This is my quest to use Woman's Day magazine as a guide to living a better life, month to month, by incorporating as many of the articles, recipes, and advertising into my life as possible. My goal is to grow as a person, discover more about myself and others, and test my limits, boundaries, and abilities.
Whenever I prepare macaroni and cheese that doesn't take 15 minutes to make and arrives on my plate in a fantastic orange hue unavailable in nature, it is typically my great-grandmother's recipe. I have explored a variety of macaroni and cheese recipes, all of them good, but none like Valley Tinsely's.
She passed away in 1985, but I remember her--the smell of her apartment, her dishes, her soft spoken manner (her daughter, my grandmother, must have taken after another family member). She was German and Irish and what a blessing it is to remember loved ones through such an enjoyable means as sustenance. It's a human experience we all share: we enjoy those who have gone on before us through our senses and our tangible memories.
It's hard to compare any other macaroni and cheese to the original and most ideal macaroni and cheese. So I won't.
When I started this recipe, I asked Erik what we should have in addition to the dish. I think of macaroni and cheese as a side--don't you? He's already enjoyed the Gruyere cheese of our onion soup experience so, upon learning that particular cheese was involved this recipe as well, he decided that we would call it a casserole and roll it out without accoutrements.
2. Gruyere cheese is totally awesome. It's got this smokey, meaty, hearty flavor and the texture is medium soft. Everyone loves cheddar. It's a given.
3. It's healthy (kind of) because it has Swiss chard, which is high in vitamins A, K, and C.
4. As a negative, I really don't like the cooked milk aspect of this recipe, making a sauce. There's just something about it that's a little "homemade from a jar" to me, concerning the taste.
5. I bought the Swiss chard organic. This is the issue with organic:
A dead spider fell out and it was full of dirt. On the flip side, it also was not full of deadly, cancer-causing chemicals, so a minor glitch is what we'll call it.
We enjoyed this dish with a Williamsburg Riesling, which is safe with most pasta dishes, although a good bet for a cream sauce is usually a Chardonnay.
It's not Grandma Tinsley's, but it's an introduction something of my own to pass on one day.
The following statement has nothing to do with anything: I never thought I would get so much use out of condiments before my Woman's Day (although often sporadic depending on health and/or cash flow) adventure. In the refrigerator at the moment we have 4 types of mustard and 5 types of vinegar.
Now, Dijon and Champagne have something in common: they both make good names for the children of ridiculous Hollywood actors and they are fares that are distinguished by a region, specifically, France.
There are distinctions in the vinegars as well. Please don't ask me to explain them all because I don't want to, but I know you should only use white vinegar to clean and cider vinegar is used the most for slow cooked pulled pork and slaw. You'll have to research the rest on your own.
I will also share that it is near impossible to find select condiments unless you go to your rich-part-of-town's grocery store and buy them, because white trash like myself will hear "hoison sauce" and believe the next best thing--since this crap is not in our own grocery store--is ordering Japanese take-out and stealing a few extra containers of Yum Yum. On the list of other things you will not find: red pepper jelly, pequintas, wasabi paste.
Today's journey led us to afore mentioned rich-people-grocery-store twenty five minutes away from home so that we could stock up on a week's worth of condiments, vegetables, and cheeses that no one has ever heard of and sure as hell don't know how to pronounce. I found myself whispering a question to Erik in the profound, Kroger-desert expanse of rich folk cheese: where does a yocal like myself begin their search for Geery? Yes,Geery--sort of like Gary and eery all meshed together into one purely arbitrary cheese entity. Erik, eager to avoid being seen with someone wearing sweats and no makeup--obviously out of place in rich-people Kroger and ignorant concerning the pronunciation of Swiss cheeses--wandered off to stare at the 50 year old, spiky haired guy who had lost his way on his journey to Los Angeles to secure a touch up on his botox.
I couldn't blame him. I didn't want wealthy, affluent people to know that I was looking for Geery and that I couldn't ask for help because I didn't know what to call him. Flashes of my best friend at age twenty-two asking for "quasadellas" at Applebees flooded my memory. We finally found mercurial Geery lurking amongst the goat cheese. He cost $7 and 10 minutes of my life I'll never recover.
We later discovered that Geery's true identity is Gruyere (pronounced "grew-yare"). He smells like smoked meat and tastes like the stuff of Hickory Farm baskets from Christmas long ago. I asked for Hickory Farm gift packs as a child. God, I was a weird kid. And my love of cheese knew no age limits.
I also wasn't paying attention and bought organic onions which I believe cost me around $9 for 3. At least they were already peeled. Oh, how we suffer and learn.
So I get home and make this soup. This lovely, winter combo is essentially French onion soup (you don't put the bread on top with the cheese, which I am assuming is the reason it's not called French) and roast beef sandwiches.
Here is my feedback about the soup: please make sure the wine you use is dry. I suggest Leo Grande 06 or 07 Chardonnay, locally, maybe a dry Riesling otherwise. Cooking this soup smells similar to the gravy I make at Thanksgiving and it's yummy, but this recipe makes a lot so you really need a big pot to cook the onions or you need to cut down on the amount of onions and increase the amount of broth. I like broth anyway, but that's me.
Roast beef sandwiches evoke memories of the big, crazy-shaped sign that reads "Arby's." I was ten years old before I realized it was a hat. I was too busy eating Hickory Farms cheese.
The sauce that goes on this sandwich is simple, cheap, and versatile as I could also easily call it a dip or dressing. It's been included in other recipes and we've enjoyed it quite a bit. I used to hate horseradish but I'm over it now. You get older and you start liking more things or start liking less things. This usually relates to people a high percentage of the time but also applies to food.
I tried a search for what goes well with roast beef sandwiches in the adult beverage field. If you choose a wine, given the horseradish topping, I'd recommend Malbec. For this dinner I grabbed a Roanoke Railroad Track 1 Amber Lager than does pair well with medium spicy foods.
It also pairs nicely with a giant cowboy hat if you're known to wear costumes with your meals. I would suggest "Midnight Cowboy" for theme night.
Please stay tuned for a homemade version of the film in which Hot Dog Mustard plays Joe Buck as he teams up in an unlikely friendship with Rice Wine vinegar as "Ratso Rice-o."
If oranges can have mouths on YouTube and score millions of hits, I can sure as hell give my condiments one brief moment of fame.
"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; your sleep will be sweet." --Proverbs 3:24
With the exception of rare bouts of insomnia that coinside with my depressive disorder, I have never had trouble sleeping; waking up in the morning--now that's a different story. I know people who can't sleep well due to medical issues, new babies, the demands of a career or other life circumstances. I am blessed to enjoy peaceful sleep and often amaaaaazing (it's an inside joke) dreams that include intricate space ships, colorful places and people who introduce themselves in the living room of my inner eye lids, and supernatural insights into...I can't remember in the morning.
What I cannot tolerate on a week to week basis is the horror of leaving the apartment.
My doctor believes that I've developed a mild form of agorophobia that is often related to the fear-like feelings associated with grief and post traumatic stress disorder. In one of those not-so-coindicental incidents in 2011, I read Paul Deen's autobiography, which was sitting around my Grandmother's house. I truly enjoyed how each chapter culminated in a chapter-related recipe--obviously I enjoying culinary delights. What I also deeply appreciated was her candor concerning her early experience with grief with the double loss of both parents and the following battle with agorophobia.
Next month is National Counseling month. I am working through a number of issues involving my anxiety, fear, and other physical issues caused my grief. My encouragement to everyone this month is to care for your own body and mental health and refuse the notion that these types of issues are something you can just "get over" with enough prayer or moral fortitude. Mental and emotional health are closely related to the body and spirit. We are holistic beings. Seek help, accept support. Accept yourself.
In the mean time, if you have trouble sleeping, I've heard magnesium really helps a lot.
I have never had a sense of style--I admit this. In order to put together a stylish outfit I usually have to ask for help or consult a magazine. The reasons for this are many. One, I never had to buy a lot of clothes as a teen because I wore a uniform, two, my mother and grandmother usually bought all my clothes, and three, all I really want to wear all the time are boot leg jeans, a wife beater, and either sneakers or boots. I would wear that outfit every day of my life. In fact, my roommate and best friend from Bible College can attest to the fact that I wore the same outfit once 3 days in a row. Pure awesomeness.
A fourth reason would be money. Clothes are expensive, let alone shoes and accessories. I would like to work on being stylish and trendy but I am lazy and poor.
I thought if I could hold on to a few key trends ever once in a while, I could slowly step into being trendy and "with it" (I'll also have to stop saying "with it").
Let me be clear though, that when I do choose fashion, I do not shy away from Hollywood flash and edgy trends. I also want to be clear that I love shoes and used to have over 100 pair when I was a shoe manager at Macy's. I found this web site through Woman's Day and I am amazed at the diversity of the shoes and the prices. Now, I went here looking for the little flats under $20 but I quickly became distracted by some of the more peculiar shoes that no one in my town would own (if I wanted to go out to a club again like last Friday and bruise my wrist and booty by falling down several times trying to dance in 5 inch heels).
Here are some of my favorites. You can buy all kind of patterns and colors that won't require a stunning ensemble--everyone will be looking at your shoes:
(Qoors Spike Heels $15)
(Bumble Bee Wooden Platforms $43)
(Neon Pink Space Shoes $32)
Now, I originally went there to check out their flats, which come in a variety of colors. I discovered that emerald greens, teals, oranges, and reds will be big for spring. You can get a jump start with a wide variety of flats (I found replicas at my preferred store, Belk for no less than $59-$80) less than $20.
I'm really excited about ordering. You can even get free shipping.
Now if I can only grasp what to wear with my new shoes...
I'm a fan of your standard recipe going created. For instance, on one of the reality cooking shows last year, I noticed a ravioli made with barbeque meat instead of ground beef--what a fantastic idea! I haven't gotten that creative yet, but this recipe for spinach lasagna inspired me:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, 1/4
teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally,
until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1
minute.
While the onion is cooking,
thaw the spinach and broccoli according to package directions. Squeeze
the spinach of excess moisture and pat the broccoli dry. Roughly chop
both and place in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella,
and 1/4 cup Romano.
Add the milk to the onions and
whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer, then whisk in the cream cheese,
nutmeg, and remaining 1/4 cup Romano. Gently simmer (do not boil),
stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce on
the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 1/2 noodles
(breaking as necessary to fit). Spread a third (about 1/3 cup) of the
remaining sauce over the top. Dollop with a third (about 1 1/3 cups) of
the ricotta mixture. Repeat twice.
Sprinkle with the remaining
1/2 cup mozzarella, cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Uncover and bake until the noodles are tender (a sharp knife should go
through with no resistance) and the top is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes
more. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
I have never made a lasagna with a white sauce and I don't think I would have ever thought about cream cheese being in the sauce.
So I thought, why couldn't you use the special flavors of Philadelphia soft cream cheese to make variations of this recipe? For instance, the Spinach and Artichoke flavor would have been perfect for this recipe.
The Tomato and Basil flavor would go great with sauteed red onions, red peppers, diced chilies and tomatoes, along with the spinach.
The Chive and Onion may be suited for the addition of bacon, lemon flavoring, and cheddar, like a baked potato lasagna.
Obviously the Pineapple version would go over well if it included ham, then I think I would include the red peppers and bacon in that dish as well.
Last year I became obsessed with making gourmet deviled eggs. I may have found a new obsession.
Garden Vegetable and the sweeter blends like Strawberry and Honey Nut Spread are left. I think the Garden Vegetable would be great for a breakfast lasagna but would be curious to any cooks out there about using the sweet spreads for a lasagna or something even more creative.
In the mean time, this dish cost me around $5 per serving. By the way, you can use Parmesan cheese in replacement of Romano. It tastes almost exactly the same. If I had known that, the dish would have been around $3.50 a serving.
You should be aware that our household contains beer snobs. I am the most gracious of the beer snobs, which include two, since I will drink Bud Lite and even order it on occasion if it's on tap cheap for Happy Hour.
Erik, on the other hand, will not drink bad beer--and Bud Lite is, in fact, bad beer. Someone had to tell the truth. We may have Dos Equis, Killians, Guinness, and many varieties of craft beers, but Coors or Miller--heavens no.
Some of you may feel the same way. You may throw little shindigs and invite folk, instructing them to "BYOB." And they do. They snarl and pickle up their noses at your bitter beer while you pity them in secret for drinking watery horse urine by the six pack.
And then they have the audacity to leave it at your house. Never.
That's why I'd like to advise all the ladies out there that their husbands no longer have to shoot the leftover cans of Natural Ice. There's a purpose for that cheap beer. A higher calling. Redemption, if you will.
The hops in beer apparently add smoothness and shine to hair. Did you know? Rinse with a can or bottle in the shower, wait 5 minutes, then rinse again (unless you want to go to work smelling like an alcoholic).
Since I've started my new workout routine, I have vowed to have a spa day at least once a week. That could include a pedicure, a facial, or using the hot stone massage set my friend Kristy gave me for Christmas.
I rarely actually go to a spa. I try to save money by using natural remedies and concoctions at home. For instance, sugar scrub is an amazing exfoliant and the olive oil will act as both a moisturizer and a protective sealant. I use it on my legs to prevent ingrown hairs and skip the hassle of putting lotion on every morning. When I use sugar scrub I don't have to use lotion.
All this preparation can also benefit from steaming your face, either over a vaporizer or pot of hot water (not too close) which will open the pores to cleansing and moisturizing.
Olive oil is a marvelous invention, lending itself to moisturizing masks as well. Olive oil is high in fat--in the same way that avocado is high in fat, which is great for the skin. One avocado and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, left on for 10 minutes, will leave your skin smooth. If you can resist the temptation to lick your own face, you're good to go.
I would love to start out this blog by saying I make the best mashed potatoes ever, but that would be incorrect. My Grandmother does. She taught me everything she knows and I added to it thinking I may do better. There's something to be said about the original. It's simple, it has just enough salt, and it will make you slap your proverbial pappy.
But my potatoes are good.
After our feast of roast beef on New Year's Day, I was pleased to discover the horseradish sauce (made simply with horseradish sauce, sour cream, and whole grain mustard) was almost exactly what today's recipe for Seared Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Cream Sauce called for. I didn't have to whip up a new batch and I could use what was left over saving time and money. Hurray!
I'm not saying this recipe was bad--because it wasn't--but it could have used work. I guess I just can't help myself--smashed potatoes? They are disappointing next to mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes--mine anyway--have chicken broth, evaporated milk, butter, and salt (and on occasion, ranch if no one else is eating them). But let's move on to something a bit more positive. Let's proceed with one of the best aromas in the entire universe--simmering wine. Wine over heat, especially combined with other tremendous odors like garlic or lemon, is just divine. My gravy, if you'll recall, is my favorite dish from Thanksgiving--it goes over everything. The sauce for this recipe certainly could have been doctored a bit, but it was, by far, the best part of this dining experience.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound(s) small red potatoes (about 20) Kosher salt and pepper 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil 4 (6-oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 3/4 cup(s) dry white wine 1/4 cup(s) lowfat sour cream 1 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard 1/4 cup(s) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Directions
Place the potatoes in a large
saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, add 2 tsp salt,
reduce heat and simmer until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Reserve 1/2
cup of the cooking water; drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
Gently smash with 1/4 cup of the cooking water (adding more if the
potatoes seem very dry).
While the potatoes are
cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the
chicken with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper and cook until golden brown
and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side; transfer to plates.
Add the wine to the skillet
and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream,
mustard and parsley. Spoon over the potatoes and chicken
I use my favorite dry white Chardonnay to make sauces, because it truly makes all the difference in the flavor. Then you can also pour a glass with dinner as a compliment.
