just looked at too many other food blogs for inspiration, and now I'm starving.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-45233351443288008292011-01-12T17:53:00.000-08:002011-01-12T18:01:48.768-08:00Smores Cookies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiw-M1AJnias70Gc8n90kMshFghCmNtGBv1ExgTSoLeii25jjdhb1VJGx-E4ucmHy8acGt4woJVicgzKSCXEls1DQbgds6_HFvzT6k2oF_Zj7KDBc5Q6MOqNHt968JkehCRRn2yAjD9A/s1600/100_2650.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiw-M1AJnias70Gc8n90kMshFghCmNtGBv1ExgTSoLeii25jjdhb1VJGx-E4ucmHy8acGt4woJVicgzKSCXEls1DQbgds6_HFvzT6k2oF_Zj7KDBc5Q6MOqNHt968JkehCRRn2yAjD9A/s320/100_2650.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561483721613433570" border="0" /></a><br />I made these cookies for New Year's Eve. They were really tasty; the cookie has a nice cinnamon flavor, and anything with marshmallows is fantastic in my book. They were best the first day, but they actually still tasted really good a few days later when I took the last few to work. I would definitely recommend giving this a shot. Just be sure that you keep a close on them during the broiler step - you can see that a few of the ones in the back of the photo are a bit on the dark side! I believe that the recipe came from Everyday Food magazine.<br /><br />This is also part of my experiment in using whole wheat flour, which is working pretty well so far. You really can't tell in these, other than the whole wheat offering sort of a nutty flavor, which I love. Although, that could also have been the oats.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1/2 Cup old fashioned rolled oats<br />1 Cup all-Purpose flour (spooned and leveled)<br />1 Cup whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled)<br />3/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />1/2 Teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 Teaspoon Salt<br />1 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature<br />3/4 Cup light brown sugar<br />1 Large Egg<br />8 Ounce bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate, cut into 30 squares<br />15 Large marshmallows, halved horizontally<br /><br />Instructions: Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, pulse oats until finely ground. Add flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; pulse to combine. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, scraping down side of bowl. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture until just combined.<br /><br />Drop dough by tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Top each with a chocolate square. Bake just until lightly golden 11 to 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove sheets from oven, heat broiler. Top each cookie with a marshmallow. One sheet at a time, broil until marshmallows are lightly browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-69592969701217630082010-12-16T19:45:00.000-08:002010-12-16T19:49:24.083-08:00Eggnog Pound Cake, Version Two<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVS5WoglMqpyeIJE5Pxku-69c1mI0KdJdDDYbm_IFItQMikavxXzdEwd1nqRz2vMehq1VtKrCR-Gx8Y6wCAkieP1HQwzYzVqnOD_sSVvH0gHAvSB6_iHDJavLoLXn_YLr-s66GYHcGfY/s1600/100_2573.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVS5WoglMqpyeIJE5Pxku-69c1mI0KdJdDDYbm_IFItQMikavxXzdEwd1nqRz2vMehq1VtKrCR-Gx8Y6wCAkieP1HQwzYzVqnOD_sSVvH0gHAvSB6_iHDJavLoLXn_YLr-s66GYHcGfY/s320/100_2573.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551492578797542754" /></a><br /><div>This cake is wonderful, even if the photo is not so much. It's fluffy with a little crunch from the almonds around the outside. The eggnog taste isn't too in your face. Also, it's cooked in a bundt pan which is always fun and exciting. The recipe is <a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,163,150188-244206,00.html">here</a>. If nothing else, the first cake-tastrophe led me to find this new recipe, which I like even more.</div>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-44294075922247158792010-12-14T19:09:00.000-08:002010-12-14T19:30:46.834-08:00one of those update blogs<div>I haven't blogged in ages. It's not just this I've been neglecting... it took me three months to finish a book, I'm reading comics from September, and I just uploaded a few Halloween photos to Flickr. But, I have still been cooking a bit - it's just been quite hectic here. Since I last posted a blog, I applied to graduate school, and I've nearly finished up by two classes (only a statistics project and final left). My Christmas shopping is done, and my packages are mailed to their appropriate destinatitons. Cards are out, tree is up... I've been baking...</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5iZYTO5V0R1hHzy4FSRBxii1gWyGv63Afnj5Q1G8_f0P1C4mTxSvfTLcrftXdwTlXnu1FzWF1__LhW5e7EY26Jpawew2bA1SLm4RnnOdxvvdskBHwCAauhQAMvukFpvg2V46j8kgifU/s1600/100_2564.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5iZYTO5V0R1hHzy4FSRBxii1gWyGv63Afnj5Q1G8_f0P1C4mTxSvfTLcrftXdwTlXnu1FzWF1__LhW5e7EY26Jpawew2bA1SLm4RnnOdxvvdskBHwCAauhQAMvukFpvg2V46j8kgifU/s320/100_2564.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550743481160097714" /></a>Okay, well clearly the first baking did not come out as planned. I was making an <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001940931">eggnog pound cake</a> recipe that I found in Southern Living last year. It's actually a delicious cake. Last year I made it at Travis's parents house, and it was delicious. But, it turns out my loaf pan was too small. I smelled something burning while watching Walking Dead (which is sort of funny, like 4D TV if you've seen the finale), and when I went to check on the cake, it had risen at least 5 inches above the top of the pan. <div><br /></div><div>Cake was oozing EVERYWHERE... it was in giant stalactite looking blobs on the bottom of the oven... such a mess. I couldn't finish it, even after I fished out the blobs, the burning from the oven floor kept making my smoke alarm go off. So, the picture you see above is after it settled again, with a few pieces missing from the done side where I decided to give it just a little taste.<br /><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQvAfu_Iz3XFwtCHothvpUxupf6KSBzt_uS4S-vdkhgZO4rKa7227cWw4xTtmtJf32e89T2C15EHvZFJccS5Siga6B8B2CP5KX78fOzHkjepenxGJs0WPEhtaCFX8YMkulXnxpixxRfQ/s1600/100_2562.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQvAfu_Iz3XFwtCHothvpUxupf6KSBzt_uS4S-vdkhgZO4rKa7227cWw4xTtmtJf32e89T2C15EHvZFJccS5Siga6B8B2CP5KX78fOzHkjepenxGJs0WPEhtaCFX8YMkulXnxpixxRfQ/s320/100_2562.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550743468974092962" /></a><br /></div><div>More successfully, I made this for dinner one night. I used a frozen shrimp scampi to make some shrimp and grits for myself. It was actually pretty tasty.. I used some parmesan cheese grated into the grits as well. With it is <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/braised-white-cabbage-with-bacon-and-thy">braised bacon cabbage</a>, which was also quite delicious. I actually finished up the leftovers of that tonight.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJ680REByeafzxb_1ajrGzI7I8-Zql523KbzaLKdTktd0sc3dHMW9Q7afM0YtByTFMF_gF48Myq0GbulYXPsSqJvRGX8MtzmmFcQVjYOKfeurWppOtWOHqhg5_wCwM9yxriilD5vWwKM/s1600/100_2452.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJ680REByeafzxb_1ajrGzI7I8-Zql523KbzaLKdTktd0sc3dHMW9Q7afM0YtByTFMF_gF48Myq0GbulYXPsSqJvRGX8MtzmmFcQVjYOKfeurWppOtWOHqhg5_wCwM9yxriilD5vWwKM/s320/100_2452.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550743461639031026" /></a><br /></div><div>These pumpkin pancakes are soooo good, I still have a few in the freezer. The recipe is from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/pumpkin-pancakes">Martha Stewart</a>. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKXwi2AgJoLp_zyP4BoJDzfFLi7fkX-d9dvZmuve1LWl8SE0ZKNtaD19wSS53oJXb9Jo6LQeIK0I9BaWvvC9Lt1I9lonOHLruCLr-TL3V4tILJTvFPPm1lx7TG2FV23bDnn6KwNprEX8/s1600/100_2416.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKXwi2AgJoLp_zyP4BoJDzfFLi7fkX-d9dvZmuve1LWl8SE0ZKNtaD19wSS53oJXb9Jo6LQeIK0I9BaWvvC9Lt1I9lonOHLruCLr-TL3V4tILJTvFPPm1lx7TG2FV23bDnn6KwNprEX8/s320/100_2416.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550743450698555874" /></a><br />And finally, I made this lovely roasted chicken and butternut squash soup back before Thanksgiving. Honestly, I think I should've just eaten the roasted chicken and squash separately. I cut up a butternut squash (not an easy feat) and roasted it on a cookie sheet with some oil and chicken thighs. I ate quite a bit of it off of that pan before I managed to get it in the soup. If I can bring myself to cut up another butternut squash, I will definitely roast it that way again. The soup was okay, but for some reason I never like soup when I make it. I think I must be doing something wrong.</div></div>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-43031509424645259222010-10-24T19:11:00.000-07:002010-10-24T19:23:46.393-07:00Baked Chicken with Potatoes, Onions, and Garlic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-zdKewdKNI_lEFJqFe4nIORfArqa43fVxaijlh451FU_vlJ8oGpnWBbeJo2-S_9Vzmo1qOgu9_dVXnaNtajPiGucPmV2tZnIdYDZWEWF_aNDSWvpYgh7y1tfi6_2ZSBQdhtyj5qEOQA/s1600/100_2280.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-zdKewdKNI_lEFJqFe4nIORfArqa43fVxaijlh451FU_vlJ8oGpnWBbeJo2-S_9Vzmo1qOgu9_dVXnaNtajPiGucPmV2tZnIdYDZWEWF_aNDSWvpYgh7y1tfi6_2ZSBQdhtyj5qEOQA/s320/100_2280.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531801001769892450" /></a>I was so excited to finally cook a proper dinner that I thought I wouldn't be able to decide what to make. But, I have been craving roast chicken recently, and autumn is the perfect time of year for lovely roast dinners. There was a one pan chicken dinner in Everyday Food a few months ago would do nicely.<div><br /></div><div>I had a whole chicken cut up in the freezer, so I thawed that out. Put it in a pan with one cut up red onion (in big pieces, like eighths), a quartered lemon, about a pound of halved or quartered (depending on their size) white new potatoes, six springs of thyme, and a head of garlic broken up into cloves but not peeled. Drizzle with 3/4 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (whisked together). Salt and pepper, then roast for 50 minutes. </div><div><br /></div><div>The recipe called to roast it 450, but that was too high for my oven. I ended up around 375. I suppose it actually could have been 450 in real temperature - I suspect that my oven runs hot, but I keep forgetting to check it. Also, my roasting pan was a little too big. I needed 12x16 but only had a bit smaller and a bit larger than that. I settled on the larger one, but some stuff on the edges burned. I think it was too exposed to the heat. </div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, this was really great. The potatoes (especially the ones that burned a little on the outside actually) were delicious - soft and creamy in the middle and crispy on the outside. The chicken was juicy, and the garlic was sooo good. I actually just ate a couple of cloves of it, but I love roasted garlic. It was good to squeeze out the cloves from the peel and spread it on some bread.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also had made <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/marinated-tomatoes-recipe/index.html">Paula Deen's marinated tomatoes</a>, which are really easy and tasty. I make them quite a lot actually, they're really good for company because you can do them early in the day and just put them out to get to room temperature.</div>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077489018816366033.post-8465994608229852532010-10-17T18:47:00.000-07:002010-10-17T19:08:06.320-07:00A Decline in Food Adventures<div>Recently, I decided to go back to school. So, this fall I decreased my work schedule, signed up for two classes at Santa Monica College, and started focusing on studying for the GRE and preparing the various essays, etc. that are required for the UCLA graduate admission application. All of this has lead to a sad decline in cooking here recently. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's not to say I don't cook at all, just that I've been incredibly lazy about it. For example, tonight we had macaroni and cheese (the kraft gourmet kind) and some pre-cut and pre-seasoned fresh brussel sprouts (that were actually pretty tasty).</div><div><br /></div><div>However, that's not to say I haven't had any food adventures at all. And hopefully, after I take the GRE this week I'll have a bit more time again. Anyway, here is a summary:</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXioKEj2sPn9LsvrU3zr1t0dhp7zrGq5sPhxdHXdS2nAZESUNYANhsiMYWIh3Jl9PpT2AGdp1qZ96bDImTYKcnOTcsODLCR2Lta8LT6KKaf6CzGk0pLNfVyk5WUKrNeEiOWV1yvVebOn4/s1600/IMG_0447.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXioKEj2sPn9LsvrU3zr1t0dhp7zrGq5sPhxdHXdS2nAZESUNYANhsiMYWIh3Jl9PpT2AGdp1qZ96bDImTYKcnOTcsODLCR2Lta8LT6KKaf6CzGk0pLNfVyk5WUKrNeEiOWV1yvVebOn4/s320/IMG_0447.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529199563408213954" /></a>This is some ice cream Travis and I got at the new Santa Monica food truck lot. His is cake donut flavored (it tasted exactly like a cake donut, oddly enough) and mine is a Salty Scotty - it's a lightly salted butterscotch. If you've ever had a salted caramel (which is sooo good, if you haven't), it tasted like that but in ice cream form.<br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSFQe1QbcHUNY9SQB-IOflImaGvh19UypW5yPAclvguJLBpJDL2Ux-p-2Or-LzP-0xWUUhZssg49UmUQn-qOjKrP0UKUHkyOj0MLwib0gfSHY38ZeBWhGofAY2NHXALJ6Mjt3dz0LCdI/s1600/100_2252.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSFQe1QbcHUNY9SQB-IOflImaGvh19UypW5yPAclvguJLBpJDL2Ux-p-2Or-LzP-0xWUUhZssg49UmUQn-qOjKrP0UKUHkyOj0MLwib0gfSHY38ZeBWhGofAY2NHXALJ6Mjt3dz0LCdI/s320/100_2252.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529199561621691426" /></a><br /></div><div>I really wanted to bake cookies, but without the time, I just grabbed a thing of refrigerated cookie dough. It is clear to me now that I should've used a larger pan.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEqEct5aDq87GU3iJiYUSJOwMOx2DyC3d_L8YzpCFmtAdqA0bmutn-eXb17-J5Nwc99Caa2Ujg2D3_vyRPKFv4EvzBR_Rgul4FkewNtp3w2c90VyPm0j_KnsN1v3NzmG7bFJOxYmJAR8/s1600/100_2116.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEqEct5aDq87GU3iJiYUSJOwMOx2DyC3d_L8YzpCFmtAdqA0bmutn-eXb17-J5Nwc99Caa2Ujg2D3_vyRPKFv4EvzBR_Rgul4FkewNtp3w2c90VyPm0j_KnsN1v3NzmG7bFJOxYmJAR8/s320/100_2116.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529199556655198290" /></a><br /></div><div>Had these great shrimp and chips with remoulade sauce from the Shrimp Pimp truck a few weeks ago. So good!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjuRv9ekvoU1fL2SXMLBZJPogiy6you3lntt3_zE0DCPTsotuGViG3G7EzsAfWFavd9b8WfmEsGkopqAs6Tq-LmUW0anVicF3hiAlBlpIvBnHGU6WV2KNg10BXb1hFJpWhm5-4LassBQ/s1600/100_2084.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjuRv9ekvoU1fL2SXMLBZJPogiy6you3lntt3_zE0DCPTsotuGViG3G7EzsAfWFavd9b8WfmEsGkopqAs6Tq-LmUW0anVicF3hiAlBlpIvBnHGU6WV2KNg10BXb1hFJpWhm5-4LassBQ/s320/100_2084.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529199545801129314" /></a><br /></div><div>Saw an enormous freaking pumpkin at the LA County Fair!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXQvq6nGtlJs5dTquhz6mG1MzOtJIScvzQw_COMp09_g4LqpKms9mIE8YsIAwL1K6qGjfgjahxjR0t1ydF_BO5dN7aEJQMr5P6B7RMdUS9dEP-NRk4dSNSkVwA9Ke6rUV7rrhyphenhyphengVbvCU/s1600/100_2019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXQvq6nGtlJs5dTquhz6mG1MzOtJIScvzQw_COMp09_g4LqpKms9mIE8YsIAwL1K6qGjfgjahxjR0t1ydF_BO5dN7aEJQMr5P6B7RMdUS9dEP-NRk4dSNSkVwA9Ke6rUV7rrhyphenhyphengVbvCU/s320/100_2019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529199542068556418" /></a><br /></div><div>And we also shared a giant turkey leg. There are pictures of me eating too, but I look sort of demonic, like I might eat the person taking the picture next or something.</div>Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01070966311478027887noreply@blogger.com0