Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh---I don't wanna

Do you ever have those days when you just can't do it?  Can't muster the brain cells to plan a meal.  Can't find the energy to actually prepare and "cook" something.  At my house it sounds something like this:  "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh, I just can't do it tonight."

What do you eat when that happens?  Here are our can't-cook-tonight-go-to's.

1.  Nachos

I have been known to eat nachos two or three times a week.  I read an article in the Arkansas Times that reported on an actual survey, showing that people in Arkansas prefer their nachos "neat."  That is, each triangle of corn chip has one slice of cheese on it, and most often one slice of jalapeno pepper on top of that---instead of "messy" nachos where the chips are mounded and then everything is piled on and mixed up.  I fit right in with the Arkansas crowd mostly, but sometimes I like to shake it up.  I love my sister's method of having a separate Pampered Chef small round stone for each person, and all kinds of toppings---black beans, salmon, onions, cheeses, salsa, sour cream, guac.  Every person makes their own plate, pops the stoneware into the microwave oven, and drools until the bell rings.  Yum.

2.  Eggs

Lucy and I are big egg eaters.  We love our weekend breakfasts more than anything, and occasionally we just need the ease and comfort of breakfast for dinner.  Fried, scrambled, omelets, frittata...we love them all.  Throw in our special breakfast potatoes, and you'll want eggs Monday through Friday night.

3.  Brown Rice/Quinoa/Orzo and Roasted Veg

The best eating weeks are those when I've used the weekend to prep a lot of staples that form the basis of several meals during the week.  Taking the time to fix a stash of things like hard boiled eggs, roasted vegs, and some whole grains makes those "waaaaaaaaaahhh" nights a minor inconvenience, rather than a major catastrophe.  All I have to do is grab some kind of already-cooked grain out of the fridge and top it with some already-roasted vegetables (or, in a pinch, some vegetables out of the freezer), grate on some grana padana and maybe add some quick and easy delicious bruschetta (I'll show you my own technique soon) and a rough day has turned into a happy evening.  

I wonder what you eat on those days.

Celebrating My Sister on September 6

Are a lot of your childhood memories food-related, or is that just my family?  As far back as I can remember, we've always been pretty foodcentric:  what are we going to eat, who's going to fix what, how are you going to cook that, remember how Grandma used to make it, do you like to eat it this way or that way, what goes good with that, when can we eat, remember when we ate that at (somewhere, anywhere), won't that make great leftovers, do you like the whatever better at this restaurant or that one, blah, blah, blah----it's all about the food.   Because we grew up on a farm, we raised a good amount of our own food, including beef and pork.  Not to mention that on a farm, food is actually the fuel that keeps things going so it's serious business by default.  There was also a bit of wild-game stuff going on, so that may have added to some lifelong food fetishes.

Today is my sister's birthday.  I love saying, "my sister."  Maybe it's because I'm the only person left in this world who can say those words and have it mean Melissa Lynne.

Since we come from the same family, a lot of her memories are also food-related.  Here are two, shared only for illustrative purposes to show how nice she is now, compared to how stinkin' mean she was when we were little.  You think I'm kidding?  Just ask our boy-cousin Dickie, who used to end up crying whenever she was around cause she was so stinkin' mean.  We have a picture somewhere of the two of them at about 2 years of age, with poor Dick crying and Melissa looking triumphant with a "that'll show you to mess with me" look on her face.  Hmmmm....I've definitely seen that face recently, now that I think of it.

Memory #1:  I was a (sweet, precious) toddler asking (Melissa says whining incessently) for a bite of the hot peppers that everyone else at the table was eating.  So what did my mean big sister who was definitely old enough to know better (did I mention that she's my MUCH older sister?!) do?  She stuck a hot pepper in my sweet little baby mouth.  Hey, did you see that woman on the news last week who had to go to court because she used hot pepper sauce to discipline her kid?  I REST MY CASE.  Rather than go to court, Sister had to eat her supper out on the back steps with the dogs...likely a more effective deterrent.

Memory #2:  Sweet Nancy, our middle sister (truth moment:  she really was sweet, whereas I was a spoiled brat) was just little and quite susceptible to suggestions from the big sister.  They each had a candy bar, but was mean Melissa satisfied?  Noooooo, she wanted her candy bar and poor little Nancy's, too.  (Just look at them in the photo above and tell me which one gets your sympathy--do you think maybe she's pinching Nancy while pretending to hold her hand?)  But Melissa knew poor baby Nancy would cry and tattle on her if she stole her candy bar outright, so she instead manipulated the poor girl mercilessly by saying, "Nancy, I don't like this nasty old candy bar.  It's so awful, I'm gonna throw mine away.  Don't you want me to throw yours away, too?"  Like a lamb to the slaughter.

In celebration of my beloved sister's birthday, her always looking out for me,  and some of our shared food memories.

 Melissa.  My sister.  Happy Birthday!

Melissa's Holiday Eating Tips

Eating Tips for The Holidays

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can and quickly. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an "eggnog-alcoholic" or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it!!!! Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand-alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello???

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, pumpkin and mincemeat - have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert?
Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips: Start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well
preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO what a ride!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

My favorite flower

Mark Twain said cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. Boys and girls, now we know why a college education is important. Melissa must be a professor of cauliflower. She used to roast a whole head of cauliflower with a stick of butter and other goodness that I remember drooling over. But now she cuts up the flowerets pretty small, tosses with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, throws it on a bar pan, and roasts at high heat. The nutty flavor that develops is addictive ---let it cook long enough to have lots of good brown bits, and you'll start shopping for cauliflower sales like I do. It's been really expensive all summer, but the price has now started going down and I'm back on the twice a week cauliflower routine. It's high in vitamin C, iron, and, of course, fiber.

Here's what Sister's fixing...

From Make-My-Mouth-Water-Melissa:

"That sounds so good. I am preparing what has almost become a weekly ritual for my gastronomic delight: lentils, brown rice, baked sweet potatoes. I will throw in some baked salmon seasoned with olive oil & grey salt with lavender and a salad of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil & balsamic vinegar."

(The photo is from one of our feasts in Santa Fe in May 2009)