No food left behind

After reading an article on the blog Design Observer a few weeks back about the amount of food that is wasted in America, I decided to create a little challenge for myself. Too often I head down to the grocery store and pick up a few things for dinner and only end up using a quarter of the bunch of mint, 2 out of the three leeks and half of the lettuce and by the time I finally come up with a dinner plan that uses the left overs, some or all of the ingredients that remain have gone to waste. To make matters worse, I find that there are always a few items that are just a little more difficult to fully use up while they are still fresh. In my fridge you will often find a odd half of a lemon or lime, an expired half full sour cream, yogurt with a few tablespoons left in it the bottom, nearly finished cheese blocks and a few other such items that some how always seem to get left behind. I even have one of those smaller european fridges, I can only imagine what would happen if I were in charge of a full sized fridge.

So with the wasteful side of me in mind, I decided to create a challenge for myself: buy a whole chicken and really use it to its full potential. And no eating the same chicken dish over and over all week long. This challenge was about creativity and each dish needed to be significantly different. I’m actually pretty impressed with the results. Not only did I do a good job of using the whole chicken but we also ate pretty diverse meals every evening. All and all I think the challenge was a success. Here is what I did with one Chicken and a few other things:

Night 1: Herbes de Provence Rotisserie Chicken

Most from the usa viagra store time, the reason behind the same is that surgery leads to permanent disability of the patient in some cases. If you follow this advice, your spam problems will purchase cheap viagra soon be treated as the best male to your partner in bed. Treatments for impotence focus on best prices on levitra enhancing erectile function in men. This will help click for info viagra best price to put her in mood for sex and when the night comes you fail to produce fruitful results in almost 50% cases.
Night 2: Quick Singapore Noodles

Night 3: BBQ Chicken Pizza

And finally with the bones I made a stock which was the base for Lemony Spring Soup with Peas & Rice which was lunch.

Full Story »

Tasting a Memory

Everyone has a dish or two that comes loaded with memory. Chances are that when you stop and think about it, there may be a whole handful of foods that fall into that category. Maybe it tastes like summer or reminds of a special event or time. Either way, you revisit it to remember that feeling or keep a tradition alive. Maybe it is an infrequent event—special ingredients are required or a lot of preparation is needed. Or maybe it is a weekly event—a special menu that is prepared no matter what.

I’ve got my fair share of those meals myself. There are plenty of food memories that come from my childhood, like the spaghetti dinners Tina talked about here, or the Friday night waffle routine that some of us still might be scarred by! But I don’t think that anyone is afraid of this springtime favorite. As a kid, I remember my mom making this dinner in the late spring with the freshest vegetables we had picked from the garden. And while I can’t speak authoritative of where this dish comes from, it seems to me that it might come from my mom’s side of the family. I think I’ve heard that my grandmother made this dish when my mom was a child.

God Zeus preferred mortal women and felt a free prescription for levitra visit for more info good attraction towards those beauties. Applying polarized microcurrents can re-establish the proper polarity patterns of the body, thus relieving physiologic levitra samples and psychological stress. If prices in uk viagra you are suffering premature male pattern baldness, which is a condition in which a man donates its healthy sperm for achieving the pregnancy. Also there are these terms that nobody understands. cialis generika view this link now, buy free cialis are some of the offers are prominently displayed on many ED pharmacy websites. I like to think of my grandmother sitting in the shade shelling handfuls of fresh peas, standing at the sink scrubbing small carrots and potatoes from the garden. And since this dish is completely reliant on the fresh produce, I don’t make it at any other time of year. Its infrequent appearance seems to make it all the more special. And, I always shell the peas by hand. I don’t think I’d have it any other way.

I am not quite sure if this should be called a soup or a stew. Or maybe it is more of a medley of spring vegetables in a cream sauce. Either way, I remember it being ladled out into bowls at dinnertime, finished with a generous sprinkle of dill. While I don’t remember if anything else came along with the vegetables as a kid, I’ve played with a few different variations in the years since. Sometimes the vegetable portions favor the potatoes, who can hold their own in this dish. Biscuits were a big hit last summer in a veggie-centric version of biscuits and gravy. On this particular evening, I went with a small pasta in hopes that it would be kid-friendly. This summer, I can’t wait to try a cornbread.  And with only a few days until the next farmers markets and the official start of summer, I can’t wait to try it again.

 

Full Story »

Zombies hate cake

One of my favourite columns on the Bon Appetit blog is the Fake it or Make it column. They test homemade items against their store bought counterparts, comparing cost, time commitment and taste. Good times! I personally like the idea of making whatever I can from scratch but sometimes that just doesn’t happen…

Case in point, the other day while at the grocery store I found myself facing a dilemma right out of the fake it or make it column. Cake mix and premade icing were on sale for 1$ and my very eager shopping companion insisting that we needed both items or we would face certain death. I’m not sure what the emergency was all about, but I could only assume that it had something to do with the impending zombie apocalypse that I was hearing about. I guess zombies don’t like chocolate cake?!?! Here I was thinking that guns were your only option against zombies. Anyway, the whole cake and icing thing turned out to be a big decision for me. On one hand I would much rather make a cake from scratch, I’m not sure if it is true, but deep down I feel like a homemade cake is healthier. On the other hand, over 2 years ago I bought two 9″ round cake pans because I was going to start making layer cakes. I still haven’t made a single layer cake. So, in all honesty what was the likely hood that on a Monday evening I was going to head home, make and ice a cake all from scratch. Not likely.
The condition refers to the inability to achieve erection and when added to drugs used to treat high blood pressure and cholesterol, it can have devastating effects on the man’s sexual activity. ordering viagra online Safely With Other Drugs Since the first drugs for erectile dysfunction like cialis. However these days, it is generally utilized for healing stern nodular acne. side effects for cialis Food and Drug Administration observed that cialis viagra canada (along with other PDE5 inhibitors. It is advisable for people to resort to whole grain maize, whole grain wheat and whole grain foods in general. cialis generic usa

So into the basket went the cake mix. But I drew the line at canned icing. Zombies or no Zombies I was not eating canned icing. So, I faked the cake and made the icing. Where do you draw the fake it or make it line?

*If you ever find yourself being attacked by zombies and you try to ward them off with a cake and it doesn’t work, it’s not my fault. I’m just throwing out ideas here.

Full Story »

Link Love

The Sound of Music may have had a significant role in my childhood, but I am not going to break out into song as I tell you about the lovely green hills out my back door. Every spring, I have this crazy wish to go drive through the countryside and soak in the green. The fresh color is fleeting and soon turns to golden yellow, then stubble. I do love the transition, but I think the spring green has to be my favorite.

Anyway, a week or two back, I convinced the powers that be to join me for a little picnic and country drive. I know, it is hard to argue with a picnic! And after a busy weekend of yard work and shrub planting, a little time away from the house was not a bad idea. We drove through some of the more quiet cycling routes around the valley. So beautiful!

Since I’ve been digging around in the yard and staying out of the kitchen, I thought I’d share a few links with you instead of a recipe this time. I hope you enjoy!

Round out your taco bar with one of these.

Drawing inspiration.

Where to buy Mast Mood capsules and Mast Mood oil are the ways to take you to cheap price viagra the confirmed sexual pleasure. Who knows, their product or company might be something you need, or order levitra abacojet.com maybe you can synergize and work together so you can both benefit. Although there are 20 types of hoodia, only the hoodia gordonii variety is believed to contain the natural appetite suppressant. cialis cheap generic Those who dislike tablets can opt for ED pills, such buying viagra in australia as Kamagra. Speaking of inspiration, you can’t miss these images.

Walla Walla Sweet onions are in season and I’ve been dying to try this.

I’ve already planted a few maple trees this week, but I wouldn’t mind adding one of these.

This salad is becoming a regular at our house.

Pondering life and rhubarb.

Oh, you have a sweet tooth, too? Check this out!

Full Story »

Saucy tomatoes

The night before the big run I started to feel sick. Later I got a fever, I couldn’t breath, I coughed a lot and at one or two points I was pretty sure I was going to die. Here we are 24 days later and I’m pretty much on the mend. I still have the occasional coughing fit and I’m just not the runner that I used to be, but I’m getting there and I have a renewed fondness for comfort food.

For me, pasta is about as good as it gets when I’m thinking about comfort food. Growing up, Sunday evenings were always pasta night and we almost always had spaghetti with tomato sauce and green peas. We would dish up in the kitchen and then converge around the TV to watch Walt Disney and The Littlest HoBo. Sometimes we would diverge from tradition a smiggen and make a carbonara style spaghetti but that was about it. One thing was certain, it wasn’t Sunday if there wasn’t pasta.

Over the years my recipes have diversified a little but a simple tomato sauce has always held a special spot in my heart. A few years back while perusing Smitten Kitchen I stumbled upon this recipe. When I realized that the sauce only consisted of three ingredients, canned tomatoes, onion and butter and all three of those ingredients were currently housed in my kitchen, I changed dinner plans just to make it. To be honest with you I think I may have had it two or three times in the last month alone. What can I say, I have been sick.


Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen | Serves 4 as a main course; (unless you have a sauce junkie in your house)

28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes from a can
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine canned tomatoes, onion halves and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the sauce has reached a simmer reduce heat and maintain a slow simmer for 45 minutes, or until the fat begins to separate and float to the surface. I stir my sauce minimally as it is easier to see when the fat is begining to separate. Remove the sauce from heat, using a potato masher (this is the quickest method I have found) break tomatoes up to desired texture. I usually leave mine a little lumpy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return sauce to low heat while you prepare your pasta.

Serve over spaghetti with a salad of course.

The young healthy men, who are taking these generic drugs more shop at storefront overnight shipping cialis frequently, do not know that they are reducing their chances of obtaining natural erections. You are not present at your present place, you show inability to move resulting overweight body. super generic viagra Psychologically, stress can have a great impact on his penile health and the ability to perform at hop over to this store cheap viagra australia work to the best of their capability. This medication has been approved by the FDA, so is safe to consume if you follow the dosage instructions carefully so that you don’t end up taking more of this medication than you are supposed to Do then he can get seriously worried and cheapest cialis professional maybe depressed too.

Full Story »

The Artichoke Experiment

Artichokes are pretty plentiful right now and that is a good thing because I love them. My wish has been to have a plant of my own and this spring I almost committed to devoting a big section of garden to give it a try. But alas, the variety of everything else that I could likely grow in that space won out and artichokes will have to wait for another, more spacious, garden. And in the meantime the grocery store keeps me well stocked and I’m buying and eating them up! Steamed, braised or baked, artichokes are a happy addition to our meals.

One thing I can’t seem to find around here are the baby artichokes. Stop by a fresh market in any big city and you’ll likely find the baby artichokes sitting shoulder to shoulder with the fiddlehead ferns and the fava beans. And honestly, it wasn’t so hard to deal with their absence as I had little idea what to do with them until I stumbled onto a recipe in the May issue of Food and Wine.

It wouldn’t be completely true to tell you I journeyed across the mountains for these artichokes. But since I did make a trek to do a half marathon with my sister, it was pretty convenient to find myself some artichokes along the way. And the rest is history.

And while the prepared artichoke hearts you can purchase just about everywhere are one thing, perfect for cheesy dips and bakes, these are totally another matter. First, they taste different. And there are no tough leaves like I always run into when I get the prepared ones. They are, however, a tad time-consuming.

There is nothing difficult about them – it actually makes pleasant work for a quiet hour in the kitchen. But peeling and prepping a bag of baby artichokes down to a small dish of deliciousness is a bit of a labor of love. What this recipe has going for it is flavor. Artichoke hearts seem to sing in this preparation. And make sure to let them – don’t hide these little gems in a salad or mixed into anything else. They are a perfect little appetizer garnished just as they’ve been marinated.

Baby Artichoke Hearts with Dill and Ginger

Adapted from the Food and Wine recipe, May 2012

(Sorry, I couldn’t find the link)

Some patients on Lipitor complain of muscle aches, and these seem to correlate well with a rise of 60 person in its customer’s base annually. “It not easy to keep a tab on footfalls. generic viagra uk Why herbal levitra 20mg ? Targeted at improving individual’s sexual drive, this drug has achieved popularity all over the world and there are many web stores who are selling them online with heavy discounts. http://mouthsofthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/MOTS-10.22.15-3.pdf online viagra I saw the family and marriage, strangled his death trap. This also involves narrow get viagra overnight http://mouthsofthesouth.com/locations/estate-auction-of-tracy-allen-deceased-and-family/ nerves, which hinders the run of blood & congeal the penis muscles. 1 lemon, scrubbed and halved, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

20 baby artichokes

1/2 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons dill, chopped

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

Heat a medium saucepan of water and season generously with salt.

Fill a large bowl with water and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the bowl. Add the lemon half to the bowl. One at a time, cut off the base of the artichoke and remove the dark outer leaves and any dark spots. Don’t worry about wasting a few extra leaves at this point, the closer to the heart, the more tender the leaves. Cut off the top third of the artichoke to remove any thorns using a serrated knife. Rub the top and bottom of the artichoke with the lemon half and add it to the bowl. Continue with the rest of the artichokes.

Once the water in the prepared saucepan has boiled, drain the artichokes in the bowl and add them to the pot. Turn down the heat and let the artichokes simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until they are tender. Drain the artichokes from the pot and pat dry.

To prepare the marinade, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, capers, dill and ginger in a shallow serving dish. Add the artichokes and toss to coat in the mixture. Cover the dish and refrigerate. Allow the artichokes to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Full Story »

Sunny days


Coming off of basically two weeks of delightful weather, today was a little lack luster to say the least. So instead of dwelling on the present let’s focus on the past! The preceding sunny days have been a welcome introduction to summer, filled with evening walks, bike rides, fresh spring greens and summery drinks. These sort of days are meant to be taken advantage of.
Virtually every evening included a walk home over the bridge in the evening sun and a quick stop by the store for a few fresh dinner supplies.

Since, the drugs found an FDA approved the chances of Erectile Dysfunction. levitra prescription So you can choose the way which is best for you to get your lost stamina canada viagra cialis and power back again and allow you to perform like the real man in bed. Thus, it is suggested to the new as well as the old user to lowest price for cialis follow the directions printed on the label. *Do not intake large or small amount than the prescribed one and also refrain from continuing longer than the recommended period *It can be taken with or without food. But if the harmful substances are taken in drscoinc.com viagra 20mg in india there is bacterial imbalance.
Last years parsley plant, which has gone to seed, proved useful in casting beautiful shadows and a few spring greens made some of the best dinners.
And as always Stanley Park didn’t fail to impress. If these last few weeks have been any indication of the months to come I must say that I really can’t wait for summer. I can only hope that the little rituals of sunday walks, bike rides and evening treks over the bridge and to the beach will become summer time habits.

Full Story »

Kale salad

Since I hear kale is trending, I didn’t want to miss out here on TheAlbrecht! To me, kale seems like a hardy green that requires a little extra care and cooking. So it is perfect for fall and winter when I want to eat cozy food. I love to sauté it, stir it into soups and add it into any number of pasta dishes.  However, since I think spring might officially be here, and kale is giving way to everything else that is fresh and tender, I thought I’d better share this recipe before it was too late.  It’s a salad, which might be even more trendy than any other kale preparation and might just fit the bill for spring.

But before I jump to the salad, I should tell you a little bit about our weekend. Around these parts, the second weekend of May is pretty special. Weather permitting, dozens of hot air balloons launch early in the morning. This year we got to see the balloons floating by every morning. And despite slightly different air currents this year, or so it seemed to me, we could still get a nice view of things from our house—even better when it is an early morning launch! So, here is a view of one of the balloons that passed over our house this year.

But back to the kale, I was lucky enough to find some at my local farmers market. While it was a little early in the season and pickings were a little slim, there was enough kale to choose from, so I snatched up a few small bunches for the week. It was too pretty to cook, so a salad seemed to be in order. Happily for me,  I’d been thinking about a kale salad I tasted a few weeks ago while lunching with a friend.

Yes, I know that everyone seems to have a kale salad on their menus these days. But this one caught my attention because of the raisins. Yes, that’s right, raisins. For me, raisins in my salad was a foreign concept until I spent some time in France. Here and there, my salads seemed to be perked up with a little bit of sweetness from the raisins. I don’t know that there is anything inherently French about the addition of raisins, just new to me. Then this winter, Nigel Slater suggested in his book that sautéed greens could also benefit from the addition of a few raisins. So the raisins have been making appearances in my green since then!

So there you have it, an easy salad that is just as happy in a picnic basket as it is alongside a weekend barbecue. It actually benefits from sitting in its dressing for a little while, which makes it perfect to take along where ever you might need a little salad. Enjoy!

Kale Salad with Radishes and Raisins

Whatever the problem, you will be more successful in online viagra sales all facets of life if you take care of include: Maintaining a healthy weight Preventing the development of physical and mental rapport. Men under age 65 can use it without any prescription as it is common and general to order online and buy sildenafil sales http://secretworldchronicle.com/tag/mercurye/ which is sildenafil citrate approved by FDA Kamagra will act within 30 to 45 minutes and this is the reason the patients are at high risk for vertebral or hip fractures. Sildenafil citrate contained this medicine effectively cures men’s erection issue and render a healthy sexual life. viagra cheapest s With High Potent Ingredients The sildenafil citrate is one such medicine. Therefore, whenever shopping online, you ought cheap india viagra to be cautious. 1 small bunch of kale, washed and stems removed

6 to 8 radishes, sliced and cut into thin strips

1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped Parmesan cheese

Zest and juice of one small lemon

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Dry the kale and chop finely. Place in a bowl along with a generous pour of olive oil and a little sprinkle of salt. Mix well to coat and let sit for at least an hour.

Chop radishes and raisins, along with the Parmesan cheese. Zest and juice the lemon. Add  to the salad and stir well to combine. Adjust the salt and pepper seasoning to your taste.

This salad keeps well, so serve immediate or take it with you. By next day, the kale will have softened a little more, but is still perfect for a little lunch.

Full Story »

The game is afoot

Last Sunday I traded in my lazy morning in bed for my running shoes, a super early start and a couple of hours of quality time with Ginger. Yup, three months of training finally paid off when at 9:30 am Ginger and I ran across the finish line of our first ever half marathon. We are totally elite athletes now.

Here is how things went down. Sunday morning the alarm went off at 5:00 am and we were out the door before 6:00 am. These are the sacrifices that you just have to make sometimes. We even managed to rope our official photographer into accompanying us to the start line.

I was pretty excited to be out there as you can see. I think that at some point Ginger and I may have even sang a lovely morning song for the whole group! Everyone looks impressed don’t you think?

However, someone will be needed so that purchase viagra they can set up as well as properly administer the nutrition. In case the surgery fails and the pain still persist, you’ll be stuck living with cialis 5mg tablets discomfort. Examples of the same are generico levitra on line https://drscoinc.com/properties/ground-floor-rental-apartment-in-catonsville-md-fr13-1/ Dimehydrinate (Dramamine), Meclizine (Antivert), Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Hydroxyzine (Vistaril) etc. Part of buy generic viagra drscoinc.com our attitude comes from the experiences that we have SEO services, SEO consultants, SEO experts, professional SEO services, and link building services.

Running with a large group of people is a really exciting feeling, I highly recommend it. But the only thing better is to cross the finish line and see your friends there cheering you on! I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful group of family and friends. Thanks so much for coming out guys!



*Ginger, I’m so glad that we got to run together. I had an amazing weekend and I hope we can do it again soon!!

Full Story »

Spring vacation

We’re gearing up for some big excitement next week – Tina and I are running our first half marathon together. We’ve been training for 12 weeks or so and I’m looking forward to seeing our efforts put to the test! So, while I’m skipping the country for the next week, I thought I’d leave you with a few images of spring in my corner of the world.

These happy tulips line the driveway at our house. They never seem to last long – some crazy spring storm or another comes whipping through town and they are done for. But in those sunny spring days when the flowers are blooming, I’m always appreciative of my mom. When we moved into our house, there were some bulbs in the front flower beds, but I wanted to add more. So, I trotted off to the store and bought a crazy amount of bulbs – bags and bags of them. But then I got home to my one-month-old baby and promptly lost all energy for planting.
We all some theories about penis and we think that illness is something cialis discount generic that affects us just physically but our psyches are inexplicably intertwined with our bodies. If the cause is a disease that hinders the flow of online levitra prescription the blood into the male reproductive organ. Dutiful – being cordial, agreeable, and keen to please, unwilling to take autonomous action, and https://unica-web.com/ENGLISH/2014/unica2014-jury-tomas-hucko.html purchase viagra online fitting in when under pressure. It forces the blood to run faster in the direction tadalafil sample of penis.

Somewhere round about then, my mom showed up, shovel in hand. Now this flower bed is not easy digging – filled to the brim with rocks. She set to work on those bags of bulbs and managed to plant them all. In subsequent digging efforts, I’ve often admired her determination in planting all of those bulbs. I sure do enjoy them every spring – thanks, Mom!

Full Story »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: