Contact: wildergin@yahoo.com
January 30, 2017 - Paul and I weathered our first ice storm in Kansas. We were without electricity for 6 days and this made me appreciate the time I enjoy being in the kitchen even more. I spent Saturday cooking from sunrise to sunset. It was a very good day. When I got back from the grocery store at 7:30 I mixed two bowls full of no-knead bread dough to rise all day. I made two large cheesy hash brown bakes (one for us and one for a co-worker who just had a baby). I made cheese grits (polenta) and spread them out on a chilled dinner plate. I then sliced the polenta into pizza pieces, dropped them into a seasoned flour mixture and dropped them into a deep fryer. I bought a small deep fryer a year ago and I FINALLY used it. I liked the texture of the fried polenta but they're flavorless. I will need to really amp up the seasoning next time I attempt this recipe. My husband and I assembled muffalettas with the homemade bread and olive salad I made in the food processor. This olive salad is delicious! I could eat it as a coleslaw side. Or maybe toss it in with pasta? I also took frozen meatballs and heated them up in the crock pot. Paul and I dipped them in Trader Joe's Carolina bbq sauce, Buffalo Wild Wings Caribbean Jerk and Jack Daniel's bbq sauce. This was truly delicious. I also made smoothies from a bag of frozen fruit, cinnamon and celery stalks. I love it that the refrigerator is full of yummy food for the week!
November 2016 - I have been so busy teaching French that I have ignored my cooking practice. I did make some really good spaghetti recently and I have been baking no-knead bread for all of my students and colleagues for various celebrations at work. I've made a long list of foods to make for an upcoming thank-you party for my husband's orchestra and jazz band volunteers. I have 31 items on the list so it's going to be a cooking extravaganza. The party is scheduled for the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Pictures and descriptions to come soon. Check my section I Love Parties.
September 26, 2016 - This week is homecoming week at Dodge City High School and each day of spirit week has a different theme. Today is a mardi gras theme so I dressed up in bright green, purple and gold and made jambalaya for all my students. We learned the history of mardi gras and New Orleans and I gave them beads. Over the weekend besides making jambalaya I also helped Paul grill some Hebrew National hotdogs to eat all week.
September 7, 2016 - We grilled again on Sunday. We grilled some delicious chicken breasts that I marinated in mango habanero ginger sauce. It was great! I also made a little side salad of artichoke hearts, capers and chopped cabbage. I found a recipe for pecan chicken casserole in my recipe index and it tasted much better than it looked. This recipe is a keeper. I sliced up cantaloupe and sprinkled on Tajin which is a local favorite for mangos, other fruit and even lollipops. It was a good cooking weekend.
August 29, 2016 - The weekend was a great weekend of cooking and eating. Friday night we went to the Final Friday art and music crawl in Dodge City and Paul played a few tunes at the Depot. We had dinner at Vallarta and then stopped in the 2nd Avenue Art Guild to see the beautiful art Jenny Hendrix and her mom had painted. We also stopped in Boot Hill Antiques which always has the best furniture and great prices. Saturday night we tried the new and improved Imperial Garden on Central Ave and it is so delicious! The sushi was great, the honey chicken was amazing and the service was outstanding. (It's too bad we went back three weeks later and the food was mediocre and the service was terrible.) During the week I planned to make Cuban churrasco like the steaks at one of my favorite Memphis restaurants (Los Compadres). I found a recipe for churrasco steak marinade here and found the chimichurri recipe (for topping the steak after the grill) here. I bought steaks and marinated them Saturday and all day Sunday. I was craving Hoppin' John after reading a recipe in my recipe index so I combined two cans of black eye peas with steamed rice and added salt, pepper and onions. I was craving chow chow to put on top of the Hoppin' John but they don't sell it in the Midwest so I bought a jar of sweet pepperoncini slices instead. I baked a loaf of no-knead bread for my hubby and I made baked potatoes in the crock pot for the first time. They turned out perfectly. I just wrapped potatoes with a little salt in aluminum foil and cooked them on high for three hours. I also made some quick pickles by using my mandolin on a whole cucumber and a whole purple onion. I put them in a large ziplock bag with one cup of vinegar and one cup of sugar. And finally I had made crepes earlier in the week for the teachers in my hallway. (We celebrate Birthday Friday once a month.) I used the leftover melted butter to make a flavored rosemary butter to go with our baked potatoes. Again, it was a great cooking week/weekend and everything tasted delicious. Here are the pictures below.
August 23, 2016 - Over the weekend I finally got back into the groove of cooking for the school week. My husband helped. He loves to grill and he's so good at it. I bought a slider griller to set on our charcoal grill and we made 18 sliders to eat through the week. This is a great way to have hamburgers all week. After all, we currently have one million condiments in our refrigerator left over from our Bastille Day/4th of July party. The sliders turned out great because I added a Sur La Table slider mix to the hamburger meat. To me, they're restaurant quality! I also made some homemade pimento cheese, pesto rice and baked chicken breasts. I put tater tots in the oven to go with our sliders too.
August 2016 - I had a great summer traveling and eating. I went on six different trips and now I'm back in the routine of a teacher. My one regret of the summer is that I didn't cook more. I got a lot of great ideas from my travels for what I'd LIKE to cook this fall but I haven't made anything yet. The one cooking goal I had for the summer was to buy a crepe pan and learn to make crepes. I did. Now I want to make crepes for everyone. I've always felt guilty for being a French teacher who doesn't make crepes for her students. This year that will change. My husband loves the crepes I make and now we keep the cinnamon, Nutella and honey out on the table all the time.
May 13, 2016 - I'm spending the weekend cooking French food for my students. I'm making ratatouille and buying some croissants at the grocery store.
In the past couple of weeks my students have studied various French foods, created projects and participated in academic discourse about food. Here are the questions and some of their answers.
French Food Academic Discourse Questions
Q1: What are some French foods you have learned about? How are they different from food in Kansas? In the USA?
Q2: Many people link food and love together. Read this quote: Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. - Harriet Van Horne Why are food and love so closely linked, in your opinion?
Q3. You are what you eat. Read these two quotes and discuss with your partner what they mean:
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin: "Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are."
Ludwig Feuerbach: "Man is what he eats."
Q4: Read the following quote: Mahatma Gandhi: "There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." Many people in the world go hungry every day. What does this quote mean and what could you do to help?
Q5: Read this quote and discuss with your partner how eating with strangers, foreigners, or outsiders could promote world peace. Alain de Botton: "Forcing people to eat together is an effective way to promote tolerance."
Answers:
French food is more carefully made for show.
We have so much in America. We're so lucky.
French people take their time eating food.
We waste too much food.
Americans don't eat raw beef (steak tartare).
Bad food will put you in a bad mood.
In the past couple of weeks my students have studied various French foods, created projects and participated in academic discourse about food. Here are the questions and some of their answers.
French Food Academic Discourse Questions
Q1: What are some French foods you have learned about? How are they different from food in Kansas? In the USA?
Q2: Many people link food and love together. Read this quote: Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. - Harriet Van Horne Why are food and love so closely linked, in your opinion?
Q3. You are what you eat. Read these two quotes and discuss with your partner what they mean:
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin: "Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are."
Ludwig Feuerbach: "Man is what he eats."
Q4: Read the following quote: Mahatma Gandhi: "There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." Many people in the world go hungry every day. What does this quote mean and what could you do to help?
Q5: Read this quote and discuss with your partner how eating with strangers, foreigners, or outsiders could promote world peace. Alain de Botton: "Forcing people to eat together is an effective way to promote tolerance."
Answers:
French food is more carefully made for show.
We have so much in America. We're so lucky.
French people take their time eating food.
We waste too much food.
Americans don't eat raw beef (steak tartare).
Bad food will put you in a bad mood.
April 23, 2016 - I got inspired to cook this weekend after last weekend's food fest in Wichita. I made a meatloaf with ground sirloin, onions, capers, chopped cornichons, sliced pickled jalapeños, Dijon mustard and ketchup. 375 degrees for an hour (first 30 minutes under foil). I made a cheesy hashbrown bake with frozen hashbrowns, sharp cheddar, parmesan cheese, sour cream and cream of chicken soup but I forgot the onions and its not as good this time. My husband says adding Dave's Insanity Sauce makes it better. I made a kale and sweet potato curry hash and it's delicious! I also made spaghetti with a jar of Paul Newman's Sockarooni sauce. I still plan to boil some eggs just to have in the fridge. After that I think we'll be set for the week.
Easter Weekend, 2016 - Paul and I had our first Easter Bonnet Party in Dodge City. We've had this party a few times before in Memphis but this was the first time I planned all homemade breakfast food. I was delighted that most people were the most excited about the crockpot full of creamy cheese grits. Pictures of the party are under Easter. Here's what I made: cheesy hashbrown casserole, quiche Lorraine, vegetable quiche, bacon, cheese biscuits, no knead bread, sausage balls, smoked sausage and bell pepper hash, apple pie oatmeal muffins, grits, rice krispie treats, coconut macaroon nests with Cadbury eggs, granola and Greek yogurt trifle, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry jellies that I served in Le Creuset fruit dishes, praline bread pudding (my first), Bloody Mary's, mimosas, decaf Roasterie coffee, salted caramel hot chocolate and an assortment of candies (jelly beans, Reese's eggs, candy crosses, mystery flavor Peeps).
February 27, 2016 - There are days that all I want is an Udi's frozen gluten-free pizza from the oven. I've eaten 7 or 8 of those lately. I did, however, cook this past weekend and I'm happy with the food in the refrigerator right now. I made kale, sweet potatoes and shrimp sautéed with oil, red pepper flakes and garlic. I made chana masala (curry, heavy cream, chick peas and green bell peppers) with white rice. I also made pesto chicken by pouring a jar of Trader Joe's basil pesto over a sliced half onion, 4 sliced chicken breasts then topping everything with lots of parmesan cheese. I haven't tired of any of these yet and I've been eating it for three days in a row. I'm trying to stay away from sugar but this is so difficult. For dessert I've been eating blueberries.
February 15, 2016 - I have been cooking so much this winter and I'm proud to say I've been cooking new recipes rather than my favorites over and over. Recently I tried making cheese grits again. I hadn't made grits in 5 or 6 years. For the Mardi Gras party I made gumbo that was unbelievably delicious as well as my usual Cajun favorites (see I Love Parties). And last night for Valentine's dinner I made boeuf bourgignon, quinoa, jalapeno cornbread, chocolate covered strawberries and apples, and cherry cake. Paul made a huge salad too. We had white wine and Moscow mules to drink. It was a very happy Valentine's Day.
January 11, 2016 - I'm finally back in the kitchen after the holidays. Over the weekend I made a cheeseburger meatloaf, vegetable soup with tomato juice and frozen vegetables, a cheese quiche with spicy olives, roasted cabbage, and mashed potatoes that I shouldn't have cooked with sage. I plan to make homemade ranch dip and a red pepper cheese ball tonight.
February 15, 2016 - I have been cooking so much this winter and I'm proud to say I've been cooking new recipes rather than my favorites over and over. Recently I tried making cheese grits again. I hadn't made grits in 5 or 6 years. For the Mardi Gras party I made gumbo that was unbelievably delicious as well as my usual Cajun favorites (see I Love Parties). And last night for Valentine's dinner I made boeuf bourgignon, quinoa, jalapeno cornbread, chocolate covered strawberries and apples, and cherry cake. Paul made a huge salad too. We had white wine and Moscow mules to drink. It was a very happy Valentine's Day.
January 11, 2016 - I'm finally back in the kitchen after the holidays. Over the weekend I made a cheeseburger meatloaf, vegetable soup with tomato juice and frozen vegetables, a cheese quiche with spicy olives, roasted cabbage, and mashed potatoes that I shouldn't have cooked with sage. I plan to make homemade ranch dip and a red pepper cheese ball tonight.
December 4, 2015 - It now seems that I spent every weekend in November preparing for Thanksgiving and it was worth it. The meals and snacks I planned for the family turned out just as I hoped. On Thanksgiving morning my in-laws, my mom and my husband started the day with quiche and a huge cheese plate (bleu cheese, cheddar and brie) with grapes, cocoa-cayenne coated walnuts, pickled okra, cornichons, honey, sliced tomatoes, Dijon and apricot jelly spread, strawberry jelly, and crackers. To drink I served iced tea, orange juice and Roasterie coffee from KC. An hour later we all jumped into the kitchen for the final push to prepare lunch at 1:00. The dressing was in the crock pot, the turkey was in the oven, the casseroles were in the fridge waiting to be put in the oven the last 40 minutes. My in-laws made a giblet gravy and creamed potatoes, my husband made a gigantic salad, my mom tended the dressing and I grabbed everything they needed as they needed it. Everything was ready at 1:00 and I loved the food. This was my first turkey and it turned out beautifully in spite of being slightly frozen when I prepped it early in the morning. I stuffed it with lemon and orange slices and kept basting it with butter. It looked and tasted great! For the meal we had (besides the previously mentioned turkey, crock pot dressing, creamed potatoes, giblet gravy and super salad) squash casserole, sweet potato casserole two ways (with bleu cheese on half and marshmallows on the other half) asparagus casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and homemade crescent rolls made by my mother-in-law. For dessert I made a Mississippi Mud Cake, apple brown Betty, coconut macaroons and my mom-in-law brought a double-decker pumpkin pecan pie with gluten free crust just for me! It was a great day. My mom who had not previously visited us in Dodge City loved our home and loved visiting Paul's band hall at the college. Dodge City is a great city with the warmest people I've ever met. I'm glad my in-laws and mom got to visit us in spite of the ice and snow! (see pictures under "Thanksgiving")
November 9, 2015 - It's finally okay to decorate for Christmas! So I did. All weekend. Sunday I made crockpot chicken fajitas again (directions are below in the October 24th diary entry). I also roasted a small chicken that I stuffed with lemon slices and purple onion. I coated it with brown sugar, butter and salt. I'm trying to practice for the Thanksgiving turkey in a couple of weeks. I made a shredded kale salad with grapes, spicy pecans, apples and salt and pepper. I made Captain Rodney's dip (sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, purple onions and Capt. Rodney's sauce) to eat with chips all week and to take to the World Language meeting Wednesday. I also baked two loaves of no-knead bread with the intention of taking one to work. I woke up feeling too lazy to slice it and wrap it so my husband can have both.
October 24, 2015 - I feel like a crazy cooking fool today! I did my grocery shopping Friday afternoon and that freed up some time and energy this morning to cook for hours. I made crockpot chicken fajitas that I saw on a Facebook video post this week by layering sliced bell peppers, onions, Ro-tel tomatoes, and chicken tenderloins in the crockpot on high for 3 hours. Delicious. I made cheese biscuits finally. I hadn't made them in a long time because I've become so addicted to making no-knead bread instead. I used to make gluten-free Bisquick biscuits so often that I abbreviated them on my to-do list as "cheese bix." I made the Pioneer Woman's mystery biscuits for Paul by quartering canned biscuits and slathering them in melted butter and bleu cheese and then baking as directed. Heavenly. I made another round of sausage balls and I cut up pineapple and golden delicious apples for fruit salad this week. I'm making my crockpot jambalaya for a Halloween party on Monday and also to eat all week for lunch. I cut up onion, celery, smoked sausage and added two cans of tomatoes, red beans and Penzey's Cajun seasoning and a few bay leaves. I'll take no-knead bread and jambalaya and a bottle of hot sauce to the party. I plan to go dressed as Coco Chanel back from the dead. I drove over to Carriage Carrousel today down the street from our house in Dodge City and discovered more Kansas-made Russell Stover treats (the big apple pie bite) and I'm becoming more and more addicted to Russell Stover. I may go back and buy all the Halloween pumpkin bites in town.
October 24, 2015 - I feel like a crazy cooking fool today! I did my grocery shopping Friday afternoon and that freed up some time and energy this morning to cook for hours. I made crockpot chicken fajitas that I saw on a Facebook video post this week by layering sliced bell peppers, onions, Ro-tel tomatoes, and chicken tenderloins in the crockpot on high for 3 hours. Delicious. I made cheese biscuits finally. I hadn't made them in a long time because I've become so addicted to making no-knead bread instead. I used to make gluten-free Bisquick biscuits so often that I abbreviated them on my to-do list as "cheese bix." I made the Pioneer Woman's mystery biscuits for Paul by quartering canned biscuits and slathering them in melted butter and bleu cheese and then baking as directed. Heavenly. I made another round of sausage balls and I cut up pineapple and golden delicious apples for fruit salad this week. I'm making my crockpot jambalaya for a Halloween party on Monday and also to eat all week for lunch. I cut up onion, celery, smoked sausage and added two cans of tomatoes, red beans and Penzey's Cajun seasoning and a few bay leaves. I'll take no-knead bread and jambalaya and a bottle of hot sauce to the party. I plan to go dressed as Coco Chanel back from the dead. I drove over to Carriage Carrousel today down the street from our house in Dodge City and discovered more Kansas-made Russell Stover treats (the big apple pie bite) and I'm becoming more and more addicted to Russell Stover. I may go back and buy all the Halloween pumpkin bites in town.
October 18, 2015 - I watched The Pioneer Woman all weekend. Actually I watched the same episode a few times. It's the episode where her sister visits from Seattle and she makes a citrus salad dressing for a salad and a frittata and some other delicious food. I made the frittata this morning and it was delicious!! I roasted asparagus, mushrooms and nuked a potato. I chopped up jalapeno olives and added these ingredients plus sautéed onions and parmesan cheese to ten eggs. I baked it all for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. I made a romaine lettuce salad with chopped celery, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, green apples and the citrus dressing made from sour cream, orange juice, garlic, salt and pepper. I served the frittata and the salad with cheeseburger meatloaf from The Meatloaf Bakery Cookbook and Paul and I had an amazing Sunday lunch!
October 2015 - Paul and I traveled a lot this past summer but once the school year resumed, so did my cooking for the week. Since August I have made cheeseburger meatloaf from The Meatloaf Bakery Cookbook, lemon chicken (that was way too lemony), shrimp rigatoni, gluten-free brownies, pork tenderloin sliced and doused with Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing sauce, cornbread that I have finally perfected (with Red Mills cornmeal and gluten-free Bisquick), chicken tacos made with Ortega taco mix, shrimp in mango habanero sauce, guacamole (too mild when made with green onions), Brussels sprouts, bbq chicken made with Corky's bbq sauce, Trader Joe's gluten-free brownies, a weekly fruit salad usually made with pineapple, oranges, apples, strawberries and/or watermelon, a mandolined cucumber and radish salad, cheese balls made with cream cheese, sharp cheddar, onion and red chili flakes, a squash casserole I took to birthday Friday at work and jambalaya this week. I made Ghirardelli brownies with chocolate icing for Paul's birthday cake. I'm not too tired to cook on the weekends but I have not been as super creative as I used to be in Memphis. Maybe in the new year I can start experimenting again.
October 2015 - Paul and I traveled a lot this past summer but once the school year resumed, so did my cooking for the week. Since August I have made cheeseburger meatloaf from The Meatloaf Bakery Cookbook, lemon chicken (that was way too lemony), shrimp rigatoni, gluten-free brownies, pork tenderloin sliced and doused with Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing sauce, cornbread that I have finally perfected (with Red Mills cornmeal and gluten-free Bisquick), chicken tacos made with Ortega taco mix, shrimp in mango habanero sauce, guacamole (too mild when made with green onions), Brussels sprouts, bbq chicken made with Corky's bbq sauce, Trader Joe's gluten-free brownies, a weekly fruit salad usually made with pineapple, oranges, apples, strawberries and/or watermelon, a mandolined cucumber and radish salad, cheese balls made with cream cheese, sharp cheddar, onion and red chili flakes, a squash casserole I took to birthday Friday at work and jambalaya this week. I made Ghirardelli brownies with chocolate icing for Paul's birthday cake. I'm not too tired to cook on the weekends but I have not been as super creative as I used to be in Memphis. Maybe in the new year I can start experimenting again.
May 11, 2015 - This past weekend was easy and relaxed. I had time to get crafty with stationery and stickers. I also had time to make more no-knead bread and I was met with more success. Since I couldn't attend the Greek Festival in Memphis this year (a festival I truly, truly miss because of the heavenly Greek food made at the Greek Orthodox Church on Highland) I decided to make Greek food at home. Our friends Kerry and Laura have said that living in Dodge City is a great excuse to just learn to make the food you can't get in a restaurant. So, I made pork souvlaki, Greek potato salad, Greek green beans with tomato sauce and bought the ingredients to make wedding cookies and coconut macaroons. Let me explain. The Greek Festival on Highland in Memphis was not just a food extravaganza. It was a yearly event that my parents and I truly enjoyed together. Whether it was raining or hot or chilly, we always went. The a la carte stands that offered kebabs, cheese plates, slices of Greek pizza and Greek cheesecake were fun. The big dining room and kitchen had the long line for the plate lunches where you could get a little of everything for a fixed price. Our favorite, the dessert hallway always has that pleasant "church smell" and a dozen or more choices for dessert. There would always be a pre-packed dessert box you could take home to those who couldn't get to the festival. The sanctuary would always look so beautiful and everyone wandered through it silently and reverently while outside in the churchyard kids would be playing and the Greek band and teenage dancers would be dancing and playing loud, fun Greek music. Oh Memphis! I miss you!
I made cheddar cheese, onion and fresno pepper no-knead bread (pictured below) for Paul and he loved it. I also made gluten-free no-knead bread with cashews, cherries, and raisins. I can't wait to try all kinds of new flavors with this bread we're both crazy about. It was a good weekend and I'm glad Mrs. Ralph is back at work this Monday morning. I have missed her and so have her students. It has been a true pleasure to be her long-term substitute. She brought me a bag of Peregrine coffee from her trip to DC as teacher of the year for Kansas. She also made me gluten-free cookies that I can't wait to dig into!
I made cheddar cheese, onion and fresno pepper no-knead bread (pictured below) for Paul and he loved it. I also made gluten-free no-knead bread with cashews, cherries, and raisins. I can't wait to try all kinds of new flavors with this bread we're both crazy about. It was a good weekend and I'm glad Mrs. Ralph is back at work this Monday morning. I have missed her and so have her students. It has been a true pleasure to be her long-term substitute. She brought me a bag of Peregrine coffee from her trip to DC as teacher of the year for Kansas. She also made me gluten-free cookies that I can't wait to dig into!
May 4, 2015 - This weekend was all about the Windthorst spring concert. The music department at the college put on an awesome show and I got to sing in it too! I have really enjoyed singing in the community choir (Choral Union) here in Dodge City. Paul's wind ensemble and community orchestra sounded amazing and all of the college choirs sounded amazing too. Because we spent so much time at rehearsal on Saturday and the actual concert on Sunday I had little time for cooking. I've also been sick with a very bad cold since Friday so I did not feel like doing much beyond the absolutely necessary chores. I did however make the most incredible bread in my dutch oven! I have been reading The Art of Eating In and there is a whole chapter about no-knead bread. I'm late to this fad but I'm obsessed with it now! Paul is crazy about it and I can't wait to make it again next weekend. It's only four ingredients but it makes a heavenly bread. I also tried a gluten-free version which wasn't as tasty but I'm going to keep experimenting. I made a chicken cassoulet in the crock pot for dinners this week. I'm happy just to take Amy's gluten-free burritos for lunch this week. It needs to be an easy week so that I can get over this cold! 15 more school days and it's summer!
April 27, 2015 - I was in the mood for fried chicken this week so I spent Saturday morning frying chicken. Paul and I have so many bottles of Buffalo Wild Wings sauces that it was time to fry something to dip in them. I also made cornbread, shrimp spaghetti with tomatoes, basil, parsley and tarragon, and brown rice and kale. I made a sweet potato casserole with cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar and topped it with pecans. I also baked a pan of Trader Joe's gluten-free brownies with chocolate chips. I cut up a watermelon to eat all week with cheese and balsamic onions.
I was inspired to buy a watermelon for two reasons: Birthday Friday at work and an after-recital party at the home of a musician in town. Friday was Birthday Friday at Dodge City High School and the wing where I work has lots of people who love to bring yummy food for the daily teacher lunch table to celebrate that month's birthdays. It was a great picnic. I took chicken fried rice from Sarocha. There was Mexican birthday cake with raisins and pineapple, baked chicken, potato salad, German chocolate cake, apples and oranges, a meat and cheese plate and a Mexican watermelon that was so sweet I wanted to eat all of the pieces on the plate.
Later Friday night Paul and I attended Kerry Kuplic's faculty recital and it was wonderful. His friend Don hosted a party for him afterwards and we were invited. Don and his wife have a house a few streets over from ours and their kitchen took my breath away. It is a perfectly preserved 1950's kitchen in pink and black. The original oven still works and so would the cabinet refrigerator if they were legally allowed to put freon in it. They served up pretty cocktails and a really cool spread of dipped pretzel rods, watermelon pizza, cheese balls rolled in colorful and flavorful spices and assorted fruit tartlets. I was especially impressed when our hostesses said, "Oh, this is nothing, this is just what we threw together." These are my kind of people! Hello!
I was inspired to buy a watermelon for two reasons: Birthday Friday at work and an after-recital party at the home of a musician in town. Friday was Birthday Friday at Dodge City High School and the wing where I work has lots of people who love to bring yummy food for the daily teacher lunch table to celebrate that month's birthdays. It was a great picnic. I took chicken fried rice from Sarocha. There was Mexican birthday cake with raisins and pineapple, baked chicken, potato salad, German chocolate cake, apples and oranges, a meat and cheese plate and a Mexican watermelon that was so sweet I wanted to eat all of the pieces on the plate.
Later Friday night Paul and I attended Kerry Kuplic's faculty recital and it was wonderful. His friend Don hosted a party for him afterwards and we were invited. Don and his wife have a house a few streets over from ours and their kitchen took my breath away. It is a perfectly preserved 1950's kitchen in pink and black. The original oven still works and so would the cabinet refrigerator if they were legally allowed to put freon in it. They served up pretty cocktails and a really cool spread of dipped pretzel rods, watermelon pizza, cheese balls rolled in colorful and flavorful spices and assorted fruit tartlets. I was especially impressed when our hostesses said, "Oh, this is nothing, this is just what we threw together." These are my kind of people! Hello!
April 20, 2015 - I was really inspired to cook Saturday so I spent four hours in the kitchen making yummy food for the week. I have been inspired by Cathy Erway's book The Art of Eating In. I really took her words to heart and cooked like crazy without looking up. Paul painted our kitchen cabinets while I cooked. I made a Cajun shrimp, okra, celery and tomato gumbo to add to white rice. I added Penzey's Cajun seasoning to perfect it. I sautéed some chicken with canned tomatoes, celery, onions, capers, salt and pepper. I steamed some quinoa to serve on the side. I also wanted to try a Pinterest recipe called egg, quinoa and kale cups. I added Wisconsin cheddar, tarragon, parsley, and salt to the first three ingredients and poured the mixture into an 8 mini-loaf pan. I loved the results but I won't put as much kale in next time. I cut up pineapple, navel oranges and strawberries for a yummy fruit salad to eat all week.
I tried a delicious salad from 101 Cookbooks that is simply made by tossing together artichoke hearts, white beans, toasted walnuts, chopped celery, kalamata olives (I used green olive) and salt to taste. I left off the vinegar and honey dressing the recipe called for. I took some of the leftover Wisconsin cheddar, onions and walnuts and added cream cheese and red pepper flakes. I smushed all these ingredients together into small cheese balls to refrigerate for snacks through the week. I made two batches of coconut macaroons from sweetened shredded coconut, condensed milk and Penzey's Mexican vanilla. I steamed the leftover kale to serve as a side all week. I made sausage balls too. The refrigerator is stocked with delicious food to mix and match all week. I've already discovered that putting three cheeseballs between two slices of bread and throwing it on the Griddler panini press makes a super delicious grilled cheese. I am loving all this food!!
April 15, 2015 - Over the weekend I tried a salad from the Smitten Kitchen e-mail I receive thanks to my super cool brother-in-law Mo who introduced me to the website when I was dating my future husband.
I tried a delicious salad from 101 Cookbooks that is simply made by tossing together artichoke hearts, white beans, toasted walnuts, chopped celery, kalamata olives (I used green olive) and salt to taste. I left off the vinegar and honey dressing the recipe called for. I took some of the leftover Wisconsin cheddar, onions and walnuts and added cream cheese and red pepper flakes. I smushed all these ingredients together into small cheese balls to refrigerate for snacks through the week. I made two batches of coconut macaroons from sweetened shredded coconut, condensed milk and Penzey's Mexican vanilla. I steamed the leftover kale to serve as a side all week. I made sausage balls too. The refrigerator is stocked with delicious food to mix and match all week. I've already discovered that putting three cheeseballs between two slices of bread and throwing it on the Griddler panini press makes a super delicious grilled cheese. I am loving all this food!!
April 15, 2015 - Over the weekend I tried a salad from the Smitten Kitchen e-mail I receive thanks to my super cool brother-in-law Mo who introduced me to the website when I was dating my future husband.
April 10, 2015 - Last night Paul conducted his three concert bands on stage and he was so amazing. The bands played very well. The whole night was a success and as we walked down our driveway holding each other, my handsome professor husband in his tuxedo opening the gate to our white picket fence to our sweet old home, I felt so incredibly grateful. We are living our happily ever after and I have a sweet life I never anticipated.
Monday I forgot to write about what I cooked for the week. Last weekend was a great weekend that was mostly about eating out in Wichita. We also had a super fun night out at Sarocha with Kerry and Laura. I also made a bunch of food for Easter lunch for my sweet husband. I made a cheeseburger meatloaf, mashed potatoes, asparagus casserole, Cincinnati chili and apple brown betty. We've eaten this all week for lunch and dinner and haven't cheated by going out. It's Friday and I'm already fantasizing about Mexican food we will probably have at some point this weekend.
Monday I forgot to write about what I cooked for the week. Last weekend was a great weekend that was mostly about eating out in Wichita. We also had a super fun night out at Sarocha with Kerry and Laura. I also made a bunch of food for Easter lunch for my sweet husband. I made a cheeseburger meatloaf, mashed potatoes, asparagus casserole, Cincinnati chili and apple brown betty. We've eaten this all week for lunch and dinner and haven't cheated by going out. It's Friday and I'm already fantasizing about Mexican food we will probably have at some point this weekend.
March 9, 2015 - The weekend was sunny and beautiful. Paul and I bought paint and started painting the interior of our house. I now enjoy shopping in hardware stores as much as any other store. We finished a half-bathroom and I'm so proud of us! I didn't cook much because I'm leaving Friday to drive home to Memphis for part of spring break. I put chicken breasts, 2 whole chopped green jalapenos, a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, a whole chopped onion and two small packets of Trader Joe's chicken broth seasoning into boiling water and later added brown rice. There is nothing more comforting than chicken and rice. I made small cheese balls from a block of sharp cheddar cheese, a box of cream cheese, chopped pecans, a half onion chopped, real bacon bits and red chili flakes. I also cut up a whole pineapple, some fresh strawberries and two oranges to make a fruit salad. Fresh pineapple is so very, very good!
March 3, 2015 - Today is Barry Flippo's 41st birthday. It feels like we just celebrated our 40th together last summer with Amy Aston. I can't believe time is ticking past 40. It snowed again over the weekend but I'm getting brave in the face of snow out here in Western Kansas. I went to Walmart for groceries in the snow and didn't even blink. It's always nice to go early on a Saturday morning to have the whole store to myself. I've been reading recipes on Pinterest about cooking on a budget. I bought a huge packet of chicken thighs and made sticky chicken by marinating them in honey, hot sauce and garlic then braising them for an hour and a half in more marinade. I bought a large package of ground beef and made half of it into a cheeseburger meatloaf from the Meatloaf Bakery cookbook. (I love that bakery in Chicago. It's truly one of my favorite restaurants ever.) I took the other half of the beef and cooked it with Penzey's fajita seasoning to save for making tacos and quesadillas all week. I bought flour and corn tortillas, black beans, salsa and sour cream to make different Mexican comfort food all week. I've discovered brown rice, mashed black beans, a little beef and lots of toppings on three tacos makes a very filling meal. Paul enjoyed making tacos this way too. I used up the rest of the onions in the refrigerator in an easy French onion soup and opened two cans of beets to eat with the rest of the goat cheese in the fridge. I topped the beets with the last Trader Joe's spicy pecans bought on the farewell shopping spree in Nashville with Stephanie Wilson. I love knowing that the refrigerator is full of yummy food to heat up!
February 23, 2015 - It really snowed this past weekend! I got groceries ahead of time just to make sure I could get in and out of the grocery store. It's nothing for local Kansans to drive around in ice but I'm not used to it yet. I tried to spend less on groceries this week so I bought only enough to make chicken scampi, barbeque chicken in the crock pot, green beans with garlic and mushrooms, spaghetti, and eggplant and goat cheese Napoleons. The barbeque chicken is my favorite because I used the bbq sauce from the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. Paul had bought a set of buffalo sauces for me for Christmas a year ago. We'd used all the other sauces. It turns out my favorite flavor was the bbq. I'll have to order more.
February 23, 2015 - It really snowed this past weekend! I got groceries ahead of time just to make sure I could get in and out of the grocery store. It's nothing for local Kansans to drive around in ice but I'm not used to it yet. I tried to spend less on groceries this week so I bought only enough to make chicken scampi, barbeque chicken in the crock pot, green beans with garlic and mushrooms, spaghetti, and eggplant and goat cheese Napoleons. The barbeque chicken is my favorite because I used the bbq sauce from the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. Paul had bought a set of buffalo sauces for me for Christmas a year ago. We'd used all the other sauces. It turns out my favorite flavor was the bbq. I'll have to order more.
February 17, 2015 - I had a really nice three-day weekend. Paul and I celebrated Valentine's Day by exchanging cards and chocolates. I made Paul a pan of Ghirardhelli brownies with chocolate icing in a heart shaped pan. For lunch we drove to Garden City for Old Chicago Pizza and then made dinner at home. We made a roasted chicken (my first one that was not underdone) with garlic and swiss mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli (that ironically WAS undercooked) and chocolate raspberry Magnum ice creams for dessert. That was good but Sunday we got out the Griddler and discovered how good we are at making paninis. We are now obsessed with them. Paul made a Mediterranean one with ham, olive spread and swiss. I made a Cuban with ham, Dijon mustard, swiss cheese and a Claussen pickle slice. Then I made a s'more one with bread, marshmallows and Valentine chocolate. It tasted more like pain au chocolat than a s'more but it was delicious. Last night I baked chicken strips in Frank's hot sauce in the oven. Paul made a buffalo chicken, swiss and bleu cheese panini and I made a Nutella and peanut butter panini that was nice and melty. It needed another element though. Maybe banana slices or something else. It snowed and I took pictures before it all melted. It was a great weekend to cook and get caught up on laundry and dishes and organizing the house. Tonight I hope to grill eggplant slices and make goat cheese and eggplant Napoleons.
February 9, 2015 - I've been craving sweet potato casserole and squash casserole so I made both this weekend I really love my new oven and have already used the heck out of it. For the sweet potato casserole I baked five large sweet potatoes for and hour and a half. Then I pulled off the skins and mashed them with brown sugar, butter and salt, topped them with pecans and small marshmallows. I put bleu cheese on one-third of the casserole because Paul prefers bleu cheese over marshmallows. For the squash casserole I sliced 2 large yellow squash and a half onion and boiled them together with salt. I mixed 3/4 block of grated sharp cheddar with heavy cream, butter, bread crumbs, basil and garlic. I added all the ingredients together in a casserole dish and baked at 375 for 25 minutes. It tasted delicious. I didn't waste the boiling water. I boiled brown rice pasta in it and then added Paul Newman's Sockarooni sauce to it. I also made savory pork in the crock pot. I cut up a pork tenderloin into small pieces and added it to one can of coconut milk, brown sugar, cloves and garlic. I served this with rice. Saturday night Paul wanted hot dogs again since they were so yummy last weekend watching the Superbowl. I used up the rest of the tater tots in the freezer and we enjoyed hotdogs with sauerkraut, Claussen pickles and mustard. Paul added swiss cheese and celery salt to his hot dogs. The weather was perfect this weekend. Sunny and 70 degrees all weekend (strange for Western Kansas in February). We joined the YMCA and worked out, took Zeno for 5 or 6 walks and worked in the yard. It was a great weekend!
February 2, 2015 - It was Superbowl Weekend so I made some game food as well as food for the week. I made curry chicken with rice in the crock pot, spinach salad with bleu cheese and apples, Greek potato salad with kalamata olives and lemon, a roasted chicken stuffed with lemons, thyme and onions and sausage balls. For the game I made Cincinnati chili dogs, spinach artichoke dip, and tater tots that we dipped in different Buffalo Wild Wings sauces and Frank's buffalo sauce. Paul and I have had the same tradition 8 years in a row: we pull a table as close to the TV as possible (this year it was the computer) and pig out while we watch the Superbowl. I enjoyed the game and Katy Perry's half-time show. It was an exciting game to the very end. The Patriots won.
January 26, 2015 - I used my new stove this weekend! I decided to make a Southern feast and also make extra dishes to take to work for lunches. I made spaghetti, parmesan and tarragon quiche, kale salad, fried chicken, turnip greens, grilled sausages and onions, and cornbread. I have been craving cornbread for a long time. It's impossible to find gluten-free cornbread in restaurants in the South but I haven't seen cornbread anywhere in Kansas, yet. I made it with cornmeal and Trader Joe's flour. It tasted so good with sliced jalapenos on the side. I made the fried chicken by soaking it in buttermilk overnight and then breading it with Trader Joe's flour, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
January 21, 2015 - Since Paul and I moved into our new house in Dodge City, Kansas I have been cooking out of crockpots. The stove that came with the house was, well, hideous. Paul bought a new stove for me for our anniversary last weekend and I can't wait for it to be delivered and working! I made a simple red beans and rice, a cassoulet made with pork tenderloin, white beans, thyme and basil. I made a salad from raw kale, parmesan cheese, lime juice, salt, pepper and spiced pecans from Trader Joe's. (I tried to imitate a delicious salad I tried at Cheesecake Factory that also included sunflower seeds and purple grapes) I've been cutting up apples and blueberries as a side dish too. Last night I warmed up a plate of all of these dishes and added leftover steak and rolls from Montana Mike's down the street from our house. Paul appreciated having a plate of food waiting for him after a long day of teaching. We went for a short walk in our neighborhood before he went out again to conduct the community orchestra. I love walking our dog past all the churches when the bells are ringing the hour.
January 21, 2015 - Since Paul and I moved into our new house in Dodge City, Kansas I have been cooking out of crockpots. The stove that came with the house was, well, hideous. Paul bought a new stove for me for our anniversary last weekend and I can't wait for it to be delivered and working! I made a simple red beans and rice, a cassoulet made with pork tenderloin, white beans, thyme and basil. I made a salad from raw kale, parmesan cheese, lime juice, salt, pepper and spiced pecans from Trader Joe's. (I tried to imitate a delicious salad I tried at Cheesecake Factory that also included sunflower seeds and purple grapes) I've been cutting up apples and blueberries as a side dish too. Last night I warmed up a plate of all of these dishes and added leftover steak and rolls from Montana Mike's down the street from our house. Paul appreciated having a plate of food waiting for him after a long day of teaching. We went for a short walk in our neighborhood before he went out again to conduct the community orchestra. I love walking our dog past all the churches when the bells are ringing the hour.
The Holidays 2014 -
Thanksgiving - For Thanksgiving Mom brought over a turkey and I made sides to go with it. I made asparagus casserole, green bean casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts and cassoulet. Paul and I also made raclette. I wrote a separate article about raclette which became my obsession during the holidays. It's a double layered table top grill that also melts cheese to scrape on to bread, pickles, potatoes or anything you like. We especially love to grill green tomatoes, smoked sausages, prosciutto, bell peppers and balsamic onions.
Christmas - For Christmas Mom brought over a spiral ham (a holiday food I get really excited about) and I made green bean casserole, shrimp and rice, chicken and biscuits, roasted kale and cabbage and an assortment of desserts. I made lots of coconut macaroons because Mom loves them. She brought over one of her good pecan pies and ribbon salad. Ribbon salad is a strawberry jello, pineapple and sour cream salad that I could eat all year long.
New Year's Eve - Paul and I had a few people over and we made raclette. I also made Captain Rodney's dip (grated sharp cheddar, cream cheese, green onions, bacon and bacon grease and Captain Rodney's glaze) and served the Riesling I bought at the Biltmore Estate. I had been saving it for a special occasion.
Going-Away Party - I made Captain Rodney's dip again and basically cleaned out the cabinets and refrigerator turning the ingredients into some amazing oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread cookie sandwiches with cream cheese icing for filling, various snack mixes and Chateau de la Tour sparkling wine that I discovered eating at Amerigo.
Mardi Gras Party for students
Jambalaya
Croissants
Nutella
Macarons from La Baguette on Poplar Avenue (pictured above)
Christmas Party for students
Ratatouille
French Onion Soup
Cassoulet
Croissants
Pumpkin Coffee
I could kick myself for accidentally deleting some of my earlier entries. (I started this website in May.) The only thing that comforts me is that I didn't do much cooking in Memphis once Paul moved to Dodge City in August.
